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Auguste Dupin in the Mythos #1
The Legacy of Erich Zann and Other Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos
In the longest of the four Cthulhu Mythos stories in this collection, "The Legacy of Erich Zann," the violin and the music that the ill-fated musician left behind become the target, some fifteen years later, for a mysterious searcher who will stop at nothing--including murder--to obtain them. Edgar Allan Poe's great detective, Auguste Dupin, who's endangered because of his connection to Zann, must not only figure out who--but why.
In the original novella, "The Seeds from the Mountains of Madness," it turns out that the famous Captain Oates, whose body was never found after he left Scott's tent in the Antarctic, did not die after all--or, if he did, still retained his ability to function in the world. Sent back to England with a mission to fulfill, Oates seeks the help of an old school friend, a veteran of the Great War--who must also play detective, endeavoring to determine who or what has sent Oates back--and, of course, why!
Also included are two short stories, "The Holocaust of Ecstasy" and "The Truth About Pickman."
In the original novella, "The Seeds from the Mountains of Madness," it turns out that the famous Captain Oates, whose body was never found after he left Scott's tent in the Antarctic, did not die after all--or, if he did, still retained his ability to function in the world. Sent back to England with a mission to fulfill, Oates seeks the help of an old school friend, a veteran of the Great War--who must also play detective, endeavoring to determine who or what has sent Oates back--and, of course, why!
Also included are two short stories, "The Holocaust of Ecstasy" and "The Truth About Pickman."
210 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2012
5 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Brian M. Stableford
883 books135 followersBrian Michael Stableford was a British science fiction writer who published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped the middle initial and appeared under the name Brian Stableford. He also used the pseudonym Brian Craig for a couple of very early works, and again for a few more recent works. The pseudonym derives from the first names of himself and of a school friend from the 1960s, Craig A. Mackintosh, with whom he jointly published some very early work.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 4, 2023
Stableford has translated a veritable behemoth of books and stories, and he is clearly eminently knowledgeable about fin de siecle literature, science, history etc - but I find, although his writing is incredibly well informed and has all the elements I love - it always feels a little flat to me, as if it's lacking the vital something which makes other writer's work come alive.
Still, that said these were still enjoyable and I particularly liked the merging of Poe's detective Dupin with the Lovecraft Mythos.
•••
The Legacy of Erich Zann ⭐⭐⭐
The Truth About Pickman ⭐⭐⭐
The Holocaust of Ecstasy ⭐⭐⭐
The Seeds from the Mountains of Madness ⭐⭐⭐
Still, that said these were still enjoyable and I particularly liked the merging of Poe's detective Dupin with the Lovecraft Mythos.
•••
The Legacy of Erich Zann ⭐⭐⭐
The Truth About Pickman ⭐⭐⭐
The Holocaust of Ecstasy ⭐⭐⭐
The Seeds from the Mountains of Madness ⭐⭐⭐
October 6, 2023
Каждая повесть в сборнике перекликается с одной из знаменитых вещей Лавкрафта, а зачастую и не только.
Например, в заглавной повести осквернение могилы безумного скрипача Эриха Занна на парижском кладбище расследует сам Огюст Дюпен («Убийства на улице Морг» По). Паганини, месмеризм, сомнамбулы, Ламарк, адские машины... и, конечно, музыка. Чтобы совместить героев Лавкрафта и По во времени, Стейблфорду пришлось подвинуть годы жизни Занна почти на столетие в прошлое, но... как ни странно, оригинальному рассказу Лавкрафта это не противоречит, его события настолько оторваны от любых исторических маркеров, что вполне могли происходить и в начале XIX века.
«Правда о Пикмане» — короткий рассказ, скорее даже эссе, выстроенное в форме диалога двух ученых-микробиологов, обсуждающих различные гипотезы, которые могли бы научно объяснить феномен картин Пикмана.
«Пламя экстаза» — зарисовка из далекого будущего Земли, когда звезды наконец встали в нужное положение, из межзвездного мрака пришли Великие Древние, меняя саму суть реальности и выращивая людей подобно плодам на фруктовых деревьях. Название рассказа отсылает к «Зову Ктулху» — <... Время это легко будет распознать, ибо тогда все люди станут как Великие Старейшины — дикими и свободными, окажутся по ту сторону добра и зла, отбросят в сторону законы и, мораль, будут кричать, убивать и веселиться ... вся земля запылает всепоглощающим пламенем свободы и экстаза ...> Несмотря на супер мрачную тему, рассказ своей легкой меланхолией напоминает скорее Кларка Аштон Смита, а не Лавкрафта.
«Семена из Хребтов безумия» посвящены трагичной судьбе полярной экспедиции Скотта 1912 года. Что если один из участников экспедиции по чистой случайности выжил (или не выжил) в антарктических льдах, побывал (или не побывал) в городе Старшей расы, и вернулся в Британию с полными карманами черных семян (или не семян), не похожих ни на что известное науке?
В целом очень достойный сборник. Стейблфорд поставил перед собой крайне непростую задачу — дописать и развить культовые сюжеты Лавкрафта — и, считаю, отлично справился.
Например, в заглавной повести осквернение могилы безумного скрипача Эриха Занна на парижском кладбище расследует сам Огюст Дюпен («Убийства на улице Морг» По). Паганини, месмеризм, сомнамбулы, Ламарк, адские машины... и, конечно, музыка. Чтобы совместить героев Лавкрафта и По во времени, Стейблфорду пришлось подвинуть годы жизни Занна почти на столетие в прошлое, но... как ни странно, оригинальному рассказу Лавкрафта это не противоречит, его события настолько оторваны от любых исторических маркеров, что вполне могли происходить и в начале XIX века.
«Правда о Пикмане» — короткий рассказ, скорее даже эссе, выстроенное в форме диалога двух ученых-микробиологов, обсуждающих различные гипотезы, которые могли бы научно объяснить феномен картин Пикмана.
«Пламя экстаза» — зарисовка из далекого будущего Земли, когда звезды наконец встали в нужное положение, из межзвездного мрака пришли Великие Древние, меняя саму суть реальности и выращивая людей подобно плодам на фруктовых деревьях. Название рассказа отсылает к «Зову Ктулху» — <... Время это легко будет распознать, ибо тогда все люди станут как Великие Старейшины — дикими и свободными, окажутся по ту сторону добра и зла, отбросят в сторону законы и, мораль, будут кричать, убивать и веселиться ... вся земля запылает всепоглощающим пламенем свободы и экстаза ...> Несмотря на супер мрачную тему, рассказ своей легкой меланхолией напоминает скорее Кларка Аштон Смита, а не Лавкрафта.
«Семена из Хребтов безумия» посвящены трагичной судьбе полярной экспедиции Скотта 1912 года. Что если один из участников экспедиции по чистой случайности выжил (или не выжил) в антарктических льдах, побывал (или не побывал) в городе Старшей расы, и вернулся в Британию с полными карманами черных семян (или не семян), не похожих ни на что известное науке?
В целом очень достойный сборник. Стейблфорд поставил перед собой крайне непростую задачу — дописать и развить культовые сюжеты Лавкрафта — и, считаю, отлично справился.
December 2, 2022
Once again, Brian Stableford demonstrates that he is perhaps the best player in the Lovecraftian sandbox. Stableford brings modern scientific knowledge and insights as well as a proud and perverse pleasure to revisiting and reimagining the cosmic horror that Lovecraft spawned.
Each of the short stories brings new light and new insights to the original Lovecraft stories. Adding further depth and greater delightful awe to fill us to overflowing.
Stableford explains what was going on when Erich Zann was doing when he passed beyond human kin while Zann played or was played by that infernal fiddle.
Stableford imagines with horrible irony what the future would look like for humanity if and when Cthulhu and its ilk finally take control of the cosmos. With glee, Stableford suggests that this is what we were made for all along - evolution be damned and is damning.
