Dark Origins is the first volume of the Arkham Horror “Collected Novellas.” I already read and reviewed Volume 2, Grim Investigations and my review will be posted in a few weeks. All of these stories have Lovecraftian aspects to them. The writing is a step above fan fiction so to enjoy these stories you’ll have to set the bar low.

“Hour of the Huntress” by Dave Gross begins with the mysterious disappearance of gun-toting dilettante Jenny Barnes’ beloved sister, Izzie, and triggers a frantic search through Arkham’s underworld. The climactic shoot-out is a dandy! GRADE: B

“The Dirge of Reason” by Graeme Davis follows for federal agent Roland Banks whose investigation of a bizarre incident exposes him to the supernatural horrors of Arkham. GRADE: C+

“Ire of the Void” by Richard Lee Byers concerns an astronomer and professor Norman Withers who finds himself the subject of a strange creature’s gaze when he agrees to assist in a fellow scientist’s weird experiment. This story features the famous Hounds of Tindalos who Frank Belknap Long made famous. GRADE: B+

“The Deep Gate ” by Chris A Jackson writes about a sailor, Silas Marsh, who must return to Innsmouth and confront his harrowing nightmares when he stumbles on a tome foretelling the end of the world. GRADE: C

If you enjoy Lovecraft patiches, Dark Origins will provide some mild Entertainment. But my quibble with these Arkham Horror anthologies is that the stories lack the dread that Lovecraft infused most of this stories with.