What do you think?
Rate this book
Shotguns v. Cthulhu
Pulse-pounding action meets cosmic horror in this exciting collection from the rising stars of the New Cthulhuiana. Steel your nerves, reach into your weapons locker, and tie tight your running shoes as humanity takes up arms against the monsters and gods of H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. Grab your pistols, your knives, your gearpunk grenades. Confront deep ones, mi-go, and flying polyps. Fight in the past, present and future, from the birth of the shotgun to the end of the world. Escape by car, carriage, and hot air balloon. Above all, remember to count your bullets...you may need the last one for yourself.
290 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
17 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Robin D. Laws
146 books196 followersWriter and game designer Robin D. Laws brought you such roleplaying games as Ashen Stars, The Esoterrorists, The Dying Earth, Heroquest and Feng Shui. He is the author of seven novels, most recently The Worldwound Gambit from Paizo. For Robin's much-praised works of gaming history and analysis, see Hamlet's Hit Points, Robin's Laws of Game Mastering and 40 Years of Gen Con.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 18, 2016
A solid anthology with some real gems (Who Looks Back by Kyla Ward for example), it was let down by 3-4 stories that felt very out of place. I still enjoyed it though, and it's worth a read if you're a lover of Lovecraftian tales (like I am).
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
December 18, 2016
An enjoyable collection of Chtulhu Mythos short stories focused on action. Includes a tasty Delta Green yarn by A. Scott Glancy, a tale of medieval German witchhunters by Kenneth Hite, and a story of surviving an apocalypse by Robin Laws.
February 3, 2013
H.P. Lovecraft died in 1937, five months shy of his forty-seventh birthday. In his lifetime he published over sixty pieces of what he referred to as Cosmic Horror, a blend of science fiction and horror; nearly all of his stories revolved around a complex pantheon of ancient gods and otherworldly beings that has come to be known as the Cthulhu mythos. These works were nearly all short stories, with the exception of a handful of sustained narratives, including The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, At the Mountains of Madness and Shadow Out of Time, and were published in the pulp fiction magazines of the day.
Lovecraft was also a prolific letter-writer who developed epistolary relationships with some of the most significant pulp writers of his age, including Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert Bloch. Before his death, other writers had begun to contribute to the literary legacy of Lovecraft's most famous creation. The author's guiding reach has not been restricted to his correspondents; Contemporary writers from Stephen King to Poppy Z. Brite cite Lovecraft as an influence on their own work.
A portion of Lovecraft's abiding popularity should rightly be attributed to the sustained and sustaining popularity of Call of Cthulhu Role Playing Game. First published in 1981, and currently in its sixth edition, this is for some (and I include myself here) their first exposure to the weird and macabre world of Lovecraft's fevered imaginings. "CoC" has remained one of the most popular role-playing games on the market (and has remained in print for over thirty years) at least in part because of the terrible richness of the world it offers.
Shotguns v, Cthulhu is a recent contribution to the Cthulhu mythos. (Interestingly, Wikipedia notes that the the term "Cthulhu mythos" was first coined by August Derleth, another prolific mythos-contributor, in the 1940s, several years after Lovecraft's death; Lovecraft had once jokingly referred to the mythos as "Yog-Shoggothery", a reference to the gatekeeper who holds open the way between the other realm and our own.) Edited by Robin D. Laws, a prolific writer and game designer in his own right (Stone Skin Press, the publisher of Shotguns v, Cthulhu is an imprint of the game publishing company Pelgrane Press), the collection brings together a broad church of unholy visions, each individual in approach, voice and content, but unerringly true to the spirit of Lovecraft's vision.
What surprised me was the unvarying quality of the contributions. In a collection of fifteen stories by different authors of varying backgrounds and experience, one or two tales that didn't quite meet the standard of the others would be expected, but each contribution to this volume stands on its own merits as, both as a compelling tale and a fine piece of writing (each story was, to my mind, so beautifully wrought, I refuse to play favourites by singling any out; they are all that good). The breadth of approaches to the mythos are a testament to both the talents of the writers and to the durability of Lovecraft's vision, which - since the passing of its creator - has inarguably taken on a life of its own.
Shotguns v, Cthulhu will be a treat for anyone already acquainted with the world of the Old Ones. For the uninitiated, the stories - to a one - can be read for their sad and terrible beauty alone.
Lovecraft was also a prolific letter-writer who developed epistolary relationships with some of the most significant pulp writers of his age, including Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert Bloch. Before his death, other writers had begun to contribute to the literary legacy of Lovecraft's most famous creation. The author's guiding reach has not been restricted to his correspondents; Contemporary writers from Stephen King to Poppy Z. Brite cite Lovecraft as an influence on their own work.
A portion of Lovecraft's abiding popularity should rightly be attributed to the sustained and sustaining popularity of Call of Cthulhu Role Playing Game. First published in 1981, and currently in its sixth edition, this is for some (and I include myself here) their first exposure to the weird and macabre world of Lovecraft's fevered imaginings. "CoC" has remained one of the most popular role-playing games on the market (and has remained in print for over thirty years) at least in part because of the terrible richness of the world it offers.
Shotguns v, Cthulhu is a recent contribution to the Cthulhu mythos. (Interestingly, Wikipedia notes that the the term "Cthulhu mythos" was first coined by August Derleth, another prolific mythos-contributor, in the 1940s, several years after Lovecraft's death; Lovecraft had once jokingly referred to the mythos as "Yog-Shoggothery", a reference to the gatekeeper who holds open the way between the other realm and our own.) Edited by Robin D. Laws, a prolific writer and game designer in his own right (Stone Skin Press, the publisher of Shotguns v, Cthulhu is an imprint of the game publishing company Pelgrane Press), the collection brings together a broad church of unholy visions, each individual in approach, voice and content, but unerringly true to the spirit of Lovecraft's vision.
What surprised me was the unvarying quality of the contributions. In a collection of fifteen stories by different authors of varying backgrounds and experience, one or two tales that didn't quite meet the standard of the others would be expected, but each contribution to this volume stands on its own merits as, both as a compelling tale and a fine piece of writing (each story was, to my mind, so beautifully wrought, I refuse to play favourites by singling any out; they are all that good). The breadth of approaches to the mythos are a testament to both the talents of the writers and to the durability of Lovecraft's vision, which - since the passing of its creator - has inarguably taken on a life of its own.
Shotguns v, Cthulhu will be a treat for anyone already acquainted with the world of the Old Ones. For the uninitiated, the stories - to a one - can be read for their sad and terrible beauty alone.
July 27, 2015
It's a collection, and it's pretty hit or miss with me.
If you're a fan of the Chtulu/horror genre, you pretty much know where you're going and what to expect. Execution varies, from a couple of genuinely entertaining yarns to what feels like a bad set of game notes from an RPG session.
The editor's submission was particularly good - Laws has had his toes in and around the tentacles for quite a while, and does a good job showing how things can be done.
I gave it 4 stars, because there was certainly more good than bad there... and what feels like a clunker to me might be just what someone else is looking to read (the RPG item mentioned above)
Over all, tasty book, would check out a good number of these authors again.
If you're a fan of the Chtulu/horror genre, you pretty much know where you're going and what to expect. Execution varies, from a couple of genuinely entertaining yarns to what feels like a bad set of game notes from an RPG session.
The editor's submission was particularly good - Laws has had his toes in and around the tentacles for quite a while, and does a good job showing how things can be done.
I gave it 4 stars, because there was certainly more good than bad there... and what feels like a clunker to me might be just what someone else is looking to read (the RPG item mentioned above)
Over all, tasty book, would check out a good number of these authors again.
June 10, 2013
An excellent anthology of stories injecting thrilling action into H.P. Lovecraft's often rather staid cosmic horror cycle (though the editor, Robin D Laws, takes care to point out that there was a fair amount of potboiling action in the source stories themselves). With one clunking and risible exception that sounds a lot like after-play report from a particularly overwrought convention scenario, by a writer who has been around more than long enough to know better, these are all fine stories. The writers tend to keep the focus down at the individual level, showing how remarkable characters survive (or don't) their brushes with the unnatural and various apocalyptic horrors.
A few of the best are Kyla Ward's "Who Looks Back?" in which adventure-seeking tourists run into something nasty on a New Zealand volcano; "Old Wave" by Rob Heinsoo, about the cultural cost of encountering the Mythos in the Pacific; and Kenneth Hite's erudite and clever archaeological case study "Infernal Devices". Most of the rest of the collection are good; those three are great.
Stone Skin Press have put together a few of these themed anthologies over the past year. Based on this and the Aesop-updating 'The Lion and The Aardvark', they are a small publisher well worth watching.
A few of the best are Kyla Ward's "Who Looks Back?" in which adventure-seeking tourists run into something nasty on a New Zealand volcano; "Old Wave" by Rob Heinsoo, about the cultural cost of encountering the Mythos in the Pacific; and Kenneth Hite's erudite and clever archaeological case study "Infernal Devices". Most of the rest of the collection are good; those three are great.
Stone Skin Press have put together a few of these themed anthologies over the past year. Based on this and the Aesop-updating 'The Lion and The Aardvark', they are a small publisher well worth watching.
June 27, 2015
My rule is four stars if I think everyone with an interest in the genre should read the book, and at this point I'm kind of torn on exactly what the genre IS; mythos, horror adventure, horrific adventure...
At that point, drawing back to think about how I'd rate it overall. There are some really good stories, but also one I found it a grind to get through. Keeping in mind that any anthology is going to be a mix, I'm giving it a solid three and adding I'm very glad to have picked it up.
At that point, drawing back to think about how I'd rate it overall. There are some really good stories, but also one I found it a grind to get through. Keeping in mind that any anthology is going to be a mix, I'm giving it a solid three and adding I'm very glad to have picked it up.
March 19, 2013
I've never been much of an H.P. Lovecraft fan, but this montage of short stories really was a pleasure to read. Many different and vivid takes on the mithos, with some really hair raising and stomach churning tales... Made me want to write one myself.
May 20, 2014
As most short story collections go, the results were mixed. While some of the stories really embodied love crafts style, and we're great tales, others lacked in the great horror that we all know and love.
April 10, 2015
A fairly interesting collection of Lovecraft inspired tales where the theme is somewhat different from most anthologies of this type. Instead of the typical Lovecraft hero, here we have those who fight against the decayed tide of Cthulhu not with books or spells, but firearms, axes and steel. Some good stuff here, particularly the Mamatas, who seems to be the rising star of Lovecraftiana, as well as Fifer and Lackey (the minds behind The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast).
A nice addition to the collection of any Lovecraft fan.
A nice addition to the collection of any Lovecraft fan.
June 26, 2013
I'm somewhat biased, as my friend Rob Heinsoo has a terrific piece in this collection. That said, I enjoyed most of these stories tremendously, and the one or two misses only accentuated the hits. Dark, scary, action-packed, and often quite funny, the book is wonderfully entertaining. The editor, Robin D. Laws, wrote a wonderful story that captures the hilarity and soul-terror of transformation. This is well worth a read.
September 10, 2017
Definitely worth reading for many of the stories, notably "Who Looks Back," "Old Wave," "Snack Time," "Last Things Last," (my first experience of Delta Green) "One Small, Valuable Thing," & "And I Feel Fine."
There were some real clunkers as well, so I'd recommend picking this up and grazing on stories that appeal without feeling a need to plow through the whole thing. The whole proposition of the anthology is action-oriented Lovecraftian tales, which is a challenging task, after all.
There were some real clunkers as well, so I'd recommend picking this up and grazing on stories that appeal without feeling a need to plow through the whole thing. The whole proposition of the anthology is action-oriented Lovecraftian tales, which is a challenging task, after all.
September 21, 2013
a thoroughly enjoyable collection of short stories, which draw inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft's cthulhu mythos with more energy.
One or two stories feel as if the are narrative of an RPG, but they were probably some of my favourites, in honesty.
One or two stories feel as if the are narrative of an RPG, but they were probably some of my favourites, in honesty.
January 20, 2014
Overall a good selection of newmythos tales, some a bit more action-film-ish than others. An entertaining read. Now it needs a sequel.
April 15, 2015
An excellent collection of action oriented stories set in the world of the Cthulhu mythos. While some stories are better than other, most are excellent and very enjoyable.
September 29, 2015
reread and still great
December 8, 2015
All are at least pretty good, but Kenneth Hite's story stands out as by far the best.
January 16, 2017
This book's title is Totally Incorrect and Misleading. It should be titled A Bunch of Very Good Cthulhu Stories, Some of Which Contain Shotguns.
January 4, 2023
Very disappointing. That being said, there are some cracking stories, it's just that the habit of some authors to swap clear prose with rambling, stream of consciousness garbage is becoming tiresome.
Also, this book could have done with copyediting. A number of simple grammatical and spelling mistakes jarred with me.
It seemed to me, at least, to be a set of fanfic with one or two good readable stories included.
Also, this book could have done with copyediting. A number of simple grammatical and spelling mistakes jarred with me.
It seemed to me, at least, to be a set of fanfic with one or two good readable stories included.
January 20, 2020
Your basic anthology of horrors from beyond the stars. A few are quite good, a couple meh, and the majority just fine.
February 12, 2020
Some great, some terrible. The good ones are well worth picking this up for.
August 28, 2013
Awesome collection of freaky fiction. Quite enjoyed it, a good variety of stories, some traditonal cthulhu fare, some pushing the boundaries.
May 13, 2015
Too slow. Did not like.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews