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Cthulhu Attacks! #1
Cthulhu Attacks! Book 1: The Fear
For half a billion years, Cthulhu has lain trapped in R’lyeh, dead but dreaming. But now the stars are right, and the Old One is rising.
Instant death for hundreds of millions, insanity for many more. And he hasn’t even gotten out of the water yet.
World governments and a desperate and frightened populace scramble to understand, survive, and ultimately fight back against an enemy so powerful his presence could kill every human on Earth without him even noticing we are here.
Buckle up for apocalyptic suspense as you witness what happens when CTHULHU ATTACKS!
Instant death for hundreds of millions, insanity for many more. And he hasn’t even gotten out of the water yet.
World governments and a desperate and frightened populace scramble to understand, survive, and ultimately fight back against an enemy so powerful his presence could kill every human on Earth without him even noticing we are here.
Buckle up for apocalyptic suspense as you witness what happens when CTHULHU ATTACKS!
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 3, 2015
28 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 6, 2015
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a Mythos fanatic. I've read everything the Old Gent from Providence wrote, and most everything that his circle wrote, and countless Mythos tomes since. And? Confession-time! I'm not a HPL purist. I like pastiches, continuations, revamps and reimaginings. It's what makes the Mythos relevant and akin to a living, breathing thing, constantly changing.
But, one aspect of the Mythos that is woefully underrepresented is the actual Rise (and subsequent Reign) of Cthulhu after the "Stars Are Right". (Yes, there is the underrated Cthulhu's Reign, and Future Lovecraft, and a few assorted other volumes, but there's really not a plethora beyond that.)
So I was already kindly disposed to this book when I bought it on a whim, and I will say that this is certainly better than it has any right to be, given the lurid title.
Author Sean Hoade does a good job of intertwining the ouright fantastical (the rise of R'lyeh and Cthulhu) with the modern (our reliance on technology, political infighting amongst nations [and even within political parties!]), while at the same time carefully ratcheting up the "Dread/Paranoia" factor.
While lacking the lyrical prose of his predecessors (but then, who now can match the eloquence of HPL or CAS?), the text nonetheless serves it's purpose admirably, straight-forwardly advancing the plot matter-of-factly, with a minimum of extraneous details to bog us down.
And, for the Mythos afficianados, there's a plethora of tidbits and Easter Eggs to try to spot, along with many, MANY meta-textual narratives. (And amusingly, Hoade wastes no time in killing off S.T. Joshi, arguably the world's pre-eminent Lovecraft scholar!)
To sum up, this was an enjoyable read that I was able to plow through in short-order, and I certainly found myself interested enuogh to continue the series. (As an aside, though knowledge of HPL and the Mythos absolutely enhances the reading experience, the book is written so that "laypeople" [pardon the term] can absolutely pick up this book and not be at a loss to understand what's happening.)
3 squamous tentacles up for this tome.
But, one aspect of the Mythos that is woefully underrepresented is the actual Rise (and subsequent Reign) of Cthulhu after the "Stars Are Right". (Yes, there is the underrated Cthulhu's Reign, and Future Lovecraft, and a few assorted other volumes, but there's really not a plethora beyond that.)
So I was already kindly disposed to this book when I bought it on a whim, and I will say that this is certainly better than it has any right to be, given the lurid title.
Author Sean Hoade does a good job of intertwining the ouright fantastical (the rise of R'lyeh and Cthulhu) with the modern (our reliance on technology, political infighting amongst nations [and even within political parties!]), while at the same time carefully ratcheting up the "Dread/Paranoia" factor.
While lacking the lyrical prose of his predecessors (but then, who now can match the eloquence of HPL or CAS?), the text nonetheless serves it's purpose admirably, straight-forwardly advancing the plot matter-of-factly, with a minimum of extraneous details to bog us down.
And, for the Mythos afficianados, there's a plethora of tidbits and Easter Eggs to try to spot, along with many, MANY meta-textual narratives. (And amusingly, Hoade wastes no time in killing off S.T. Joshi, arguably the world's pre-eminent Lovecraft scholar!)
To sum up, this was an enjoyable read that I was able to plow through in short-order, and I certainly found myself interested enuogh to continue the series. (As an aside, though knowledge of HPL and the Mythos absolutely enhances the reading experience, the book is written so that "laypeople" [pardon the term] can absolutely pick up this book and not be at a loss to understand what's happening.)
3 squamous tentacles up for this tome.
March 12, 2016
Sean Hoade has taken the premise of Lovecraft's "Call of Cthulhu" and made it into a page-turning blast of betentacled entertainment. It's interesting to see how Hoade translates Lovecraft's vision into a 21st century scenario, with dynamic characters who don't much resemble H.P.'s paralyzed protagonists. Though Hoade doesn't employ anything close to Lovecraft's style, he delivers a story freighted with apocalyptic menace and global horror. I'm looking forward to reading the second book.
August 13, 2015
I'll lead off by saying that I'm not up to date on my Lovecraftian lore, so I came into this book a little unsure as to what I would find. As I began reading, I was quickly sucked into terrible and horror filled world. The sheer awesomeness of Cthulhu's might and mind is too much for any normal mind, as the characters in this novel can attest. I finished this book with an overwhelming desire to look up more about Lovecraft and all of his terrifying denizens. From Dagon to Cthulhu and shoggoth to yuggoloth, my curiosity has been peaked. If you're a fan of HPL, then this book is definitely for you.
September 2, 2016
Dammit, Sean, I wanted to destroy the world first.
This peculiar opening to this review is a disclaimer as I know Sean Hoade personally. He's a great guy and the two of us had an interesting conversation a few years back when I was working on Cthulhu Armageddon and he was working on Cthulhu Attacks. The sum of that conversation basically amounted to how both of us were annoyed Cthulhu never actually got on to the whole destroying the world thing. He either got thwarted by investigators or the stars were never quite right. Both of us were determined to write books where Cthulhu stomped humanity and regained some of his badly-damaged villainous pedigree.
Due to the Permuted Press kerfuffle and a few other events, Sean managed to get his book out almost a year earlier than me. Even then, Sean wasn't the first individual to write a story about Cthulhu actually winning as that was probably John Carpenter who had the Great Old Ones win in the denoument of Into the Mouth of Madness. No shame in losing to him. There's also been a number of anthologies about either the destruction of the world or the aftermath. Still, Sean won our private bet and I'm presently reading my autographed copy of his book in order to do my review.
Cthulhu Attacks!: The Fear is the first novel in a trilogy starring Old Batwings himself and a large cast of disposable humans who have the misfortune of being born when the world finally is face-to-face with his immortal resurrection. 400 million people die in his initial rising and the human race doesn't exactly cover itself in glory dealing with the aftermath. Some of them convert to the worship of the alien god while others decide to fight him, even though nuclear weapons are probably not the best weapon to use against a creature which travels unprotected through outer space.
This isn't a typical Cthulhu novel as Sean Hoade wisely doesn't attempt to ape Lovecraft's purple prose. Instead, Sean presents a world which gently pokes fun at some of HPL's more outdated ideas while also taking the core of his cosmicism to "our world." An example of this is when a wealthy Caucasian anthropologist journeys to Papua New Guinea in order to investigate degenerate cannibal tribes only to find herself greeted by Simpsons t-shirt and shades wearing locals all too used to racist white academics. Even the Deep One hybrids live in trailer parks and watch Fox News.
Indeed, Sean Hoade is one of the "New Lovecraftians" like Anne Pillsworth, Ruthanna Emrys, Peter Clines, and (I like to think) me who isn't afraid to reframe Lovecraft's stories in a new context. In this case, Sean Hoade makes the perhaps controversial decision to set his book in "our" world rather than Lovecraft Country. In this reality, H.P. Lovecraft was a science fiction writer who wrote about Cthulhu in the 1920s and the Cthulhu Mythos is a popular fictional set of characters. It just so happens the Lovecraft in this universe was psychic and possibly using real life cult secrets to write his novels.
While there's a downside to this, particularly as character after character reacts to the reality of Cthulhu the same way as we would were Godzilla or Darth Vader to show up, it does have the benefit of allowing the story to function as an introductory pastiche to HPL's most famous monster. While I encourage everyone to read the originals, this one functions as perhaps the quintessential Modern Mythos tale. It also has a kind of cheesy-good kaiju-meets-The Stand sort of feeling.
I love the characters in The Fear, ranging from the slowly-losing-her-mind President to the aforementioned racist anthropologist to a transparent stand-in for Christopher Hitchens as the self-styled "world's greatest expert on Lovecraft." By the end of the book, quite a few of these characters will be dead and the world greatly changed. I think this book might have worked better as a longer single volume than a complete trilogy but the fact I wanted the second book in the series says how much I enjoyed.
The book isn't flawless. The sudden destruction of South America's population, for example, would do a great deal more than shock the other nations of the world. We're talking total economic meltdown and resource disaster. It also seemed like the populace of the United States was more concerned about the two million or so Americans killed on the highways during Cthulhu's rise. Likewise, the book is perhaps a little TOO funny in place as it verges on having as many laughs as Re-Animator for an ostensibly horror genre novel.
Despite this, I loved this novel and recommend it to not only Lovecraft fans but those who aren't.
9/10
October 10, 2015
Lovecraftians to the rescue!
Or at least to provide some explanations so that the poor dumb victims can comprehend some glimpse of the horrific fate awaiting them, just before madness engulfs their frail little minds.
Lovecraft aficionados will particularly love this tome, where Hoade has the basic premise of the Lovecraftian apocalypse ushered on by Cthulhu himself, and sets it in a world where the Old Gent from Providence and his fiction are known. As a result, while the mainstream population and the officials in the government are left in confusion as they ask themselves what was happening. It’s, those with a familiarity with the mythos who volunteer answers.
Here Hoade does an exceptional job of capturing the odd combination of embarrassment and pleasure when one’s geekish pursuit is called on, and Lovecraft’s texts are scrutinized by the experts in a vain attempt to compose a countermeasure.
The book also features some excellent depictions of the likely military response to such an event, using the most up to date and drone-equipped weaponry. The analysis of Cthulhu himself puts a different spin on the beast, as Hoade adds a third eye and then speculates as to the nature of Cthulhu’s own reality from it.
Another gift for Lovecraft lovers are the little cameos of certain mythos scholars, and some fictionalized depictions of real-world celebrities. My particular favorite being the Christopher Hitchenesque writer whose reactions are entirely believable given his personality and the circumstances. The conclusions of the president are also believable.
On the con side however, there were places where the exposition felt a bit heavy handed, and I found myself wanting to see more of the victims on the ground rather than the experts in DC trying to strategize.
But all in all, an exceptional example of Lovecraftian Armageddon, get a copy, get stinking drunk and try to survive Cthulhu’s attack!
Or at least to provide some explanations so that the poor dumb victims can comprehend some glimpse of the horrific fate awaiting them, just before madness engulfs their frail little minds.
Lovecraft aficionados will particularly love this tome, where Hoade has the basic premise of the Lovecraftian apocalypse ushered on by Cthulhu himself, and sets it in a world where the Old Gent from Providence and his fiction are known. As a result, while the mainstream population and the officials in the government are left in confusion as they ask themselves what was happening. It’s, those with a familiarity with the mythos who volunteer answers.
Here Hoade does an exceptional job of capturing the odd combination of embarrassment and pleasure when one’s geekish pursuit is called on, and Lovecraft’s texts are scrutinized by the experts in a vain attempt to compose a countermeasure.
The book also features some excellent depictions of the likely military response to such an event, using the most up to date and drone-equipped weaponry. The analysis of Cthulhu himself puts a different spin on the beast, as Hoade adds a third eye and then speculates as to the nature of Cthulhu’s own reality from it.
Another gift for Lovecraft lovers are the little cameos of certain mythos scholars, and some fictionalized depictions of real-world celebrities. My particular favorite being the Christopher Hitchenesque writer whose reactions are entirely believable given his personality and the circumstances. The conclusions of the president are also believable.
On the con side however, there were places where the exposition felt a bit heavy handed, and I found myself wanting to see more of the victims on the ground rather than the experts in DC trying to strategize.
But all in all, an exceptional example of Lovecraftian Armageddon, get a copy, get stinking drunk and try to survive Cthulhu’s attack!
February 27, 2019
Wonderful read. I have read almost all of Sean's books and he is one of my favorite authors. Very well researched ideas and great character development. If you get a chance to chat with the writer or meet him I definitely encourage that.
October 17, 2015
2.75 stars. I think this book is trying to be a World War Z type of mythos story, but it has a major flaw in that I couldn't connect with any of the characters whatsoever and there really wasn't any dramatic tension whatsoever.
Also problematic are all the typos from converting the original material to Kindle format.
Also problematic are all the typos from converting the original material to Kindle format.
November 17, 2015
Good pulpy fun. Nice to see the Old Ones in action finally.
September 14, 2016
Really fun, but held back by inconsistent tone and pacing. Would have benefited from a good proofreader/editor.
December 7, 2017
This book sits between a 2 star and 3 star for me, though because it is a smidge towards 3 star, that's what I marked it.
A couple reviews on Goodreads say that this book is a lot like World War Z. I will tell you that it is actually nothing like it. Where World War Z talks about the past events of the Zombie war, and contains one off stories, this book just has multiple characters dealing with the rise of Cthulhu.
Overall, it's actually not bad of a story. Hoade did a good job presenting what it would be like if Cthulhu rose and all the things that would happen because of it. The damage, the mass killings/suicides, how sane people would react, it was all really well done.
However, the characters in this story don't really see any development beyond going crazy, getting drunk, or changing through evolution of mind/spirit. Most of them are uninteresting, while the main protagonists spend most of their time being reactive rather than proactive and don't really achieve much. There manages to be some drama, which helps keep moving the story forwards, but a lot of how things are handled, as well as the characters themselves, seem very unbelievable.
Still, the story itself is entertaining and I did enjoy large portions of it. Not enough to really recommend it to anyone, nor to want to read anything beyond this first book, but enough to not give it a lower rating. Hoade has written something interesting here, and uninteresting characters aside, they did a fantastic job representing what would happen if Cthulhu did awaken. (or at least a part of him)
If you are interested in reading a kaiju story with an iconic monster, this may be for you. (especially if you are a fan of Lovecraft and his works) Hoade understands that in stories like this, the main focus is the characters, not the monster itself, so I was very glad to see that. I just wish the characters had been more three dimensional and more then just a cardboard cut out.
A couple reviews on Goodreads say that this book is a lot like World War Z. I will tell you that it is actually nothing like it. Where World War Z talks about the past events of the Zombie war, and contains one off stories, this book just has multiple characters dealing with the rise of Cthulhu.
Overall, it's actually not bad of a story. Hoade did a good job presenting what it would be like if Cthulhu rose and all the things that would happen because of it. The damage, the mass killings/suicides, how sane people would react, it was all really well done.
However, the characters in this story don't really see any development beyond going crazy, getting drunk, or changing through evolution of mind/spirit. Most of them are uninteresting, while the main protagonists spend most of their time being reactive rather than proactive and don't really achieve much. There manages to be some drama, which helps keep moving the story forwards, but a lot of how things are handled, as well as the characters themselves, seem very unbelievable.
Still, the story itself is entertaining and I did enjoy large portions of it. Not enough to really recommend it to anyone, nor to want to read anything beyond this first book, but enough to not give it a lower rating. Hoade has written something interesting here, and uninteresting characters aside, they did a fantastic job representing what would happen if Cthulhu did awaken. (or at least a part of him)
If you are interested in reading a kaiju story with an iconic monster, this may be for you. (especially if you are a fan of Lovecraft and his works) Hoade understands that in stories like this, the main focus is the characters, not the monster itself, so I was very glad to see that. I just wish the characters had been more three dimensional and more then just a cardboard cut out.
September 4, 2021
Well here we have an interesting take on Lovecraftian lore. You've got people who try to imitate Lovecraft and people who read Lovecraft and make them own. Either way, I love Lovecraftian (both).
Sometimes the latter go a bit weird even for me BUT that's the price for innovation.
Cosmic Horror has always been a passion to me if you know me.
This take it's a bit different. Here we've got Lovecraft as a real writer, a person believe he was a vessel who dreamt of worlds and old beings and put it on paper. This after some strange being appear where R'lye is supposed to be and killing 500 million people within 45 seconds while all other beings having headaches and other mental stuff.
They call it the point of inaccessibility which just would like you to know that in the story The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft, he hold it as the location of the fictional city of R'lyeh, although this story was written 66 years before the official discovery of Point Nemo. Strange coincidences? What about that noise, the loudest one recorded in the sea, which was recorded near that place. well all of these things are mentioned here. This is a fanboy story, no matter how you look at it. And it's a good one.
Well, the story follows a couple of characters, one is asergeant, lieutenant, captain major while trying to convince the president of the united states that Cthulhu is indeed the correct possibility instead of nuclear weapons or other earthly stuff; we also follow a woman who is investigating tribes on the papua nova guinea and deep Louisiana and other hilly billy places. There are also other characters but their purpose is very small (for this novel, maybe for the sequel)
Afterwards after they are convince that it's indeed Cthulhu but yet the countries cannot put their differences aside. They device a plan to kill Cthulhu with all their nuclear weapons but some countries really want to strike at usa, Russia and china.
In-between he talks about some interesting scholars on Lovecraft like Joshi and other Easter Eggs. Is it a good book? Nope. Is it fun? Of course. Read it if you enjoy Cthulhu stories.
The story ends with a cliff-hanger, where most people are crazy or dead unless they
Sometimes the latter go a bit weird even for me BUT that's the price for innovation.
Cosmic Horror has always been a passion to me if you know me.
This take it's a bit different. Here we've got Lovecraft as a real writer, a person believe he was a vessel who dreamt of worlds and old beings and put it on paper. This after some strange being appear where R'lye is supposed to be and killing 500 million people within 45 seconds while all other beings having headaches and other mental stuff.
They call it the point of inaccessibility which just would like you to know that in the story The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft, he hold it as the location of the fictional city of R'lyeh, although this story was written 66 years before the official discovery of Point Nemo. Strange coincidences? What about that noise, the loudest one recorded in the sea, which was recorded near that place. well all of these things are mentioned here. This is a fanboy story, no matter how you look at it. And it's a good one.
Well, the story follows a couple of characters, one is a
Afterwards after they are convince that it's indeed Cthulhu but yet the countries cannot put their differences aside. They device a plan to kill Cthulhu with all their nuclear weapons but some countries really want to strike at usa, Russia and china.
In-between he talks about some interesting scholars on Lovecraft like Joshi and other Easter Eggs. Is it a good book? Nope. Is it fun? Of course. Read it if you enjoy Cthulhu stories.
The story ends with a cliff-hanger, where most people are crazy or dead unless they
August 3, 2017
I really have a way with those letter things, like a bunch togeth--words, yes!
September 17, 2017
Lots of fun
Like an Irwin Allen disaster film crossed with a Kaiju film and topped off with a bit of Terry Gilliam. In other words a fun read
Like an Irwin Allen disaster film crossed with a Kaiju film and topped off with a bit of Terry Gilliam. In other words a fun read
September 22, 2025
I’m pretty sure Hoade could have written Pride and Prejudice but I seriously doubt Austen could’ve done this.
August 25, 2015
This is the World War Z of the Lovecraft Mythos! I picked this up at the NecronomiCon over the weekend and its just couldn't stop reading. Its fun, clever, horrifying and creative. Highly recommended!
October 5, 2016
Fun Lovecraft knockoff with many tips of the hat. I wouldn't go so far as to read Book 2, tho
August 21, 2018
Great idea, well executed
If you ever wondered what would happen if Cthulhu awoke, say, tomorrow, you need to read this book. Sean Hoade delivers a fast paced, very believable tale as the remaining superpowers try to stop the Great Old One from opening the portal to his home dimension.
As you might expect, things don’t go well, but not for the reasons you might expect. The rivalries between governments, the backstabbing between politicians, all feel like how our governments would react during an extinction event. Toss in the insanity plaguing most of the remaining population of the world, the yet to emerge cultists and a few other weird events, and I was reading late into the night to see what would happen next.
My only problem is the ending, which dragged a bit as various plot threads were set up for the second book. Not saying the ending didn’t deliver a nice cliffhanger ending, but the pace slowed down a bit too much, which was a bit jarring compared to the rest of the novel.
A minor quibble, believe me. I’m looking forward to the second novel, as I can’t wait to see what’s coming.
If you ever wondered what would happen if Cthulhu awoke, say, tomorrow, you need to read this book. Sean Hoade delivers a fast paced, very believable tale as the remaining superpowers try to stop the Great Old One from opening the portal to his home dimension.
As you might expect, things don’t go well, but not for the reasons you might expect. The rivalries between governments, the backstabbing between politicians, all feel like how our governments would react during an extinction event. Toss in the insanity plaguing most of the remaining population of the world, the yet to emerge cultists and a few other weird events, and I was reading late into the night to see what would happen next.
My only problem is the ending, which dragged a bit as various plot threads were set up for the second book. Not saying the ending didn’t deliver a nice cliffhanger ending, but the pace slowed down a bit too much, which was a bit jarring compared to the rest of the novel.
A minor quibble, believe me. I’m looking forward to the second novel, as I can’t wait to see what’s coming.
October 12, 2021
Fascinating but flawed
Interesting read and best when the author concentrates on things Lovecraftian. It’s pretty obvious that his knowledge of military systems and procedures is pretty superficial. Unfortunately this constitutes a major part of his story. I hopes he does more research or seeks expert advise in this area as he develops this story line further.
That being said I’ll definitely read the sequel.
Interesting read and best when the author concentrates on things Lovecraftian. It’s pretty obvious that his knowledge of military systems and procedures is pretty superficial. Unfortunately this constitutes a major part of his story. I hopes he does more research or seeks expert advise in this area as he develops this story line further.
That being said I’ll definitely read the sequel.
November 9, 2017
Listened to it via Audible and I found it to be thoroughly mediocre. The narrator was a bit annoying and the writing was...pedestrian at best.
To be honest, I couldn't get past the pastiche and clichés, so I never finished it. Maybe it picks up, but I'll never know...
To be honest, I couldn't get past the pastiche and clichés, so I never finished it. Maybe it picks up, but I'll never know...
July 10, 2018
Amazing read and great modern update to the Lovecraft Mythos
The book keeps you reading all the way to the end and leaves you wanting more when you get there I cannot wait for the second book to come out
The book keeps you reading all the way to the end and leaves you wanting more when you get there I cannot wait for the second book to come out
June 30, 2018
Cthulhu. Worldwide panic, terror, and disaster! What's not to like? ;)
August 7, 2018
I suppose I wanted this to be more of a horror book than a tongue-in-cheek lesson on HPL and his mythologies. It’s campy, pulp fiction, but I didn’t care for it. For me, it got old quickly.
March 10, 2019
THE BIG MEANIE IS BACK IT IS.....
Hello, very interesting story and can't wait to find out what happens next. Very well written and entertaining to read. Thanks.
Hello, very interesting story and can't wait to find out what happens next. Very well written and entertaining to read. Thanks.
October 6, 2019
Another enjoyable book based on the the H. P. Lovecraft mythos.
October 10, 2015
The Call of Cthulhu introduced us to the potential that a beast of unimaginable horror could be released on our world.
Cthulhu Attacks! shows us a world where that potential is realized.
In the not-distant future, the world is besotten by the sudden release of the great beast Cthulhu. As it turns out, the infamous “Bloop” in the South Pacific was the heralding cry of Cthulhu. When he is finally released, the psychic wave he sends out radiates across the world and has a reaction of horror level proportions.
From that point, the story explodes into a 1950’s-styled monster movie. The beast is awake and the world needs to prepare.
The best part of this entire book is the way that we see the entire world and its many gears turning to create this epic story of Cyclopean proportions. Mr. Hoade does an excellent job of introducing political machinations in the form of a how the U.N. and the President of the United States react to the situation. Not just the heads, but also the different pieces within the political menagerie.
Another strength of Hoade’s resides in his ability to tie everything together and answer the questions that we have. Everytime a question came to my mind regarding the plot or the some background piece of the story, Sean provides an answer.
This story is a terror-inducing roller-coaster of excitement demonstrated by the character evolution.
By the end of the story, I am excited to read the sequel when it comes out.
Cthulhu Attacks! shows us a world where that potential is realized.
In the not-distant future, the world is besotten by the sudden release of the great beast Cthulhu. As it turns out, the infamous “Bloop” in the South Pacific was the heralding cry of Cthulhu. When he is finally released, the psychic wave he sends out radiates across the world and has a reaction of horror level proportions.
From that point, the story explodes into a 1950’s-styled monster movie. The beast is awake and the world needs to prepare.
The best part of this entire book is the way that we see the entire world and its many gears turning to create this epic story of Cyclopean proportions. Mr. Hoade does an excellent job of introducing political machinations in the form of a how the U.N. and the President of the United States react to the situation. Not just the heads, but also the different pieces within the political menagerie.
Another strength of Hoade’s resides in his ability to tie everything together and answer the questions that we have. Everytime a question came to my mind regarding the plot or the some background piece of the story, Sean provides an answer.
This story is a terror-inducing roller-coaster of excitement demonstrated by the character evolution.
By the end of the story, I am excited to read the sequel when it comes out.
May 11, 2016
Finished this via the Audiobook version. A gripping story set in the real world which begins with this conceit; Cthulhu is real, his cult is real, and H.P. Lovecraft was able to introduce the world to his existence by being artistically sensitive to his dead, yet dreaming, thought-forms. From there we are introduced to an interesting cast of characters offering a variety of viewpoints of the disaster of the Old Ones rising. The gravitational pull of the stars is right and Cthulhu is freed from his 4th-dimensional loop in drowned R'yleh and the resulting psychic blast of his rising has devastated the world. South America and Australia have suffered extinction-level casualties. Those who have survived this first-wave of the apocalypse, and those who hope to continue their survival are the drunk, the mad, and the devoted. A very entertaining first novel in a planned series that brings Lovecrafts most dreaded beast-god into the real world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 8, 2017Lovecraft via Michael Bay.
March 4, 2016
What a fun, fun ride. Rarely do I get to read books that fall into the category of entertaining as hell. For any fan of Lovecraft, or end of the world scenarios in general, this is a book not to be missed. Besides the enjoyment of a great action story, it truly presents humanity's carefully laid plans in the most ridiculous of lights. I was reminded of the quote, "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it."
The political pokes and the cheeky names, obviously standing in for people making the headlines of today, made me smile. Also, being the radicalized feminist I am, I really appreciated the author's treatment of women. When even I'm caught off guard that a character is a woman, then I know he's doing something right. Can't wait for Book 2!
The political pokes and the cheeky names, obviously standing in for people making the headlines of today, made me smile. Also, being the radicalized feminist I am, I really appreciated the author's treatment of women. When even I'm caught off guard that a character is a woman, then I know he's doing something right. Can't wait for Book 2!
September 20, 2016
I really enjoyed this, which sort of surprised me since I know nothing of Lovecraft. The author does a good job of explaining (through a proxy character) what this Cthulhu thing is all about. Or at least enough of it to understand what's happening in the story. I'm looking forward to the 2nd book in the series.
One negative is that it could have done with a bit more proofreading. Like many self-published novels I've read before, the second half of the book especially is riddled with small errors that can be a bit annoying. Also, if you are at all squeamish or easily grossed out, you might want to steer clear. It gets a bit . . . vivid at times. Which fortunately doesn't bother me, but be warned.
One negative is that it could have done with a bit more proofreading. Like many self-published novels I've read before, the second half of the book especially is riddled with small errors that can be a bit annoying. Also, if you are at all squeamish or easily grossed out, you might want to steer clear. It gets a bit . . . vivid at times. Which fortunately doesn't bother me, but be warned.
January 19, 2021
I so wanted to love this book. Although the author definitely knows his Lovercraft and modern Lovecraft experts, he unfortunately doesn't emulate that style of writing. Instead, the book waffles back and forth from being semi-serious horror to ridiculous banal comedy. While the first 60% or so is a decent modern take on Lovecraft with heavy doses of humor thrown in, right around the last third or so it just completely goes off the rails. Syfy/Asylum off the rails. I had to skim through the last several chapters of the story which seemed like someone else wrote them, as the style just became ludicrous. If you want total wackiness, you may love the book, but if you want true Cthulhu Mythos-style writing, this novel doesn't really cut it.
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