lovecraft’s monsters

July 14, 2014

Do not read LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS before bed

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, cthulhu, Ellen Datlow, horror, john coulthart, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, mythos, night owl reviews, review, short stories, top pick

Night Owl Reviews names Lovecraft’s Monsters a Top Pick.

I LOVED this book. I love retellings, especially horror, and these were done in a great way. From sea creatures to demons there is a story for everyone. After I read this book I read the originals and I was very happy with the way this book was written. The illustrations were my favorite and I loved that they were the originals. I am glad that I did not read this book before bed!

For more information on Lovecraft’s Monsters, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

July 11, 2014

Years Best Books (so far): LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS edition

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, best of 2014, book riot, Complex Pop Culture, cthulhu, Ellen Datlow, horror, johann thorsson, john coulthart, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, matt barone, mythos, short stories

Both Johann Thorsson at Book Riot and Matt Barone at Complex Pop Culture included Lovecraft’s Monsters on their best books of 2014 (so far) lists.

Johann Thorsson at Book Riot:

Lovecraft’s Monsters, edited by Ellen Datlow

Lovecraft wasn’t the greatest of prose writers. He had some truly original ideas and made them come alive in his world, but today his writing feels a little …. clunky. Lucky for us, his ideas live on and a great deal of writers honor him by writing stories that take place in his world. Which brings us to Lovecraft’s Monsters, a collection of Lovecraft-inspired stories and poems written by some of today’s greatest genre writers. Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Bear, Caitlín R. Kiernan and Joe Lansdale, too name a few. I’ve long been a Lovecraft fan (his stories, remember, not his prose and certainly not the man himself) and this collection is a pleaser for those of use who like the dark stuff. There’s a story in the anthology by Brian Hodge, The Same Deep Waters as You, that is the stand-out for me and still gives me shivers just thinking about it. If you like Lovecraft even a little bit, this collection is a must. –Johann Thorsson

Matt Barone at Complex Pop Culture:

Lovecraft’s Monsters, edited by Ellen Datlow (Tachyon Publications)

Like how indie filmmaker Joe Swanberg or jack-of-all-trades James Franco seemingly never sleep, always releasing new projects, genre fiction editor Ellen Datlow apparently lives in a world where days are comprised of more than 24 hours. Or she’s just the hardest working woman in the game. It’s the latter, of course—come December, Datlow will have released five new collections, all of which are dedicated to horror and, rest assured, are four-star material. She’s the reigning queen of short-form literary scares.

Datlow’s first 2014 offering, Lovecraft’s Monsters, features many of horror fiction’s best writers paying homage to the grandaddy of them all, H.P. Lovecraft. Whether they’re evoking Lovecraft’s sense of cosmic dread or directly referencing his otherworldly monster all-stars (i.e., Cthulhu, the Deep Ones, the Shoggoths), Datlow’s roster of imagination-heavy scribes avoid pastiche to create their own brands of fantastical madness. Neil Gaiman checks in with “Only the End of the World Again,” with its werewolf protagonist having a run-in with the Elder Things, Lovecraft’s sea-dwelling gods; the great Joe R. Lansdale uses musical appreciation to achieve Lovecraftian macabre with “The Bleeding Shadow,” my second-favorite story in Lovecraft’s Monsters following the enigmatic and reliably nightmarish Thomas Ligotti’s “The Sect of the Idiot,” an existential creep-show set in a strange little town.

As if the stories themselves weren’t enough, Lovecraft’s Monsters also includes original artwork by illustrator John Coulthart, each drawing more stunning than the previous one (and two of which you can see at the top of this post). Seriously, Coulthart’s beautifully grotesque images are worth the expense alone.

For more information on Lovecraft’s Monsters, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

July 9, 2014

LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS is more than just a nod to the Cthulhu Mythos

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, Ellen Datlow, horror, john coulthart, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, michael dirda, mythos, review, short stories, washington post

For The Washington Post, Micheal Dirda, in his piece on horror and the specialty presses, singles out Lovecraft’s Monsters.

More than just a nod to the Cthulhu Mythos is “Lovecraft’s Monsters” (paperback, $16.95) from Tachyon Publications, edited by Ellen Datlow (who apparently never sleeps and is probably never seen in daylight). In this collection, she reprints some of the best Lovecraftian short fiction of the past 30 years, ranging from Howard Waldrop and Steven Utley’s “Black as the Pit, From Pole to Pole” (1977) to John Langan’s “Children of the Fang” (2014). Between are stories by such notable shockmeisters as Thomas Ligotti, Steve Rasnic Tem, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Joe R. Lansdale and Fred Chappell (not his classic “The Adder” but his almost novella-length “Remnants”).

Read the rest of Dirda’s article at The Washington Post.

For more information on Lovecraft’s Monsters, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

July 7, 2014

The acclaimed best seller LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS to be reprinted

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized announcement, anthology, Brian Hodge, Caitlín R. Kiernan, cthulhu, Elizabeth Bear, Ellen Datlow, Fred Chappell, Gemma Files, horror, howard waldrop, Joe R. Lansdale, john coulthart, John Langan, karl edward wagner, kiom newman, Laird Barron, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, mythos, Nadia Bulkin, neil gaiman, news, Nick Mamatas, Stefan Dziemianowicz, Steve Rasnic Tem, Steven Utley, thomas ligotti, William Browning Spencer

Tachyon Publications is proud to announce a SECOND printing of Ellen Datlow’s acclaimed anthology Lovecraft’s Monsters.

Featuring a cover and interior illustrations from the award-winning John Coulthart, Lovecraft’s Monsters has received abundant praise from a variety of outlets.

“Ellen Datlow’s second editorial outing into the realm of Lovecraft proves even more fruitful than the first. Focusing on Lovecraftian monsters, Datlow offers readers sixteen stories and two poems of a variety that should please any fans of the genre.”
—The Arkham Digest

“…amazing and creative tales each with a striking illustration by John Coulthart…I fully recommend adding this nice anthology for all fans of Lovecraft.”
—Dark Corner

“Lovecraft’s Monsters, edited by Ellen Datlow and published by Tachyon Publications, is a reprint anthology of some carefully chosen and mighty fine Lovecraftian short stories, novellas and poems…. All in all it is a terrific selection of works, and one that any fan of Lovecratian works should add to their collection.”
—Fear.net

“[A]n amazing and diverse treasure trove of stories. As an avid fan of Lovecraft’s monstrous creations, THIS is the anthology I’ve been waiting for.”
—Shattered Ravings

“Where else, in one anthology, can a reader jump from roman noir werewolves to steampunk tanks in the Amazon to tales of forbidden love on the Innsmouth shore to Pinkerton agents in the Wild West?… Fortunately, we have Ellen Datlow to lead the way.”
—Hellnotes

“Editor Ellen Datlow has put together an anthology that will rock your liquid fantasies. Tachyon Publications has produced an excellent themed anthology. Lovecraft enthusiasts will plunge into the volume and be happily immersed in the content.”

—Diabolique Magazine

“Each story is a dark wonder and the volume itself is absolutely gorgeous, sumptuously illustrated throughout with steampunky-baroque original art by World Fantasy Award-winning artist John Coulthart. Lovecraft’s Monsters is a must-have for every fan of dark speculative fiction, so click on the cover graphic and grab it!”
—The Tomb of Dark Delights

“[A] delightful array of little pieces that range in mood and subject…. Unholy sacrifice, forbidden love, a private dick on the trail of a murderer—there’s something there for everyone.”
—The Jaded Consumer

“So I am telling you now, in the name of Yog-Sothoth, get this book, and prepare to lose some sleep.”
—The Bookend Family

“…an entirely enjoyable read… for Mythos devotees I would highly recommend picking it up”
—Seattle Geekly

“For Lovecraft’s Monsters, each writer had the same agenda: come up with a fresh take on one of the legendary author’s otherworldly creatures, like Cthulhu, the Shoggoths, the Elder Things and Yog-Sothoth. (Trust, they’re scarier than those tongue-twisting names suggest.) Adding to the book’s excellence, illustrator John Coulthart provided gorgeous new black-and-white artwork for each story.”
—Complex

“Lovecraft’s Monsters will appeal to fans of Lovecraft’s work, particularly his Mythos stories, and to readers of dark fiction everywhere. Datlow is an experienced and keen editor of dark fiction and has assembled a truly impressive list of stories.”
—LitReactor

“Datlow brings together some of the top SF/F and horror writers working today and has them play in Lovecraft’s bizarre world. And that’s a delight.”
—January Magazine

“There’s a lot to love in Lovecraft’s Monsters, an anthology which is both faithful and inventive at the same time. Unafraid to take risks and snazzily illustrated, this collection is proof that the Cthulhu cult remains as strong as ever.”
—Starburst

Table of Contents

Introduction by Ellen Datlow

Foreword by Stefan Dziemianowicz

“Only the End of the World Again” by Neil Gaiman
“The Bleeding Shadow” by Joe R. Lansdale
“Love Is Forbidden, We Croak and Howl” by Caitlín R. Kiernan
“Bulldozer” by Laird Barron
“A Quarter to Three” by Kim Newman
“Inelastic Collisions” by Elizabeth Bear
“That of Which We Speak When We Speak of the Unspeakable” by Nick Mamatas
“Red Goat Black Goat” by Nadia Bulkin
“Jar of Salts” and “Haruspicy” by Gemma Files
“Black as the Pit From Pole to Pole” by Howard Waldrop and Steven Utley
“I’ve Come to Talk With You Again” by Karl Edward Wagner
“The Sect of the Idiot” by Thomas Ligotti
“The Dappled Thing” by William Browning Spencer
“The Same Deep Waters as You” by Brian Hodge
“Remnants” by Fred Chappell
“Waiting at the Cross Roads Motel” by Steve Rasnic Tem
“Children of the Fang” by John Langan

For more information on Lovecraft’s Monsters, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

July 1, 2014

LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS cover among the best

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, best fantasy and horror book covers, cthulhu, dragon age, Ellen Datlow, george contronis, horror, john coulthart, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, ramil sunga, review, short stories

Not sure how we missed this posting, but John Coulthart’s incredible cover to Lovecraft’s Monsters was included among George Contronis’s Best Fantasy and Horror Book Covers for April 2014.

According to the Contronis rankings, Lovecraft’s Monsters came in second for the month (behind Ramil Sunga’s impressive Dragon Age: The Masked Empire cover). But to those of us in the Tachyon universe, Coulthart’s image was unquestionably #1.

For more information on Lovecraft’s Monsters, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

June 19, 2014

The attractive, excellent LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS is highly recommended

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, black gate, Ellen Datlow, james mcglothlin, john coulthart, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, mythos, rachel fagundes, review

For Black Gate, James McGlothlin reviews Ellen Datlow’s “excellent anthology of horror stories" Lovecraft’s Monsters.

Overall, this is an excellent anthology of horror stories. That being said, I do have one small bone to pick. The book is definitely what it advertises itself to be: an anthology of Lovecraft’s monsters. But personally, I find the most engaging thing about Lovecraft’s horror stories is the mood or what is often called “cosmic indifference” or “cosmic horror.” Some of these stories definitely fit that model, but others, not so much.

Also, it is highly tenuous whether some of the creatures presented within these stories are really Lovecraftian monsters. “Red Goat Black Goat” by Nadia Bulkin is a great horror story. But is the monster there really Shub-Niggurath? And “Black as the Pit, From Pole to Pole” has only a few scenes or references to “elder things.” So the stories can be a bit shoe-horned into fitting the theme of having Lovecraftian monsters.

Not really a big deal. But I make this point in case you’re looking for an anthology that is purely Lovecraftian — you’ll feel gypped if that’s the case. But if you’re looking for a good horror anthology, one that focuses upon monsters, this one should be right up your alley. I highly recommend it!

<snip>

New to Lovecraft and his monsters, you say? Ever wonder who Shub-Niggurath, Cthuhlu, or Azathoth are? Ever curious as to what shoggoths, “deep ones,” or the Hounds of Tindalos are? Wonder no longer! There is a helpful “Monster Index” compiled in Lovecraft’s Monsters, by Rachel Fagundes, that introduces all such beasties. Besides identifying which stories within Lovecraft’s Monsters contain these creatures, the index also points to where they are first found in Lovecraft’s original stories.

I should also point out that this is a very attractive book with creepy illustrations throughout provided by John Coulthart. In fact, there is one illustration for each story and poem (Gemma Files provides two poems here). Coulthart’s work provides the cover illustration as well. These are nice little extras not usually offered in anthologies.

Read the rest of McGlothlin’s review at Black Gate.

For more information on Lovecraft’s Monsters, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

June 18, 2014

LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS and COLD IN JULY sightings

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, barnes and noble, cold in july, crime, elizabeth story, Ellen Datlow, horror, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, john coulthart, lovecraft's monsters, movie tie-in, seattle, short stories, texas noir, third place books

Two more Tachyon titles were discovered out in the world.

First, Lovecraft’s Monsters caught at the Ledgewood Barnes & Noble by Anthony Cardno.

And another Cold in July sighting, courtesy of Joshua Kendall. This time at Third Place Books in Seattle.

Share your sightings of Tachyon books by replying to this post or via Twitter @TachyonPub. We’re always curious where these creatures are found in the wild—be it bookstores, libraries, or even airports!

For more information on Lovecraft’s Monsters, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

For more info on Cold in July, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

June 16, 2014

LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS is recommended to any fan of the genre

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, cthulhu, Ellen Datlow, horror, john coulthart, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, mythos, review, short stories, thiersten.net

thierstein.net supplies a review of the “interesting and well written” Lovecraft’s Monsters.

This is, as I would expect from any good collection (and Ellen definitely has the experience to put one of those together!) a mix of approaches, writing styles, and closeness to the actual topic.

<snip>

Overall a collection of interesting and well written stories I can recommend to any fan of the genre.

For the rest of the review, including thoughts on every story, visit thierstein.net.

For more information on Lovecraft’s Monsters, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

June 9, 2014

“[True Detective’s creator Nic] Pizzolato approached me years ago as a fan,” says LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS contributor Laird Barron

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, Ellen Datlow, hbo, horror, interview, john coulthart, Laird Barron, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, mythos, nic pizzolatto, short story, stu horvath, true detective, unwinnable

For the first issue of the weekly digital magazine Unwinnable, Stu Horvath interviewed Laird Barron. The piece includes an extensive discussion of Barron’s short story “Bulldozer,” which was included in Lovecraft’s Monsters, and establishes a connection with a popular TV show.

Fans of HBO’s show True Detective might detect a similarity to Reggie Ledoux’s ominous warning to Detective Rustin Cohle: “Time is a flat circle.”

“[True Detective’s creator Nic] Pizzolato approached me years ago as a fan,” says Barron. “We’ve corresponded infrequently since. He loved The Imago Sequence and Occultation, and has mentioned them positively in interviews. My work seems to have influenced some of his artistic choices. I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Despite a resurgence of interest in weird fiction thanks to True Detective’s use of references to Robert W. Chambers’ perennial horror collection The King in Yellow, Barron dismisses the notion of his chosen genre’s trendiness with similar language. “The big old wheel keeps turning,” he says. “All there is to it.”

For Barron, this circular theory of time fits right in with the theme of experience absorption. “Time consumes itself, or cycles through itself in an endless loop – from Big Bang to heat death and collapse into a single ultra-dense point that eventually destabilizes with another Big Bang, and so on for eternity.”

For the rest of the fascinating interview, be sure to pick up Unwinnable #1.

For an excerpt from Laird Barron’s “Bulldozer,“ visit the Tachyon tumblr.

For more information on Lovecraft’s Monsters, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

June 4, 2014

SHAMBLING TOWARDS HIROSHIMA joins Humble eBook Bundle 4

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized Ann Monn, anthology, Ellen Datlow, humble bundle, James Morrow, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, mythos, shambling towards hiroshima, short stories, sturgeon award winner

Humble eBook Bundle 4 has added 4 new titles including the James Morrow Sturgeon Award winner Shambling Towards Hiroshima.

The other new titles:

Lawful Interception (audiobook) by Cory Doctorow

From Hell Companion by Eddie Campbell with Alan Moore (Top Shelf)

Too Cool To Be Forgotten by Alex Robinson (Top Shelf)

The new books join this already exciting lineup to make a bundle of 13 titles:

Lovecraft’s Monsters edited by Ellen Datlow (Tachyon)

The Sword & Sorcery Anthology edited by David G. Hartwell and Jacob Weisman (Tachyon)

March by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf)

Wizzywig: Portrait of a Serial Hacker by Ed Piskor (Top Shelf)

Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw (Dark Horse)

The Alchemist / The Executioness by Paolo Bacigalupi & Tobias S. Buckell (Windup Stories)

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind (Rosetta)

From Hell by Alan Moore (Top Shelf)

Pay what you want. Support charity. Get 13 exceptional titles.

SHAMBLING TOWARDS HIROSHIMA

by James Morrow

Cover by Ann Monn

It is the early summer of 1945, and war reigns in the Pacific Rim with no end in sight. Back in the States, Hollywood B-movie star Syms Thorley lives in a very different world, starring as the Frankenstein-like Corpuscula and Kha-Ton-Ra, the living mummy. But the U.S. Navy has a new role waiting for Thorley, the role of a lifetime that he could never have imagined.

The top secret Knickerbocker Project is putting the finishing touches on the ultimate biological weapon: a breed of gigantic, fire-breathing, mutant iguanas engineered to stomp and burn cities on the Japanese mainland. The Navy calls upon Thorley to don a rubber suit and become the merciless Gorgantis and to star in a live drama that simulates the destruction of a miniature Japanese metropolis. If the demonstration succeeds, the Japanese will surrender, and many thousands of lives will be spared; if it fails, the horrible mutant lizards will be unleashed. One thing is certain: Syms Thorley must now give the most terrifyingly convincing performance of his life.

In the dual traditions of Godzilla as a playful monster and a symbol of the dawn of the nuclear era, Shambling Towards Hiroshima unexpectedly blends the destruction of World War II with the halcyon pleasure of monster movies.

“This dark, wildly funny, politically incorrect satire is a winner.”
—Nancy Kress, author of After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall

“The most provocative satiric voice in science fiction.”
—Washington Post

“…widely regarded as the foremost satirist associated with the SF and fantasy field.”
—SF Site

“Morrow understands theology like a theologian and psychology like a psychologist, but he writes like an angel.”
—Richard Elliott Friedman, author of The Hidden Book in the Bible

“America’s best satirist.”
—James Gunn, University of Kansas

“Readers will never think of Godzilla—or any other B-movie monster—in quite the same way, that’s guaranteed.”
—Green Man Review

“…the strange brew of jolly satire and moral indignity of vintage Kurt Vonnegut….”
—Time Out Chicago

“It’s called satire, and James Morrow does it brilliantly.”
—SF Site

“…tour-de-force of razor-sharp wit…packs a big wallop….”
—SciFi Dimensions

“Morrow is the only author who comes close to Vonnegut’s caliber. Like Vonnegut, Morrow shrouds his work in science fiction, but the real story is always man’s infinite capacities for love and for evil.”
—Paul Constant, The Stranger.com

“…witty, playful…reminiscent of Watchmen….”
—Strange Horizons

“…a reminder that for all the shenanigans in his plots, [James Morrow is] first and foremost just a great writer.”
—Bookgasm

“In the tradition of Dr. Strangelove…even as you’re laughing, you’re not sure you should be.”
—Omnivoracious.com

“James Morrow’s bizarrely funny new book Shambling Towards Hiroshima turns the usual Godzilla paradigm on its head: Instead of being inspired by the horrors of nuclear war, Godzilla is its herald.”
—io9.com

“It takes a special sort of person to…imagine a real-world basis for Godzilla….”
—John Scalzi, The Big Idea

“Morrow liberally salts the yarn with real Hollywood horror-movie personnel, Jewish showbiz snark, and gut-wrenching regret for the bomb. As usual for Morrow, a stellar performance.”
—Booklist

“…sharp-edged, delightfully batty…skillfully mingling real and imaginary characters with genuinely hilarious moments.”
—Kirkus

“…a total hoot to read…recounting horrors both imagined and real with equal aplomb.”
—The Agony Column

“A ridiculously fun read…pitch-perfect satire.”
—Fantasy & Science Fiction

“This is what we have come to expect from Morrow: intelligent, thoughtful, dark comedy with real bite—and in this case radioactive breath.”
—New York Review of Science Fiction

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lovecraft’s monsters

Lovecraft’s Monsters, edited by Ellen Datlow (Tachyon Publications)

SHAMBLING TOWARDS HIROSHIMA