Stableford uses modern biology to imagine what Pickman truly was and was drawing and reminds us why we truly should not drink the water in some place.
The last is a short story inspired by Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness - which Stableford eventually let loose into the world as a full novel- Beyond the Mountains of Madness.
Each of the short stories brings new light and new insights to the original Lovecraft stories. Adding further depth and greater delightful awe to fill us to overflowing.
Stableford explains what was going on when Erich Zann was doing when he passed beyond human kin while Zann played or was played by that infernal fiddle.
Stableford imagines with horrible irony what the future would look like for humanity if and when Cthulhu and its ilk finally take control of the cosmos. With glee, Stableford suggests that this is what we were made for all along - evolution be damned and is damning.
Stableford uses modern biology to imagine what Pickman truly was and was drawing and reminds us why we truly should not drink the water in some place.
The last is a short story inspired by Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness - which Stableford eventually let loose into the world as a full novel- Beyond the Mountains of Madness.
September 2, 2019
Great collection of smart Mythos tales which apply modern science to Lovecraft's creations.
For me, the best was The Seeds from The Mountains of Madness which has a resurrected Captain Oates returning to England with some very unusual seeds. Exactly what they are and why he needs to grow them form the essence of the tale, which is brilliantly handled with flawless period prose and still upper lips all round.
For me, the best was The Seeds from The Mountains of Madness which has a resurrected Captain Oates returning to England with some very unusual seeds. Exactly what they are and why he needs to grow them form the essence of the tale, which is brilliantly handled with flawless period prose and still upper lips all round.
July 9, 2024
4 novellas with quite solid storytelling based on Lovecraft's own work; in a sense, 4 sequels to four of the master's stories. The first one, which also has given its name to the book's title, is the most solid one with the weakest point being all references to Nyarlathotep and the Old ones which could have been omitted altogether without losing anything.
June 12, 2020
Brilliantly beautifully written.
January 21, 2025
I almost deducted a star because of all the typos, which increase in number as the ebook goes on. But the stories are so interesting and compelling that I just couldn't.
May 9, 2018
The first/longest/title story in this quartet relies quite heavily on the reader being intimately familiar with both the character of Dupin and HPL's original "The Music of Erich Zann," as well as requiring a willingness to read a lengthy pastiche of Poe's now-antiquated style. As such, I found the story a bit of a slog, but others' mileage may differ.
Similarly, the sequel to HPL's "Pickman's Model" depends on being quite familiar with the original story. Thankfully, I have a complete HPL omnibus on my ereader and was able to reread both this and the Zann story when I found myself a bit lost. I am seriously considering splicing both of those stories into my copy of this volume, just to have them Right There without needing to switch books.
The third story in the collection again references a classic HPL story, but this time it's only a passing reference rather than required reading, which I found to be a relief. This is a notable departure from the typical Mythos tale in that it takes place in the distant future rather than the 1920s or the present, and it is worth reading on that basis alone.
The fourth/final tale is longer than the two middle stories, and going in I was dreading the diversion of rereading the entirety of HPL's "At the Mountains of Madness" to make sense of it. Thankfully, this was not necessary; a basic recollection of the major elements served the purpose, especially since the key character was not a member of the Miskatonic expedition chronicled there. Indeed, the seedbearer is a historical figure from the 1910-12 Scott expedition to Antarctica, Lawrence "Titus" Oates. A quick perusal of his Wikipedia page is worthwhile as an introduction to this epilogue.
While decently written, this collection suffers from the fatal flaw of assuming that the reader is positively steeped in the source material which the author draws upon for his new stories. As such, a more casual reader can easily get lost as critical information is left out, taken as common knowledge when it is nothing of the sort. I spent several minutes searching for a mention of Oates in the HPL canon before realizing that he was a member of a different expedition, one I knew nothing about.
With that in mind, I did rather enjoy that final story. Once the necessary background is acquired, it functions as a worthy epilogue to both Lovecraft's adventure and Scott's expedition, filling a gap in the historical record with an excursion into the Mythos. I also liked that the narrator, a shell-shocked British war veteran with a taste for botany, is more direct than most Lovecraftian storytellers. His prose is much more modern than purple, and the story is better for it.
As usual, I do have to mention the editing. This appears to be a small-press release rather than a self-published work, and the copyediting is flawed but generally competent. There are places where quotation marks or periods are left out, or where dropped letters turn one word into another, but the book is relatively clean. Most of the errors I recall were from the final story, as if the copyeditor had grown tired at the end of a long work day, but even that's not awful. In the end, I did not deduct points for editing, although I do admit that I might have done so had this been a Big Five release.
The one structural change I would have suggested making to this collection is to swap the last two stories. That new sequence would create a unifying, more natural progression as the stakes rise from the Zann case and an isolated curiosity to a dangerous relic and the revelation of mankind's ultimate fate. Going from the far future back to the post-WWI era was an avoidable jolt.
Similarly, the sequel to HPL's "Pickman's Model" depends on being quite familiar with the original story. Thankfully, I have a complete HPL omnibus on my ereader and was able to reread both this and the Zann story when I found myself a bit lost. I am seriously considering splicing both of those stories into my copy of this volume, just to have them Right There without needing to switch books.
The third story in the collection again references a classic HPL story, but this time it's only a passing reference rather than required reading, which I found to be a relief. This is a notable departure from the typical Mythos tale in that it takes place in the distant future rather than the 1920s or the present, and it is worth reading on that basis alone.
The fourth/final tale is longer than the two middle stories, and going in I was dreading the diversion of rereading the entirety of HPL's "At the Mountains of Madness" to make sense of it. Thankfully, this was not necessary; a basic recollection of the major elements served the purpose, especially since the key character was not a member of the Miskatonic expedition chronicled there. Indeed, the seedbearer is a historical figure from the 1910-12 Scott expedition to Antarctica, Lawrence "Titus" Oates. A quick perusal of his Wikipedia page is worthwhile as an introduction to this epilogue.
While decently written, this collection suffers from the fatal flaw of assuming that the reader is positively steeped in the source material which the author draws upon for his new stories. As such, a more casual reader can easily get lost as critical information is left out, taken as common knowledge when it is nothing of the sort. I spent several minutes searching for a mention of Oates in the HPL canon before realizing that he was a member of a different expedition, one I knew nothing about.
With that in mind, I did rather enjoy that final story. Once the necessary background is acquired, it functions as a worthy epilogue to both Lovecraft's adventure and Scott's expedition, filling a gap in the historical record with an excursion into the Mythos. I also liked that the narrator, a shell-shocked British war veteran with a taste for botany, is more direct than most Lovecraftian storytellers. His prose is much more modern than purple, and the story is better for it.
As usual, I do have to mention the editing. This appears to be a small-press release rather than a self-published work, and the copyediting is flawed but generally competent. There are places where quotation marks or periods are left out, or where dropped letters turn one word into another, but the book is relatively clean. Most of the errors I recall were from the final story, as if the copyeditor had grown tired at the end of a long work day, but even that's not awful. In the end, I did not deduct points for editing, although I do admit that I might have done so had this been a Big Five release.
The one structural change I would have suggested making to this collection is to swap the last two stories. That new sequence would create a unifying, more natural progression as the stakes rise from the Zann case and an isolated curiosity to a dangerous relic and the revelation of mankind's ultimate fate. Going from the far future back to the post-WWI era was an avoidable jolt.
December 29, 2014
I bought this to read on my Kindle Fire. It was one of a bunch of purchases I made while preparing to take a long car trip. I own a couple of novels by Brian Stableford, but I have not read them. This ebook interested me because the Erich Zann story by H. P. Lovecraft is one of my favorites. In this novella, Stableford revisits the scene of the Zann tale with a few characters from that time period. Overall, this story was readable. However, it seemed to drag on and on without any goal in sight. It is definitely guilty of overwriting the mood. The ending of the thing just sort of happens and the story is over.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews