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Can You Sign My Tentacle?
Cthulhu meets hip-hop in this book of horror poems that flips the eldritch genre upside down. Lovecraftian-inspired nightmares are reversed as O'Brien asks readers to see Blackness as radically significant. Can You Sign My Tentacle? explores the monsters we know and the ones that hide behind racism, sexism, and violence, resulting in poems that are both comic and cosmic.
75 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2021
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About the author
Brandon O'Brien
23 books37 followersBrandon O'Brien is a poet, writer, critic and facilitator from Trinidad and Tobago. His work has been published in Uncanny Magazine, Strange Horizons, Reckoning, People of Colo(u)r Destroy Fantasy!, and New Worlds, Old Ways: Speculative Tales from the Caribbean, among other outlets. His work has also been shortlisted for the 2014 Alice Yard Prize for Art Writing, and the 2014 and 2015 Small Axe Literary Competitions.
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December 18, 2021Okay, so this collection is brilliant and fascinating, and I am going to flail through trying to talk about it because I’m not great at talking about poetry anyway. And there’s always this slightly complicated dynamic when you’re talking about work by Black creators, in that you want to support and celebrate the work and meet it where it’s at, without appropriating it or trying to make where it’s at all about you and your whiteness.
I guess a good place to start with this is that SFF has long had a Lovecraft problem: in the sense that his writing is seen as fundamental to our understanding of horror and has shaped the genre inescapably. (My favourite goddamn boardgame is Lovecraft-inspired) But he’s also, and there’s no way of saying this sensitively, like … racist. Like next level racist. Which I’m not saying to demonstrate my amazing sensitive allyness: it’s just kind of … a fact that, while we’ve got better at pretending it isn’t there, or it doesn’t matter, must be all kinds of fucked up to navigate around if you’re a Black SFF writer. Though, of course, there’s an also a burgeoning collection of work that exists directly to address this (The Ballad of Black Tom, She Walks in Shadows both spring to mind) and I think it is to these texts (as well as to Black art and culture more generally, for example in its hip hop influences), over and above Problematic Uncle Howie, that Can You Sign My Tentacle is most explicitly in dialogue.
There’s a lot going on, both whimsical and serious, in Can You Sign My Tentacle but its central conceit is this: what if these unspeakable monstrosities that exist primarily as manifestations of some white guy’s fear of the known were just, like, super fans of Black artists? The opening poem is called ‘Hastur Asks for Donald Glover’s Autograph’. Which, y’know, if that amuses the hell out of you, then this collection will not disappoint. For all the significance of its themes, essentially positing Black significance as both defense against and answer to Lovecraft’s terror of cosmic insignificance, these poems are deliciously playful. Unabashedly weird. It is rare, I think, to find something that engages so uniquely—so transformatively—with the mythos (and I say this as someone who often digs through Lovecraft’s pockets when I’m writing).
I think the other thing that this collection serves to highlight—and the author discusses this in the note at the end (something that white readers will probably find illuminating to read first)—is, like, just how fucking privileged do you have to be for “fear of the unknown” to have such an overwhelming effect on you. I mean, the rest of us have plenty to fear from the shit we do know. Couple this with the idea that insignificance in the face of arbitrarily powerful ‘others’ that aren’t like you and don’t care about is, when you get right down it, what living with a marginalised identity is like. And so what you get here are a collection of poems that speak far more to human nature, identity and the monsters we create for ourselves than Lovecraft ever could.
It’s always really difficult to play favourites with a poetry collection because I feel if a collection is put together carefully enough the placement becomes, well, kind of its own poem really: there’s another journey here, with its own rise and fall, and its emotional resonances. And this is definitely true of Can You Sign My Tentacle. There is such precision here, not just in the construction of each poem individually, but in how the poem is placed among its fellows. But, for me, some of the highlights include: because who she is matters more than her words; the lagahoo speaks for itself; That Business They Call Utopia, Part Two; time and time again; Young Poet Just Misses Getting MF DOOM’s Autograph.
Really, this is just a stunning piece of art. While every poem is unlikely to work for every reader—and if you’re white then they’re explicitly written within and speaking to a cultural framework that doesn’t include you (and, y’know, that’s okay, we’ve apparently got Lovecraft)—there’s still something really bold, charming and very much worth experiencing here. It will take me a while, I think, to fully understand the depth and breadth of these poems. But given how much Lovecraft shit I’ve consumed down the years? That feels fair enough.
I guess a good place to start with this is that SFF has long had a Lovecraft problem: in the sense that his writing is seen as fundamental to our understanding of horror and has shaped the genre inescapably. (My favourite goddamn boardgame is Lovecraft-inspired) But he’s also, and there’s no way of saying this sensitively, like … racist. Like next level racist. Which I’m not saying to demonstrate my amazing sensitive allyness: it’s just kind of … a fact that, while we’ve got better at pretending it isn’t there, or it doesn’t matter, must be all kinds of fucked up to navigate around if you’re a Black SFF writer. Though, of course, there’s an also a burgeoning collection of work that exists directly to address this (The Ballad of Black Tom, She Walks in Shadows both spring to mind) and I think it is to these texts (as well as to Black art and culture more generally, for example in its hip hop influences), over and above Problematic Uncle Howie, that Can You Sign My Tentacle is most explicitly in dialogue.
There’s a lot going on, both whimsical and serious, in Can You Sign My Tentacle but its central conceit is this: what if these unspeakable monstrosities that exist primarily as manifestations of some white guy’s fear of the known were just, like, super fans of Black artists? The opening poem is called ‘Hastur Asks for Donald Glover’s Autograph’. Which, y’know, if that amuses the hell out of you, then this collection will not disappoint. For all the significance of its themes, essentially positing Black significance as both defense against and answer to Lovecraft’s terror of cosmic insignificance, these poems are deliciously playful. Unabashedly weird. It is rare, I think, to find something that engages so uniquely—so transformatively—with the mythos (and I say this as someone who often digs through Lovecraft’s pockets when I’m writing).
I think the other thing that this collection serves to highlight—and the author discusses this in the note at the end (something that white readers will probably find illuminating to read first)—is, like, just how fucking privileged do you have to be for “fear of the unknown” to have such an overwhelming effect on you. I mean, the rest of us have plenty to fear from the shit we do know. Couple this with the idea that insignificance in the face of arbitrarily powerful ‘others’ that aren’t like you and don’t care about is, when you get right down it, what living with a marginalised identity is like. And so what you get here are a collection of poems that speak far more to human nature, identity and the monsters we create for ourselves than Lovecraft ever could.
It’s always really difficult to play favourites with a poetry collection because I feel if a collection is put together carefully enough the placement becomes, well, kind of its own poem really: there’s another journey here, with its own rise and fall, and its emotional resonances. And this is definitely true of Can You Sign My Tentacle. There is such precision here, not just in the construction of each poem individually, but in how the poem is placed among its fellows. But, for me, some of the highlights include: because who she is matters more than her words; the lagahoo speaks for itself; That Business They Call Utopia, Part Two; time and time again; Young Poet Just Misses Getting MF DOOM’s Autograph.
Really, this is just a stunning piece of art. While every poem is unlikely to work for every reader—and if you’re white then they’re explicitly written within and speaking to a cultural framework that doesn’t include you (and, y’know, that’s okay, we’ve apparently got Lovecraft)—there’s still something really bold, charming and very much worth experiencing here. It will take me a while, I think, to fully understand the depth and breadth of these poems. But given how much Lovecraft shit I’ve consumed down the years? That feels fair enough.
August 6, 2021
Turns out that goodness is often light-sensitive.
Turns out that darkness leaves all of its windows open
and makes lullaby out of everything. Turns out there’s
a duality in everything
I would definitely recommend reading the ‘Author’s Note’ first, as Brandon O’Brien gives a very moving and well-considered account of how he came to ‘embrace’ the work of generally-not-a-nice person HP Lovecraft, whose numerous endearing qualities included having a cat named ‘Nigger-Man’ (catnip for meme makers on social media, of course).
Still, O’Brien notes that Lovecraft is “one of science fiction’s most well-known authors”, “an otherwise talented and creative hand in the genre, and we credit him on the expansion of an entire subgenre mythos that science fiction and horror still reveres to this day.” He points out: “The conversation is a challenging, bitter thing.”
Instead of erasing Lovecraft from the genre’s collective memory, O’Brien points to the highly potent “deliberate reimaginings” of Victor LaValle (‘The Ballad of Black Tom’) and Matt Ruff (‘Lovecraft Country’). It is clear that ‘Can You Sign My Tentacle?’ falls into this category of contemporarising and re-energising Lovecraft for the ‘new world’.
But just as we have monuments like the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem as a cautionary reminder of the depravity of humanity, O’Brien’s poems also indicate that Lovecraft should be both a reminder and a warning.
He states that “Science fiction is a radical genre, but that fact is a neutral one.” One just has to recall the Rose Tico backlash sparked by The Last Jedi and the Sad Puppies right-wing anti-diversity voting campaign at the Hugos to realise how the spirit of Lovecraft, unrepentant and unreformed, is very much alive in our supposedly enlightened genre and world. Live long and prosper my ass, especially if you’re black or gay in the wrong part of the planet.
The wonderful title and cover art made me think that this would be some Rocky Horror Picture Show ‘Monster Mash’, but this is a surprisingly diverse, quite dark and often really lovely collection of poems that will stay with you for a long time. I suspect not all of them will speak to everybody’s lived experience, but anything that manages to combine Cthulhu with hip hop has to be pretty fucking fantastic in my book.
My personal favourites:
because who she is matters more than words
The Metaphysics of a Wine, in Theory and Practice
time, and time again
drop some amens
Turns out that darkness leaves all of its windows open
and makes lullaby out of everything. Turns out there’s
a duality in everything
I would definitely recommend reading the ‘Author’s Note’ first, as Brandon O’Brien gives a very moving and well-considered account of how he came to ‘embrace’ the work of generally-not-a-nice person HP Lovecraft, whose numerous endearing qualities included having a cat named ‘Nigger-Man’ (catnip for meme makers on social media, of course).
Still, O’Brien notes that Lovecraft is “one of science fiction’s most well-known authors”, “an otherwise talented and creative hand in the genre, and we credit him on the expansion of an entire subgenre mythos that science fiction and horror still reveres to this day.” He points out: “The conversation is a challenging, bitter thing.”
Instead of erasing Lovecraft from the genre’s collective memory, O’Brien points to the highly potent “deliberate reimaginings” of Victor LaValle (‘The Ballad of Black Tom’) and Matt Ruff (‘Lovecraft Country’). It is clear that ‘Can You Sign My Tentacle?’ falls into this category of contemporarising and re-energising Lovecraft for the ‘new world’.
But just as we have monuments like the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem as a cautionary reminder of the depravity of humanity, O’Brien’s poems also indicate that Lovecraft should be both a reminder and a warning.
He states that “Science fiction is a radical genre, but that fact is a neutral one.” One just has to recall the Rose Tico backlash sparked by The Last Jedi and the Sad Puppies right-wing anti-diversity voting campaign at the Hugos to realise how the spirit of Lovecraft, unrepentant and unreformed, is very much alive in our supposedly enlightened genre and world. Live long and prosper my ass, especially if you’re black or gay in the wrong part of the planet.
The wonderful title and cover art made me think that this would be some Rocky Horror Picture Show ‘Monster Mash’, but this is a surprisingly diverse, quite dark and often really lovely collection of poems that will stay with you for a long time. I suspect not all of them will speak to everybody’s lived experience, but anything that manages to combine Cthulhu with hip hop has to be pretty fucking fantastic in my book.
My personal favourites:
because who she is matters more than words
The Metaphysics of a Wine, in Theory and Practice
time, and time again
drop some amens
May 29, 2022
I have enjoyed O’Brien’s poetry, where it has appeared online in the past and was excited to see that he had put together a collection. And published by one of the best independent poetry and fiction presses (Intersellar Flight Press, Editor in chief Holly Walrath) that exist today. His poetry is vibrant and shimmering, at turns formal and others colloquial. This collection is no exception.
That said, I am too dense or not knowledgeable enough to understand many of these poems. They are meant to subvert the Lovecraftian tropes and claim them for himself and other BIPOC writers whom Lovecraft himself did not respect. I don’t get many of the references to personalities mentioned and I’m not broadly versed in lovecraftian lore (but also not completely clueless). But that is not Brandon’s fault nor his concern. I wish I did understand better, but I’m sure there are many to whom these poems speak more directly.
So in order to rate it more fairly I found a list of criteria of poetical elements and include my results below. That is what my star rating is based on. Of course, it’s still to be taken with a grain of salt, even though I tried to remain objective in the elements.
(1) BEAUTY, POWER, EDUCATION, or ENTERTAINMENT 9/10
(2) MESSAGE & INTEREST 10/10
(3) TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE 8/10
(4) RHYME andor METER 8/10
(5) ASSONANCE and ALLITERATION 8/10
(6) FORM & FLOW 7/10
(7) CHOICE OF WORDS & READABILITY 8/10
(8) OVERALL IMPACT 9/10
(9) ORIGINALITY 10/10
(10) POLISH & EXPERTISE 8/10
85/100 = 8.5 points = 4.25 stars
That said, I am too dense or not knowledgeable enough to understand many of these poems. They are meant to subvert the Lovecraftian tropes and claim them for himself and other BIPOC writers whom Lovecraft himself did not respect. I don’t get many of the references to personalities mentioned and I’m not broadly versed in lovecraftian lore (but also not completely clueless). But that is not Brandon’s fault nor his concern. I wish I did understand better, but I’m sure there are many to whom these poems speak more directly.
So in order to rate it more fairly I found a list of criteria of poetical elements and include my results below. That is what my star rating is based on. Of course, it’s still to be taken with a grain of salt, even though I tried to remain objective in the elements.
(1) BEAUTY, POWER, EDUCATION, or ENTERTAINMENT 9/10
(2) MESSAGE & INTEREST 10/10
(3) TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE 8/10
(4) RHYME andor METER 8/10
(5) ASSONANCE and ALLITERATION 8/10
(6) FORM & FLOW 7/10
(7) CHOICE OF WORDS & READABILITY 8/10
(8) OVERALL IMPACT 9/10
(9) ORIGINALITY 10/10
(10) POLISH & EXPERTISE 8/10
85/100 = 8.5 points = 4.25 stars
July 16, 2021
This is such a read which is quite short yet you might get crazy visions while reading it.
The writing in a poetry format, you might feel the stories are quiet chaotic and confusing.
I did feel it too. I wish the writing have something to deliver as I felt confused with most lines and had little to no idea what they were talking about.
I like the vivid descriptions of the gory and horror elements. Other than this, I feel this book might be a little too confusing for nonpoetry readers.
Thank you, author and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.
The writing in a poetry format, you might feel the stories are quiet chaotic and confusing.
I did feel it too. I wish the writing have something to deliver as I felt confused with most lines and had little to no idea what they were talking about.
I like the vivid descriptions of the gory and horror elements. Other than this, I feel this book might be a little too confusing for nonpoetry readers.
Thank you, author and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.
July 29, 2021
I don't read poetry often and I don't know anything about Lovecraft horror which would probably helped me out here. I do know he was a racist and that some Black writers have been doing interesting things using the types of monsters he's created. I'll admit I did not understand many of these stories. However there were lines throughout that I highlighted because they stood out to me. There were passages dealing with racism in America despite portraying the "right" kind of image. I really liked what Brandon O'Brien wrote about growing old and leaving a legacy. There were also some parts about losing control that stood out as well as stories about grief and death. So I feel like it touched on various topics. The horror part really didn't come through enough in this collection for me. But for a collection of stories reflecting on life this was a good book.
Standout stories were That Business they Call Utopia Part Two, The Lagahoo Speaks for Itself, Birth Place, Time and Time Again and Love Craft Thesis #3.
Standout stories were That Business they Call Utopia Part Two, The Lagahoo Speaks for Itself, Birth Place, Time and Time Again and Love Craft Thesis #3.
June 19, 2021
I received an eARC copy from Interstellar Flight Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The philosophical aspect of placing words one after the other in a specific order exists for one and one purpose only, and that is to elaborate a higher transcendental objective that aims to transmit a deeper meaning of simple communication. Furthermore, one must ensure that the precise word is placed in an unerring place to emphasize a specific momentum the message wants to highlight.
In simple words, my expectations were not met. If this collection was supposed to be a horror novel-in-verse, it did not hit the spot; there was no connection with H. P. Lovecraft's tones whatsoever, although the reference was there. When it comes to the sci-fi explosion of motives, there were no cohesion of thoughts and no relation with the previous nor the following verse.
Most of the poems felt like badly put-together odd words from an ancient dictionary that make no sense. The writing was confusing most of the time, the relation between words and thoughts not there, the expression overpowered with an abundance of extravagant phrases and sentences that failed in transmitting a, what I believe was, simple message.
The blurb said that "Can You Sign My Tentacle? explores the monsters we know and the ones that hide behind racism, sexism, and violence, resulting in poems that are both comic and cosmic." None of these emotions, feelings, deep meanings and hidden messages came through; none of them screamed at my face. That is what was expected; that is what I came here for. The struggle is real when I have to reread a few verses and poems and still come through blank, without finding anything new about what I have just read.
One great thing that caught my attention was the cover artwork. It is fascinating, inviting, intriguing; the colour palette is gorgeous. I just wish this collection considered including illustrations that would represent the words and messages the poetry bears; that would have been a perfect combination.
Lovecraft Thesis #5
.......Ever notice
how they huddle around warped symbols,
pledge fealty to idols long since dust,
march on wearing capsized ideas
on their heads to hide from sight?
The philosophical aspect of placing words one after the other in a specific order exists for one and one purpose only, and that is to elaborate a higher transcendental objective that aims to transmit a deeper meaning of simple communication. Furthermore, one must ensure that the precise word is placed in an unerring place to emphasize a specific momentum the message wants to highlight.
In simple words, my expectations were not met. If this collection was supposed to be a horror novel-in-verse, it did not hit the spot; there was no connection with H. P. Lovecraft's tones whatsoever, although the reference was there. When it comes to the sci-fi explosion of motives, there were no cohesion of thoughts and no relation with the previous nor the following verse.
Most of the poems felt like badly put-together odd words from an ancient dictionary that make no sense. The writing was confusing most of the time, the relation between words and thoughts not there, the expression overpowered with an abundance of extravagant phrases and sentences that failed in transmitting a, what I believe was, simple message.
The blurb said that "Can You Sign My Tentacle? explores the monsters we know and the ones that hide behind racism, sexism, and violence, resulting in poems that are both comic and cosmic." None of these emotions, feelings, deep meanings and hidden messages came through; none of them screamed at my face. That is what was expected; that is what I came here for. The struggle is real when I have to reread a few verses and poems and still come through blank, without finding anything new about what I have just read.
One great thing that caught my attention was the cover artwork. It is fascinating, inviting, intriguing; the colour palette is gorgeous. I just wish this collection considered including illustrations that would represent the words and messages the poetry bears; that would have been a perfect combination.
July 7, 2021
Because I am not as well-read in SpecPo as I would like to be, I fell into a trap when I agreed to read Can You Sign My Tentacle?, the poetry collection by Brandon O’Brien. I was seduced by the cover art, a delightful piece by Trevor Fraley. The colors, the line art, the title font (in conjunction with the whimsical title) lulled me into the expectation of wry, lighthearted poems that would juxtapose Lovecraftian mythology with contemporary popular culture. I made the horribly cliché mistake of associating Fraley’s comic-style cover illustration with material that was perhaps not so important as other, more serious endeavors. I, who should most definitely know better, confused comic with comedic. Based on the cover, I lazily assumed the content to be Less Stuff, More Fluff, as it were.
But please let me assure you, this collection is as serious as it gets. Oh, it does definitely blend the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft with the media-driven existence of today’s hip-hop artists. Among other topics. It does so wryly. There are whimsical moments. I’m sure there is some lightheartedness within these pages, for those who know how to find it, for those readers for whom these poems are written.
I, however, am not such a reader.
I am an outsider to these poems, one who has been granted the honor of reading/listening to O’Brien’s work. His culture is not my culture and thus, many of his references are from outside of my sphere of experience.
Make no mistake, the fact of this is not a criticism of the work. Who am I to say that a poet must speak to me, for me? No. As O’Brien notes in his “Lovecraft Thesis #1,” “if you can’t make sense of what / the rhythm of time seeks to say / then it wasn’t for you”. To be clear, however, nor should you make the mistake of thinking that if the words are not meant for me, they have no message for me. Quite the contrary.
A non-Native native of the American West, I have spent most of my life living within an hour’s travel from one Indian Boarding School or another, and the recent news (disturbing, yet to those of us who are familiar with the system, not particularly surprising) of mass unmarked graves of Native children, victims of these schools, weighs heavily on me these days. “Birth, Place” is about the experiences of an altogether different people, and yet the lines “Shade will one day grow / in the place where your father’s / bones once called me low.” bring to my mind the resistance and resilience of my Native friends and neighbors.
A father of two daughters, I have spent my life as a parent seeing and fearing and cringing at the casual and explicit misogyny they must face every day. I know there are sub-texts that pass me by in “Cthylla Asks For J. Cole’s Autograph,” but it reminds me that my daughters are strong, that they are ‘girl-gods’ and that they, I pray, will “need rescue last.”
More than two-dozen poems are included in the collection. Some, such as those noted above, evoked scenes and situations from my own life. More drew me closer to O’Brien’s world. All gave me pause. These are serious works. This collection is an event. These poems are, as we used to say, the Real Deal. If they are written for you, you should clasp them to you and read them. If they are not written for you, you may want to begin with the Author’s Note at the back of the book in order to gain some context, and then you should clasp them to you and read them. Now.
ARC from Interstellar Flight Press via NetGalley
Review posted to GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
But please let me assure you, this collection is as serious as it gets. Oh, it does definitely blend the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft with the media-driven existence of today’s hip-hop artists. Among other topics. It does so wryly. There are whimsical moments. I’m sure there is some lightheartedness within these pages, for those who know how to find it, for those readers for whom these poems are written.
I, however, am not such a reader.
I am an outsider to these poems, one who has been granted the honor of reading/listening to O’Brien’s work. His culture is not my culture and thus, many of his references are from outside of my sphere of experience.
Make no mistake, the fact of this is not a criticism of the work. Who am I to say that a poet must speak to me, for me? No. As O’Brien notes in his “Lovecraft Thesis #1,” “if you can’t make sense of what / the rhythm of time seeks to say / then it wasn’t for you”. To be clear, however, nor should you make the mistake of thinking that if the words are not meant for me, they have no message for me. Quite the contrary.
A non-Native native of the American West, I have spent most of my life living within an hour’s travel from one Indian Boarding School or another, and the recent news (disturbing, yet to those of us who are familiar with the system, not particularly surprising) of mass unmarked graves of Native children, victims of these schools, weighs heavily on me these days. “Birth, Place” is about the experiences of an altogether different people, and yet the lines “Shade will one day grow / in the place where your father’s / bones once called me low.” bring to my mind the resistance and resilience of my Native friends and neighbors.
A father of two daughters, I have spent my life as a parent seeing and fearing and cringing at the casual and explicit misogyny they must face every day. I know there are sub-texts that pass me by in “Cthylla Asks For J. Cole’s Autograph,” but it reminds me that my daughters are strong, that they are ‘girl-gods’ and that they, I pray, will “need rescue last.”
More than two-dozen poems are included in the collection. Some, such as those noted above, evoked scenes and situations from my own life. More drew me closer to O’Brien’s world. All gave me pause. These are serious works. This collection is an event. These poems are, as we used to say, the Real Deal. If they are written for you, you should clasp them to you and read them. If they are not written for you, you may want to begin with the Author’s Note at the back of the book in order to gain some context, and then you should clasp them to you and read them. Now.
