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The Private Life of Elder Things
From the wastes of the sea to the shadows of our own cities, we are not alone. But what happens where the human world touches the domain of races ancient and alien? Museum curators, surveyors, police officers, archaeologists, mathematicians; from derelict buildings to country houses to the London Underground, another world is just a breath away, around the corner, watching and waiting for you to step into its power. The Private Life of Elder Things is a collection of new Lovecraftian fiction about confronting, discovering and living alongside the creatures of the Mythos.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
199 people are currently reading
742 people want to read
About the author
Adrian Tchaikovsky
191 books17.4k followersADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
May 23, 2019
This three author collection is unusually good - some of these stories appear in other collections, but this time, with only the three authors, it's a much more concentrated assortment.
While they're all good stories, I just have to highlight one that is one of the best short stories I've ever read - The Play's the Thing, by Keris McDonald. This was an absolute triumph - the apex of haunted/evil house stories. It references, well, almost everything, but especially M R James, William Hope Hodgson, HG Wells, and of course The King in Yellow. With so many plates spinning you'd think short form would only make a mess - but instead it's handled perfectly. The house itself is practically begging for further explorations, so I do hope there's an opportunity to use it for future stories.
Definitely a collection for the Lovecraft shelvers.
While they're all good stories, I just have to highlight one that is one of the best short stories I've ever read - The Play's the Thing, by Keris McDonald. This was an absolute triumph - the apex of haunted/evil house stories. It references, well, almost everything, but especially M R James, William Hope Hodgson, HG Wells, and of course The King in Yellow. With so many plates spinning you'd think short form would only make a mess - but instead it's handled perfectly. The house itself is practically begging for further explorations, so I do hope there's an opportunity to use it for future stories.
Definitely a collection for the Lovecraft shelvers.
April 10, 2017
No matter what your opinion of HP Lovecraft, there’s no denying he wrote some of the most influential horror fiction of the 20th century. Indeed, during a recent visit to a nearby branch of a certain nationwide bookstore, I spotted two separate editions using the title The Call Of Cthulhu alongside many other collections of Lovecraft’s fiction. And that’s not including all the brand new, Mythos-inspired anthologies from a dazzling variety of authors. Like him or loathe him, for good or bad, the man and his works are here to stay.
The Private Life Of Elder Things is a collection of Lovecraft inspired fiction from three top flight authors: Arthur C Clarke Award-winning Adrian Tchaikovsky, Keris McDonald, and Adam Gauntlett. But if you’re expecting tales from witch-haunted Arkham, scholars from Miskatonic University, forbidden – but oddly accessible – tomes of ancient lore, or overwrought, italicised climaxes (which Lovecraft’s imitators are a thousand times more guilty of than the man himself), you’ll be disappointed. These are modern tales – although their inspirations are clear – told in a manner far removed from the Pulp style of the originals.
We jump right in with a tale of the Deep Ones (see what I did there?): Tchaikovsky’s “Donald”. The eponymous character is a queer fish (all right, I’ll stop now) who befriends the narrator. They are both passionate about marine life: Donald is a conservationist and activist, the narrator a taxonomist. Donald is able to supply many strange and unique aquatic specimens – even after his disappearance – although his reputation as a troublemaker is well-founded. With nods to “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”, this turns the original on its head, making us question who the villains really are.
Next up is Gauntlett’s “Pitter Patter”. Clearly taking his cue from “The Rats in the Walls”, the author ratchets up the horror in a dilapidated TA base. Dark, haunted (in ways you don’t expect), the old building is at the hub of some really unpleasant goings-on.
McDonald’s “Special Needs Child” is another shocker, reminding me (albeit somewhat tangentially) of TED Klein’s “Children of the Kingdom”. Two cops save a baby which is born under very unusual circumstances. But then, it’s an unusual baby. Who grows into an unusually precocious child. The ending is as blackly humorous as it is grim.
In “Irrational Numbers” (Tchaikovsky), genius mathematician Doctor Anne Rigolo discovers a set of pure maths which can solve the most obscure theorem – as long as it is transformed into Rigolo space. The only problem is, transforming the numbers back renders the solution meaningless. However, there are those who are interested in the Rigolo Transformation – beings that whisper unseen behind dark screens and don’t register on CCTV. Beings for whom transformation takes on an entirely new meaning.
Gauntlett’s “New Build” takes us into the realms of the occult, ritual magic (with the obligatory mention of Crowley) and “The Hounds of Tindalos” (originally by Frank Belknap Long). An old pub is due for redevelopment, but the activity attracts the attention of someone – or something – murderous. I was tickled to read in the authors’ notes that the inspiration for the pub was the Princess Louise in Holborn: the scene of many a British Fantasy Society open night. Made me wonder where the smooth-walled, sealed room was, though.
Towards the end of Lovecraft’s “At The Mountains of Madness”, Danforth – his mind crumbling as what remains of the Antarctic expedition flees down a tunnel – recites the names of subway stations. In “The Branch Line Repairman” Tchaikovsky takes this idea and runs with it: shoggoths hidden in Underground tube tunnels, as well as what remains of their masters. Shoggoths have always been the slave workforce, their malleable, plastic bodies reshaped for the task in hand; so it comes as no surprise when we discover how they form themselves this time.
Next up is “Devo Nodenti” (McDonald), a touching story that mixes in dabs of humour (like a Night Gaunt named Eustace which the protagonist, ageing archaeologist Peggy, tends to treat as a dog – despite it being very catlike in its behaviour) without sacrificing its poignancy. In her youth, Peggy made a deal with a lord of the Dreamlands, Nodens (a genuine Celtic deity) and ever since she’s had to live with the consequences. Eustace is just a minor part.
Tchaikovsky’s “Season of Sacrifice and Resurrection” uses Lovecraft’s body-swapping Great Race, the Yith, from “The Shadow Out of Time” in another poignant tale. For Kevin the sacrifice of the title is genuine, yet a source of pride. A quiet tale that belies the momentous events unfurling unseen. And I’m sure the title is a play on Keats’ famous first line from To Autumn.
“Prospero and Caliban” by Gauntlett is, in my opinion, the weakest of the bunch. Another Dreamlands tale, it feels uncertain of itself: beginning in an extreme Sargasso Sea in the wake of the Great War, the Dreamland elements are introduced somewhat haphazardly, almost as afterthoughts. The city of Dylath-Leen, for example, is mentioned four times on the penultimate page, quite out of the blue.
“Moving Targets” (Tchaikovsky) uses the Tillinghast resonator which appeared in HPL’s 1934 “From Beyond”. Small devices are turning up at Raves across an overcrowded sink estate. At first police think they’re just a new way of blowing minds – but the resonators aren’t just attracting the attention of the local plods. An excellent modern take on what is quite a minor Lovecraft tale.
The final entry is McDonald’s “The Play’s the Thing”, and the least Lovecraftian (although HPL was fond of tossing in references to works by authors he admired, so it’s not that far afield). Lithley House is a wonderful creation: an ancient pile that has affected many an artist who’s stayed there (Beardsley for definite; by implication MR James, HG Wells, Lewis Carroll, and William Hope Hodgson), but some of its rooms have gone missing. Or been displaced. An excellent finale, never quite going where you think (a bit like Lithley House itself). Also by the author’s own admission, nods to The King in Yellow, James Blish – and Sapphire and Steel.
An excellent collection of neo-Lovecraftian fiction by three authors at the top of their game. You don’t even have to be a Lovecraft fan to enjoy it, just a fan of good writing. All this and a spot illo by publisher Peter Coleborn.
The Private Life Of Elder Things is a collection of Lovecraft inspired fiction from three top flight authors: Arthur C Clarke Award-winning Adrian Tchaikovsky, Keris McDonald, and Adam Gauntlett. But if you’re expecting tales from witch-haunted Arkham, scholars from Miskatonic University, forbidden – but oddly accessible – tomes of ancient lore, or overwrought, italicised climaxes (which Lovecraft’s imitators are a thousand times more guilty of than the man himself), you’ll be disappointed. These are modern tales – although their inspirations are clear – told in a manner far removed from the Pulp style of the originals.
We jump right in with a tale of the Deep Ones (see what I did there?): Tchaikovsky’s “Donald”. The eponymous character is a queer fish (all right, I’ll stop now) who befriends the narrator. They are both passionate about marine life: Donald is a conservationist and activist, the narrator a taxonomist. Donald is able to supply many strange and unique aquatic specimens – even after his disappearance – although his reputation as a troublemaker is well-founded. With nods to “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”, this turns the original on its head, making us question who the villains really are.
Next up is Gauntlett’s “Pitter Patter”. Clearly taking his cue from “The Rats in the Walls”, the author ratchets up the horror in a dilapidated TA base. Dark, haunted (in ways you don’t expect), the old building is at the hub of some really unpleasant goings-on.
McDonald’s “Special Needs Child” is another shocker, reminding me (albeit somewhat tangentially) of TED Klein’s “Children of the Kingdom”. Two cops save a baby which is born under very unusual circumstances. But then, it’s an unusual baby. Who grows into an unusually precocious child. The ending is as blackly humorous as it is grim.
In “Irrational Numbers” (Tchaikovsky), genius mathematician Doctor Anne Rigolo discovers a set of pure maths which can solve the most obscure theorem – as long as it is transformed into Rigolo space. The only problem is, transforming the numbers back renders the solution meaningless. However, there are those who are interested in the Rigolo Transformation – beings that whisper unseen behind dark screens and don’t register on CCTV. Beings for whom transformation takes on an entirely new meaning.
Gauntlett’s “New Build” takes us into the realms of the occult, ritual magic (with the obligatory mention of Crowley) and “The Hounds of Tindalos” (originally by Frank Belknap Long). An old pub is due for redevelopment, but the activity attracts the attention of someone – or something – murderous. I was tickled to read in the authors’ notes that the inspiration for the pub was the Princess Louise in Holborn: the scene of many a British Fantasy Society open night. Made me wonder where the smooth-walled, sealed room was, though.
Towards the end of Lovecraft’s “At The Mountains of Madness”, Danforth – his mind crumbling as what remains of the Antarctic expedition flees down a tunnel – recites the names of subway stations. In “The Branch Line Repairman” Tchaikovsky takes this idea and runs with it: shoggoths hidden in Underground tube tunnels, as well as what remains of their masters. Shoggoths have always been the slave workforce, their malleable, plastic bodies reshaped for the task in hand; so it comes as no surprise when we discover how they form themselves this time.
Next up is “Devo Nodenti” (McDonald), a touching story that mixes in dabs of humour (like a Night Gaunt named Eustace which the protagonist, ageing archaeologist Peggy, tends to treat as a dog – despite it being very catlike in its behaviour) without sacrificing its poignancy. In her youth, Peggy made a deal with a lord of the Dreamlands, Nodens (a genuine Celtic deity) and ever since she’s had to live with the consequences. Eustace is just a minor part.
