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Johannes Cabal #3.3
Ouroboros Ouzo
What if you could see the future? What if the future could see YOU?
Johannes Cabal, a necromancer of some little infamy, has discovered a way to give some insights into how he should conduct his future researches; by drinking a glass of the legendary "Ouroboros Ouzo." Rare and precious, the liquor is reputed to give a once in a lifetime glimpse into what may be.
Johannes Cabal, a necromancer of some little infamy, has discovered a way to give some insights into how he should conduct his future researches; by drinking a glass of the legendary "Ouroboros Ouzo." Rare and precious, the liquor is reputed to give a once in a lifetime glimpse into what may be.
17 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2014
26 people are currently reading
813 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan L. Howard
65 books2,096 followersJonathan L Howard is a game designer, scriptwriter, and a veteran of the computer games industry since the early 1990s, with titles such as the 'Broken Sword' series to his credit.
After publishing two short stories featuring Johannes Cabal (Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day and Exeunt Demon King) in H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was published in 2009 as his first novel.
Since then there have been three sequels, with a fourth due in 2016. He has also written two novels in the YA SF "Russalka Chronicles" series, and the ongoing "Goon Squad" serial of superhero stories. October 2015 will see the publication of "Carter & Lovecraft," the first in a new series of novels.
He lives with his wife and daughter near Bristol.
http://www.jonathanlhoward.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/JonathanLHoward
http://jonathanlhoward.livejournal.com/
After publishing two short stories featuring Johannes Cabal (Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day and Exeunt Demon King) in H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was published in 2009 as his first novel.
Since then there have been three sequels, with a fourth due in 2016. He has also written two novels in the YA SF "Russalka Chronicles" series, and the ongoing "Goon Squad" serial of superhero stories. October 2015 will see the publication of "Carter & Lovecraft," the first in a new series of novels.
He lives with his wife and daughter near Bristol.
http://www.jonathanlhoward.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/JonathanLHoward
http://jonathanlhoward.livejournal.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
February 14, 2017
My first experience with ouzo is with Douglas Adams in Life, the Universe and Everything. Being from farm type, working-class people in the German and Scandanavian hinterlands of America, I had absolutely no idea what it was. In those days, kids, there wasn't any internet. You wanted to know what something was, you looked it up at the library using the encyclopedia (think 'Wikipedia' with actual, real references, complied by educated people) or using the Mirriam-Webster dictionary you had lying around the house. Being unwilling to stop reading for a pesky definition means I often pieced together meaning based on the text. Somehow, I developed the idea that ouzo was a lot like olive oil, a point of confusion which persisted through the book but which was fortunately rather unimportant.
Ouzo appears again, when Johannes is willing to pay out a special gold coin's worth of difficult favors to see if his current line of research will pay dividends. Silly, crabby Johannes, who can't see the future for what it is (and seems to share a disturbingly similar and simple impression of 'choice' as Blake Crouch in Dark Matter). I feel this one would have benefited from a bit more fleshing out, a bit less holding things back at the beginning for the sake of surprise, and a bit more dialogue. It has an interesting core. The best part was the afterward, where Howard shares that the title (and then story) came about after a Twitter dare with Kadrey and Wendig. Twitter has much that is inane and hollow to answer for. Luckily, this story isn't one of those howls in the ether.
I don't think I ever have tried ouzo, but it seems to be one of those drinks that one kicks back with a rush and a grimace, and given it's connection with some of the weirder stories in literature, I think it's safest to stay away.
Ouzo appears again, when Johannes is willing to pay out a special gold coin's worth of difficult favors to see if his current line of research will pay dividends. Silly, crabby Johannes, who can't see the future for what it is (and seems to share a disturbingly similar and simple impression of 'choice' as Blake Crouch in Dark Matter). I feel this one would have benefited from a bit more fleshing out, a bit less holding things back at the beginning for the sake of surprise, and a bit more dialogue. It has an interesting core. The best part was the afterward, where Howard shares that the title (and then story) came about after a Twitter dare with Kadrey and Wendig. Twitter has much that is inane and hollow to answer for. Luckily, this story isn't one of those howls in the ether.
I don't think I ever have tried ouzo, but it seems to be one of those drinks that one kicks back with a rush and a grimace, and given it's connection with some of the weirder stories in literature, I think it's safest to stay away.
October 4, 2021
💀 Let's Bring the Dead Back from the Dead Again Buddy Reread (LBtDBftDABR™) with the MacHalo Necromaniacs 💀
Actual rating: 3.5112335569789 stars. More or less.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: oh look, I didn't review this one the first time I read it! Lucky you and stuff!
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: to be despicably honest, this story isn't exactly Super Extra Exciting (SEE™)—so very sorry, Jojo Mine. But I still advise that you do, if only to see Herr Cabal clad in cream linen and wearing a Panama hat. THE HORROR 😱😱. My poor Jojo may never recover from that one, I fear. But hey, at least he still gets to wave his .25 ACP “Baby” Browning semi-automatic pistol around, so it's not ALL bad. Oh, and also, Ouroboros ouzo. QED and stuff, methinks.
More or less, yes.
➽ And the other, other moral of this reread is: this short tale came to life after Richard Kadrey (my boyfriend Sandman Slim's daddy, yes) daresied Jonathan L. Howard to write a Cabal story titled ‘Ouroboros Ouzo.’ (That's what happens when authors such as Howard, Kadrey and Chuck Wendig talk entertaining nonsense on Twitter, you see.) And that alone, my Little Barnacles, makes this story worth reading. Oh, and so does the afterword. Make this story worth reading, I mean. Why, you ask? Because I said so, obviously 🙄.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
· Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
· Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
· Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
· Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
· Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
· Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
· Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
· Book 4: The Brothers Cabal ★★★★
· Book 4.5: A Long Spoon ★★★★★
· Book 5: The Fall of the House of Cabal ★★★★★
Actual rating: 3.5112335569789 stars. More or less.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: oh look, I didn't review this one the first time I read it! Lucky you and stuff!
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: to be despicably honest, this story isn't exactly Super Extra Exciting (SEE™)—so very sorry, Jojo Mine. But I still advise that you do, if only to see Herr Cabal clad in cream linen and wearing a Panama hat. THE HORROR 😱😱. My poor Jojo may never recover from that one, I fear. But hey, at least he still gets to wave his .25 ACP “Baby” Browning semi-automatic pistol around, so it's not ALL bad. Oh, and also, Ouroboros ouzo. QED and stuff, methinks.
More or less, yes.
➽ And the other, other moral of this reread is: this short tale came to life after Richard Kadrey (my boyfriend Sandman Slim's daddy, yes) daresied Jonathan L. Howard to write a Cabal story titled ‘Ouroboros Ouzo.’ (That's what happens when authors such as Howard, Kadrey and Chuck Wendig talk entertaining nonsense on Twitter, you see.) And that alone, my Little Barnacles, makes this story worth reading. Oh, and so does the afterword. Make this story worth reading, I mean. Why, you ask? Because I said so, obviously 🙄.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
· Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
· Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
· Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
· Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
· Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
· Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
· Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
· Book 4: The Brothers Cabal ★★★★
· Book 4.5: A Long Spoon ★★★★★
· Book 5: The Fall of the House of Cabal ★★★★★
December 5, 2015
Imagine Johannes Cabal in sunny Greece. In light clothes. Of course he isn't there on holiday.
Although you expect him to do something against the law as usual, he isn't there to steal anything or worse. He visits a small tavern where you can drink their Ouroboros Ouzo and see the future. At a price, of course.
As the blurb says ' he learns both too much, and too little'. A more perfect ending for a Johannes Cabal story is not possible.
Although you expect him to do something against the law as usual, he isn't there to steal anything or worse. He visits a small tavern where you can drink their Ouroboros Ouzo and see the future. At a price, of course.
As the blurb says ' he learns both too much, and too little'. A more perfect ending for a Johannes Cabal story is not possible.
January 14, 2021
Read this out of order in error. Although, I don't think it matters.
An interesting short story where Johannes meets with several versions or possibilities of himself.
It is advisable to read the former books because there are pieces that are drawn from them.
Content concerns: No sex, no violence, no cursing.
An interesting short story where Johannes meets with several versions or possibilities of himself.
It is advisable to read the former books because there are pieces that are drawn from them.
Content concerns: No sex, no violence, no cursing.
April 19, 2021
Note, for those of us who didn't know until 5 minutes ago that ouzo was even a word, let alone referring to something rather substantial: ouzo is a sort of Greek alcohol.
Ouzo sounds more trippy than absinthe.
I was getting shades of Thursday Next there for a minute.
Also,
Ouzo sounds more trippy than absinthe.
I was getting shades of Thursday Next there for a minute.
Also,
October 7, 2019
3.5 stars. Cabal glimpses some of his possible futures and questions some of his choices in life.
January 31, 2014
Short but sweet. Read this whilst being driven home on snowy roads late at night, and it was engaging enough to distract me from all the terrifying slipping and sliding and near spin-outs. Talk about escapist literature. But, good storytelling is supposed to transport the reader, is it not?
March 6, 2021
MacHalo Buddy Read
A really short, short. A trifle confusing, but that's what happens when Messrs Wendig and Kadrey daresied Howard to write a story titled Ouroboros Ouszo.
July 15, 2016
Not your usual Johannes Cabal story, but enjoyable. This is a very short one, but, because I'm a bit dim, I had to go back and reread the earlier parts after I'd finished to properly enjoy the way Howard is playing around here. Poor Johannes. The best laid plans of even the most rational necromancers “gang”, as Robert Burns would put it, “aft agley” when dealing with time-travel paradoxes and contradictions. A little slow in starting, especially given the length of the story, but clever, and it's fun to see Johannes flummoxed, even briefly. 3 ½ stars, rounded up to 4.
February 5, 2015
The Necromancer, and by that I mean Johannes Cabal - and by that I mean Jonathan Howard - never disappoints! This fun little ditty was a whimsical, yet provocative look at the future...a future in which too much knowledge can be...er...distasteful. I look forward to more short AND long works from Mr. Howard in this wonderfully dark and macabre world! Now, off I go to read "The Fear Institute" - to get caught up with my sarcastic (...or should that be "sarco-zoic"?) friend, Mr. Cabal.
May 16, 2017
Pretty short but pretty good and pretty unexpected...I wish it had been longer...because it was really awesome...
There are of course a couple of dead end's that might get you thinking for a while...so let's hope they are somehow explained in the upcoming Cabal books...and with upcoming I mean the ones that I still need to read -:)
There are of course a couple of dead end's that might get you thinking for a while...so let's hope they are somehow explained in the upcoming Cabal books...and with upcoming I mean the ones that I still need to read -:)
January 16, 2016
Another brilliant short story featuring my favourite anti-hero in all his glory. Jonathan L. Howard once more proves that he doesn't need an entire book to thoroughly screw with your head.
April 30, 2017
A bit confusing but nevertheless interesting. Sadly when i'm drinking ouzo my experiences are far less interesting :(
October 11, 2020
Picture if you will, Johannes Cabal, infamous necromancer, dressed in a cream linen suit strolling through a tourist destination. Is he there for a felony-free vacation, or possibly something more nefarious?
Apparently there is a brand of ouzo that only those in-the-know can acquire. If one imbibes then he or she can learn their future.
Not the most hilarious story, but a short, fun story nonetheless.
Apparently there is a brand of ouzo that only those in-the-know can acquire. If one imbibes then he or she can learn their future.
Not the most hilarious story, but a short, fun story nonetheless.
November 7, 2017
Another solid short story!
Can't stop reading these short stories...and novels. This was worth far more than the price paid. Interesting concept. Cabal is, as always, perfect, and the setting was great! It's the perfect length for laying beside your three year-old daughter who has decided naps are an unacceptable societal construct yet lacks the vocabulary to damn the Man.
Can't stop reading these short stories...and novels. This was worth far more than the price paid. Interesting concept. Cabal is, as always, perfect, and the setting was great! It's the perfect length for laying beside your three year-old daughter who has decided naps are an unacceptable societal construct yet lacks the vocabulary to damn the Man.
March 6, 2024
I loved it!!
Humour/wit/ word play that I loved:
"it is the lot of the necromancer to live a life of solitude, the only type of party they generally attend being the sort that involves an impromptu hanging and a burning of their life’s work."
"...where on the spectrum of animosity he should place him..."
"...while Cabal’s short fuse burnt out."
Humour/wit/ word play that I loved:
"it is the lot of the necromancer to live a life of solitude, the only type of party they generally attend being the sort that involves an impromptu hanging and a burning of their life’s work."
"...where on the spectrum of animosity he should place him..."
"...while Cabal’s short fuse burnt out."
May 15, 2017
A short story in the Cabal universe where Johannes drinks a special ouzo to meet his future self and ask whether he is on the right track in his necromantic pursuits. Yet anytime he makes a judgement or has an idea, the future and his future-self changes. So, is the ouroboros ouzo worth the risk?
November 27, 2017
This short tale leaves the reader with some interesting questions of fate, the paths we choose and the future. Here we are taken to Greece with Cabal as he seeks the answer to if his current work will reap any benefits or worth continuing.
May 6, 2017
... In which Cabal converses with himself and temps fate.
This short story presents some truly fascinating and sometime mind boggling possibilities - one of which is explained in "House of Gears."
This short story presents some truly fascinating and sometime mind boggling possibilities - one of which is explained in "House of Gears."
June 18, 2017
I loved being able to see the different paths that could have been with Johannes.
December 9, 2017
As always, a pleasure to read
Jon Howard has written such a despicably entertaining character in Cabal. Nice to have such quickly consumable readings for a short train ride.
Jon Howard has written such a despicably entertaining character in Cabal. Nice to have such quickly consumable readings for a short train ride.
February 17, 2018
A great little novella to flesh out small details in the greater story of cabal.
March 18, 2018
I follow the Goodreads ratings guidelines, so... two stars. It was okay.
I haven't read anything else in the series, and there wasn't enough here to tempt me to try anything else.
I haven't read anything else in the series, and there wasn't enough here to tempt me to try anything else.
April 7, 2018
This short really tickled me. What would happen if you could talk to your future self? Howard's take on this is witty and enjoyable.
March 10, 2019
really liked this.
April 28, 2020
Enjoyed reading but a bit to short.
March 9, 2021
The best Cabal short yet. An insight into Cabal's character and a wonderful bit of metaphysics.
July 4, 2021
I love the idea of a seeing your various futures and talking to them. More of this...
December 19, 2021
Typical, but too short
Typical, inviting cheeky humor. I wanted to understand the ouros better and the story was too short, though the afterword implies why.
Typical, inviting cheeky humor. I wanted to understand the ouros better and the story was too short, though the afterword implies why.
September 11, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyable
All of the thumbs I have, or may acquire, go up up up for this delightful little story of our favourite necromancer and his many possibilities.
All of the thumbs I have, or may acquire, go up up up for this delightful little story of our favourite necromancer and his many possibilities.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews