What do you think?
Rate this book
The Flock of Ba-Hui and Other Stories
A researcher disappears while exploring the deep caverns of mountainous Sichuan, where folklore speaks of primeval reptilian gods sleeping beneath the earth. An artist dreams of a mysterious black tower stretching skyward for infinity, and glimpses the cold truth of the universe when he decides to climb it. Strange bubbling and decomposed corpses are discovered in the tunnels beneath an old mansion in the city of Qingdao, and an ancient temple in Tibet terrifies all who dare approach. Meanwhile, in an abandoned house, a stranger gathers together a group of bewildered scholars to whisper in the darkness of eldritch abominations and even weirder phantasms.
From the stygian depths of the Chinese internet, we proudly present four wholly original tales of cosmic horror based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft and translated into English for the very first time. These ghoulish short stories take their inspiration from some of Lovecraft's choicest nightmares and offer a different perspective on those things best left unseen. Follow us on a dream-quest as we explore what fresh terrors the Cthulhu Mythos has to offer from the other side of the Great Wall. Written in the authentic style of the pulp magazines of the 1930s, this unique offering of twisted tales will leave Lovecraft fans terrified and astounded by the stories' breadth of imagination.
The Flock of Ba-Hui takes Lovecraft's world in a new direction and is essential reading for the true horror aficionado and an ideal accompaniment to the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan.
From the stygian depths of the Chinese internet, we proudly present four wholly original tales of cosmic horror based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft and translated into English for the very first time. These ghoulish short stories take their inspiration from some of Lovecraft's choicest nightmares and offer a different perspective on those things best left unseen. Follow us on a dream-quest as we explore what fresh terrors the Cthulhu Mythos has to offer from the other side of the Great Wall. Written in the authentic style of the pulp magazines of the 1930s, this unique offering of twisted tales will leave Lovecraft fans terrified and astounded by the stories' breadth of imagination.
The Flock of Ba-Hui takes Lovecraft's world in a new direction and is essential reading for the true horror aficionado and an ideal accompaniment to the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan.
254 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2020
12 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 1, 2020
An interest in China, not H.P. Lovecraft, brought me to this wonderful collection of stories. Previously, my only familiarity with the latter came by way of Paul La Farge's captivating novel, The Night Ocean, which tells the cleverly imagined story of Lovecraft's relationship with a young fan. After reading that work, I felt like I had a pretty good feel for Lovecraftian prose, which I liked, but La Farge's portrait of the author - partially based on real life - left a bad taste in my mouth. (He was very racist, as I'm sure most people reading this book know.) As a result, my curiosity ended there.
The first thing you'll notice upon opening Ba-Hui is that the nostalgic formality of Lovecraft's writing is preserved. This is an impressive enough feat on its own, but even more so considering the book was translated from another language (and one as markedly different from English as Chinese, at that), an enormous credit to both the author and translators, as the immersive atmosphere of these four stories is what makes them such a pleasure to read. They are tied together by an italicized frame story, which I actually found to be the most compelling part of the book.
That isn't meant to say anything disparaging about the tales themselves. They could be a bit slow, but again, the enjoyment (for me) came in the reading itself. The endings were clever, although somewhat underwhelming, so it was great when the "twist" of the frame story hit at the end. I do wish there had been more China-specific details (in a few cases, aside from character names and locations, it felt as if the stories could have been taking place anywhere, and the Chinese countryside felt like an interesting place to set a creepy tale, the few times it was mentioned), but that definitely doesn't detract from the overall cohesiveness of the narrative. If you are a fan of Lovecraft, I believe (based on my VERY limited knowledge of his writing) that you'll find much to like in The Flock of Ba-Hui; it's certainly gotten me to consider taking a closer look at his work.
The first thing you'll notice upon opening Ba-Hui is that the nostalgic formality of Lovecraft's writing is preserved. This is an impressive enough feat on its own, but even more so considering the book was translated from another language (and one as markedly different from English as Chinese, at that), an enormous credit to both the author and translators, as the immersive atmosphere of these four stories is what makes them such a pleasure to read. They are tied together by an italicized frame story, which I actually found to be the most compelling part of the book.
That isn't meant to say anything disparaging about the tales themselves. They could be a bit slow, but again, the enjoyment (for me) came in the reading itself. The endings were clever, although somewhat underwhelming, so it was great when the "twist" of the frame story hit at the end. I do wish there had been more China-specific details (in a few cases, aside from character names and locations, it felt as if the stories could have been taking place anywhere, and the Chinese countryside felt like an interesting place to set a creepy tale, the few times it was mentioned), but that definitely doesn't detract from the overall cohesiveness of the narrative. If you are a fan of Lovecraft, I believe (based on my VERY limited knowledge of his writing) that you'll find much to like in The Flock of Ba-Hui; it's certainly gotten me to consider taking a closer look at his work.
February 20, 2021
This book is amazing! The translation is beautifully done for a smooth and enjoyable read. The through story created by the translators reminds me of a Vincent Price anthology movie in a very nostalgic way and brings the collection to a completely connected and satisfying close. I easily read one story in a morning and finished all this way over a course of a few days. Highly recommend.
January 22, 2023
This is one of the few books where I'd say to read the foreword. It gives you a good understanding of the crossover of Lovecraftian-type story telling and Chinese culture and setting. The author, Oobmab, (backwards spelling of bamboo) nails the gloom and dread of traditional Gothic stories. Horror seeps through the settings, caverns, ancestral homes, towers, and secret passageways. The book is incredibly well researched and flows well. At times the details can be a bit much but it is true to the style so I am not complaining. It is a great addition to the Lovecraftian mythos.
March 25, 2024
Quite good. The two sources meshed very nicely together. The second story was by far the best. Very memorable. I liked it. I felt like I was reading something not meant to be read, discovered somewhere weird.
November 19, 2022
A fine collection of Lovecraftian stories while not the most original it testament to H.P Lovecraft influence and near universal theme's
May 20, 2025
说是中式克苏鲁但其实我当民俗来看的，黑太岁和巴虺两篇不错，不负盛名，古塔也不错，但对我来说还是差点意思。
May 7, 2024
I really enjoyed these stories.
The stories in this book deliver on the Lovecraft genre but through the lens of modern day China.
As an American - I found the details of Chinese geography and history throughout these stories to be very interesting, like learning something about a foreign country/culture.
The stories in this book deliver on the Lovecraft genre but through the lens of modern day China.
As an American - I found the details of Chinese geography and history throughout these stories to be very interesting, like learning something about a foreign country/culture.
April 1, 2020
An interest in China, not H.P. Lovecraft, brought me to this wonderful collection of stories. Previously, my only familiarity with the latter came by way of Paul La Farge's captivating novel, The Night Ocean, which tells the cleverly imagined story of Lovecraft's relationship with a young fan. After reading that work, I felt like I had a pretty good feel for Lovecraftian prose, which I liked, but La Farge's portrait of the author - partially based on real life - left a bad taste in my mouth. (He was very racist, as I'm sure most people reading this book know.) As a result, my curiosity ended there.
The first thing you'll notice upon opening Ba-Hui is that the nostalgic formality of Lovecraft's writing is preserved. This is an impressive enough feat on its own, but even more so considering the book was translated from another language (and one as markedly different from English as Chinese, at that), an enormous credit to both the author and translators, as the immersive atmosphere of these four stories is what makes them such a pleasure to read. They are tied together by an italicized frame story, which I actually found to be the most compelling part of the book.
That isn't meant to say anything disparaging about the tales themselves. They could be a bit slow, but again, the enjoyment (for me) came in the reading itself. The endings were clever, although somewhat underwhelming, so it was great when the "twist" of the frame story hit at the end. I do wish there had been more China-specific details (in a few cases, aside from character names and locations, it felt as if the stories could have been taking place anywhere, and the Chinese countryside felt like an interesting place to set a creepy tale, the few times it was mentioned), but that definitely doesn't detract from the overall cohesiveness of the narrative. If you are a fan of Lovecraft, I believe (based on my VERY limited knowledge of his writing) that you'll find much to like in The Flock of Ba-Hui; it's certainly gotten me to consider taking a closer look at his work.
The first thing you'll notice upon opening Ba-Hui is that the nostalgic formality of Lovecraft's writing is preserved. This is an impressive enough feat on its own, but even more so considering the book was translated from another language (and one as markedly different from English as Chinese, at that), an enormous credit to both the author and translators, as the immersive atmosphere of these four stories is what makes them such a pleasure to read. They are tied together by an italicized frame story, which I actually found to be the most compelling part of the book.
That isn't meant to say anything disparaging about the tales themselves. They could be a bit slow, but again, the enjoyment (for me) came in the reading itself. The endings were clever, although somewhat underwhelming, so it was great when the "twist" of the frame story hit at the end. I do wish there had been more China-specific details (in a few cases, aside from character names and locations, it felt as if the stories could have been taking place anywhere, and the Chinese countryside felt like an interesting place to set a creepy tale, the few times it was mentioned), but that definitely doesn't detract from the overall cohesiveness of the narrative. If you are a fan of Lovecraft, I believe (based on my VERY limited knowledge of his writing) that you'll find much to like in The Flock of Ba-Hui; it's certainly gotten me to consider taking a closer look at his work.
January 3, 2026
Stylistically and thematically this is the best Lovecraft-inspired story I've read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews