The Innsmouth Syndrome

by Philip Hemplow

Veteran epidemiologist Carla Edwards has been dispatched by the C.D.C. to investigate a cluster of inexplicable mutations among the young people of Innsmouth, a sickly and destitute town on the Massachusetts coast. Initially skeptical, she rapidly discovers that the true mystery is older and more horrifying than anything for which her training has prepared her. As the danger mounts, a double helix of history and urban folklore draws her inexorably to the door of a sinister, evangelical cult - and beyond the limits of her science and belief.

Genres: Horror, Lovecraftian, Fiction, Weird Fiction

87 pages

First published July 13, 2011

Reviews

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't decide if it would be better to get into this not knowing the source or not. In my case there weren't any surprises.
If you've read The Shadow Over Innsmouth, you know the origin of the weird condition the CDC epidemiologist Carla Edwards comes to check. I loved Lovecraft's story.
The only thing that remains is to see how the Innsmouth story works in our time.

Not bad, although I hated the ending. I prefer Lovecraft's, but that's just my personal preference.

[Jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this as a cheap ebook in a ‘find interesting sci-fi’ hunt. It’s a reworking of an H. P Lovecraft short story.

When four local teens die in a car wreck, the coroner notices several things amiss and the small town receives a visit from the CDC. Once she arrives in town, the CDC representative realizes something is definitely not right.

A modern reworking of an H. P. Lovecraft story, it has the vibe of an enjoyably campy SyFy channel original movie. It’s not long, it’s not too deep, and the story moves quickly.

The book/novella was clearly self-published but the errors were fairly minimal (BTW, ‘Thank you’ is 2 words). Other than some mediocre dialogue, I found this very readable. Hemplow really did his homework for the disease terminology and the Lovecraftian inspiration. A professional touch would have fleshed out the plot a bit more and helped the flow but it does all right on its own.

My overall verdict is that it’s OK but not great. I’m curious to see what Philip Hemplow does in the future.

[Pedro Timoteo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great, creepy beginning, but several bad decisions halfway through the book prevented it from being a classic short story.

For instance (with spoilers):
- the author seems to become bored near the middle of the book; it becomes rushed, and all characterization is suddenly forgotten
- the way the people get "the Innsmouth look" is a lot less creepy than the original (and there's no reason the original couldn't have been repeated here)
- the story lacks a "Zadok Allen"; both the reader (if they haven't read Lovecraft's original) and the main character end the book without really knowing what is going on
- the ending makes the story mostly pointless. Even if you have an unhappy or ambiguous ending, like in the original, there must be still some sense of accomplishment and change (like in the original: the main character escapes, there's an FBI investigation of Innsmouth, and the town is cleared of hybrids, at least for a while). Here, the main character simply fails her escape, is recaptured by the bad guys, and everything goes on as before.

[Tarl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is this author's first attempt at an ebook, and for that, they did a pretty good job. Besides a couple editorial mistakes the overall story is really well done. I thought his treatment of Innsmouth to be really faithful to Lovecraft and added just the right amount of atmosphere. There were a couple points where that description carried on perhaps a bit too far, but that was only in two instances that I noticed.

The modernization of the old blood in Innsmouth was pretty interesting, as was the suggestion of how it was happening and what could be the cause. It brought the older tale up to speed and though it didn't present a lot of useless detail in this regards, it added just the right amount of flavor.

All in all, I suggest this short read. It's about 80pgs at normal novel font, so a quick one or two day read depending on your pace. If you are a fan of the Innsmouth story or the movie Dagon, I suggest this story to you. You won't be disapointed.

[David Hambling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something is rotten in the town on Innsmouth, and Carla Edwards from the Centers for Disease Control is sent to investigate a rash of grotesque mutations in the inhabitants.

It’s a neat reworking of/sequel to Lovecraft’s great ‘Shadow Over Innsmouth’ and manages to be entirely faithful to the source material while bringing it seamlessly into the modern age. Subtle twists mean that even those who know the original will anticipate how the plot evolves…though it’s not too much of a spoiler to suggest that yes, There Is Something Nasty In The Water.

There are some witty references to the original – the town is dominated by the ‘Evangelical Order or David’ – as well as some modern takes on old horrors.

Hemplow brings a sharp forensic vision to the tale, making it a sort of ‘CSI Cthulhu Mythos,’ and manages to blend brisk, thrillerish prose with passages of pure Lovecraftian horror. Well worth a read.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, it was okay. There's a lot of solid thematic stuff for the Lovecraftyness in this to make it worthwhile, but the book's major flaw is that very little happens before you close in on nearly 2/3rds of the book being finished. Granted, it's novella length, but when you feel like even a novella is too long...the positive is that there are a lot of great, interesting ideas being bandied about here that are subtle, it's just that the execution feels off.

Ultimately, worth reading for the price. I'd give the first half of the book a 2, second half a 4, even 4.5 in some spots. I'd be interested in seeing what else Hemplow does with the Mythos, or with anything else, really.

[Brett Talley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fine novella, Philip Hemplow takes us back to Innsmouth and speculates on what might have transpired in the 80 years since the shadow fell over the eponymous town. Dr. Carla Edwards comes to Innsmouth to investigate the genetic mutations for which it is famous. Upon arriving there, the skeptical doctor learns that the illness has nothing to do with radiation or disease. Vividly described and dripping with atmosphere, Hemplow gives a loving tribute to H.P. Lovecraft, and fans of the mythos would be well advised to pick up this volume.

[Gerall Kahla · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take for a modern tale of Lovecraft's Mythos. What do the teens of Innsmouth get up to before taking the rites of the Order?

The story got me invested in the protagonist and some of the young people unfortunate enough to be born in one of the most notorious cities in horror.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant read. Found the writing a tiny bit choppy in some spots, but otherwise solid; a reasonable update of what Innsmouth might be like in the modern day. Will keep an eye on the author's other stuff.

[Jerome · Rating 3 out of 5]

It passed the time it keeping me awake test

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting update on Shadows over Innsmouth. Not brilliantly written. There are certainly some awkward words in there. It reflects the Lovecraft story well though.

[Dan Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read; I enjoyed it. The British diction was a but odd at times, and the characters really enjoyed "levering" themselves into different positions.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good modern follow-up to Lovecraft's "Shadow over Innsmouth." As it's barely a novella, I wouldn't pay more than 99c for it, but that was a reasonable price.

[Cristian Marrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good first attempt to explore the little town from LoveCraft.