✨A CHILLING TALE OF HOW VENTURING TOO FAR INTO SPACE CAN SHATTER THE HUMAN MIND.✨
Based on the bestselling scenario with the same title for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game.
What if the ego were not the solid psychic structure it appears to be here, in the safety of Earth?
🚀 Aboard the Persephone, the crew will discover that the real dangers of deep space are nothing like anything found on threats that invade the mind, erode identity, and distort reality itself.
This is a warning to all of a warning of an unimaginable fate, a silent threshold that must never be crossed and a godlike presence waiting beyond eons of darkness, hidden in the frozen confines of Pluto.🐙 Perfect for readers of cosmic horror, space horror, psychological horror and the Cthulhu Mythos: a Lovecraftian descent into madness, chaos and the unfathomable.
Quico Vicens-Picatto is an illustrator and writer who has spent much of his life creating worlds where horror, fantasy, science fiction and the inexplicable intertwine in an eternal flow as irrational as human existence itself. His work, both literary and visual, is born from the drive to always go one step further: beyond what is established, comfortable, or safe.
With more than 10 titles turned into best sellers for the acclaimed Call of Cthulhu role-playing game—such as At the Gates of Carcosa, The Abyss in Their Eyes and Ghatanothoa, the Forgotten One—he has established himself as an independent voice within cosmic horror role-playing, seeking to transcend the safe spaces in which cosmic horror usually moves, delving into the realms of philosophy and combining them with the great themes of the genre.
Influenced by Lovecraft, DeMaio, Spare, Moebius, Faber-Kaiser, Bakunin, Moore, Jodorowsky, Campbell, and fiercely iconoclastic, Vicens-Picatto writes for those who seek questions rather than answers. He does not believe in pure genres, unmovable rules, or doing things “the way they should be done.” He believes in vertigo, in mystery, and in the need to challenge reality itself when it seems to go no further than the prevailing and decaying social conventions of our time.
Based on a best-selling scenario from the board game Call of Cthulhu, this is a cosmic horror with strong Annihilation vibes.
The story itself was really interesting. It easily could have been longer and expanded on various characters and times, but I can understand why it was kept shorter. It has definitely made me want to play the game more than I already did, and I think it lent into the unnerving aspect that surrounds cosmic horror so well.
There were a few errors I picked up, but that’s bound to happen when the translator also did the proof read. It’s such an impressive skill to translate texts but it does mean you’ve read it so many times that minor things inevitably slip through. I also might be way more susceptible to spotting them because I’m a proofreader myself! 😂
Ultimately, this was a fun read. I felt unsettled for a large part of it in the best way, and I think reading this in its original Spanish would pack one hell of a punch. That said, I think the errors sometimes detracted from the story, but that’s not to say it wasn’t an enjoyably disquieting time.
This was very kindly gifted to me by the author. Thank you so much, it was a pleasure to read your work! ☺️
Se nota que el autor le pone ganas y disfruta contando su historia. Se recrea y se recrea... pero no acaba de llegar.
Hay varias cosas que me han "sacado" de la lectura:
- Estilo narrativo que peca de primerizo. Muy de "borrador". Todos los personajes suenan igual, el narrador cae en archiverbalismos y archisilabismos que deberían eliminarse en la fase de borradores. Y ese mismo narrador se recrea divagando sobre lo "oculto" y "atávico" intentando crear una atmósfera que se hace repetitiva. - La atmósfera ya arranca en fase "misterio" desde la primera página. No hay unos contrastes que te ayuden a sentir el misterio. Esta presente durante toda la obra. Y cuando tienes un libro lleno de misterio, ese misterio no vale nada. Necesitas algo de luz para que la oscuridad se sienta. Y necesitas algo de normalidad para que lo extraño se sienta verdaderamente extraño. - Los personajes son muy planos. De usar y tirar. Necesito sentirme mal si a los personajes les ocurre algo. Pero no lo consigo...
Tras despotricar, vamos ahora con lo bueno, que lo hay:
- Me parece un libro muy valiente y honesto. Este tipo de literatura es muy difícil. Y el autor ha tenido valor suficiente para contar una historia muy interesante.
- Las descripciones de fenómenos y lugares son muy buenas. Cinematográficas, muy fáciles de percibir. El autor te hace entender lo que está pasando. Y son cosas raras dificiles de entendrer, lo que tiene merito. Me parece el punto fuerte.
- Me encanta este tipo de literatura. Así que nunca diré que no a una novelilla de horror cósmico que en 130 pags te resuelve una historia guay con una ambientación absorbente. Esto no es un suspenso. Esto es un ¡No dejes de escribir! ;-)
The term cosmic horror takes on an all-new meaning in this stellar novella. The author did an incredible job of layering this horror novella with powerful imagery that not only brought these eldritch gods and creatures to life with ease but also captured the mind-blowing, altered states that the cast of characters experienced. The world-building was incredible, not only in terms of the Cthulu mythos that was infused into the fabric of this universe, but in the state of the universe itself between this secret organization known as the Brotherhood and the Free-Worlds coalition, and how humanity has evolved and grown in this near future.
The heart of this narrative was in the exploration of the main cast of characters as individuals and how they experienced this horror together. Kolab’s experiences living Harun’s life through shared memories hit really strongly in the narrative, and the compelling blend of action and spine-chilling, mind-breaking horror made this story really shine.
The Verdict
Haunting, terrifying, and compelling, author Quico Vicens-Picatto’s “The Oracle of Yuggoth” is a must-read cosmic horror novella. The author explores the limits of humanity and the mind, and how some lines are not meant to be crossed, giving readers a chilling experience that will stay with them long after the story ends.
Novela cortita con una premisa interesante y atractiva. Sin embargo, el mundo que habitan los personajes y los mismos están poco desarrollados, como rayando solo la superficie, sin que puedas ni identificarte, ni temer por sus destinos ni comprender qué los lleva a comportarse de cierta manera. Se dan pinceladas, se explica mínimamente el contexto en sus vidas, para algunos más que para otros, y siento que se queda a pata coja. Que no tiene gran peso en la trama. Como si ésta avanzase precipitadamente y se dejase un montón de cosas en el tintero. En un relato corto de apenas veinte o treinta páginas es comprensible, pero en una novela, por corta que sea, sí hubiera sido posible ahondar algo más. Ya que, además, sería más disfrutable para aquellos que han llegado a ella sin contexto, sin haber leído antes a H.P. Lovecraft o haber jugado algún juego de mesa, porque las referencias son muy obvias para quienes devoramos literatura lovecraftiana como posesos, pero pienso en aquellos que no tengan ni idea, y si yo me he sentido perdida por lo repentino de los sucesos, por cómo se iban sucediendo los personajes y acciones, no me imagino otro tipo de lector que, encima, no entiende ni de qué deidad están hablando, ni por qué son tan terroríficas las implicaciones de su nombre en todo esto. Más el guiño a otras criaturas —no haré spoiler sobre cuáles, claro—. Todo esto sumado hace que el horror cósmico se diluya un poquito ante una serie de acciones concatenadas que, al final, he sentido poco relevantes. Y, más allá de todo ello, de que a la historia le faltaría más desarrollo, quizás más páginas o más explicaciones, y de que algunas cosas que ocurren, en especial hacia el final, son un poco..., aleatorias, por decirlo así, está el tema de las erratas y las faltas ortográficas. Son considerables en número como para pasarlas por alto sin más. Aún así, como escribía, la premisa es interesante y, pese a esos fallitos, me ha gustado grosso modo lo suficiente. Se lee muy fácilmente y de seguido, lo cual es un plus. ¡Espero que haya una siguiente parte y se puedan pulir todos esos detallitos! ✨
I read this having not played the Call of Cthulu scenario of the same name, and I think that hurt the experience. It feels like there's a world and lore there, but this story isn't where you're going to find it. While the ideas behind the cosmic horror elements were interesting, the execution was muddied and unclear. Some chapters are just dialogue with no indication who is speaking and in what context. Characters feel flat and the author's style just didn't jive with me. I really wanted to like it.
Maybe skip this one unless you're familiar with Call of Cthulu?
Quico made an amazing job with this novel. I had the opportunity to read it as a beta reader and it was completely mind blowing. It tastes like Lovecraft, but on an unique outer space setting. His background as illustrator helps him to depict the spaces and create very imaginative places and situations. Very recommended.
"The Oracle Of Yuggoth" was, I'm sorry to say, a disappointment. It's filled with inconsistencies. The overall tone and general feel changes with each chapter. At no point in the book are we given even a quick, passing description of what any human character looks like.
I'm afraid that I cannot - at all! - recommend reading "The Oracle Of Yuggoth".
Space may not be safe for them to travel through and it follows a team on a ship. They are about to face danger that will make it hard to overcome. Follow their journey and see how they get on I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great space thriller
Acabo de terminar esta novela corta y me ha encantado. El Autor da una vuelta de tuerca muy interesante a lo que son los relatos de horror cósmico. Muy original.