Tchaikovsky’s “Season of Sacrifice and Resurrection” uses Lovecraft’s body-swapping Great Race, the Yith, from “The Shadow Out of Time” in another poignant tale. For Kevin the sacrifice of the title is genuine, yet a source of pride. A quiet tale that belies the momentous events unfurling unseen. And I’m sure the title is a play on Keats’ famous first line from To Autumn.
“Prospero and Caliban” by Gauntlett is, in my opinion, the weakest of the bunch. Another Dreamlands tale, it feels uncertain of itself: beginning in an extreme Sargasso Sea in the wake of the Great War, the Dreamland elements are introduced somewhat haphazardly, almost as afterthoughts. The city of Dylath-Leen, for example, is mentioned four times on the penultimate page, quite out of the blue.
“Moving Targets” (Tchaikovsky) uses the Tillinghast resonator which appeared in HPL’s 1934 “From Beyond”. Small devices are turning up at Raves across an overcrowded sink estate. At first police think they’re just a new way of blowing minds – but the resonators aren’t just attracting the attention of the local plods. An excellent modern take on what is quite a minor Lovecraft tale.
The final entry is McDonald’s “The Play’s the Thing”, and the least Lovecraftian (although HPL was fond of tossing in references to works by authors he admired, so it’s not that far afield). Lithley House is a wonderful creation: an ancient pile that has affected many an artist who’s stayed there (Beardsley for definite; by implication MR James, HG Wells, Lewis Carroll, and William Hope Hodgson), but some of its rooms have gone missing. Or been displaced. An excellent finale, never quite going where you think (a bit like Lithley House itself). Also by the author’s own admission, nods to The King in Yellow, James Blish – and Sapphire and Steel.
An excellent collection of neo-Lovecraftian fiction by three authors at the top of their game. You don’t even have to be a Lovecraft fan to enjoy it, just a fan of good writing. All this and a spot illo by publisher Peter Coleborn.
September 3, 2016
Originally published at Risingshadow.
The Private Life of Elder Things is a marvellous collection of Lovecraftian weird fiction stories. It offers new and exciting stories to readers who love weird fiction and are fascinated by the Great Old Ones and the power that they have over us.
Before I write more about the contents of this collection, I'll mention that I'm a big fan and devoted reader of Lovecraftian weird fiction and literary strange fiction. I've been fascinated by weird fiction and Lovecraftian fiction ever since I first read weird fiction stories, because they were atmospheric, satisfyingly dark and brilliantly imaginative (they made a huge impression on me). Because I'm a fan of this kind of fiction, it warms my heart to see how beautifully weird fiction blooms today and how increasingly popular it has become during the recent years. This collection is a splendid example of excellent weird fiction written by modern authors.
The Private Life of Elder Things is a kind of a tribute to H.P. Lovecraft and his legacy, because the stories take place in our world where our lives cross with the Great Old Ones. Adrian Tchaikovsky, Adam Gauntlett and Keris McDonald have written stories that will delight and impress those who are familiar with Lovecraftian weird fiction, because they bring fresh perspectives into the genre.
This collection contains the following eleven stories.
- Donald by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Pitter Patter by Adam Gauntlett
- Special Needs Child by Keris McDonald
- Irrational Numbers by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- New Build by Adam Gauntlett
- The Branch Line Repairman by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Devo Nodenti by Keris McDonald
- Season of Sacrifice and Resurrection by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Prospero and Caliban by Adam Gauntlett
- Moving Targets by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- The Play's the Thing by Keris McDonald
Each of these stories has been written in an atmospheric way that will please weird fiction readers. I found the atmosphere to be satisfyingly strange in all of them.
These stories shed a bit of light on how we react when we come face to face with something that challenges our perception of the world and the universe. As these stories will show you, each of us has our own way of dealing with threatening situations and cosmic dread.
I think it may come as a surprise for many readers that Adrian Tchaikovsky does not merely write fantasy fiction, but also weird fiction. I have to admit that it was a bit of a surprise to me how fluently he writes this kind of fiction, because I was only familiar with his fantasy fiction.
When I read the stories that were written by Adam Gauntlett and Keris McDonald, I said to myself that I have to keep an eye on both of them, because I enjoyed their stories. Both of them have plenty of imagination and know how to entertain readers.
Here's more information about the stories and my thoughts about them (I'll try to avoid spoilers in the brief synopses, because I don't want to spoil anybody's reading pleasure by too many revelations about the stories):
Donald by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- A story about a man who likes ichthyological taxonomy. He has been good friends with Donald Toomey and tells about his friendship with him. Donald seems to have suddenly disappeared without explanation, but has been in contact via letters with specimens.
- An atmospheric short story with an observant ending.
- This may sound strange, but this story feels a bit like a some kind of a coda for Lovecraft's 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth'.
Pitter Patter by Adam Gauntlett:
- I won't go into details about this fantastic and atmospheric story, but I'll mention that it's a creepy tale featuring rats.
- I like the author's way of writing about the events, because he gradually builds up tension and writes well about the protagonist's thoughts and feelings concerning the happenings.
- The ending is fascinatingly unsettling, because the protagonist is clearly affected by what he has seen and what has happened to him.
- There was something in this story that slightly reminded me of Lovecraft's 'The Rats in the Walls'.
Special Needs Child by Keris McDonald:
- A story about a boy who has been born under most unusual circumstances, because he was found inside a rotten corpse. He is somewhat peculiar and differs from normal children.
- The author's descriptions about searching for bodies after the flooding of the city are vivid. She also writes well about parenthood and the needs of a child who is different from others.
- The ending is excellent and very atmospheric.
Irrational Numbers by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- A story about a gifted mathematician who prefers numbers to people. She makes a great discovery which she calls the Rigolo Transformation. Her discovery doesn't make sense to many, but there's a person whose employers are very interested in it.
- The author writes excellently about the mathematician and her enthusiasm with numbers.
- This is one of the most intriguing weird fiction stories I've read during the recent years, because it's something a bit different.
New Build by Adam Gauntlett:
- In this story, Maidah is set on modernising and rebuilding an old site. When she finds something strange there, she want to get rid of it as fast as possible. This is the beginning of an intriguing tale.
- The author's way of writing about the happenings feels vivid and intriguing, because he fluently describes what happens to the characters.
- A wonderfully atmospheric and unsettling weird tale with a connection to Frank Belknap Long's famous story 'The Hounds of Tindalos'.
The Branch Line Repairman by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- A satisfyingly strange story about Patrick Chillet who was a historian and studied the London Underground. He finds out that there's something terrifying below the Paddington Station.
- This is an excellent example of well written weird fiction with an impeccable touch of style and substance.
- There was something in this story that reminded me a bit of Ramsey Campbell's 'Creatures of the Pool'.
Devo Nodenti by Keris McDonald:
- An intriguingly written story about Peggy and her dreams. She has dreams, but they're not normal kind of dreams, because she is worn out after sleep.
- Peggy's thoughts about the mysterious Eustace and his strange appearance are interesting.
- I enjoyed reading about how Peggy made a deal that affected her well-being for the rest of her life.
- This story is connected to Lovecraft's Dream Cycle.
Season of Sacrifice and Resurrection by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- A well written story about doctor of palaeontology and his friendship with a foreign lab technician called Kevin. He gets to witness something strange, because Kevin and some of his people need to use the museum for a ritual.
- This story is connected to Lovecraft's 'The Shadow Out of Time'.
- This is one of the best stories and most compelling stories I've read this year.
Prospero and Caliban by Adam Gauntlett:
- A wonderfully atmospheric tale of a man, Paulinus Sigurdsun, who's adrift in the vast Sargasso. He meets an American man who talks in quotes from Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.
- I enjoyed this story, because it was something different and had an excellent ending.
Moving Targets by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- This story is an interesting take on drug use, because it tells about technology that delivers a new kind of high with dangerous side effects.
- The disappearance of Steni Osalawi has been described perfectly with a right amount of strangeness.
- A perfectly told weird fiction story with a thrilling atmosphere.
The Play's the Thing by Keris McDonald:
- In this story, Arthur Richmond visit an old country house, Lithly House. He is asked to look for the missing rooms of the house.
- I enjoyed reading about Richmond's work, because the story is filled with tiny and enjoyable details.
- This is a satisfyingly atmospheric and interesting story.
I was impressed by all of these stories, because they were versatile, well written and imaginative. It was a pleasure to read them.
I loved the way the authors wrote about the characters, because they placed the characters in menacing situations. The cast of characters ranged intriguingly from police officers to mathematicians.
The everyday settings described in these stories add a nice flavour of realism to them. By writing about what kind of strange events and terrifying horrors the characters meet in their lives, the authors create a sense of menace that equals everything H.P. Lovecraft has written in his stories, because the characters' lives are shaken and changed by the strange experiences.
The authors have different literary voices and writing styles, but their stories work well together. Adrian Tchaikovsky's stories have almost classic elegance to them while Adam Gauntlett's stories are wonderfully modern and poignant, and Keris McDonald's stories sparkle with compelling weirdness.
The striking - and often descriptive - prose wonderfully highlights the small nuances of the stories. Some of the stories are filled with small details that careful readers will enjoy. For example, Keris McDonald's 'The Play's the Thing' has elements that can be seen as a homage to classic weird fiction authors.
The cover image by Christopher Shy looks beautifully menacing and atmospheric. It fits this collection perfectly.
The Private Life of Elder Things belongs to the bookshelf of everyone who is fascinated by Lovecraftian weird fiction. It's one of the best weird fiction collections of the year and deserves to be read by ardent and enthusiastic fans of the genre. Weird fiction doesn't get more entertaining than this, so please invest a bit of time into reading this marvellous collection.
Highly recommended!
The Private Life of Elder Things is a marvellous collection of Lovecraftian weird fiction stories. It offers new and exciting stories to readers who love weird fiction and are fascinated by the Great Old Ones and the power that they have over us.
Before I write more about the contents of this collection, I'll mention that I'm a big fan and devoted reader of Lovecraftian weird fiction and literary strange fiction. I've been fascinated by weird fiction and Lovecraftian fiction ever since I first read weird fiction stories, because they were atmospheric, satisfyingly dark and brilliantly imaginative (they made a huge impression on me). Because I'm a fan of this kind of fiction, it warms my heart to see how beautifully weird fiction blooms today and how increasingly popular it has become during the recent years. This collection is a splendid example of excellent weird fiction written by modern authors.
The Private Life of Elder Things is a kind of a tribute to H.P. Lovecraft and his legacy, because the stories take place in our world where our lives cross with the Great Old Ones. Adrian Tchaikovsky, Adam Gauntlett and Keris McDonald have written stories that will delight and impress those who are familiar with Lovecraftian weird fiction, because they bring fresh perspectives into the genre.
This collection contains the following eleven stories.
- Donald by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Pitter Patter by Adam Gauntlett
- Special Needs Child by Keris McDonald
- Irrational Numbers by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- New Build by Adam Gauntlett
- The Branch Line Repairman by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Devo Nodenti by Keris McDonald
- Season of Sacrifice and Resurrection by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Prospero and Caliban by Adam Gauntlett
- Moving Targets by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- The Play's the Thing by Keris McDonald
Each of these stories has been written in an atmospheric way that will please weird fiction readers. I found the atmosphere to be satisfyingly strange in all of them.
These stories shed a bit of light on how we react when we come face to face with something that challenges our perception of the world and the universe. As these stories will show you, each of us has our own way of dealing with threatening situations and cosmic dread.
I think it may come as a surprise for many readers that Adrian Tchaikovsky does not merely write fantasy fiction, but also weird fiction. I have to admit that it was a bit of a surprise to me how fluently he writes this kind of fiction, because I was only familiar with his fantasy fiction.
When I read the stories that were written by Adam Gauntlett and Keris McDonald, I said to myself that I have to keep an eye on both of them, because I enjoyed their stories. Both of them have plenty of imagination and know how to entertain readers.
Here's more information about the stories and my thoughts about them (I'll try to avoid spoilers in the brief synopses, because I don't want to spoil anybody's reading pleasure by too many revelations about the stories):
Donald by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- A story about a man who likes ichthyological taxonomy. He has been good friends with Donald Toomey and tells about his friendship with him. Donald seems to have suddenly disappeared without explanation, but has been in contact via letters with specimens.
- An atmospheric short story with an observant ending.
- This may sound strange, but this story feels a bit like a some kind of a coda for Lovecraft's 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth'.
Pitter Patter by Adam Gauntlett:
- I won't go into details about this fantastic and atmospheric story, but I'll mention that it's a creepy tale featuring rats.
- I like the author's way of writing about the events, because he gradually builds up tension and writes well about the protagonist's thoughts and feelings concerning the happenings.
- The ending is fascinatingly unsettling, because the protagonist is clearly affected by what he has seen and what has happened to him.
- There was something in this story that slightly reminded me of Lovecraft's 'The Rats in the Walls'.
Special Needs Child by Keris McDonald:
- A story about a boy who has been born under most unusual circumstances, because he was found inside a rotten corpse. He is somewhat peculiar and differs from normal children.
- The author's descriptions about searching for bodies after the flooding of the city are vivid. She also writes well about parenthood and the needs of a child who is different from others.
- The ending is excellent and very atmospheric.
Irrational Numbers by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- A story about a gifted mathematician who prefers numbers to people. She makes a great discovery which she calls the Rigolo Transformation. Her discovery doesn't make sense to many, but there's a person whose employers are very interested in it.
- The author writes excellently about the mathematician and her enthusiasm with numbers.
- This is one of the most intriguing weird fiction stories I've read during the recent years, because it's something a bit different.
New Build by Adam Gauntlett:
- In this story, Maidah is set on modernising and rebuilding an old site. When she finds something strange there, she want to get rid of it as fast as possible. This is the beginning of an intriguing tale.
- The author's way of writing about the happenings feels vivid and intriguing, because he fluently describes what happens to the characters.
- A wonderfully atmospheric and unsettling weird tale with a connection to Frank Belknap Long's famous story 'The Hounds of Tindalos'.
The Branch Line Repairman by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- A satisfyingly strange story about Patrick Chillet who was a historian and studied the London Underground. He finds out that there's something terrifying below the Paddington Station.
- This is an excellent example of well written weird fiction with an impeccable touch of style and substance.
- There was something in this story that reminded me a bit of Ramsey Campbell's 'Creatures of the Pool'.
Devo Nodenti by Keris McDonald:
- An intriguingly written story about Peggy and her dreams. She has dreams, but they're not normal kind of dreams, because she is worn out after sleep.
- Peggy's thoughts about the mysterious Eustace and his strange appearance are interesting.
- I enjoyed reading about how Peggy made a deal that affected her well-being for the rest of her life.
- This story is connected to Lovecraft's Dream Cycle.
Season of Sacrifice and Resurrection by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- A well written story about doctor of palaeontology and his friendship with a foreign lab technician called Kevin. He gets to witness something strange, because Kevin and some of his people need to use the museum for a ritual.
- This story is connected to Lovecraft's 'The Shadow Out of Time'.
- This is one of the best stories and most compelling stories I've read this year.
Prospero and Caliban by Adam Gauntlett:
- A wonderfully atmospheric tale of a man, Paulinus Sigurdsun, who's adrift in the vast Sargasso. He meets an American man who talks in quotes from Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.
- I enjoyed this story, because it was something different and had an excellent ending.
Moving Targets by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
- This story is an interesting take on drug use, because it tells about technology that delivers a new kind of high with dangerous side effects.
- The disappearance of Steni Osalawi has been described perfectly with a right amount of strangeness.
- A perfectly told weird fiction story with a thrilling atmosphere.
The Play's the Thing by Keris McDonald:
- In this story, Arthur Richmond visit an old country house, Lithly House. He is asked to look for the missing rooms of the house.
- I enjoyed reading about Richmond's work, because the story is filled with tiny and enjoyable details.
- This is a satisfyingly atmospheric and interesting story.
I was impressed by all of these stories, because they were versatile, well written and imaginative. It was a pleasure to read them.
I loved the way the authors wrote about the characters, because they placed the characters in menacing situations. The cast of characters ranged intriguingly from police officers to mathematicians.
The everyday settings described in these stories add a nice flavour of realism to them. By writing about what kind of strange events and terrifying horrors the characters meet in their lives, the authors create a sense of menace that equals everything H.P. Lovecraft has written in his stories, because the characters' lives are shaken and changed by the strange experiences.
The authors have different literary voices and writing styles, but their stories work well together. Adrian Tchaikovsky's stories have almost classic elegance to them while Adam Gauntlett's stories are wonderfully modern and poignant, and Keris McDonald's stories sparkle with compelling weirdness.
The striking - and often descriptive - prose wonderfully highlights the small nuances of the stories. Some of the stories are filled with small details that careful readers will enjoy. For example, Keris McDonald's 'The Play's the Thing' has elements that can be seen as a homage to classic weird fiction authors.
The cover image by Christopher Shy looks beautifully menacing and atmospheric. It fits this collection perfectly.
The Private Life of Elder Things belongs to the bookshelf of everyone who is fascinated by Lovecraftian weird fiction. It's one of the best weird fiction collections of the year and deserves to be read by ardent and enthusiastic fans of the genre. Weird fiction doesn't get more entertaining than this, so please invest a bit of time into reading this marvellous collection.
Highly recommended!
July 10, 2021
8+ I ordered this short story collection because one of it's three authors is my favorite author currently working, namely Adrian Tchaikovsky. And as I like to read weird fiction and cosmic horror, I was very curious to see how he would fare if he tried his hand at this genre. I was delighted, as I could have expected, as his Lovecraftian stories are great fun, original and well thought out. And they're mostly not really horror stories. I think that as a biologist he is too fond of life in the oceans and prehistoric life to find it really scary, and instead of horror, he goes for pathos. But the other authors working with Tchaikosky here are also both very good! There styles are sufficiently different to each other to give the collection a sense of playfullness and diversity, but they do not diverge enough to lead to jarring effects going from one story to another. Other connecting threads between the stories are the modern settings (often the stories are set in Great Brittain, in our day and age, which leads to a nice contrast with the Lovecraftian atmospheres), the working class protagonists in most stories, and the clear links to tales and monsters from the Cthulhu Mythos. As the title of the collection suggests, there are no fully original inventions here, nu new monsters or creatures, but references to the Yith, the Fungi from Yuggoth, Gaunts, Nighthaunts, the Hounds of Tindalos and the King in Yellow, among others, but knowledge of Lovecraft is not required. I must say that the game of 'spot the reference' for me maybe lessened the horror of these stories, they would have been more terrifying to me if they had been fully original, but it was fun to see these new, modern takes on old monsters and concepts (and without the xenofobia and racism connected with the originals too, even sometimes casting abhorred characters like the Deep Ones in a sympathetic light). The stories weren't too deep, without very deep symbolism, but were effective for all that. I liked them a lot. Maybe the Sargasso sea story was the least of the bunch, but one relative failure in a collection still means most are good if not excellent. The exploration of the deep tunnels under London in 'The Branche Line Repairman' was a fantastic adventure and the haunted house story 'The play's the thing' that closes the collection is deliciously weird. A great collection for horror aficionado's and weird fiction addicts.
August 31, 2020
Excellent stuff. Best Mythos short story collection I've read. Clear writing and elegant. All three of the authors have produced great works here. A lot of fun trying to work out what was the root before the end.
Many thanks for writing this book, Mr Tchikovsky, Mr Gauntlett, and Ms McDonald.
Many thanks for writing this book, Mr Tchikovsky, Mr Gauntlett, and Ms McDonald.
May 14, 2021
A grand and resounding... eh. The stories were perfectly decent, but I think I have read enough Lovecraftian-style fiction that they didn't strike me as all that novel or mysterious. Compared to the cleverness of Jonathan Howard's Lovecraft & Carter, or the bizarre other-mythos of Alexis Kennedy, it just felt uninspired. Cosmic Horror by the numbers, as it were, technically competent but no more.
November 9, 2017
A consistently excellent and original set of Lovecraftian tales, which feel both fresh and familiar at the same time (at least to fans of HPL).
My personal favourite was "Moving Targets", which gave a very original and modern twist on a classic Lovecraft tale.
Highly recommended to all fans of the Mythos, or the weird and disturbing in general.
My personal favourite was "Moving Targets", which gave a very original and modern twist on a classic Lovecraft tale.
Highly recommended to all fans of the Mythos, or the weird and disturbing in general.
November 18, 2021
A few good stories hidden amounst mostly rubish. I put the book down for months at a time and only infrequently revidited until it was finnally done. Would not recomend.
April 18, 2022
A very good collection of Lovecraftian inspired tales with quite a few gems. If you are a fan of Phillip then this is a must.
June 14, 2017
A really strong collection of Lovecraftian Horror. I enjoyed this book a lot.
April 28, 2021
Overall, a very solid anthology especially for those enjoying Lovecraftian stories. As is the case with almost all anthologies, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but I didn’t dislike any of them. A couple of the stories that stood out to me were New Build by Adam Gauntlett about the renovation of an old building and what that might have unleashed, and The Branch Line Repairman by Adrian Tchaikovsky about some new subway lines being built and, as with the other story, what they might have unleashed in the process. Well worth trying if you like this sort of story.
Currently reading
June 2, 2019Note: I'll be getting to this sporadically, as the Tor Lovecraft reread covers its stories. Looks like they've done two so far. I will observe that the first story I read in it made it worth the purchase price of $2.99.
Most recent: Donald by Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 stars, 2 tentacles) - Deep One as environmental activist. Nicely done, but with next to no creep factor if you're already expecting it to be a Deep One.
Donald by Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 stars, 2 tentacles) - Deep One as environmental activist. Nicely done, but with next to no creep factor if you're already expecting it to be a Deep One.
Pitter Patter by Adam Gauntlett -
Special Needs Child by Keris McDonald -
Irrational Numbers by Adrian Tchaikovsky -
New Build by Adam Gauntlett (4 stars, 4 tentacles) - Better than the original Hounds of Tindalos. It's much creepier for not being so over the top, and it seems much more believable here, where it's not just about the angles.
The Branch Line Repairman by Adrian Tchaikovsky -
Devo Nodenti by Keris McDonald -
Season of Sacrifice and Resurrection by Adrian Tchaikovsky -
Prospero and Caliban by Adam Gauntlett -
Moving Targets by Adrian Tchaikovsky -
The Play's the Thing by Keris McDonald -
Most recent: Donald by Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 stars, 2 tentacles) - Deep One as environmental activist. Nicely done, but with next to no creep factor if you're already expecting it to be a Deep One.
Donald by Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 stars, 2 tentacles) - Deep One as environmental activist. Nicely done, but with next to no creep factor if you're already expecting it to be a Deep One.
Pitter Patter by Adam Gauntlett -
Special Needs Child by Keris McDonald -
Irrational Numbers by Adrian Tchaikovsky -
New Build by Adam Gauntlett (4 stars, 4 tentacles) - Better than the original Hounds of Tindalos. It's much creepier for not being so over the top, and it seems much more believable here, where it's not just about the angles.
The Branch Line Repairman by Adrian Tchaikovsky -
Devo Nodenti by Keris McDonald -
Season of Sacrifice and Resurrection by Adrian Tchaikovsky -
Prospero and Caliban by Adam Gauntlett -
Moving Targets by Adrian Tchaikovsky -
The Play's the Thing by Keris McDonald -
Read
July 24, 2023Lovecraftiana doesn't interest me. Cosmic horror as a broader category, sure, I can dig it, but mythos stuff? Or Lovecraft himself? Not so much. But some of the imagery in Tchaikovsky's Cage of Souls made me curious to see how he'd do at it. And the description of this book ("fiction about . . . living alongside the creatures") and the first story -- would we be more proactive about mitigating climate change and ecosystem loss if the Deep Ones had some skin in the game? -- gave me some hope. After that, it was a struggle. Not my thing. The Tchaikovsky stories were readable but too rooted in Lovecraft stories I'm not invested in to really do a whole lot. The McDonald stories were fine. The Gauntlett stories, well, I made it through one of them. In addition to the story notes, maybe a preface explaining how these three writers found each other or compiled a collection together would have been nice. As is, I'd probably really only recommend this to Tchaikovsky completists or Mythos completists.
January 13, 2019
I'm sure every fantasy author has had a go at writing a Lovecraftian story at some point, even though the majority of those attempts will never see the light of day. This book is three authors having fun writing their own versions of Lovecraft. And fun is the operative word because Lovecraft is such fun to read.
When I was eleven I was transfixed by Lovecraft's cosmic horror. Now I'm, err, a tad older I find reading Lovecraftian stories a glorious romp through a nostalgic landscape and I'm sure Tchaikovsky, McDonald and Gauntlett feel exactly the same way. It certainly shows in the stories.
These stories aren't deep and meaningful and they won't improve your mind. They are just a lot of fun, and there's nothing wrong with that.
When I was eleven I was transfixed by Lovecraft's cosmic horror. Now I'm, err, a tad older I find reading Lovecraftian stories a glorious romp through a nostalgic landscape and I'm sure Tchaikovsky, McDonald and Gauntlett feel exactly the same way. It certainly shows in the stories.
These stories aren't deep and meaningful and they won't improve your mind. They are just a lot of fun, and there's nothing wrong with that.
August 3, 2022
sufficiently eerie
A good collection of short stories, a couple of them excellent. Lots of references to and deliberate reuse of Lovecraftian themes. But falling short of the dark eerie pathos conveyed by the master. Still, sufficiently eerie. Weird, convoluted. Who doesn’t find huge old houses, vast museums at night or the London subway system more than a little daunting. What evils lurk beneath or in between the fragile surfaces of normality. I especially loved the last story. Someone is called in to investigate a huge old 71 room house in the country. Rooms are going missing never to be found again. Other rooms move about. He is especially tasked with finding the library. You know from the first sentence it’s just not going to end well.
A good collection of short stories, a couple of them excellent. Lots of references to and deliberate reuse of Lovecraftian themes. But falling short of the dark eerie pathos conveyed by the master. Still, sufficiently eerie. Weird, convoluted. Who doesn’t find huge old houses, vast museums at night or the London subway system more than a little daunting. What evils lurk beneath or in between the fragile surfaces of normality. I especially loved the last story. Someone is called in to investigate a huge old 71 room house in the country. Rooms are going missing never to be found again. Other rooms move about. He is especially tasked with finding the library. You know from the first sentence it’s just not going to end well.
May 26, 2020
Outside of one story I felt this was a fantastic mythos related anthology. I might update my review later with an in depth look at each story but for now know that I think this is a 4.5/5 anthology. I'd love to see Tchaikovsky work on a second with most of the same authors all contributing to other parts of the eldritch landscape. If you love HPL, Robert Chambers, and the non-Derleth/Lumley side of the mythos (aka, the good parts) then check this out. If you'd rather be reading about the family trees of Cthulhu, "good vs evil", elemental aspects of the elder gods, and other very non-Lovecraftian things then maybe avoid this.
July 24, 2023
A decent collection of stories. Many of them are a bit too obvious about what they are trying to do ("take Lovecraft story X and apply it to contemporary situation Y") from the get-go, which dampens the fun a little. The last two stories (Moving Targets, and The Play's The Thing) are the best in the lot, in terms of pacing, atmosphere, and existential dread.
Limiting the number of authors for the collection was a good move. This ensures a consistency in the writing that you just wouldn't get from a one-story-per-author collection, and each of the authors clearly has a lot of ideas for this sub-genre.
Limiting the number of authors for the collection was a good move. This ensures a consistency in the writing that you just wouldn't get from a one-story-per-author collection, and each of the authors clearly has a lot of ideas for this sub-genre.
August 13, 2021
There are a lot of bad Lovecraft mythos stories out there. (To be honest, old HP wrote some stinkers too.) They usually ape the worst parts of Lovecraft's prose: 'Aargh... They're coming for me' or 'The Eldritch chronic horrors...'. This anthology stands out both for the quality of the writing and for the contemporary settings featured in the stories. Elements of the mythos are present but in original ways often focusing on lesser elements.
This anthology is a must for anyone looking for an update on the Mythos.
This anthology is a must for anyone looking for an update on the Mythos.
January 14, 2022
3.25 stars.
i've read only the 5 short stories here written by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and none of those by the other 2 authors in this volume.
the stories by Tchaikovsky were each solid entries into the Lovecraft Mythos in their own ways, and while each was clever enough to be engaging none blew me away. still, these sit high above the vast majority of stories in this "sub-genre", and clearly show that the basic underlying themes of cosmic horror and the "unnameable" are still very much worth exploring.
i've read only the 5 short stories here written by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and none of those by the other 2 authors in this volume.
the stories by Tchaikovsky were each solid entries into the Lovecraft Mythos in their own ways, and while each was clever enough to be engaging none blew me away. still, these sit high above the vast majority of stories in this "sub-genre", and clearly show that the basic underlying themes of cosmic horror and the "unnameable" are still very much worth exploring.
September 15, 2020
I had previously only read small amounts of stories based on the Cthulu mythos, but I found the stories in here very intriguing and eerie in a way that other horror stories don't really convey. I enjoy the unknown, that there is a much greater universe out there, and its antagonistic and deadly. In the end, we are small, young fish swimming in a planet sized ocean of monsters. I enjoyed the book, and hope that the authors contributing to this anthology again dip into the genre.
February 8, 2020
Absolutely brilliant contemporary Lovecraftian writing. Some real scares and clever takes on old tropes and themes. A reader unfamiliar with the Cthulhu Mythos will be genuinely left with that sense of terror of the unknown, those who are familiar with it will enjoy the references and filling in the spaces.
December 2, 2020
Started off well, faded a bit in the middle, then was a bore at the end. The early stories really grabbed me but it got to the just okay scenario in the middle and I just lost interest in the latter stages. One day I will read an anthology where all the short stories are magnificent. I live in hope.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
October 27, 2025
Haunted
Excellent set of stories. All of them read like they could be out of a modern-day Call of Cthulhu or Laundry Files campaign.
Especially loved 'The Play's the Thing', another great take on houses whose contents shift and move about. The process the protagonist goes through in cataloging rooms is amusingly similar to playing the game Blue Prince. :-)
Excellent set of stories. All of them read like they could be out of a modern-day Call of Cthulhu or Laundry Files campaign.
Especially loved 'The Play's the Thing', another great take on houses whose contents shift and move about. The process the protagonist goes through in cataloging rooms is amusingly similar to playing the game Blue Prince. :-)
September 1, 2021
Worth it for the Adrian Tchaikovsky stories
There are a couple of different authors in the collection and the quality ranges quite a bit. The Adrian Tchaikovsky stories are the best in the collection and the book is worth it for those alone.
There are a couple of different authors in the collection and the quality ranges quite a bit. The Adrian Tchaikovsky stories are the best in the collection and the book is worth it for those alone.
December 1, 2025
Took me a very long time to finish this anthology.
Loved the stories by Adrian Tchaikovsky, "Special needs child" by Keris McDonald really crept me out, "New Build" by Adam Gauntlett was charming, and I can't remember the rest of the stories.
Loved the stories by Adrian Tchaikovsky, "Special needs child" by Keris McDonald really crept me out, "New Build" by Adam Gauntlett was charming, and I can't remember the rest of the stories.
November 11, 2017
Excellent set of stories.
A very fresh and thoughtful HPL homage. Does the Mythos well. It's not a rehash of the same old plots. Check it out.
A very fresh and thoughtful HPL homage. Does the Mythos well. It's not a rehash of the same old plots. Check it out.
June 16, 2019
A bit patchy as all anthologies tend to be, but some very good stories included in this collection by all three authors.
August 13, 2019
A great selection of short stories. Well worth a read.
October 2, 2021
Better than average bunch of lovecraft based stories but you still can't escape the fact that you're listening to a talented tribute act rather than the real thing.
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