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Forbidden Knowledge: Two Tales of Lovecraftian Terror
"The pair of novellas in Forbidden Knowledge constitute some of the most vibrant and chilling ventures into Lovecraftian fiction in recent decades." —S. T. Joshi
Two graduate students walk the winding road to madness, one in New England, the other New Zealand. Yet each suffers silently, facing grave danger when their curiosity gets the better of them. In two novellas, Tony LaMalfa has weaved a rich tapestry of Lovecraftian horror that evokes the shade of the Master himself.
"The Face on the Floor" explores the fate of the young Jonathan Danforth's tortured involvement with Andre Oswald, a fellow student at Miskatonic University whose quest to read the Necronomicon engulfs Danforth in a baffling web of horror and tragedy.
"If Only Skin Deep" takes us to New Zealand, where the young scholar Myriam Delacroix investigates a remote tribe that seems to have anomalous relations with nameless entities from the sea. The revelation Myriam experiences at the end of an enigmatic ceremony is soul-shattering.
With this debut volume, Tony LaMalfa can take his place among the leading Lovecraftian writers of our time.
Two graduate students walk the winding road to madness, one in New England, the other New Zealand. Yet each suffers silently, facing grave danger when their curiosity gets the better of them. In two novellas, Tony LaMalfa has weaved a rich tapestry of Lovecraftian horror that evokes the shade of the Master himself.
"The Face on the Floor" explores the fate of the young Jonathan Danforth's tortured involvement with Andre Oswald, a fellow student at Miskatonic University whose quest to read the Necronomicon engulfs Danforth in a baffling web of horror and tragedy.
"If Only Skin Deep" takes us to New Zealand, where the young scholar Myriam Delacroix investigates a remote tribe that seems to have anomalous relations with nameless entities from the sea. The revelation Myriam experiences at the end of an enigmatic ceremony is soul-shattering.
With this debut volume, Tony LaMalfa can take his place among the leading Lovecraftian writers of our time.
148 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2023
2 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Tony LaMalfa
3 books6 followersTony LaMalfa is at heart just a big kid from a small town who became a produced playwright a few years before joining the Horror Writers Association in 2020. As of August 2023, his literary debut, Forbidden Knowledge: Two Tales of Lovecraftian Terror, was published by Hippocampus Press and has received critical acclaim within the weird community.
LaMalfa’s works have been included in horror magazines and anthologies from the HWA, Weird House Press, and most recently, WordCrafts Press. His theatrical works focus on historical fiction while his short stories are inspired by H. P. Lovecraft. He lives in Upper Michigan with his young family.
LaMalfa’s works have been included in horror magazines and anthologies from the HWA, Weird House Press, and most recently, WordCrafts Press. His theatrical works focus on historical fiction while his short stories are inspired by H. P. Lovecraft. He lives in Upper Michigan with his young family.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 12, 2023
Tony LaMalfa's debut of twin tales -- "The Face in the Floor" and "If Only Skin Deep" -- reveal the relentless, creeping darkness that suspends Lovecraft readers where they are happiest: between worlds and succumbing to our own ontological shockwaves. Lyrical and contemplative, the stories echo with the quiet, classic torrents of madness and the steady undertones of the master himself, but LaMalfa's reinventions are his own as he draws readers into crumbling, liminal moments of "transient amnesia," "colliding destinies" and "torments past, present and otherwise." A stellar debut from a rising star. *I was given an ARC of the work.
December 10, 2023
Amazing first book. Recommended.
December 1, 2024
LaMalfa writes in an engaging style that is a homage to Lovecraft, and is tremendously fun to read. Moreover, his characters are interesting and appealing, adding to the enjoyment of these two stories. I certainly hope that this is just the first of many books from Tony.
July 22, 2024
A brace of high quality novellas flirting with the insidiously pervasive power of the Necromicon, and anthropomorphic-cosmic horrors of skulduggery and Māori ritual. Fans of Lovecraft are bound to truly embrace and devour these stories. Highly recommended.
September 14, 2024
What to say about the debut novel of Anthony LaMalfa?
He has an incredible voice that is not always found in modern literature, he has a knack for keeping the essence of classic Weird Fiction while maintaining the voice of a contemporary author. As if one of fictions beloved posthumous authors were born nowadays!
In terms of the tales themselves:
The Face on the Floor - Perhaps my favorite modern Weird Fiction tale. I have yet to read it without a chill running down my spine at the titular reveal—and I've read it a lot! Danforth is effortlessly portrayed and has a distinctive backstory with horrifying implications.
If Only Skin Deep - For me, a title does a lot. This title got me; hook, line and sinker. This story is incredibly told and I believe it is because of the unique travelling experience the author has. If you were to visit his blog, you'd find that he had visited the location in New Zealand that the narrator had been in! It adds just another layer to this terrifying story.
Overall, I highly recommend.
He has an incredible voice that is not always found in modern literature, he has a knack for keeping the essence of classic Weird Fiction while maintaining the voice of a contemporary author. As if one of fictions beloved posthumous authors were born nowadays!
In terms of the tales themselves:
The Face on the Floor - Perhaps my favorite modern Weird Fiction tale. I have yet to read it without a chill running down my spine at the titular reveal—and I've read it a lot! Danforth is effortlessly portrayed and has a distinctive backstory with horrifying implications.
If Only Skin Deep - For me, a title does a lot. This title got me; hook, line and sinker. This story is incredibly told and I believe it is because of the unique travelling experience the author has. If you were to visit his blog, you'd find that he had visited the location in New Zealand that the narrator had been in! It adds just another layer to this terrifying story.
Overall, I highly recommend.
September 6, 2025
Tony LaMalfa has crafted two excellent tales not just playing in Lovecraft's sandbox but adding LaMalfa's own more humanistic touch to them. (His characters are refreshingly free of Lovecraft's usual prejudices.) LaMalfa has emulated Lovecraft's writing style perfectly, which is either a pro or a con depending on how you feel about that older, more formal, and more emotionally detached style.
Interestingly, the first story, "The Face on the Floor," is a semi-prequel to Lovecraft's own "At the Mountains of Madness," following graduate student Danforth and his disastrous encounters with the Necronomicon before heading to Antarctica. The second story, "If Only Skin Deep," takes place shortly after "Mountains," with a reference to Danforth and the cryptic "moon-ladder." But despite these links, LaMalfa's stories are fully original, the work of someone who clearly knows Lovecraft's oeuvre well and has an obvious affection for it.
If that describes you as well, you'll definitely enjoy these two novellas.
Interestingly, the first story, "The Face on the Floor," is a semi-prequel to Lovecraft's own "At the Mountains of Madness," following graduate student Danforth and his disastrous encounters with the Necronomicon before heading to Antarctica. The second story, "If Only Skin Deep," takes place shortly after "Mountains," with a reference to Danforth and the cryptic "moon-ladder." But despite these links, LaMalfa's stories are fully original, the work of someone who clearly knows Lovecraft's oeuvre well and has an obvious affection for it.
If that describes you as well, you'll definitely enjoy these two novellas.
August 3, 2023
If you are a fan of HP Lovecraft, and even if you are not, you will love these eerie tales written in a style of long ago that evokes secrets and unmentionable terrors just beyond our limited perception. There are two novellas in this book, and my favorite, If Only Skin Deep, combines the aboriginal lore of New Zealand, Maori traditions, lost tribes, and unknown mutations from the sea. I love the characterization, I love the protagonists, but the settings are especially vivid and engaging. This is the best book I have ever read that is set in the Lovecraft universe, without actually being written by HP Lovecraft!
August 25, 2023
I provided the following blurb for Forbidden Knowledge:
"With Forbidden Knowledge, Tony LaMalfa has crafted a pair of novellas so well-versed in the oeuvre of Lovecraft, he had me convinced--at times--I was reading an undiscovered work by Lovecraft himself. But Forbidden Knowledge is far too dynamic, unsettling, and utterly original to be anything other than the work of an explosive new talent, a talent whose prose burns like a white-hot star from beyond the fourth dimension. Lovecraft scholars and general horror fans alike will delight in this magnetic, magical tome."
"With Forbidden Knowledge, Tony LaMalfa has crafted a pair of novellas so well-versed in the oeuvre of Lovecraft, he had me convinced--at times--I was reading an undiscovered work by Lovecraft himself. But Forbidden Knowledge is far too dynamic, unsettling, and utterly original to be anything other than the work of an explosive new talent, a talent whose prose burns like a white-hot star from beyond the fourth dimension. Lovecraft scholars and general horror fans alike will delight in this magnetic, magical tome."
July 5, 2024
These short stories were absolutely great! Wonderfully crafted with a great sense of dread and mystery throughout! Local author to my area and wanted to show my support, mainly for his story “If Only Skin Deep”. This is up there with the other great short stories of its ilk. It felt like it was plucked from Robert W Chambers’ head and modernized. Very good read!
I am so glad someone out there is currently writing in the genre and doing so with respect to the roots of classic Lovecraftian fiction! I look forward to new publications in the future!
I am so glad someone out there is currently writing in the genre and doing so with respect to the roots of classic Lovecraftian fiction! I look forward to new publications in the future!
March 19, 2025
A phenomenal return to some of Lovecraft's classic characters and themes. LaMalfa truly captures the disorientating descent into madness that the characters suffer through, with powerful themes throughout both novellas. A modern take on Mythos horror that was an enjoyable and refreshing read!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews