The Shadow of the Unknown

by | May 6, 2012 | Reviews | 0 comments

The Cthulhu Mythos, and books of stories based on or set in the sandbox of cosmic chaos and horror that H.P. Lovecraft built, seem to be more popular than ever. As a rabid fanboy of Lovecraftian horror in all its glorious shapes and forms, I could not be happier for this. This is why I now bring into the spotlight a great little collection of such stories, whose only real flaw is the title. Now THE SHADOW OF THE UNKNOWN isn’t a bad title, persay, but it really doesn’t communicate what the book is about. It doesn’t scream Lovecraftian horror, so fans of Cthulhu and all the uncaring, cosmic terror related to such tales may not even know of this book. It very well could slip under their Lovecraft radar, and that would be an unfathomable, cyclopean sin. So consider this me getting some good karma for all the Lovecraftians out there; you need to get this book. Here’s why.

Editor A.J. French has collected twenty-nine based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft but specializing on the unknown aspects of Mythos fiction. The vast majority of stories here are really solid, delivering both frights and a good sense mystery. Yes there are a few tales here that fall flat, that’s usually the case for most collections, but thankfully such clunkers are in the great minority. The best thing about SHADOW is the number of unadulterated great stories found within this book’s covers. Those brightest stars shinning in the cold depths of space are far worth the price of the book to get, add to them a whole host of very fine tales, and you get one hell of a book that every Cthulhuhead should have in his, her, or its library. In fact, there’s so many good stories here that I can’t cover them all without this review getting ridiculously long, so here are some of my favorites that I felt required special attention.

I’ve heard the name, Ran Cartwright, for a while now, but I have only just become familiar with his work somewhat recently, and every one of his stories that I’ve read so far I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. His story here, “Azathoth Awakening” continues that wining trend. It is the last story in the anthology and a great way to end a very good book. It deserves that place handily and might just be the winner of my oh-so coveted Best of the Book Award ™.

Another winner is the story that’s the second to last tale in the anthology, thus proving that editor French wisely intended to end his book with a bang. It’s “Antarktos Unbound” by Glynn Barrass. Mr. Barrass blends dark sci-fi with horror masterfully in this story of a group of people navigating a hostile waterway and discovering a truly alien city. Just how alien, I’ll leave for you to discover on your own as to ruin any of the surprised here would be unforgivable.

Nathalie Boisard-Beudin is a name I didn’t recognize when reading this book, and looking at her short bio at the end of her tale, “What’s in a Shell?”, didn’t give any hints on if she had been published before. Well if this is her first story, then an extra special bravo goes to her as I really enjoyed it. If she has penned more than this story, then I will have to seek them out. Here Nathalie uses Russian nesting dolls as a great way to tell an eerie, and quite Lovecraftian, tale and the very nature of the nesting dolls, one inside another, inside another, inside another and so on, was a great way to unfold the story.

Speaking on name recognition, Lee Clark Zumpe should be one that is well-known name to fans of Lovecraftian fiction as he has consistently put out many excellent Mythos stories since the 1990s. Here he once again delivers the goods with “Alone in the Cataloochee Valley.” Besides being a great story in its own right, this showcases the nice variety of settings editor A.J. French assembled for this book. From the previously mentioned dark future sci-fi of Glynn Barrass, to a more traditional Lovecraftian experience set in the early 1900s, THE SHADOW OF THE UNKNOWN really tries its best to have it all, and it succeeds for the most part.

And since I brought up Mr. French once more, kudos must be sent his way for not only organizing a very fine book, but writing a pretty good story for it too. His “When Clown Face Speaks” was a cool little yarn about a writer losing his mind, or perhaps coming to terms with a wider definition of reality. Oh, and creepy clown paintings, you’ve got to love them creepy clowns.

THE SHADOW OF THE UNKNOWN is a solid collection of Lovecraftian terrors. It has a nice wide range of styles and settings, with far more hits than misses, and a few real gems gleaming brightly to catch the eye. Fans of the Cthulhu Mythos or just weird fiction in general should give this one a read. Consider it well recommended.

About Brian Sammons