Orion's Arm Universe Project
Book Review: Future Lovecraft
Future Lovecraft edited by Silvia Moreno-Garcia & Paula R. Stiles
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Prime Books
Language: English
ISBN : 978-1607013532
Summary:
H.P. Lovecraft created the Cthulu Mythos long ago, but his ideas and setting have the basis for ongoing works ever since. In this particular collection of short stories we look at how the Mythos might be applied to the future. What happens when space travel and colonization runs up against the Elder Things and ancient terrors older than humanity itself? This book seeks to answer that question.
Here are stories of humanity venturing out into space only to discover frightful remnants of ancient evils, of colonies lost when they excavate civilizations that came before. Here also are stories of what might happen if humanity encountered the ancient horrors that Lovecraft describes - and simply adapted to life among. Finally, there are stories told from the point of view of the creatures of the Mythos themselves. It’s not easy being an Eldritch Abomination, and sometimes you have to do things that involve manipulating humans like pieces on a chessboard. Or behaving in ways that are all too human, no matter how many tentacles you have.
OA Relevance: Low
The Cthulu Mythos doesn’t really have much to do with the OA universe or its main elements, generally speaking. But the stories are well done, and some of them do actually delve into territory that OA deals in. Subjects such as uploading and the Singularity are examined here, although with a Lovecraftian twist. Don’t expect lots of happy endings, basically.
As a book to consider around the Halloween season, it seems rather appropriate.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
As mentioned, the stories are generally rather well done. The ‘feel’ of Lovecraft is there, although given a more modern twist, perhaps not surprising considering the subject matter. Perhaps my only real issue with the book is that many of the stories are very short, sometimes only 2-3 pages. There are some longer works as well, but there were more than a couple of times when I would have liked to see a story or characters be developed more rather than the whole thing being concluded so quickly. The upside I suppose is that the book contains 38 stories. So you get a lot of different reads, even if some are short reads.
Overall Rating:
A good read if you like Lovecraft and the Cthulu Mythos
Although most of the stories are rather shorter than I would have liked, each is a complete and entertaining read. The perspective of the Cthulu Mythos imagined forward into the future makes for some fun ideas and interesting situations, although much of it probably won’t be frightening to a modern reader.
Table of Contents
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Prime Books
Language: English
ISBN : 978-1607013532
Summary:
H.P. Lovecraft created the Cthulu Mythos long ago, but his ideas and setting have the basis for ongoing works ever since. In this particular collection of short stories we look at how the Mythos might be applied to the future. What happens when space travel and colonization runs up against the Elder Things and ancient terrors older than humanity itself? This book seeks to answer that question.
Here are stories of humanity venturing out into space only to discover frightful remnants of ancient evils, of colonies lost when they excavate civilizations that came before. Here also are stories of what might happen if humanity encountered the ancient horrors that Lovecraft describes - and simply adapted to life among. Finally, there are stories told from the point of view of the creatures of the Mythos themselves. It’s not easy being an Eldritch Abomination, and sometimes you have to do things that involve manipulating humans like pieces on a chessboard. Or behaving in ways that are all too human, no matter how many tentacles you have.
OA Relevance: Low
The Cthulu Mythos doesn’t really have much to do with the OA universe or its main elements, generally speaking. But the stories are well done, and some of them do actually delve into territory that OA deals in. Subjects such as uploading and the Singularity are examined here, although with a Lovecraftian twist. Don’t expect lots of happy endings, basically.
As a book to consider around the Halloween season, it seems rather appropriate.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
As mentioned, the stories are generally rather well done. The ‘feel’ of Lovecraft is there, although given a more modern twist, perhaps not surprising considering the subject matter. Perhaps my only real issue with the book is that many of the stories are very short, sometimes only 2-3 pages. There are some longer works as well, but there were more than a couple of times when I would have liked to see a story or characters be developed more rather than the whole thing being concluded so quickly. The upside I suppose is that the book contains 38 stories. So you get a lot of different reads, even if some are short reads.
Overall Rating:
A good read if you like Lovecraft and the Cthulu Mythos
Although most of the stories are rather shorter than I would have liked, each is a complete and entertaining read. The perspective of the Cthulu Mythos imagined forward into the future makes for some fun ideas and interesting situations, although much of it probably won’t be frightening to a modern reader.
Table of Contents