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The Lovecraft Squad #2
Waiting
In April 1936, Lovecraft’s novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth was first published. Written five years earlier, but oddly rejected by every magazine it was ever submitted to, it accurately described a series of events that actually happened in February 1928, when federal government agents raided the ancient Massachusetts seaport of Innsmouth and attempted to eradicate a deviant race of ichthyoid creatures which had been interbreeding with the human population for decades, if not centuries.
There was no way that the reclusive pulp writer could have known so much about a case where the details had been withheld for fear of creating a panic among the public. Following these startling revelations, the F.B.I. went back and investigated more closely into the stories that Lovecraft was publishing as “fiction.” Incredibly, it soon began to emerge that the events in Innsmouth were not a solitary event—and the monstrosities the author described really did exist.
To combat these cosmic horrors, the Human Protection League (H.P.L.) was established to investigate and combat these otherworldly invaders. Down through the decades since, the only defense that has stood between humanity and these creatures of chaos are the agents of the H.P.L.—or, as they are sometimes known to those few who are aware of their existence: The Lovecraft Squad.
There was no way that the reclusive pulp writer could have known so much about a case where the details had been withheld for fear of creating a panic among the public. Following these startling revelations, the F.B.I. went back and investigated more closely into the stories that Lovecraft was publishing as “fiction.” Incredibly, it soon began to emerge that the events in Innsmouth were not a solitary event—and the monstrosities the author described really did exist.
To combat these cosmic horrors, the Human Protection League (H.P.L.) was established to investigate and combat these otherworldly invaders. Down through the decades since, the only defense that has stood between humanity and these creatures of chaos are the agents of the H.P.L.—or, as they are sometimes known to those few who are aware of their existence: The Lovecraft Squad.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2017
9 people are currently reading
524 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Jones
276 books345 followersStephen Jones is an eighteen-time winner of the British Fantasy Award.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 24, 2017
With this now being the second book in the “Lovecraft Squad” series, following the first, a novel “All Hallows Horror” we are presented with a stellar collection of authors that give a shot at H. P. Lovecraft’s legendary mythos.
The collection begins with Howard as a troubled child, in Angela Slatter’s inventive prolog. We then move to the late 1930’s when FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover forms the Human Protection League (HPL) to combat monstrous incursions from another dimension. The Hodge story is slyly humorous, and the two Reggie Oliver stories are tightly linked.
All of the stories are competent and enjoyable. My favorite story is the Jay Russell yarn, staring Hollywood PI Arty Burns. He works for the mysterious Howard Hughes and Arty must be the father or grandfather of the offspring Marty Burns PI (though a bit more misogynistic than Marty ever was). Marty stared in his own novels (3) and stories back in the 90’s which I loved. These were also along the invaders for another dimension theme.
We travel to 1963 when the “HPL” launches two female agents into orbit to rescue Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin from the horror known as “The Color Out In Space.”. The collection ends with an introduction titled “Epilogue” which lays the groundwork for the next installment of this series of books and is to be called “The Lovecraft Squad: Dreaming” subtitled “Nefertiti Bronze, Voodoo vs Cthulhu”, Stay tuned.
Contents:
001 - Angela Slatter – Prolog – “Howards Way”
029 - Brian Hodge – “Shadows Over Innsmouth”
069 - Reggie Oliver – “Ec’h-pi-el”
103 - Reggie Oliver – “The Armies of the Night”
138 - Michael Marshall Smith – “The Olde Fellowes”
166 - Steve Rasnic Temn – “Randolph Carter, Secret Agent”
196 - Peter Atkins – “The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of …”
220 - Richard Gavin – “Junior G-Men vs. the Whisperers in Darkness”
254 - Jay Russell – “At the Hills of Hollywood”
292 - Thana Niveau – “Arkham House on Haunted Hill”
321 - Stephen Baxter – “The Color Out in Space”
366 - Kim Newman – Epilogue – “The ShadowAcross 110th Street”
The collection begins with Howard as a troubled child, in Angela Slatter’s inventive prolog. We then move to the late 1930’s when FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover forms the Human Protection League (HPL) to combat monstrous incursions from another dimension. The Hodge story is slyly humorous, and the two Reggie Oliver stories are tightly linked.
All of the stories are competent and enjoyable. My favorite story is the Jay Russell yarn, staring Hollywood PI Arty Burns. He works for the mysterious Howard Hughes and Arty must be the father or grandfather of the offspring Marty Burns PI (though a bit more misogynistic than Marty ever was). Marty stared in his own novels (3) and stories back in the 90’s which I loved. These were also along the invaders for another dimension theme.
We travel to 1963 when the “HPL” launches two female agents into orbit to rescue Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin from the horror known as “The Color Out In Space.”. The collection ends with an introduction titled “Epilogue” which lays the groundwork for the next installment of this series of books and is to be called “The Lovecraft Squad: Dreaming” subtitled “Nefertiti Bronze, Voodoo vs Cthulhu”, Stay tuned.
Contents:
001 - Angela Slatter – Prolog – “Howards Way”
029 - Brian Hodge – “Shadows Over Innsmouth”
069 - Reggie Oliver – “Ec’h-pi-el”
103 - Reggie Oliver – “The Armies of the Night”
138 - Michael Marshall Smith – “The Olde Fellowes”
166 - Steve Rasnic Temn – “Randolph Carter, Secret Agent”
196 - Peter Atkins – “The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of …”
220 - Richard Gavin – “Junior G-Men vs. the Whisperers in Darkness”
254 - Jay Russell – “At the Hills of Hollywood”
292 - Thana Niveau – “Arkham House on Haunted Hill”
321 - Stephen Baxter – “The Color Out in Space”
366 - Kim Newman – Epilogue – “The ShadowAcross 110th Street”
September 27, 2017
The second book in this spooky new series!
My thanks to my contacts at Pegasus Books, Iris Blasi, Katie McGuire, and Maia Larson, for my advance reading copy of this book! Rock on!
The Lovecraft Squad, AKA The Human Protection League, is a division of the FBI specially created to deal with Cthulhu Mythos matters. This book lists more files in the ongoing battle against ancient evil!
This book is a collection of 12 short stories that could be read as a novel if one ignores the many different points of view that change from story to story. Some of the tales are obviously interlinked, while others could easily be stand-alone episodes.
I think this series shows a lot of promise! I loved the first book, All Hallows Horror, and this volume certainly doesn’t disappoint! The reader who is a fan of Lovecraft will find many familiar names and places. Randolph Carter should be very familiar. Locales such as Innsmouth, Arkham, Miskatonic University, The Witch House, etc. should also be familiar.
Each author leaves an individual mark on this unique Mythos
• “Prologue: Howard’s Way” by Angela Slatter is a great way to open the book. It introduces HP Lovecraft in case the reader is unfamiliar with this Mythos and sets up the stories to follow.
• “Shadows over Innsmouth” by Brian Hodge could have been written by Lovecraft himself. It is the story of the Government crackdown on Innsmouth mentioned by Lovecraft in Shadow over Innsmouth.
• “Ec-‘Hi-Pi-El” by Reggie Oliver is a tale of intrigue as J Edgar Hoover becomes aware of the Lovecraft Mythos and begins to formulate a plan to deal with the horrors of the Great Old Ones…
• “The Armies of the Night” by Reggie Oliver is Lovecraft Mythos meets Organized Crime. Agent Brady of the HPL is trying to suppress an outbreak of Deep Ones. In the process, he turns warring Crime Lords into allies against the Armies of the Night.
• “The Olde Fellows” by Michael Marshall Smith is more intrigue by Agent Brady. An agent is authorized to investigate the Olde Fellows, a cult of Great Old Ones worshippers. The Empire Strikes Back comes to mind when reading this story!
• “Randolph Carter: Secret Agent” by Stephen Rasnic Tem expands on the story of Carter, now working for the HPL, or is he?
• “The Stuff that Dreams Are Made of” by Peter Atkins is a tale featuring a mysterious man who crosses paths with the Olde Fellows and features a statue made of a strange stone. The statue has a large pair of wings…
• “The Junior G-Men Verses the Whisperers in the Dark” by Richard Gavin wins “Best In Book!” from me. The Mayor of the small town of Mitford has worked with a shady outfit called Health and Home, installing bomb shelters in everyone’s home. They are interconnected by tunnels. A group of kids who call themselves “The Junior G-Men” become involved when an HPL agent comes to town to investigate the Witch House…
• “At the Hills of Hollywood” by Jay Russell gets “Worst In Book” from me. It reads like the locker room whispers of hormonally charged teenagers.
• “Arkham House on Haunted Hill” by Thana Niveau is a classic case of investigation into paranormal activity. A brother and sister pair of Paranormal Investigators, a Psychic Medium, and a confirmed skeptic are hired to investigate the old Iverson House by the owner, Arthur Leland…
• “The Color Out in Space” by Stephen Baxter takes the Lovecraft Mythos back to space! Gemini pilot Magnolia Jones is asked to fly a secret mission to Space Station Zarya. The space missions take place long before any recorded space flights. An Agent Peabody is carrying a package from Dr. Gardner, a descendant of Nahum Gardner who was present when the 1882 incident took place.
• “The Shadow Across 110th Street” by Kim Newman is the epilogue of the book and takes place in a burial vault.
I give the book five stars plus! Hopefully, many more volumes are in the works.
Quoth the Raven…
My thanks to my contacts at Pegasus Books, Iris Blasi, Katie McGuire, and Maia Larson, for my advance reading copy of this book! Rock on!
The Lovecraft Squad, AKA The Human Protection League, is a division of the FBI specially created to deal with Cthulhu Mythos matters. This book lists more files in the ongoing battle against ancient evil!
This book is a collection of 12 short stories that could be read as a novel if one ignores the many different points of view that change from story to story. Some of the tales are obviously interlinked, while others could easily be stand-alone episodes.
I think this series shows a lot of promise! I loved the first book, All Hallows Horror, and this volume certainly doesn’t disappoint! The reader who is a fan of Lovecraft will find many familiar names and places. Randolph Carter should be very familiar. Locales such as Innsmouth, Arkham, Miskatonic University, The Witch House, etc. should also be familiar.
Each author leaves an individual mark on this unique Mythos
• “Prologue: Howard’s Way” by Angela Slatter is a great way to open the book. It introduces HP Lovecraft in case the reader is unfamiliar with this Mythos and sets up the stories to follow.
• “Shadows over Innsmouth” by Brian Hodge could have been written by Lovecraft himself. It is the story of the Government crackdown on Innsmouth mentioned by Lovecraft in Shadow over Innsmouth.
• “Ec-‘Hi-Pi-El” by Reggie Oliver is a tale of intrigue as J Edgar Hoover becomes aware of the Lovecraft Mythos and begins to formulate a plan to deal with the horrors of the Great Old Ones…
• “The Armies of the Night” by Reggie Oliver is Lovecraft Mythos meets Organized Crime. Agent Brady of the HPL is trying to suppress an outbreak of Deep Ones. In the process, he turns warring Crime Lords into allies against the Armies of the Night.
• “The Olde Fellows” by Michael Marshall Smith is more intrigue by Agent Brady. An agent is authorized to investigate the Olde Fellows, a cult of Great Old Ones worshippers. The Empire Strikes Back comes to mind when reading this story!
• “Randolph Carter: Secret Agent” by Stephen Rasnic Tem expands on the story of Carter, now working for the HPL, or is he?
• “The Stuff that Dreams Are Made of” by Peter Atkins is a tale featuring a mysterious man who crosses paths with the Olde Fellows and features a statue made of a strange stone. The statue has a large pair of wings…
• “The Junior G-Men Verses the Whisperers in the Dark” by Richard Gavin wins “Best In Book!” from me. The Mayor of the small town of Mitford has worked with a shady outfit called Health and Home, installing bomb shelters in everyone’s home. They are interconnected by tunnels. A group of kids who call themselves “The Junior G-Men” become involved when an HPL agent comes to town to investigate the Witch House…
• “At the Hills of Hollywood” by Jay Russell gets “Worst In Book” from me. It reads like the locker room whispers of hormonally charged teenagers.
• “Arkham House on Haunted Hill” by Thana Niveau is a classic case of investigation into paranormal activity. A brother and sister pair of Paranormal Investigators, a Psychic Medium, and a confirmed skeptic are hired to investigate the old Iverson House by the owner, Arthur Leland…
• “The Color Out in Space” by Stephen Baxter takes the Lovecraft Mythos back to space! Gemini pilot Magnolia Jones is asked to fly a secret mission to Space Station Zarya. The space missions take place long before any recorded space flights. An Agent Peabody is carrying a package from Dr. Gardner, a descendant of Nahum Gardner who was present when the 1882 incident took place.
• “The Shadow Across 110th Street” by Kim Newman is the epilogue of the book and takes place in a burial vault.
I give the book five stars plus! Hopefully, many more volumes are in the works.
Quoth the Raven…
August 10, 2017
Actually 3.5 stars
The Lovecraft Squad: Waiting, consists of many short stories spanning decades and distance to tell the overall tale. The stories show the scope of a menace facing humanity. The common thread that binds these stories is some type of evil incursion trying in a myriad of ways to get a foothold onto Earth. This is beyond strange and unusual. This is the stuff nightmares are made of, nightmares that may portend reality. Beyond the common thread each story is wholly unique, there is no way to guess what the next may hold.
Creater Steven Jones and the various authors involved are masters of the short story. Each hooks the readers attention at the start and skillfully builds anticipation of what new atrocity will be exposed. Soon a battle ensues the likes of which have never been seen before. Before the dust has a chance to settle, so to speak, the reader is taken onto the next story.
While I'm not a fan of the overall "B", creatures from the swamp, type movies, which much of this is reminiscent of, it is well written and I was able to appreciate the suspense and intrigue.
The Lovecraft Squad: Waiting, consists of many short stories spanning decades and distance to tell the overall tale. The stories show the scope of a menace facing humanity. The common thread that binds these stories is some type of evil incursion trying in a myriad of ways to get a foothold onto Earth. This is beyond strange and unusual. This is the stuff nightmares are made of, nightmares that may portend reality. Beyond the common thread each story is wholly unique, there is no way to guess what the next may hold.
Creater Steven Jones and the various authors involved are masters of the short story. Each hooks the readers attention at the start and skillfully builds anticipation of what new atrocity will be exposed. Soon a battle ensues the likes of which have never been seen before. Before the dust has a chance to settle, so to speak, the reader is taken onto the next story.
While I'm not a fan of the overall "B", creatures from the swamp, type movies, which much of this is reminiscent of, it is well written and I was able to appreciate the suspense and intrigue.
March 8, 2018
More writing style than substance. Great at making you feel like you were listening to the dialogue in an old B&W noir movie but was lacking in actual Lovecraftian horror.
March 24, 2020
Review of THE LOVECRAFT SQUAD: WAITING created by Stephen Jones.
Review by Trevor Kennedy for PHANTASMAGORIA SPECIAL EDITION SERIES #2: THE LOVECRAFT SQUAD.
“Very little of what you’ve been told, all your life, is true.”
(Stephen Baxter, The Lovecraft Squad: Waiting)
IMAGINE A WORLD where the writings of famous pulp horror author H. P. Lovecraft are not actually fiction, but real. Prophecies even. In this world, those nefarious cosmic gods known as the Great Old Ones are attempting to break back into our reality after many millennia of ancient slumber, waiting patiently for the correct time, when the stars are right. When they inevitably return, death, destruction and insanity await the entirety of the human race and not a single soul will be spared from their terrifying, unfathomable madness. There is some hope out there, however…
Please meet The Lovecraft Squad, or as they’re more officially known, the Human Protection League (HPL). They’re the good guys (well, for the most part anyhow), set up by J. Edgar Hoover and Agent Nathan Brady in the 1930s, their secret legacy leaving a vital footprint on the history of the twentieth century and beyond, an alternate history, one that you won’t hear talked about much in media circles or ordinary day-to-day life. But some of us, those of us in the know, have heard of their adventures and can only gasp in awe at their bravery as the final Eldritch War approaches…
Created by maverick editor/anthologist Stephen Jones, The Lovecraft Squad series is an epic, era-hopping collection of connected Mythos tales that I firmly believe Howard Phillips Lovecraft himself would be very proud of.
Prologue: Howard’s Way by Angela Slatter
Based on the real-life early days of pulp author H. P. Lovecraft, we follow young Howard as he deals with ill health, bereavement and his highly unusual ventures into the Dreamscape, under the guidance of his grandfather, Whipple Van Buren Phillips, and a new tutor named Ward Kindred, his somewhat strange aunts always keeping an eye on things.
An entertaining opener, setting the scene perfectly for what is to come over the sprawling series of stories and books.
Shadows Over Innsmouth by Brian Hodge
It’s the 1920s and toughnut FBI Agent Dobbs and his partner Agent Hewlitt are assigned by their boss, one J. Edgar Hoover, to investigate weird happenings in the Massachusetts fishing port of Innsmouth. But is all this really to do with smuggling and bootlegging, or perhaps more in relation to the fish-like characteristics of many of the residents there who appear to worship a ancient god named Dagon? Regardless, a full FBI raid is soon imminent and it’s going to be a violent one…
Great pulpy fun and an excellent take on the Innsmouth legend created by Lovecraft.
Ec’h-pi-el by Reggie Oliver
In 1937, we’re introduced to a young Agent Nathan Brady. Brady has a fondness for the reading of “trashy books” (according to his boss anyway, the rather brash Hoover again) and pulp magazines, particularly the publication Weird Tales and the works of a tormented and ill author named H. P. Lovecraft, whom, it appears, is something of a prophet within his works. Brady and the troubled writer soon converse and become embroiled in a mystery that involves lowlife gangsters and their sexy molls, something unpleasant residing beneath a nightclub theatre, and the “Armies of the Night” which are rising…
Pure pulp fiction and all the better for it, this story is continued in the one that follows.
The Armies of the Night by Reggie Oliver
The scene is set at the Roxy Palace Theater where the offbeat musical Zip Ahoy! is performing. Agent Brady and Miss Ellie Jackson are ready for a final showdown between themselves, the mobsters and certain “scaly monstrosities” not of our dimension. Later, Brady and Lovecraft break into the Miskatonic Library in an effort to steal an ancient, cursed text titled The Necronomicon, authored by a mad Arab. When Hoover appoints Brady as Agent Number One in the newly formed Human Protection League (aka the HPL, aka The Lovecraft Squad), the agent insists on enrolling Lovecraft himself into the team. When Hoover eventually relents, it is sadly revealed that the pulp author’s illness has taken a tragic and final toll on him.
A remarkable combination of real-life events, wise-cracking action and Mythos-related horror.
The Olde Fellowes by Michael Marshall Smith
In Santa Cruz, California, the shifty Carl Unger bids his wife and young son farewell to embark on a mission for the League to track down local mover and shaker Marion Hollins in a bid to stop a meeting between certain “Olde Fellowes”, all part of the overall efforts to save the universe from “The endless void” and “The Crawling Chaos”. But these Olde Fellowes don’t take this sort of interference lightly and Carl’s cards are soon marked…
Another noteworthy chapter in the overall story, setting up an important part of the series arc.
Randolph Carter, Secret Agent by Steve Rasnic Tem
Meet Agent Randolph Carter. He’s sort of a teenage boy, but kind of an adult too. He’s not quite fully human, with a partially burnt scalp and claws for hands, not to mention his bronze metal eye patch. He regularly makes sojourns into the Dreamscape, for the Lovecraft Squad’s Dream Division, reporting back on the cosmic terrors he encounters there. In this adventure, along with his overprotective partner, Lieutenant Dorothy Williams, he investigates a bizarre monster in the slums of Washington, D. C.
Very surreal and weird, this is a great tale by Rasnic Tem introducing us to probably my favourite character of the entire series - yep, you’ve guessed it, Agent Randolph Carter.
The Stuff That Dreams Are Made of… by Peter Atkins
While investigating a case, Private Detective Steve Donnelly runs afoul of members of the Olde Fellowes cult in a seedy hotel in an encounter that involves an ancient statue, malevolent gods and time travel.
A neat pulp story with some great references to the likes of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and the Indiana Jones films (arguably).
Junior G-Men vs. Whisperers in Darkness by Richard Gavin
In the small American midwestern town of Mitford, teenagers Claude, Luna, Leo and their friends are “Junior G-Men”, working for Uncle Sam during the early days of the Cold War, sniffing out those pesky commies. They are soon assigned by the town sheriff and mayor to check out a couple of Russian stage magicians who have recently moved into the nearby reportedly haunted “Witch House”. But apparent ghosts are the least of their worries, and as they dig deeper into the case they find evidence of those unpleasant Olde Fellowes and a timeless god named Nyarlathotep. Not everyone is as they first appear and nothing will ever be the same again for these kids either…
I have to admit, I am a real sucker for this type of “gang of kids go on an adventure” type of story, especially one set in the ‘50s or ‘60s (for some strange reason that I can’t quite put my finger on), and this one totally worked for me. Yep, you ticked all the boxes that I look for in this sort of tale, Richard Gavin.
At the Hills of Hollywood by Jay Russell
A alternate take on Hollywood of the 1950s, packed with B movie monsters, sexy film stars, otherworldly happenings and even the great Cthulhu himself is getting a movie made about him! What’s not to love about this one?!
Arkham House on Haunted Hill by Thana Niveau
When a non-believer in the supernatural, a young brother and sister ghost hunting duo and an apparent psychic get paid thousands of dollars to spend the night in the “haunted” Iverson House by its elderly owner, they soon find that there’s much more at stake than just mere spectres or household objects moving around of their own accord. In fact, the house itself may very well be alive with an ancient evil residing underneath its rotting floorboards and not everyone is guaranteed to survive the night…
Greatly enjoyable with fun, likeable characters and an emotional core. An interesting, Lovecraftian spin on the haunted house trope.
The Color Out in Space by Stephen Baxter
Author Stephen Baxter introduces us to Magnolia Jones, a female rocket pilot in a world dominated by men… and extraterrestrial monsters! When she is signed up for a secret mission to save astronaut Yuri Gagarin from the Russian space station Zarya, she comes across an inexplicable entity that has the potential to end all life on Earth once and for all…
An excellently weaved and gripping sci-fi yarn that works on many levels, as does the title - you’ll know what I’m talking about once you read it for yourself!
Epilogue: The Shadow Across 110th Street by Kim Newman
There’s been a massacre at the Harlem Hounfor, the voodoo cathedral of New York City, and it’s pretty messy. As the police investigate, it appears the case is connected to none other than the Olympic decathlete, fashion model, political activist and pop star, Nefertiti Bronze!
Some quality blaxploitation shenanigans from Kim Newman which will be followed up in the next book in the series.
Overall, The Lovecraft Squad is a superb literary epic that creator Stephen Jones and every single author involved should be very proud of.
It works on several levels, the rich variety of connected tales contained crossing most, if not all, of the sub-sections within the whole of the Dark Fantasy genre and beyond (horror, fantasy, science fiction, haunted houses, ghosts, witchcraft, zombies, voodoo, conspiracy theories, aliens, cyborgs, pulp fiction, gun-toting gangsters and their glamorous molls, Nazis, classic adventure serials, body horror, tentacled monsters, mutants, serial killers, cannibals, urban legends, evil cults, angry gods, mysticism, crazy wizards, ancient curses, mad scientists, small town secrets, social commentary, et cetera, et cetera - you name it and you’ll find it in there somewhere!) while at the same time keeping its feet firmly planted in the Mythos created by Lovecraft. An updated version of the work of the author perhaps, while at the same time honouring it, and appealing to fans of HPL and non-fans together. Twentieth century history like you’ve never seen (or read) it before (and the history of the last century is always something that has fascinated me since I was a young boy).
There’s an emotional core to it as well, a love and respect for the stories of Lovecraft, and the writers are clearly having a great time too.
In my opinion, I feel it would also make an exceptional - and unique - television/streaming service series if done correctly and creative control remained with Jones and co.
Also worthy of mention are the extraordinarily lifelike pulp-style front cover paintings by Douglas Klauba.
But how, I hear you ask, would the man himself feel about the series if he were alive today? I honestly believe Howard Phillips Lovecraft would be profoundly flattered and bowled over by it all. Go check it out for yourselves and see what you think. The dreaded Cthulhu demands it.
The Lovecraft Squad series is published by Pegasus Books and is available to purchase from Amazon and many other outlets throughout the world.
Review by Trevor Kennedy for PHANTASMAGORIA SPECIAL EDITION SERIES #2: THE LOVECRAFT SQUAD.
“Very little of what you’ve been told, all your life, is true.”
(Stephen Baxter, The Lovecraft Squad: Waiting)
IMAGINE A WORLD where the writings of famous pulp horror author H. P. Lovecraft are not actually fiction, but real. Prophecies even. In this world, those nefarious cosmic gods known as the Great Old Ones are attempting to break back into our reality after many millennia of ancient slumber, waiting patiently for the correct time, when the stars are right. When they inevitably return, death, destruction and insanity await the entirety of the human race and not a single soul will be spared from their terrifying, unfathomable madness. There is some hope out there, however…
Please meet The Lovecraft Squad, or as they’re more officially known, the Human Protection League (HPL). They’re the good guys (well, for the most part anyhow), set up by J. Edgar Hoover and Agent Nathan Brady in the 1930s, their secret legacy leaving a vital footprint on the history of the twentieth century and beyond, an alternate history, one that you won’t hear talked about much in media circles or ordinary day-to-day life. But some of us, those of us in the know, have heard of their adventures and can only gasp in awe at their bravery as the final Eldritch War approaches…
Created by maverick editor/anthologist Stephen Jones, The Lovecraft Squad series is an epic, era-hopping collection of connected Mythos tales that I firmly believe Howard Phillips Lovecraft himself would be very proud of.
Prologue: Howard’s Way by Angela Slatter
Based on the real-life early days of pulp author H. P. Lovecraft, we follow young Howard as he deals with ill health, bereavement and his highly unusual ventures into the Dreamscape, under the guidance of his grandfather, Whipple Van Buren Phillips, and a new tutor named Ward Kindred, his somewhat strange aunts always keeping an eye on things.
An entertaining opener, setting the scene perfectly for what is to come over the sprawling series of stories and books.
Shadows Over Innsmouth by Brian Hodge
It’s the 1920s and toughnut FBI Agent Dobbs and his partner Agent Hewlitt are assigned by their boss, one J. Edgar Hoover, to investigate weird happenings in the Massachusetts fishing port of Innsmouth. But is all this really to do with smuggling and bootlegging, or perhaps more in relation to the fish-like characteristics of many of the residents there who appear to worship a ancient god named Dagon? Regardless, a full FBI raid is soon imminent and it’s going to be a violent one…
Great pulpy fun and an excellent take on the Innsmouth legend created by Lovecraft.
Ec’h-pi-el by Reggie Oliver
In 1937, we’re introduced to a young Agent Nathan Brady. Brady has a fondness for the reading of “trashy books” (according to his boss anyway, the rather brash Hoover again) and pulp magazines, particularly the publication Weird Tales and the works of a tormented and ill author named H. P. Lovecraft, whom, it appears, is something of a prophet within his works. Brady and the troubled writer soon converse and become embroiled in a mystery that involves lowlife gangsters and their sexy molls, something unpleasant residing beneath a nightclub theatre, and the “Armies of the Night” which are rising…
Pure pulp fiction and all the better for it, this story is continued in the one that follows.
The Armies of the Night by Reggie Oliver
The scene is set at the Roxy Palace Theater where the offbeat musical Zip Ahoy! is performing. Agent Brady and Miss Ellie Jackson are ready for a final showdown between themselves, the mobsters and certain “scaly monstrosities” not of our dimension. Later, Brady and Lovecraft break into the Miskatonic Library in an effort to steal an ancient, cursed text titled The Necronomicon, authored by a mad Arab. When Hoover appoints Brady as Agent Number One in the newly formed Human Protection League (aka the HPL, aka The Lovecraft Squad), the agent insists on enrolling Lovecraft himself into the team. When Hoover eventually relents, it is sadly revealed that the pulp author’s illness has taken a tragic and final toll on him.
A remarkable combination of real-life events, wise-cracking action and Mythos-related horror.
The Olde Fellowes by Michael Marshall Smith
In Santa Cruz, California, the shifty Carl Unger bids his wife and young son farewell to embark on a mission for the League to track down local mover and shaker Marion Hollins in a bid to stop a meeting between certain “Olde Fellowes”, all part of the overall efforts to save the universe from “The endless void” and “The Crawling Chaos”. But these Olde Fellowes don’t take this sort of interference lightly and Carl’s cards are soon marked…
Another noteworthy chapter in the overall story, setting up an important part of the series arc.
Randolph Carter, Secret Agent by Steve Rasnic Tem
Meet Agent Randolph Carter. He’s sort of a teenage boy, but kind of an adult too. He’s not quite fully human, with a partially burnt scalp and claws for hands, not to mention his bronze metal eye patch. He regularly makes sojourns into the Dreamscape, for the Lovecraft Squad’s Dream Division, reporting back on the cosmic terrors he encounters there. In this adventure, along with his overprotective partner, Lieutenant Dorothy Williams, he investigates a bizarre monster in the slums of Washington, D. C.
Very surreal and weird, this is a great tale by Rasnic Tem introducing us to probably my favourite character of the entire series - yep, you’ve guessed it, Agent Randolph Carter.
The Stuff That Dreams Are Made of… by Peter Atkins
While investigating a case, Private Detective Steve Donnelly runs afoul of members of the Olde Fellowes cult in a seedy hotel in an encounter that involves an ancient statue, malevolent gods and time travel.
A neat pulp story with some great references to the likes of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and the Indiana Jones films (arguably).
Junior G-Men vs. Whisperers in Darkness by Richard Gavin
In the small American midwestern town of Mitford, teenagers Claude, Luna, Leo and their friends are “Junior G-Men”, working for Uncle Sam during the early days of the Cold War, sniffing out those pesky commies. They are soon assigned by the town sheriff and mayor to check out a couple of Russian stage magicians who have recently moved into the nearby reportedly haunted “Witch House”. But apparent ghosts are the least of their worries, and as they dig deeper into the case they find evidence of those unpleasant Olde Fellowes and a timeless god named Nyarlathotep. Not everyone is as they first appear and nothing will ever be the same again for these kids either…
I have to admit, I am a real sucker for this type of “gang of kids go on an adventure” type of story, especially one set in the ‘50s or ‘60s (for some strange reason that I can’t quite put my finger on), and this one totally worked for me. Yep, you ticked all the boxes that I look for in this sort of tale, Richard Gavin.
At the Hills of Hollywood by Jay Russell
A alternate take on Hollywood of the 1950s, packed with B movie monsters, sexy film stars, otherworldly happenings and even the great Cthulhu himself is getting a movie made about him! What’s not to love about this one?!
Arkham House on Haunted Hill by Thana Niveau
When a non-believer in the supernatural, a young brother and sister ghost hunting duo and an apparent psychic get paid thousands of dollars to spend the night in the “haunted” Iverson House by its elderly owner, they soon find that there’s much more at stake than just mere spectres or household objects moving around of their own accord. In fact, the house itself may very well be alive with an ancient evil residing underneath its rotting floorboards and not everyone is guaranteed to survive the night…
Greatly enjoyable with fun, likeable characters and an emotional core. An interesting, Lovecraftian spin on the haunted house trope.
The Color Out in Space by Stephen Baxter
Author Stephen Baxter introduces us to Magnolia Jones, a female rocket pilot in a world dominated by men… and extraterrestrial monsters! When she is signed up for a secret mission to save astronaut Yuri Gagarin from the Russian space station Zarya, she comes across an inexplicable entity that has the potential to end all life on Earth once and for all…
An excellently weaved and gripping sci-fi yarn that works on many levels, as does the title - you’ll know what I’m talking about once you read it for yourself!
Epilogue: The Shadow Across 110th Street by Kim Newman
There’s been a massacre at the Harlem Hounfor, the voodoo cathedral of New York City, and it’s pretty messy. As the police investigate, it appears the case is connected to none other than the Olympic decathlete, fashion model, political activist and pop star, Nefertiti Bronze!
Some quality blaxploitation shenanigans from Kim Newman which will be followed up in the next book in the series.
Overall, The Lovecraft Squad is a superb literary epic that creator Stephen Jones and every single author involved should be very proud of.
It works on several levels, the rich variety of connected tales contained crossing most, if not all, of the sub-sections within the whole of the Dark Fantasy genre and beyond (horror, fantasy, science fiction, haunted houses, ghosts, witchcraft, zombies, voodoo, conspiracy theories, aliens, cyborgs, pulp fiction, gun-toting gangsters and their glamorous molls, Nazis, classic adventure serials, body horror, tentacled monsters, mutants, serial killers, cannibals, urban legends, evil cults, angry gods, mysticism, crazy wizards, ancient curses, mad scientists, small town secrets, social commentary, et cetera, et cetera - you name it and you’ll find it in there somewhere!) while at the same time keeping its feet firmly planted in the Mythos created by Lovecraft. An updated version of the work of the author perhaps, while at the same time honouring it, and appealing to fans of HPL and non-fans together. Twentieth century history like you’ve never seen (or read) it before (and the history of the last century is always something that has fascinated me since I was a young boy).
There’s an emotional core to it as well, a love and respect for the stories of Lovecraft, and the writers are clearly having a great time too.
In my opinion, I feel it would also make an exceptional - and unique - television/streaming service series if done correctly and creative control remained with Jones and co.
Also worthy of mention are the extraordinarily lifelike pulp-style front cover paintings by Douglas Klauba.
But how, I hear you ask, would the man himself feel about the series if he were alive today? I honestly believe Howard Phillips Lovecraft would be profoundly flattered and bowled over by it all. Go check it out for yourselves and see what you think. The dreaded Cthulhu demands it.
The Lovecraft Squad series is published by Pegasus Books and is available to purchase from Amazon and many other outlets throughout the world.
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April 12, 2024This was fun for the first hundred pages...
November 5, 2022
The second entry in the Lovecraft Squad series, Waiting is an anthology of interconnected stories featuring the Human Protection League, a secretive international anti-supernatural task force affiliated with the American FBI in a world in which H.P. Lovecraft was writing nonfiction. With the contributing authors approaching the founding and early actions of the HPL during the mid-twentieth century, a shared universe of the secret true natures of various historical events is established, though nothing really original is included.
Drawing from various genres, from action pulp to noir, the tone and writing style of the contributors feel a bit disconnected even if they are all working from the same pulp premise. A few are slightly entertaining takes, but most play these tired tropes all too straight, and it's kind of disappointing after all of the recent works subverting Lovecraftian horror and taking it in whole new directions. Lovecraft’s infamous racism is depicted, for instance, but it is not critiqued, which is a problem when we’re taking what he is writing as based on reality. While definitely more coherent than the first entry in the series, All Hallows Horror, in spite of a couple fun twists here and there, Waiting left me waiting for something interesting in all of this.
I write about other works that use Lovecraft as a fictional character in my article Lovecraft Reanimated at Fandom Fanatics.
Drawing from various genres, from action pulp to noir, the tone and writing style of the contributors feel a bit disconnected even if they are all working from the same pulp premise. A few are slightly entertaining takes, but most play these tired tropes all too straight, and it's kind of disappointing after all of the recent works subverting Lovecraftian horror and taking it in whole new directions. Lovecraft’s infamous racism is depicted, for instance, but it is not critiqued, which is a problem when we’re taking what he is writing as based on reality. While definitely more coherent than the first entry in the series, All Hallows Horror, in spite of a couple fun twists here and there, Waiting left me waiting for something interesting in all of this.
I write about other works that use Lovecraft as a fictional character in my article Lovecraft Reanimated at Fandom Fanatics.
June 11, 2020
Unlike the first Lovecraft Squad book (All Hallow's Horror), Waiting was a collection of loosely intertwined short stories. All the stories were entertaining and well written. Classic Cthulhu themed stories that are mostly set back in the 1930's which is entertaining, not necessarily "horror"
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fast paced Cthulhu style book, and am looking forward to reading the next in the series.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fast paced Cthulhu style book, and am looking forward to reading the next in the series.
October 6, 2018
Liked the early stories in the bunch, but my interest waned as the book went on. Better than the first book in the series, but still not terribly good.
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