Cthulhu 2000
by Various
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Book Reviews of Cthulhu 2000
Book Review: Making Cthulhu your own.
Summary: 3 Stars
As a collection of supernatural horror stories Cthulhu 2000 succeeds quite well. But the "Cthulhu" in the title is something of a mistake. This isn't real Cthulhu for various reasons (story one is too blunt with descriptions, story two is far too humorous - moreover it underlines the "frogs chanting "IA!" line in the book's introduction), and by posing as Cthulhu it destroys the charm of the original. By glancing at what the authors fancy to be the underpinnings of Cthulhu, you make it closer to yourself, endowing it with motives and an understandable course of action. I especially hate "Pickman's Modem" because it manages to give Cthulhu a humorous side. After reading Cthulhu 2000 I went back and read The Color Out of Space in the middle of the night. It had no impact whatsoever on me. Read this book at your own risk.Book Review: Cthulhu Meets Computers
Summary: 4 Stars
To my intense surprise and delight, Cthulhu 2000 proved to be a pretty good collection of highly diverse tales, a fair number of them good-humored send-ups that I was almost embarrassed to admit I found myself laughing with - my favorite being "Love's Eldritch Ichor," a very funny piece about a descendant of the Old Ones and a book editor falling in love in a Lovecraftian mansion a la The Addams Family, which, believe it or not, is a lot better than it sounds.But I was even more surprised at the collection of legitimate horror stories, some as genuinely creepy as anything Lovecraft ever penned himself. Not all the stories are strictly Lovecraftian by connection, but most are essentially true to his overriding theme of cosmic terror. Don't expect straight Lovecraft, and you might find yourself really loving this book. I did.
Book Review: Lovecraftiana for the new millenium!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a solid collection for Lovecraft fans. Although there are some real terrors in this book, many of the stories are written with tongue firmly placed in cheek, which is refreshing. "The Big Fish" for example, with it's Cthulhu Noir style, was a lot of fun. High points include "The Barrens", "His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood", "Black Man With A Horn" and "The Last Feast of Harlequin". Many of the titles can be found in other compilations, but there is enough fresh meat mixed in with the classics to be satisfying. Finally, for all you aquarium owners, get this book for Peter Blaylock's "The Shadow on the Doorstep". It is a short romp into paranoia and tropical fish collecting by a master fantasist. Great story!Book Review: A great collection for the beginning mythos reader
Summary: 4 Stars
Almost all the stories in CTHULHU 2000 are widely available in other publications, but to have them put in one package is very convenient and makes for a strong overall collection. Especially welcome are tales like Paul Wilson's "The Barrens," TED Klein's "Black Man With a Horn," Michael Shea's "Fat Face," and Fred Chappell's "The Adder" (which I had the honor of first publishing in DEATHREALM #9 quite a few years ago). For someone first delving into the post-HPL Cthulhu mythos, this is a great place to start. There are a few losers in the bunch, but the more "classic" stories easily make up for them. Also recommended for the mythos veteran who's looking for a handy volume of some of this subgenre's strongest tales.Book Review: You'll End Up Enjoying It
Summary: 5 Stars
Okay, I admit that I approached this anthology with some trepidation, since I enjoy the "old-school" style of Lovecraftian stories.
But despite myself, I ended up enjoying this collection, and I think other readers will also. Here's why:
--there's enough diversity in the types of tales presented to insure that most readers will find at least several stories they enjoy.
--there are a few just plain wonderfully creepy and atmospheric yarns, such as "The Barrens" by F. Paul Wilson and "The Last Feast of Harlequin" by Thomas Ligotti.
So give this collection a try. Horror fans and/or Lovecraft afficionados alike will find quite a few pleasant surprises in the gems presented here.
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