It Came From Miskatonic University: Weirdly Fantastical Tales of Campus Life

by Scott Gable (Editor), Matt Maxwell, Tonya Liburd

Glad to see you back at MU! I know I had some big scares my first year here, and honestly, I almost called it quits. But then I just realised one day that this is where I belong. This is where I can make my mark, maybe make a difference. I learned so much that first year, and it nearly broke me. But I rebuilt myself. And now I’m here to help you and the other students figure out your own paths.

Faculty struggling for funding in the occult sciences. Students trying to navigate whole new worlds of possibility. Administration striving for growth and progress— not just damage control. And Arkham residents adjusting to the constant influx of new faces.

Just study harder.

Dance when you can.

Laugh a lot.

And don’t die.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies

248 pages, Hardcover

First published July 14, 2020

About the author

Editing and publishing speculative fiction gives me all the fuel I need. Keep an eye out for new and weird releases from Broken Eye Books!

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this! Lovecraftian horror with a smile. Doesn't get any better than this!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will always seek out Lovecraftian or mythos-inspired works (and if the characters in these stories are any indication, that will get me in trouble one day, ha!) so when I came across this collection, I knew I had to read it. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot! The stories within range from genuinely moving and emotional to silly/spooky fun, but as a collection it's definitely worth the read.

My favorite stories in the collection:
Intermediate Yithian - navigating a new relationship is always tricky, but even more so when one of the parties is ... something else. This one got me right in the feels!
Hashtag TPE - imagine the tour from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but set on the campus of Miskatonic University. Delightful!
The Librarian's Handbook - I love books, and I love the mythos, so this was a very happy union of the two.
Between the Holes - I thought this was the most chilling and ominous of the collection. I loved the non-standard format of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It Came from Miskatonic University” edited by Scott Gable [4/5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy

This is an anthology related to Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos and a lot of the stories are simply amazing. All of them are connected to Arkham’s Miskatonic University (as the title already suggests) and how people live there. On the surface it seems to be a university like everyone knows but there is a Lovecraftian layer to almost everything happening on campus. None of the stories in this anthology are outright bad, but as always there will probably be stories you like more than others if you read an anthology. All of the stories fit well together and into the greater scheme of Lovecraftian fiction. My favorites are:

“Fear of a Black Planet” by Tonya Liburd
“Student Body” by Richard Lee Byers
“Hashtag TPE” by Dawn Vogel
“The Secret Trials of Oscar Bloom” by Chuck Regan
“The Librarian’s Handbook” by Jennifer Brozek
“Between the Holes” by Dani Atkinson
“The Last Observer” by Erica L. Satifka & Rob McMonigal

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for an ARC copy received from Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Here we have another anthology of Lovecraftian short stories. The catch this time is that they all take place at, revolve around, feature students and faculty of good ol' MIskatonic U. (Go, Pods, Go!)
I have read many anthologies of Cthulhu Mythos stories over the years, and for the first time in a long time, I enjoyed nearly everything in this collection. And I hadn't heard of any of the authors collected here before, except for maybe 1 or 2.
Many of the stories have at least some degree of humor to them. At one point every other one involves The Great Race of Yith. And one more than one occasion, the campus feels more like it's Discworld's Unseen University, as magic get thrown about, usually with unexpected and often hilarious results.
If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say it was Between the Holes, as the combination of trying to perform an ancient ritual to complete a term paper at the last minute was laugh out loud funny.
Some other stories that stood out for me included Identity Crisis, Office Hours and After, The Kingdom of Is and Student Body. But I still liked most of the others as well.
The only two that didn't hold up for me were My Miskatonic, because the mini write ups for people around Arkham felt like the background material for NPCs in a Call of Cthulhu RPG module. I also wasn't a fan of Fear of a Black Planet because it didn't feel like it belonged with the rest of this collection, and went out of its way to hammer home social commentary while failing to keep a cohesive plot going. I loved that the stories in this book were there to entertain Lovecraftian fans and Black Planet just wasn't entertaining.
I would definitely be interested in other similar books by this publisher in the future.
4.5/5*

[Midu Hadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this book on Netgalley and I’m so glad I did!

I lucked out when I found not one but two great anthologies on Netgalley. This one–as the name indicates–runs with a Lovecraftian theme. Different stories in it describe different aspects of student life at the Miskatonic University Campus. Some students are just trying to survive, so they can sit for an upcoming exam, like in The Secret Trials of Oscar Bloom and Ordinary People.

Others are running against time with a quickly approaching deadline for a paper they had to write (Between the Holes). Still others are striking partnerships with deities to avenge the deaths of loved ones (Fear of a Black Planet) and for being experimented upon (Student Body)--hey it's the Miskatonic, what'd you expect?

Interdimensional relationships are the subjects of some stories, like Gills and Intermediate Yithian. Others are about people just trying to do their jobs as best as they can–which is a lot of hard work, given their place of employment– such as in Hashtag TPE.

There are gods parading down the halls of the hallowed institution, out for revenge (Office Hours and After), make the place their own (Identity Crisis) or just to take over the world–you know, the way Elder Gods will. But things do not always go the way you’d expect them, because even a visit to the library becomes tricky business, It Takes A Special Girl to Steal the Necronomicon. Anthologies like this one are always fun and full of gems that short bursts of creativity can produce.

Here’s a list of stories you’ll find in this collection:

Identity Crisis by Lynne Hardy
Fear of a Black Planet by Tonya Liburd
Office Hours and After by S.L. Edwards
Student Body by Richard Lee Byers
Gills by Jacqueline Bryk
Intermediate Yithian by David Kammerzelt
Hashtag TPE by Dawn Vogel
The Secret Trials of Oscar Bloom by Chuck Regan
Mowbray’s Museum by Oliver Smith
The Librarian’s Handbook by Jennifer Brozek
Ordinary People by Mary Berman
It Takes A Special Girl to Steal the Necronomicon by Jill Hand
Between the Holes by Dani Atkinson
The Kingdom of Is by Matt Maxwell
The Last Observer by Erica L. Satifka & Rob McMonigal
My Miskatonic: A Who’s Who of Arkham by Matthew M. Bartlett

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange modern stories of life on the campus of Miskatonic University. The university is situated in the strange and weird tow of Arkham. It’s intriguing to think that H. P. Lovecraft would have a university. If you have not read him, these stories will give a mild introduction to H. p. Lovecraft’s writings. Lovecraft wrote of fantastical, nightmare creatures as well as cautionary stories that were beyond creepy. In this book, you will get a mild and somewhat creepy campus life of this fantastical university. Some of the tales are a little creepy and I found myself chucking throughout the book. It’s a book that I did enjoy. If you enjoyed this book, you might want to try reading H. P. Lovecraft books.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to Lovecraftian mythos, I will try just about anything. Unfortunately, most Lovecraftian stories don't add to the narrative but rely on the same old tropes. Thankfully, It Came from Miskatonic University, is not one of those stories. This is an anthology that gives you ups and downs, adds new twists on our old Gods, and genuinely was just so fun to read.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Broken Eye Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.