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The Sea of Ash
A fresh take on cosmic horror...A Victorian Englishman summons a strange puppet-like being to an old Colonial Inn. A doctor returns from the Great War and discovers a mysterious naked woman at the edge of the Atlantic. A contemporary collector of arcane books retraces the steps of these other men -- adventurers who sought out the mysteries of neighboring dimensions.In THE SEA OF ASH, Scott Thomas takes us along as three men from three different centuries experience the wonders and horrors of an unknown New England."Never had the universe felt so vast, and I so small within it. I had, through circumstance, been made aware of something, but of what? Something either too horrible or too beautiful for humans to know." — From THE SEA OF ASH
103 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2009
19 people are currently reading
955 people want to read
About the author
Scott Thomas
28 books58 followersThis bio is for the Horror/Fantasy author, Scott Thomas. There are also several other writers with this name.
Scott Thomas is an author of ghostly stories, often set in the 18th and 19th centuries in New England and Britain.
He is also the author of the fantasy novel FELLENGREY. His books include the collections URN AND WILLOW, QUILL & CANDLE, MIDNIGHT IN NEW ENGLAND, THE GARDEN OF GHOSTS, OVER THE DARKENING FIELDS, WESTERMEAD, SHADOWS OF FLESH, COBWEBS AND WHISPERS and two books co-written by brother Jeffrey Thomas, THE SEA OF FLESH AND ASH and PUNKTOWN: SHADES OF GREY.
Two of Scott Thomas' stories were reprinted in "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #15" (St. Martin's Press) and another story was reprinted in "The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII" (DAW Books). Scott lives in New England.
Scott Thomas is an author of ghostly stories, often set in the 18th and 19th centuries in New England and Britain.
He is also the author of the fantasy novel FELLENGREY. His books include the collections URN AND WILLOW, QUILL & CANDLE, MIDNIGHT IN NEW ENGLAND, THE GARDEN OF GHOSTS, OVER THE DARKENING FIELDS, WESTERMEAD, SHADOWS OF FLESH, COBWEBS AND WHISPERS and two books co-written by brother Jeffrey Thomas, THE SEA OF FLESH AND ASH and PUNKTOWN: SHADES OF GREY.
Two of Scott Thomas' stories were reprinted in "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #15" (St. Martin's Press) and another story was reprinted in "The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII" (DAW Books). Scott lives in New England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
December 22, 2023
Avoid the Audiobook. The narration is unbearable.
The book-however-is excellent. A true modern Lovecraftian classic, written with a beautiful literary prose, somewhat comparable to Langan and Barron, with a touch of Pugmire. Scott is a wordsmith of the highest calibre, and this little book deserves all the praise It has garnered. He's also a really nice guy.
Highly recommended if you enjoy Lovecraft, and weird fiction. It's a quick read, but packs a lot of mystery, atmosphere and language into such a short novella.
The book-however-is excellent. A true modern Lovecraftian classic, written with a beautiful literary prose, somewhat comparable to Langan and Barron, with a touch of Pugmire. Scott is a wordsmith of the highest calibre, and this little book deserves all the praise It has garnered. He's also a really nice guy.
Highly recommended if you enjoy Lovecraft, and weird fiction. It's a quick read, but packs a lot of mystery, atmosphere and language into such a short novella.
December 14, 2014
This is the first story I've read from Scott Thomas, and I am kicking myself. Scott already had a number of collections of short stories that I now feel compelled to track down and read. THE SEA OF ASH is a spectacularly surreal capital-W Weird novella of superb caliber. Deftly linking three overlapping stories from three different eras, THE SEA OF ASH makes a number of left turns that all come together in a climax both exciting and clever.
Scott is a native -- and unabashed lover -- of New England. His detailed descriptions of the countryside, and the small towns and old buildings found there, verge on poetry. Gorgeous paragraphs set the scene and move the plot down strange and winding paths, a trip that is just as enjoyable as the destination.
2014 has been a spectacular year for dark fiction, and among strong offerings from a number of new and established authors, THE SEA OF ASH stands out for its masterful weaving of the three related stories and the wondrous happenings described with, at times, achingly beautiful words. This book should appeal to a number of speculative fiction niches, including enthusiasts of classic ghost stories, Gothic horror, Lovecraftian cosmic horror, and weird tales in general. Highest recommendation.
Scott is a native -- and unabashed lover -- of New England. His detailed descriptions of the countryside, and the small towns and old buildings found there, verge on poetry. Gorgeous paragraphs set the scene and move the plot down strange and winding paths, a trip that is just as enjoyable as the destination.
2014 has been a spectacular year for dark fiction, and among strong offerings from a number of new and established authors, THE SEA OF ASH stands out for its masterful weaving of the three related stories and the wondrous happenings described with, at times, achingly beautiful words. This book should appeal to a number of speculative fiction niches, including enthusiasts of classic ghost stories, Gothic horror, Lovecraftian cosmic horror, and weird tales in general. Highest recommendation.
October 31, 2022
Now this is what I've been looking for. A tried and true cosmic horror novella, but it hits on all the right spots for the genre well enough that its lovely execution eclipses any overriding concern of clichés. I really like how it evokes the side of weird horror that really hones in on the sensory, New England is rendered lovingly and accurately here and there's a clear focus on nature and a painterly sense of setting; it really evokes everything I've always loved about New England and Upstate New York, especially having lived in these areas my whole life. This is pretty spooky at points but mostly just scratches that lovely itch of October night dread, I read it by candlelight as it's probably intended to be. I do think it could have benefitted from a more substantial closing statement; as it is the book just sort of ends. But it's a fun read nonetheless, and I enjoyed the metafictional touches as well, anecdotes upon anecdotes by several different narrators whose journeys intersect; cosmic horror is really good for this sort of thing it seems. Happy Halloween!
December 8, 2014
The Sea of Ash captured me from the first page. It's exquisitely, evocatively written. Its scenes of weird and cosmic horror are gasp-inducing, its mysteries intriguing and fascinating. The Massachusetts locales are lovingly rendered, and the grimoires mentioned in its pages are so beautifully described you'll ache to seek them out, even knowing they don't actually exist. The Sea of Ash is poetic, eerie, disquieting, suspenseful, and frightening. It's the work of an imagination that is electric and alive. This was the best book I've read in a very, very long time. It has its place among the very few books I will reread on a regular basis.
November 24, 2014
Sea of Ash is a delightful book, the lone criticism of which is that it is too short. From the first page, Scott Thomas packs this slim tome with a level of creativity we are seldom fortunate enough to see. His New England is every bit as rich, as mysterious, as witch-haunted as anything Lovecraft ever conceived. And the story within a story within a story presentation is masterfully delivered.
Sea of Ash is a treat, but I do wish it was longer. There's room for more from Thomas, and while I understand from the prologue that it was always intended to be a novella, I do wish the author had stretched it further. I would have loved to know more, to see more, to understand more.
But that's no reason not to seek this one out. The Lovecraft eZine has made a name for itself as the premier venue for new weird fiction. With this offering, Mike Davis has cemented his role in the genre. The future is bright, both for the eZine and for those of us who love this kind of horror.
Sea of Ash is a treat, but I do wish it was longer. There's room for more from Thomas, and while I understand from the prologue that it was always intended to be a novella, I do wish the author had stretched it further. I would have loved to know more, to see more, to understand more.
But that's no reason not to seek this one out. The Lovecraft eZine has made a name for itself as the premier venue for new weird fiction. With this offering, Mike Davis has cemented his role in the genre. The future is bright, both for the eZine and for those of us who love this kind of horror.
March 1, 2015
The Sea of Ash is told from a first person perspective by a school teacher who has won the lottery and taken up a hobby of collecting rare books. He has become obsessed with a rare copy of a Victorian doctor's journal. The teacher goes on a journey to see the sites that are described within the journal. He starts off as a self-proclaimed "tourist" but ends up getting touched (literally) by the mysteries and horrors described by the doctor.
While the setting is assumed to be modern-day, much of the details relate to 19th century New England. The story features Victorian occultism (automatic writing, brass and steam contraptions that contact the spirits, quaint graveyard rituals that call up benevolent spirits.) There is also nautical feel. I look at trilobites in a whole new light since reading this tale! The otherworldly realm he describes is consistent throughout the story, making it more believable.
Thomas has a clean and concise writing style which contrasts with the otherworldly scenes he describes. Each word serves its utilitarian purpose but still somehow increases the sense of fantastic horror. The first few paragraphs of the tale build interest to the mysteries within but do not grab you or jar your senses. The story builds up with an ever-increasing amount of disturbing events. The pace is fast enough to keep one's interest but slow enough to keep the reader holding their sense of disbelief as the mystery builds.
The plot is well-developed and progresses at a solid pace. There is no meandering or dreamlike fragments that some tales of this nature seem to feature. The tale wraps up satisfactorily, but the mysteries are not fully explained. As the author himself says, "The fact that there are missing parts to the story just adds to the appeal for me....I suppose it's like burlesque in that sense. How interested would we be in Nessie if she were stuffed, stretched out in a glass case at a Scottish museum, her mystery expunged by genetic science?"
There were no flaws in this book that I could find. No typos, break of character or stylistic inconsistencies. There is nothing that seems tacked on or out-of-place. The book is relatively short at 88 pages. While I could have read it in one sitting I read it in three because it was genuinely creepy and I needed to take a break.
This is one of the best and most original pieces of fiction I have read recently. I look forward to reading more stories by this author. Any fan of weird fiction, fantasy, or horror would appreciate this book.
While the setting is assumed to be modern-day, much of the details relate to 19th century New England. The story features Victorian occultism (automatic writing, brass and steam contraptions that contact the spirits, quaint graveyard rituals that call up benevolent spirits.) There is also nautical feel. I look at trilobites in a whole new light since reading this tale! The otherworldly realm he describes is consistent throughout the story, making it more believable.
Thomas has a clean and concise writing style which contrasts with the otherworldly scenes he describes. Each word serves its utilitarian purpose but still somehow increases the sense of fantastic horror. The first few paragraphs of the tale build interest to the mysteries within but do not grab you or jar your senses. The story builds up with an ever-increasing amount of disturbing events. The pace is fast enough to keep one's interest but slow enough to keep the reader holding their sense of disbelief as the mystery builds.
The plot is well-developed and progresses at a solid pace. There is no meandering or dreamlike fragments that some tales of this nature seem to feature. The tale wraps up satisfactorily, but the mysteries are not fully explained. As the author himself says, "The fact that there are missing parts to the story just adds to the appeal for me....I suppose it's like burlesque in that sense. How interested would we be in Nessie if she were stuffed, stretched out in a glass case at a Scottish museum, her mystery expunged by genetic science?"
There were no flaws in this book that I could find. No typos, break of character or stylistic inconsistencies. There is nothing that seems tacked on or out-of-place. The book is relatively short at 88 pages. While I could have read it in one sitting I read it in three because it was genuinely creepy and I needed to take a break.
This is one of the best and most original pieces of fiction I have read recently. I look forward to reading more stories by this author. Any fan of weird fiction, fantasy, or horror would appreciate this book.
June 11, 2019
Well, 'The Sea of Ash' had me hooked from the beginning as a Lovecraftian tale of a modern-day protagonist examining an almost hundred-year-old journal of weird events. (And the journal itself relating events even further back.)
Even though I've read enough cosmic horror to know (and expect) that the ending isn't go to be tied-up in a nice little bow, it seems like this novella just kind of ran out of steam and tailed off into...........
Even though I've read enough cosmic horror to know (and expect) that the ending isn't go to be tied-up in a nice little bow, it seems like this novella just kind of ran out of steam and tailed off into...........
March 15, 2017
5 Stars
The Sea of Ash by Scott Thomas is an incredible piece of bizzaro fiction. I discovered this amazing read through Goodreads and it's wonderful recommendations section. The Sea of Ash is a story that is cut from the cloth of the great H.P. Lovecraft and would fit right into his Canon. Although it fits right in with the new weird genre and with the works of Lovecraft, it is incredibly alike with a very favorite book of mine...House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Like the aforementioned novel The Sea of Ash is only at it's best if you are willing to work for it, with it, and even for it. Remarkable.
This is a simple story about a man who is an avid book collector and chooses to walk the steps of a little known man that he is fascinated with. It is a mystery. A fantasy. Even a religious experience. No spoilers so you will have to read this gem. I chose to include a rather long quote that demonstrates the amazing writing style of Scott Thomas. I loved this book.
....
""I am heading north. It is "day one" and the weather is promising, the mist in the hills burning away to make room for sunlight. The traffic is light this early; my speeding neighbors are mostly large trucks. For once I've made a tasty cup of coffee --I'll take that as a good omen.
I think of Pond's New England as I drive along Route 9, or “The Pike,” as Nana called it. I try picturing the less-congested landscape, the noble structures, the cars of that period. Glimpses of old homes bolster the illusion, but the fantasy is spoiled when I pass the inevitable golden arches and the glimmering seas of consumers' vehicles worshipfully cluttered about titanic malls.
Crows are huddled over something small and dead by the side of the ramp that takes me onto 495. Soon there are only trees to either side and steep perilous cliffs where ledge was blasted to accommodate the road. The highway snakes up through crowded Lowell.
There is a grey sensibility in this city...even in sunlight the bleakness permeates like the ghost of silenced industry weltering in the shadows of abandoned mills. Albert Pond."
Only one big problem...or small one depending on how you look at it. The Sea of Ash is a novella, too short for me. Damn, I wanted more.
A favorite read of mine so far in 2017.
The Sea of Ash by Scott Thomas is an incredible piece of bizzaro fiction. I discovered this amazing read through Goodreads and it's wonderful recommendations section. The Sea of Ash is a story that is cut from the cloth of the great H.P. Lovecraft and would fit right into his Canon. Although it fits right in with the new weird genre and with the works of Lovecraft, it is incredibly alike with a very favorite book of mine...House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Like the aforementioned novel The Sea of Ash is only at it's best if you are willing to work for it, with it, and even for it. Remarkable.
This is a simple story about a man who is an avid book collector and chooses to walk the steps of a little known man that he is fascinated with. It is a mystery. A fantasy. Even a religious experience. No spoilers so you will have to read this gem. I chose to include a rather long quote that demonstrates the amazing writing style of Scott Thomas. I loved this book.
....
""I am heading north. It is "day one" and the weather is promising, the mist in the hills burning away to make room for sunlight. The traffic is light this early; my speeding neighbors are mostly large trucks. For once I've made a tasty cup of coffee --I'll take that as a good omen.
I think of Pond's New England as I drive along Route 9, or “The Pike,” as Nana called it. I try picturing the less-congested landscape, the noble structures, the cars of that period. Glimpses of old homes bolster the illusion, but the fantasy is spoiled when I pass the inevitable golden arches and the glimmering seas of consumers' vehicles worshipfully cluttered about titanic malls.
Crows are huddled over something small and dead by the side of the ramp that takes me onto 495. Soon there are only trees to either side and steep perilous cliffs where ledge was blasted to accommodate the road. The highway snakes up through crowded Lowell.
There is a grey sensibility in this city...even in sunlight the bleakness permeates like the ghost of silenced industry weltering in the shadows of abandoned mills. Albert Pond."
Only one big problem...or small one depending on how you look at it. The Sea of Ash is a novella, too short for me. Damn, I wanted more.
A favorite read of mine so far in 2017.
December 10, 2016
A beautiful and highly eclectic novella filled with a number of unique concepts. There is a ghost that builds itself a body out of broomsticks, bottles, and other household objects, a baby is born with a seashell for a face, which when removed reveals a bottomless pit, there is an animatronic seance mechanism, a girl with trilobites for teeth, sentient parasitic limbs, and more. The tale is imbued with a uniquely somber mood as well, which cast the strange events that take place in a strangely comic / tragic light. Things become so outré that wonder gives way to horror. Highly recommended for readers of weird, gothic, or even bizarro, the wealth of weird ideas here and the unique tone makes for a highly enjoyable read.
April 22, 2018
This is a cracking Lovecraftian story by Scott Thomas. Mike Davis who runs the Lovecraft eZine was absolutely correct by saying this story deserves a wider readership and I'm so glad Mike published it. I highly recommend this book.
May 8, 2023
9/10
September 25, 2016
Zounds! I’ve had this slim novel for quite some time (referring to the Kindle edition). It has languished in my to-read queue for an unconscionable period…but at long last I’ve given it a couple of reads, two weeks apart, and have survived to tell the story.
Reading, I was minded so much of Wells that I hd to keep checking the authorship. The Crystal Egg and the Time Machine came repeatedly to mind-the former because of the style and the latter because of a quaintly Victorian device that figures in the narrative. But Wells didn’t go in so much for the supernatural.
MR James, Walter de la Mare, those would be perhaps more suitable names to conjure with, trying to encapsulate or compare the style and subject matter of this most singular work.
Not that comparison comes anywhere close to capturing the essence of the piece, but I feel compelled to try.
There is that of the ghostly(Fractured Harry himself and several other apparitions appear), and that of the steampunk (the general Victorian air and appurtenances), and that of the strictly naturalistic, all bundled together loosely and interdependent upon one another to form the whole of the structure, like one of Clive Barker’s Cities in the Hills, or a Wicker Man.
The work deserves every accolade that comes to it. I’ve seldom beheld such a work of the imagination in a long career of reading fantastical fiction.
I just bought a copy of the Sea of Flesh and the Sea of Ash, to have the original work(s) together.
Five stars plus.
Reading, I was minded so much of Wells that I hd to keep checking the authorship. The Crystal Egg and the Time Machine came repeatedly to mind-the former because of the style and the latter because of a quaintly Victorian device that figures in the narrative. But Wells didn’t go in so much for the supernatural.
MR James, Walter de la Mare, those would be perhaps more suitable names to conjure with, trying to encapsulate or compare the style and subject matter of this most singular work.
Not that comparison comes anywhere close to capturing the essence of the piece, but I feel compelled to try.
There is that of the ghostly(Fractured Harry himself and several other apparitions appear), and that of the steampunk (the general Victorian air and appurtenances), and that of the strictly naturalistic, all bundled together loosely and interdependent upon one another to form the whole of the structure, like one of Clive Barker’s Cities in the Hills, or a Wicker Man.
The work deserves every accolade that comes to it. I’ve seldom beheld such a work of the imagination in a long career of reading fantastical fiction.
I just bought a copy of the Sea of Flesh and the Sea of Ash, to have the original work(s) together.
Five stars plus.
December 24, 2014
It’s rare these days that I read anything more than once. There’s so much to read that there just hasn’t been time even to revisit sentimental favorites. Since getting Scott Thomas’ The Sea of Ash a couple weeks ago, I’ve already read it twice. This isn’t difficult. It’s a short novel, or possibly novella length, and it’s well written and draws the reader in providing plenty of rewards along the way. It is also beautifully presented. I love the way that the trilobites are used as scene break markers. My favorite thing about this book however is just how unique the creatures and mythology within it are. What Thomas did with Fractured Henry and the way that Pond meets Simon Brinklow… This is great. It puts the weird into weird fiction. I wish there were more of this. It’s the sort of book that would be enhanced by appendices providing background story and more of the mythology. I wish there were more stories or other ways to spend time in that setting and that mythology, or as a gamer, I wish this had its own RPG or at least an RPG sourcebook. Here’s hoping for more weird fiction on this level from Scott Thomas.
March 22, 2018
At last!!! I`ve done it!!
So...now I`m a little baffled by all the high praise for this novella and I must admit that I`ve encounter some of my thoughts only on a three star rating review.
The begining of this one is strong and fresh and amazing, and, so on, but after that, all goes into a kind of mumbo jumbo, and the most predominant feeling is confusion all the way.
The story feels very fragmented, and sometimes, hard to follow, with a lot of stuff going on, but very few explanations. The one in the end didn`t feel that it has made the proper closure to a lot of things going on until then.
Overall it was a good ideea, but for me the story hasn`t worked like I had hoped to happen.
So...now I`m a little baffled by all the high praise for this novella and I must admit that I`ve encounter some of my thoughts only on a three star rating review.
The begining of this one is strong and fresh and amazing, and, so on, but after that, all goes into a kind of mumbo jumbo, and the most predominant feeling is confusion all the way.
The story feels very fragmented, and sometimes, hard to follow, with a lot of stuff going on, but very few explanations. The one in the end didn`t feel that it has made the proper closure to a lot of things going on until then.
Overall it was a good ideea, but for me the story hasn`t worked like I had hoped to happen.
March 3, 2015
What a wonderful novella. It's creative, creepy and oh so very 'Lovercraft'. My only complaint (and I've seen the same from several other reviewers) is that it's too short.
The story follows a modern researcher investigating the strange happenings and disappearance of Dr. Albert Pond, using his unfinished journal as a guide. Thomas writes, "His was a documentation of a journey into an unknown New England, into an unmapped reality."
This is a story of a reality just beyond one's view. Something of the natural world, just not from our own.
I highly recommend this read
The story follows a modern researcher investigating the strange happenings and disappearance of Dr. Albert Pond, using his unfinished journal as a guide. Thomas writes, "His was a documentation of a journey into an unknown New England, into an unmapped reality."
This is a story of a reality just beyond one's view. Something of the natural world, just not from our own.
I highly recommend this read
June 14, 2019
Amazing!
It has been a long times since I have read anything like this. This book mixes the perfect blend of nature,the macabre, and the unknown to the point it is nearly believable. The setting is well researched and the destructiveness adds an unfathomable level of immersion. It remarkable read and I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the mysterious.
It has been a long times since I have read anything like this. This book mixes the perfect blend of nature,the macabre, and the unknown to the point it is nearly believable. The setting is well researched and the destructiveness adds an unfathomable level of immersion. It remarkable read and I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the mysterious.
June 10, 2022
This was an interesting little novella! The imagery was dreamlike and surreal, and the setting and story were fun. I didn't find it as much horror as I'd gone in expecting, though there was some admittedly cool, unsettling stuff. I'll be interested to check out more of Scott Thomas's works in the future!
April 8, 2017
A delightfully dark fantasy horror novella. It is the perfect length and contains enough creepy weirdness to satisfy the fans of cosmic horror as well as fans of general dark literary folklore. Thomas does a magnificent job of capturing the bleak gray vibe of New England horror.
"Sometimes laughter is an expression of terror" this quote is from a very important part of the story when our narrator finds out he will likely have to face a demon head on. This is a monster he let into the world via this crazy transdimensional apparatus that is very steampunk. The Sea of Ash contains everything I love about weird fiction. The prose is poetic and deep, crossing various time periods. The story reminds me of the dark fantasy work of authors like John Langan and Gemma Files, where the real world exists, but there is another dimension containing an evil of some sort capable of crossing over into the real word. Thomas handles this in such a creative fashion with wholly original monsters I have never really experienced before.
I listened to the audiobook version of the novella. Leeman Kessler did a great job of capturing the spirit of the story and expressing the personalities of the narrator and Dr. Pond who have the most dialogue. There is an afterward from one of my favorite writers, Jeffrey Thomas, who happens to be Scott's brother. There is a companion piece written by Jefferey called The Sea of Flesh that goes with this book. Man, they have some seriously strong writer genes in that family.
"Sometimes laughter is an expression of terror" this quote is from a very important part of the story when our narrator finds out he will likely have to face a demon head on. This is a monster he let into the world via this crazy transdimensional apparatus that is very steampunk. The Sea of Ash contains everything I love about weird fiction. The prose is poetic and deep, crossing various time periods. The story reminds me of the dark fantasy work of authors like John Langan and Gemma Files, where the real world exists, but there is another dimension containing an evil of some sort capable of crossing over into the real word. Thomas handles this in such a creative fashion with wholly original monsters I have never really experienced before.
I listened to the audiobook version of the novella. Leeman Kessler did a great job of capturing the spirit of the story and expressing the personalities of the narrator and Dr. Pond who have the most dialogue. There is an afterward from one of my favorite writers, Jeffrey Thomas, who happens to be Scott's brother. There is a companion piece written by Jefferey called The Sea of Flesh that goes with this book. Man, they have some seriously strong writer genes in that family.
