The Trials of Obed Marsh

by Matthew Davenport

Librarian Notes: this is an alternate cover edition ISBN10: 1481121332 - ISBN13: 9781481121330.

The Exciting Prequel to Lovecraft's Shadow Over Innsmouth!

Innsmouth was a corrupted and fallen town, consumed by its greed and controlled by the Esoteric Order of Dagon. In 1928, the Federal Government destroyed Innsmouth and the nearby Devil Reef based on claims made by a man who had visited the town.

Four years after the mysterious disappearance of Robert Olmstead, the man who sent the FBI to Innsmouth, his closest friend has discovered new evidence into the reality of what Innsmouth truly was: He has found the Journal of Captain Obed Marsh.

The journal paints an intense scene of a vibrant town and how one man's good intentions can pave the way to Hell itself.

Or in this case...to Y'ha-nthlei.

What can test a man so intensely as to break him from his righteous path?

Only the journal can shed light on that.

Genres: Horror, Lovecraftian, Cthulhu Mythos, Fiction

162 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 2012

About the author

Matthew Davenport hails from Des Moines, Iowa where he lives with his wife, Ren, and daughter, Willow.

He puts up a new chapter every Wednesday on his Patreon. http://patreon.com/matthewdavenport

You can keep track of Matthew through his twitter account @spazenport.

Matt updates his blog from time to time at authormatthewdavenport.wordpress.com

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2* of five

DNF 46%

Lost the will to continue. Might pick it back up one day, though it seems unlikely. Just too much...something...stodgy, sticky writing? Stupid overexplanation? Made me grumpy to read it because I **really** wanted a new Lovecraftian tale.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vote: 3/3,5

A decent prequel/add to H. P. Lovecraft's "Shadow over Innsmouth", one of my most favourite one tales from the "Solitaire of Providence".

I liked a lot the story about the fall from grace of Obed Marsh and his beloved town, the final twist was great too, but the absolute lack of 1800s historical research/references and Shub-Niggurath's name twisted into "Nub-Shiggurath" influenced a lot in negative my final vote.

[Ken B · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Lovecraftian tale, "The Trials of Obed Marsh", ship's Captain Obed Marsh develops a lucrative trading partnership with the peaceful inhabitants of a small Polynesian island. The trading relationship provides Marsh with riches and enables him to become the prosperous and popular benefactor of the town of Innsmouth.

Marsh's prosperity and consequently that of the town of Innsmouth seem at first to come at such a small price, placating the island's spiritual leader by learning about the islanders' worship of their god, one of The Old Ones, Dagon.

As time passes, Marsh realizes that the price of his wealth has been much more dear than he first thought. The price has been his mortal soul, a sacrifice that Marsh was willing to accept for the love of his family and his beloved Innsmouth.

But, is Marsh's soul the only sacrifice that he will be asked to make?


4 1/2 STARS

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Shadow over Innsmouth" is Lovecraft's most famous story after "The Call of Cthulhu" and certainly the most influential. Most readers of horror know the basic outline and almost all Lovecraft fans. A New England town has taken to worshiping Dagon and breeding with fish men in exchange for gold and fish due to a compact made centuries ago by Obed Marsh. How a man could become involved in such a monstrous Faustian bargain was left largely un-described and Matthew Davenport has decided to do the story of Innsmouth's patriarch in order to fill in the blanks.

I was really looking forward to this as Obed Marsh is one of the most infamous figures in the Cthulhu Mythos, being one of the few named humans of any relevance. Aside from Joseph Curwen, I can't think of any who really warranted attention as a villainous character. However, it's something which could have easily gone wrong as it would be easy to make his actions seem reasonable or make him a caricatured villain. Such a vile compact as selling your town to the Cult of Cthulhu needed a man who was both monstrous and yet not a cartoon.

The author, here, crafts a wonderful tale about his hypothetical tale of corruption and decadence. I'm a huge fan of indie fiction, especially indie horror which Lovecraft himself would have qualified for in his lifetime. I strongly recommend this particular tale which makes me sympathetic for a man who damned his entire hometown. The one in the book was a heroic seeming figure who just compromised far too much--and gave away his soul one bit at a time.

Interestingly, I have to give Matthew Davenport credit for the fact while Obed Marsh has understanding motivations, he also doesn't attempt to redeem the character. Every step along the road to hell (by way of R'lyeh) is done with an endless series of rationalizations and self-justifications. Obed Marsh tolerates the human sacrifice of the Cthulhu-worshiping Islanders because "the town depends on him", he participates in their demonic sacrifices because it's the only way to keep the gold flowing, and he's not betraying God because of keeping God in his heart.

In short, Obed Marsh is a monstrous hypocrite but the kind which is all too believable. The world is full of people who have the belief they are good people but who profit off the suffering of others. Obed Marsh is never a believer in Cthulhu (identified as Dagon here as some interpretations have done). Instead, he is an individual who can't see past the gold and prosperity of the islanders even as it's increasingly clear they're crazy cultists. Obed Marsh equates success and position to goodness and like so many other rich men in America (or other nations), uses it as a way to show he's doing the right thing.

Not a common thing in Lovecraft myths.

This book really doesn't dwell upon the luridness of humans breeding with fish men. There's a scene where a woman assaulted by a Deep One is forced to carry the child to term by priests but it's dealt with in an off-handed manner. Obed doesn't care what happens to his people as long as it's out of sight and out of mind. I think this works well as it reflects Obed's own ability to paper over the horribleness of his actions. The finale where his descendants take their brides among the Deep Ones also reflects how they have become true believers--something we knew would happen because of the Shadow over Innsmouth.

Ultimately, this book is more about the journey than the destination and there's very few twists and turns throughout. I enjoyed the final end of Obed Marsh's long and storied career as Cthulhu's high priest, though, because it does show that he had some small part which belonged to him. It was also a bit of cosmic irony which I'm sure Cthulhu (or at least Nyarlathotep) would appreciate.

9/10

[David]

A prequel of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Shadow over Innsmouth" that tells how Obed Marsh encountered the Order of Dagon and introduced it to Insmouth. Also, the story gives us details of the attack on Innsmouth that was blamed on a mysterious plague. Overall, it fit pretty neatly in this corner of the Cthulhu mythos, though it seemed Marsh's voyages to the Pacific were pretty easy for the 1830s. Also, it seemed a little strange that Innsmouth's dominant faith is described generically as "Protestant" and despite that, they hold mass at one point. For me, the most effective part of this story was seeing how Marsh and his family descended into madness.

[Δημήτριος Καραγιάννης · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The slow decline of Obed Marsh's reason and values is magnificently written. All of the characters in this book, especially the native islanders, are extremely intriguing, and the story fills some important gaps in the past that became Innsmouth as Lovecraft wrote it.

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. It is unbiased and my own opinion.

I've never read any of HP Lovecraft's work so I wasn't familiar with this story. It was definitely and interesting read. The beginning was a little slow but once it got going it held my attention. I found Obed to be an interesting character. At first I liked him for wanting to help his town to thrive and flourish but as the book went on he began to frustrate me. He never seemed to see the errors in his ways and he just kept going along with whatever the islanders wanted. He never put his foot down and said no. As the book went on his arrogance just propelled him to do more things that he had always said he wouldn't.
Also this book was supposed to be horror and I had assumed it would have some shock value. It really didn't. The rituals and the acts performed by the followers of Dagon were interesting but not described in shocking detail. At one point Obed even describes lying with his wife and a child of Dagon and that's about all he says. Pretty bland. Same with any killing. It was all described in a pretty run of the mill way. The book was presented through documents and journals of Obed and others but it could have been done more colorfully or should I say darkly.
All in all it was an interesting read and peaked my interest to try some Lovecraft.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was pretty good. It's really hard to imitate Lovecraft's style, especially because Lovecraft almost never used dialogue, and modern prose relies on it. I thought going back and forth between the different accounts was a good idea and the ending was clever. My only real problem was the lack of historical research that might have made the story feel more authentic. The voices and notions were all very modern for a story that takes place in the 1800's.

[Ernest Russell]

Great take on Innsmouth.

[Sean Hoade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterful, assured work that adds to the Innsmouth canon

This review is from: The Trials of Obed Marsh: A Prequel to Lovecraft's A Shadow Over Innsmouth (Paperback)

Full disclosure: I asked for a copy of this book to review after seeing the author's post about looking for reviewers. I don't know Matthew Davenport and haven't read any of his other work ... yet. Having read this, I plan to read more.

The Trials of Obed Marsh is a slow burn to a devastating conclusion. The plot involves Obed and his crew trading with the Dagon worshipers of the South Pacific and how Innsmouth became what we know it became by the time of Lovecraft's "A Shadow Over Innsmouth." Everything fits together closely in Davenport's plot, but that isn't the main reason to read this book. And you SHOULD read it if you like Lovecraftian fiction that isn't a pastiche or just a gross-out.

The main reason to read this book is to experience its deep and haunting dramatic irony. We as readers know what became of Innsmouth and Devil's Reef, both its degradation and neglect as well as its destruction by the FBI in the Twenties. But in this story Innsmouth is a thriving port city, not only because of the gold and fish from the Dagon worshipers. At least, not at first. Obed's hopes and aspirations for his hometown are admirable, and everything goes well. But over all of this is ... well, a shadow. Dagon gives, but like any god, he doesn't give forever for nothing in return.

Another fine reason to read this book is the careful character development. Obed, his son, the island chief, and members of Obed's crew are all made three-dimensional in this telling. This is characterization done right.

One tip for the reader: The climax of this story is so subtle and quick that one might miss its impact. It is a devastating turn of events but done with such a light touch that you might not realize the horror of what has happened. Absolutely perfectly done.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: I was given this book for free to review* As a rabid Lovecraft fan that has read a lot of Lovecraftian books. There is always the curse of overreading your favourite theme to the point where everything seems to be the same but different. This book is a fresh tale. Before I even finished reading it, I was already recommending it to other people that were looking for more Lovecraftian books to read. It does make a good afternoon read, so clear your afternoon, make some good hot brewing tea, play some ocean soundtrack, pour out saltwater in a bucket and get a fan going over the bucket to get the immersive experience with The Trial of Obed Marsh. It hit all the right spots for me and will be likely to be part of the hard copy purchase for me which is rare as I got so much book sitting on my shelf. Hard 4.5 Stars

[Robert Defrank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obed Marsh, Innsmouth’s sinister patriarch and the town’s first acolyte of Dagon, has been a figure of menace, hovering in the background of the town since HP Lovecraft first introduced him through the drunken, rambling monologue of Zadok Allen in The Shadow over Innsmouth.

Here, Davenport attempts to bring the misty figure of Obed into focus, and provides his own interesting interpretation of the years leading up to the seaside town’s transition. A tricky task, and he also attempts to rehabilitate Marsh, as much as is possible.

He does so by consistently stressing Obed’s devotion to his family and his town, and his hopes for the future. As the old saying goes: the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Or Y'ha-nthlei in this case.

To accept this version of events, the reader must assume that Zadok Allen’s account was incomplete. Understandable, given his age at the time and his limited exposure and understanding.

However, the story has three flaws. The first being a lack of young Zadok himself. Perhaps I missed it and must listen again, but I had hoped for a brief appearance of the boy as a witness to the horrific climax he would later relate.

From a glance at other reviews, there also seems to have been a mistake about the town’s religious affiliation. Davenport had originally written it as a Catholic town. Apparently he later tried to fix this, because the audio I listened to specified Protestant, but the references to religion still had a Catholic feel, and he did not specify the multiple Protestant denominations that would be in existence.

Finally, while Davenport chronicles Obed’s story as the slow slide of a good man to damnation, the tale lacks the pure insanity, the mind-warping madness, that encounters with such alien and inimical creatures would bring. He also skimps on the more intimate and chilling (pun there) references to breeding with the Deep Ones. The matter isn’t touched on as much as I would suspect from an intimate account of Obed’s life. Nor does he convey the horror of certain moments, such as-

SPOILER

-Obed’s realization that his son has been made a true convert to Dagon. The shift to actually sacrificing travelers was not touched on with enough horror either, I thought.

SPOILER ENDS

Nonetheless, the story remains effective in other ways, as Davenport shows the little compromises made in the name of necessity that sweep a good man into the depths with the inevitability of an undertow. He also references other aspects of the Lovecraft cosmos, such as the Dream Lands, and employs them in a subtle and truly terrifying turn of events at the end.

I say give it a try.

[Robert L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I felt it fit in seemingly and believable into the Lovecraft lore. I'm not so diehard of a Lovecraft fan that I must have every nuance addressed and retold. This is an origin story of Innsmouth and of Obed Marsh and I like the way it was presented and told.
I've always had a problem with the Cults of the Old Gods. To hear the monsters described in Lovecraft's works and their horrific acts, always boggled my mind as to what type of people would worship such creatures and for what purpose when the sole outcome seemed to be death and insanity. Yes, I have an imagination and can suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy media but sometimes I like a story to be attached to some resemblance of realism, or at the very least something relatable. This book did that for me. I could see how a modern society turned to old pagan rituals and continued them through history. Even with such horrors.
As far as the protagonist of the story, I did not feel, as other reviews stated that he was made to be a sympathetic character, in that he invoked actual sympathy. He was a strong and intelligent protagonist that willingly and knowingly did all his deeds with full knowledge, if not a blind heart. Obed Marsh is the embodiment of the proverb, "hell is paved with good intentions". He was a family man that would quite literally do anything for his family. He's a pillar of his community and he takes great pride in that, and wants the best for his town, and its people. All this love, and pride leads to his ultimate obsession, his goal to achieve a legacy, which in turn leads to his undoing. I found his story to be quite an interesting and without giving away anything there is a cool payoff at the end of the book in regards to his character.
Finally I would like to address the issue of religion in the story, many are upset that it did not depict a Protestant faith as in SOI but rather a catholic one. Aside from the word "mass" used often in place of "church" or "sermon" I found the religion to be very protestant in its depiction. Honestly, I don't know that it would have mattered to me if a Priest had been present in the tale, and everyone was receiving wafers and wine like it was Easter. The emotion of the religious institution versus Obed was tangible and effective, and in regards to all the major players, was fascinating to watch (even from the pagan stand point).
All in all, really dug this book. Easy to read and had that good unsettling Lovecraft vibe from time to time, that makes me want to seek out more tales in the Lovecraft world.

[Sylri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of Obed’s fall and Innsmouth’s rise as the sailor loses his soul to keep his beloved town alive.

A concept I really really like, but I can’t say that I fully liked this book’s execution of it. I’ve seen other reviews saying that the story’s dialogue and writing style is too modern, and I have to agree. I also noticed that as the book continued, I noticed more and more errors or weird phrasings and odd time skips. Like the fact that Obed and Helen slept with Deep Ones as a part of their devotion. I feel like that could have or should have been a large moment for Obed, but it was glossed over as an afterthought in a flashback. And just other weird skips that we’re supposed to accept because years have passed, but when you’re reading through just seems like abrupt attitude shifts.

I did like that Walakea was a very important character throughout the story. I expected things to end for him as they did in the original The Shadow Over Innsmouth, but they did not. I’m not sure I completely dig what his and the story’s ending was. It took too much agency away from Obed when the whole theme of the novella was about how much he would sacrifice for Innsmouth. But when it came time to make that ultimate sacrifice, the choice was taken from him. It was an interesting twist nonetheless.

I just realized writing this up that there’s also a noticeable absence of our favorite drunk Zadok Allen. Huh. Though I guess he probably would have been young when the infamous night happened.

All of these nitpicks make it sound like I didn’t like the novella, which isn’t the case. I didn’t dislike it. But overall I feel the first half was stronger than the second, when the sailors were meeting the Pacific Islanders on their native island and the events that happened there rather than everyone being back in Innsmouth. The first contact sort of situations were the most interesting to me. So I really like the idea behind this, but somewhat clunky writing and pacing meant it didn't leave up to my expectations. :(

I did like this enough to check out the author's other Mythos writing though!

[Sarah Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free audiobook edition of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Ship Capitan Obed Marsh is a known and loved political figure in his community. His crew brings home jewels and precious metals from a neighboring Polynesian island, making their town prosperous and wealthy.
In exchange, the crew must allow the islanders to teach them about their god, Dagon. The crew agrees to learn but not participate, and Obed tells himself its a small price to pay for prosperity. And what the very Protestant townsfolk don't know wont hurt them, right?
But of course, things get complicated, and the town falls into darkness. This is the story of how that happened.
My favorite aspect of this story was the spiritual element- dream world creatures and rituals vs the Christian God and the soul.
My least favorite part about the book: not so great production quality. (Audio book) Several times I could hear noises in the background. The narrator was easy to listen to and had a good voice but the background noises were very distracting at times, especially towards the end of the story.
Would I recommend this to a friend? Like with any other book, it depends on the friend and what genre they enjoy. I did enjoy it and I am curious about what else the author might have written.
Overall, I give it 3 and a half stars.

[David Hambling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Trials of Obed Marsh is an ingenious piece of Lovecraftiania: taking as his starting point the brief backstory given by Zadok Allen in The Shadow Over Innsmouth, Davenport gives us a complete narrative of Innsmouth’s early history and its ghastly inhabitants, built up from logs, diaries and personal communications.

The Captain Obed Marsh here is not quite the ‘limb of Satan’ that Zadok claims. He’s a decent, honest man who just wants to provide for his family and his crew. But he is not as scrupulous as he might be, and his weaknesses lead him into the snares set by the cult of Dagon. His First Mate Matt Eliot and South Sea islander Walakea are here too, not to mention Dagon’s children, the unspeakable Deep Ones.

The bloody violence is kept mainly in the background: this is more about atmosphere than gore. The story moves along nicely, with a sense of impending doom building as it progresses. Davenport draws well on Lovecraft’s originals, and there are a few twists – even for those who know the original.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Trials of Obed Marsh is a prequel to Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" that focuses on Obed Marsh's hubris and the subsequent downfall of both himself and his hometown. "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" is my absolute favorite of Lovecraft's stories and I own several other Innsmouth books as well, which is really the reason I hang onto this one. Otherwise, Davenport's prose is uninspiring, he clearly did no historical research (an old New England fishing village is Catholic?*), and he lacks any of the powerful ambiance that so strongly characterized the original Innsmouth. That being said, I think this book is still worth a read for anyone who enjoys Innsmouth tales and has often imagined backstories and alternative POV's.

* Changed to generic "Protestant" in later editions.

[Rachel Eliason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is an interesting take on an old classic, The Shadow over Innsmouth by classic horror author H. P. Lovecraft. It tells the story of how Obed Marsh met Walakea and how it brought the cult of Dagon to Innsmouth, roughly a hundred years before the original novel.

The story telling and the tone of work is in keeping with the original. It is slow in places but it did keep my interest from start to finish. It does a good job of getting into Obed's head and to show how a good man ends up making a horrible decision. I would suggest this for fans of classic horror and H. P. Lovecraft specifically.

[Andy Gillaspy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent this book by the Author in exchange for a fair review.

This is a back story to the Lovecraft tale "The Shadow over Innsmouth" telling of the insidious seduction and fall of the founding father of Innsmouth to the evil of Dagon.

This is a subtle well written story which shows the decline and ultimate perversion of a staunch Captain into a murdering cultist. The ending is a fine twist and the author sticks very well to the slow creep of horror and soul blackening despair that is the true hall mark of H.P. Lovecraft.

Excellent stuff well recommended for those Mythos fans who prefer a little more of a cerebral plot.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good "prequel" to HP Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", telling the story of how Obed Marsh came into contact with the Deep Ones and made his fateful arrangement with them. A lot of this book is supposed to come from documents written by Obed and others in the nineteenth century and I had to take a star off since the writer doesn't quite manage to pull off the style of 1800's writing. Still, this is a good story that makes Obed a surprisingly sympathetic figure. I would recommend it to any fan of Lovecraft.

[John Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story captured the mood and tone of Lovecraft. Really enjoyed the back story of Innsmouth as it fit in perfectly with the existing mythos. The ending was masterfully done and I have to give Davenport credit for allowing the reader to experience it on their own terms (I'll leave it at that so not to give away anything).

[Dwayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. Thoroughly true to form, dark and ominous as it builds tension throughout. Well done.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sanity-blasting backstory of The Shadow over Innsmouth.

It's a The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions story about a well-meaning sea captain who is corrupted by the promise of wealth and immortality.

I never heard of this author before. I thought he struck a good balance between introducing new narrative and staying faithful to the original work.

One of the selling points of Dagon is that he supposedly protects his followers, and yet nobody seems to question this after the entire tribe in the South Pacific with the exception of one man is wiped out. And as we know, the same thing later happens to Dagon's new home in Innsmouth and Devil Reef.

[Terry Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella serves as a prequel to Lovecraft’s The Shadow over Innsmouth and does a fine job of staying within that universe, i.e., follows the canon by not specifically contradicting anything in the source material. Davenport writes well--the narrative moves at a steady, engrossing pace with solid characterization and enough twists to keep the story interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. That being said, this story--though set in Lovecraft’s universe--does not read as Lovecraftian: it lacks the foreboding dread that made Shadow such a masterpiece and the Baroqueness that defines Lovecraft’s style. Instead, it reads like what it is: A solid modern writer playing in a master’s toybox.

[Mikael Cerbing · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story if you are interested in the Cthulhu mytos as an expanded universe. As a self contained story I would give it 2 stars. And I am still looking for a great story of a decent man faling into evil that dont force me to watch 5+ Seasons of Television. The once I have read all seem to be very similar. Is it really that hard to Write? It might be.

[Chuck Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Lovecraftian tale sheds light on how Obed Marsh turned a flourishing city into a haven of horror. It fills in the holes old Zadok Allen’s tale related in H.P. Lovecraft’s tale “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.” It is a short book, but if your a Lovecraft fan, this should be in your collection.