Torn Realities

by Paul Michael Anderson (Editor)

Torn Realities is not the typical Lovecraft Cthulhu anthology.


Torn Realities deals with Lovecraft's themes of forbidden knowledge, the idea that we are essentially untethered from the workaday world. Torn Realities explores lunacy-inducing creatures predating the dawn of man- keeping Lovecraft’s most famous theme (the idea of mind-boggling other gods) more general. The stories in this book actively seek the gray area in horror with tales of regular people in irregular situations.


Contains 19 Lovecraft inspired stories from:
JW Schnarr, Jamie Lackey , C. Deskin Rink, Philip Roberts, C.M. Saunders , Clive Barker, Brad Carter, Kathryn Board, James S. Dorr, Gerard Houarner, Kenneth W. Cain, Joseph Williams, Mitch Richmond, Lee Davis, Matt Moore, Jessica McHugh, Bob Mustin, Jeff Suess, and Allie Marini Batts.


Edited by Paul Anderson.

Genres: Horror, Lovecraftian, Anthologies, Short Stories

ebook

First published April 3, 2012

About the author

Paul Michael Anderson is the author of the novellas YOU CAN'T SAVE WHAT ISN'T THERE and STANDALONE, as well as the collections BONES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN and EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT IN THE END: APOCALYPSE SONGS. Find him at his website thenothingspace.net.

Reviews

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some wild variation in quality, here; there were a couple of pieces that made me wince to read them, and a few dark, creepy, really quite clever ones. On balance more good than bad--particularly appreciated "Hallowed Ground", the scene-setting of "Visions of Parin", the actual examining of what non-Euclidian might mean of "Delta Pi", and the ending of "Ankor Sabat".

[T.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the collection of Lovecraftian stories selected by Anderson, and very refreshing to find an anthology focused not on the Cthulhu Mythos, but rather on the themes that Lovecraft himself explored in his stories.

It was nice to not have tentacles and Elder Gods taking center stage for a change. Each story takes the torch and runs with it in a different direction and the breadth of the sampling is the book's real charm. The opening story, "Opt-In" by J.W. Schnarr set the tone for the rest of the book perfectly and is probably my favorite in the collection. However, I found something to like in each story. I was sort of surprised to come away feeling that Clive Barker's "Rawhead Rex" was one of the weaker pieces in the collection.

You'll find amongst these powerful stories: interesting narration choices, starkly different settings, different themes explored, even a bit of flash fiction too. "The Seventh Plague" by Allie Marini Batts is a charming, beautiful, haunting piece of art.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in Lovecraft-inspired fiction or just horror in general.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The back cover and the introduction state it outright: this is an anthology of Lovecraftian stories, not stories set in the Cthulhu Mythos, and that is possibly this book's greatest strength. Most of these stories center on fear of the unknown, forces from beyond time and space and similar Lovecraft themes without directly cribbing from the master, and that sets them apart from the flood of Cthulhu fan fiction that is so easily found plastered all over the internet. A great variety of stories, from the Civil War to the far-flung future, cover a wide number of subjects. It's hard to choose a favorite, but if pressed I'd have to go with Matt Moore's "Delta Pi" for its subtlety and its play with the laws of physics and mathematics. A very worthy investment for any fan of Lovecraft or new horror fiction.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anderson has put together a fine collection of Lovecraftian stories. The quality varies a bit from piece to piece, but overall the anthology works.

Two of my favorites from this collection are Delta Pi, by Matt Moore, and Hallowed Ground, by Jeff Suess. Delta Pi blends particle physics and obsession into a tight inter-dimensional horror story, a fresh take on the possible dangers of experiments at places such as CERN. As for Hallowed Ground, Anderson calls it "...a beautiful story of friendship and belonging couched in Lovecraft", and there's no better way to describe the story.

Anyone interested in Lovecraft-inspired fiction should give this anthology a look.