September 26, 2017
I first noticed Scott Thomas’s story The Night is a Sea in Autumn Cthulhu, Thomas’ story was easily one of the best tales in that collection, so I decided I needed to read more of his work. Flash forward a year later when I find his novel, The Sea of Ash in a used bookstore in Colorado. The Sea of Ash is one of the finest works of Weird fiction in recent memory for my part. Following an unnamed protagonist that delves into esoteric and forgotten lore, he decides to follow in the footsteps of the half-forgotten doctor turned occultist Albert Pond. The tale spans several decades through queer, haunted locations in New England and the very fabric of reality starts to unravel through the course of the journey.
Thomas’ prose is beautiful, haunting and downright bizarre, I never once knew where he was going with this tale, and I was amazed each time he introduced a new location or character. Completely unlike anything I have read, his haunts and apparitions are utterly bizarre and almost abstract. I’m in awe of the descriptions he makes of these things. I just finished the book, and I want to dive in and read it once more right away! This is Weird fiction at its finest, and I can’t recommend this enough! Read it now!
Thomas’ prose is beautiful, haunting and downright bizarre, I never once knew where he was going with this tale, and I was amazed each time he introduced a new location or character. Completely unlike anything I have read, his haunts and apparitions are utterly bizarre and almost abstract. I’m in awe of the descriptions he makes of these things. I just finished the book, and I want to dive in and read it once more right away! This is Weird fiction at its finest, and I can’t recommend this enough! Read it now!
August 17, 2015
An excellent novella by Scott Thomas touching on Weird/Lovecraftian themes. The present day narrator is a retired history teacher and antiquarian book collector who has dedicated himself to retracing the steps of a doctor, who fresh back from the First World War, experienced some otherworldly phenomenon while himself retracing the steps of a Victorian adventurer exploring the paranormal. Thomas weaves all three of these narratives to a suitably weird and fascinating conclusion. Thomas has a deft handed crafting wonderfully surreal, grotesque and Weird imagery, and his take on other worldly, non-human dimensions and their interplay with our own world where in places and at times when they overlap is while not slavishly Lovecraftian, a wonderful homage to the work of Lovecraft and his fellow travelers. Highly recommended. I definitely look forward to reading more of Scott Thomas' work.
December 15, 2014
Everything I love about weird fiction/cosmic horror is here: a protagonist (well, three protagonists, in Thomas' carefully structured tale) who gradually discovers that the world is not at all what we believe it is. This occluded world is revealed through wildly imaginative, disquieting manifestations (Trilobites? Yes, Trilobites!). Thomas knows exactly how much of the occult realm to reveal, and how much to leave- as it must be- shrouded in bewilderment and mystery. The pacing and structure of this novella are perfect. I'm looking forward to reading more from this talented author.
July 25, 2015
This book was weird. It was like really, really weird. In both the "weird fiction" sense and the traditional one. It was weird and it was awesome and it was perfect. I loved it. If you've ever read a Lovecraft story and felt like he didn't go far enough or were bothered by the fact that only one bizarre or horrifying thing happened per story, this may be the book for you. It was definitely the book for me.
March 28, 2015
This book is fantastic! It is absolutely in my top list of books. The author creates a world of weird that I just didn't want to end. I was sad when it came to the last page, because I just wanted it to go on and on and on. Some of the imagery he planted took root and stayed with me. One of the best books I've ever read in my life, and one I'm sure to come back to time and again.
September 22, 2020
Terrific!
4.5 out of 5, so I’m rounding it up to 5 stars and it truly deserves that. This is such a wonderful book throughout, my only complaint would the ending. I’m not saying the ending is bad but I don’t know how to feel about it, I thought the author could’ve ended it better. Felt something was missing. Other than that, it’s truly a great book, definitely deserves a wider readership. I’m glad I came upon this wonderful gem of a book. Will definitely read more from the author.
4.5 out of 5, so I’m rounding it up to 5 stars and it truly deserves that. This is such a wonderful book throughout, my only complaint would the ending. I’m not saying the ending is bad but I don’t know how to feel about it, I thought the author could’ve ended it better. Felt something was missing. Other than that, it’s truly a great book, definitely deserves a wider readership. I’m glad I came upon this wonderful gem of a book. Will definitely read more from the author.
June 22, 2018
I think this book could have been much better. It had great ideas and some really good prose. But about 30% in, it began to make stupid mistakes in logic and narrative. By 70%, it was hard to believe anything. It rushes through half of itself without explaining or building up things at all. Dialogue becomes childishly plain and uninventive. Rhings beyond reason start to happen and the protagonists just shrug it off, which puzzled me. If this were a make-believe world, not Lovecraft’s New England, these inexplicable moments would be fine. But you have to make people react appropriately if something so weird happens in the real world. No amount of “being used to the occult” can explain some of the odd happenings... Really wanted to like the book, but I’d be interested in his future novels as his skills grows.
March 24, 2015
There are some gripping scenes and imagery in this novella, however, the thread that ties them together is somewhat underwhelming. The main characters are largely cyphers, which isn't necessarily a problem, but there doesn't seem to be anything else present in the narrative to drive the story forward. The presence of the journal, which ends up splitting the frame of the story, isn't used in a compelling way and the tale of the narrator, told through the present, is rather redundant.
March 9, 2015
good read
I enjoyed this story a great deal. A compliment to the Lovecraft mythos. Highly recommend to anyone that enjoys Lovecraft
I enjoyed this story a great deal. A compliment to the Lovecraft mythos. Highly recommend to anyone that enjoys Lovecraft
October 10, 2022
Three characters from three different timelines discover spooky stuff. It's all structured like a classic M.R. James story. Only the author gets a little 1001 Nights on this and has the current character researching a center character who is in turn researching another character. Wheels within wheels.
I don't know the author's motivations, but this book felt like over the years Thomas read classic Victorian and early 20th century ghost stories and felt like he had to sort what he loved from what he didn't. To me, it feels like he was frustrated by their verbosity decided to lean into the peak moments of weirdness. I applaud the effort, it is successful, but he also made choices that left his structure rather exposed.
The novella is boiled down to tight vignettes where a chapter will have the cool short story idea and then the characters are led to the next short story idea in the next chapter. So, you get episodic disjointed elements where characters don't feel like they have agency and are just there for you to see the next cool thing. Go here, do that, see this whacked out thing. Even the resolution, took power out of the hands of the subject of the book, literally.
As a result this book kind of felt like an exercise. There is a cohesive story throughout the whole piece, and I really did enjoy it, but it felt so much like he was riffing off of other people that it was like he was doing a sequence of cover songs. Something like how a tribute band can be good, but they are still a tribute band.
The three main characters operated in near isolation so they just wondered around where the plot called for them to be. It was hard to feel anything about them as they didn't really interact with other people to reveal much about themselves, nor did they seem to have much motivation other than to do the things that the author said for them to do. The dialogue that was there wasn't great, so I guess it's better to not have much of it, than inject it into the story and make it worse.
BUT, the stuff that happened was indeed cool. There were lots of really fun moments in this that will likely stick with me for a while. The structure was daring to have three parallel stories. And it's a really short novella so I easily can forgive its weaknesses.
I don't know the author's motivations, but this book felt like over the years Thomas read classic Victorian and early 20th century ghost stories and felt like he had to sort what he loved from what he didn't. To me, it feels like he was frustrated by their verbosity decided to lean into the peak moments of weirdness. I applaud the effort, it is successful, but he also made choices that left his structure rather exposed.
The novella is boiled down to tight vignettes where a chapter will have the cool short story idea and then the characters are led to the next short story idea in the next chapter. So, you get episodic disjointed elements where characters don't feel like they have agency and are just there for you to see the next cool thing. Go here, do that, see this whacked out thing. Even the resolution, took power out of the hands of the subject of the book, literally.
As a result this book kind of felt like an exercise. There is a cohesive story throughout the whole piece, and I really did enjoy it, but it felt so much like he was riffing off of other people that it was like he was doing a sequence of cover songs. Something like how a tribute band can be good, but they are still a tribute band.
The three main characters operated in near isolation so they just wondered around where the plot called for them to be. It was hard to feel anything about them as they didn't really interact with other people to reveal much about themselves, nor did they seem to have much motivation other than to do the things that the author said for them to do. The dialogue that was there wasn't great, so I guess it's better to not have much of it, than inject it into the story and make it worse.
BUT, the stuff that happened was indeed cool. There were lots of really fun moments in this that will likely stick with me for a while. The structure was daring to have three parallel stories. And it's a really short novella so I easily can forgive its weaknesses.
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