ARC from Interstellar Flight Press via NetGalley
Review posted to GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
June 20, 2021
ARC review.
I'm not generally a poetry reader, but the author is a trini like me so I wanted to check out his work.
Not going to lie I was confused by some of these but that's a me thing, poetry is hard for me but I have my faves from this collection! Ones that resonated or stood out to me:
Because who she is matters more than her words: I liked this one, think it was one of the easier ones for me to read and understand
The lagahoo speaks for itself: Another one that I enjoyed. Anything to do with our folklore characters intrigues me
The metaphysics of a wine, in theory and practice: This one was just genius! The brilliance of its construction! The way wining is described differently here but each one was so relatable and true having given many wines and being a recipient of a good few 😉
Time and time again: This one stuck with me alot too. It was beautifully written! I'm not sure if the meaning I took away from it was what the author intended but it felt like a commentary on a queer relationship? I could be way off but open to interpretation right?
I'm not generally a poetry reader, but the author is a trini like me so I wanted to check out his work.
Not going to lie I was confused by some of these but that's a me thing, poetry is hard for me but I have my faves from this collection! Ones that resonated or stood out to me:
Because who she is matters more than her words: I liked this one, think it was one of the easier ones for me to read and understand
The lagahoo speaks for itself: Another one that I enjoyed. Anything to do with our folklore characters intrigues me
The metaphysics of a wine, in theory and practice: This one was just genius! The brilliance of its construction! The way wining is described differently here but each one was so relatable and true having given many wines and being a recipient of a good few 😉
Time and time again: This one stuck with me alot too. It was beautifully written! I'm not sure if the meaning I took away from it was what the author intended but it felt like a commentary on a queer relationship? I could be way off but open to interpretation right?
December 22, 2021
Really interesting collection, and one I was definitely looking forward to reading.
The humorous title gives way to a collection of poems in which the Lovecraftian eldritch horrors ask well known hip hop artists to sign them an autograph. A witty way to defuse the cosmic-horror and the magnitude and lower them to the ground, at the poem level it works, but I'm not really sure if it does conceptually or thematically.
Perhaps my main gripe is that there are already pop-culture reclaimed cosmic monsters, (for example, all the flavors of kaijū, that even did appear as an Easter Egg in a recent Magic: The Gathering collection), and repeating the theme, changing the monster and the rapper made me detach myself a little bit, like watching different kaijū films in order with their different flavors. Separatedly, they can bear a powerful social commentary, but together they feel like any of these Japanese films marathon.
But perhaps that was intended.
Outstanding for me was the MF Doom poem, perhaps because it's a very powerful elegy in which we can see MF Doom elevated, instead of having the theme downgraded. It definitely stood out, with the rhythmic repetition that Brandon O'Brien skillfully uses throughout the collection.
Thanks to NetGalley and Insterstellar Flight Press for providing me an eARC for this review.
The humorous title gives way to a collection of poems in which the Lovecraftian eldritch horrors ask well known hip hop artists to sign them an autograph. A witty way to defuse the cosmic-horror and the magnitude and lower them to the ground, at the poem level it works, but I'm not really sure if it does conceptually or thematically.
Perhaps my main gripe is that there are already pop-culture reclaimed cosmic monsters, (for example, all the flavors of kaijū, that even did appear as an Easter Egg in a recent Magic: The Gathering collection), and repeating the theme, changing the monster and the rapper made me detach myself a little bit, like watching different kaijū films in order with their different flavors. Separatedly, they can bear a powerful social commentary, but together they feel like any of these Japanese films marathon.
But perhaps that was intended.
Outstanding for me was the MF Doom poem, perhaps because it's a very powerful elegy in which we can see MF Doom elevated, instead of having the theme downgraded. It definitely stood out, with the rhythmic repetition that Brandon O'Brien skillfully uses throughout the collection.
Thanks to NetGalley and Insterstellar Flight Press for providing me an eARC for this review.
February 20, 2022
Lovecraftian horror, hip hop, and mediations on celebrity make for strange bedfellows, but O'Brien makes it work. It's a really interesting conceit to have cosmic horrors struck giddy with encounters with famous rappers. There is a lot to unpack here, especially in the poems not dealing with celebrity, but still dealing with the sometimes uncomfortable interstation of fantasy/SF and how race affects lives in our current society.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2024
I finally got around to reading Brandon O'Brien’s phenomenal collection of poetry, Can You Sign My Tentacle? in which the incomprehensible gods from the Cthulhu mythos come down to Earth to get autographs from famous rappers. Other poems explore the intersection of fiction horrors with the horrors of every day life (racism, sexism, and violence). Each of these poems drips with rhythm, visual flair, and depth. A couple of short samples are below.
Violence makes good background noise
for anything. Even for knowledge.
People suffer for knowing all the time
in your stories—you know, the ones where
something shrouded in shadow stalks the
corridors between neon and dancing
with its eyes on everything gentle
and its tendrils on everything glimmering.
How dare you tell me this is somehow
unfathomable?
— from “Lovecraft Thesis #2 (Splendor & Misery, Face B, Track 2)”
“and we win by stabbing each
of them in the eye with our fountain pens
and we peel their pale exteriors with our hands
and bite into whatever wicked pulp rests beneath
and we get whole seasons of ourselves
and neither of us gets written out
and our bodies still belong to us
and our bodies never forget the sound of our voice.”
— from “the reposession of skin”
Violence makes good background noise
for anything. Even for knowledge.
People suffer for knowing all the time
in your stories—you know, the ones where
something shrouded in shadow stalks the
corridors between neon and dancing
with its eyes on everything gentle
and its tendrils on everything glimmering.
How dare you tell me this is somehow
unfathomable?
— from “Lovecraft Thesis #2 (Splendor & Misery, Face B, Track 2)”
“and we win by stabbing each
of them in the eye with our fountain pens
and we peel their pale exteriors with our hands
and bite into whatever wicked pulp rests beneath
and we get whole seasons of ourselves
and neither of us gets written out
and our bodies still belong to us
and our bodies never forget the sound of our voice.”
— from “the reposession of skin”
May 28, 2021
this was...... not my thing. at all.
listen, i like horror as much as the next person, but in poetry form? that's harder to pull off in my opinion. a full length novel has more of a chance to build suspense and create an atmosphere. a poem has to do that much more quickly. and here, it didn't pull it off. i didn't feel like i was reading a horror collection of poems, i just felt like i was reading something boring that didn't make much sense.
listen, i like horror as much as the next person, but in poetry form? that's harder to pull off in my opinion. a full length novel has more of a chance to build suspense and create an atmosphere. a poem has to do that much more quickly. and here, it didn't pull it off. i didn't feel like i was reading a horror collection of poems, i just felt like i was reading something boring that didn't make much sense.
August 4, 2021
You know the first sign of a great book is when you are reading the advance copy and ten pages in, set your device down to find out if your local book store can order you a physical copy because you -need- it on your shelf.
The premise does an amazing job of grabbing you from the start. The intersection of the mythos spun out in the writings of a dead racist and a talented young Black poet writing odes to hip hop stars and monsters is fascinating in both its contradiction and how well it works. Brandon O'Brien is sometimes listed as a performance poet and that is clear from the cadence of the first poem in the book and is continued throughout. Its hard to not find yourself reading them outloud, testing patterns and beats that would bring them to life. I'm hardly the first reviewer who would love to hear this collection in audio from the artist as well.
The biggest selling point for me is the way the horror (both in the cosmic sense and as social commentary) are interwoven with a sense of humor and charm. It disarms you as you read it and also gets through your defenses, making some of the poems land all the harder for it. If you are familiar with Brandon from his time as Poetry Editor for FIYAH (a literary magazine that I feel like is going to continue giving the world gifts for years), you won't be too surprised at his deft hand in tying in allusions to cultural touchstones and literary work. If this is your first time coming across the author, you are in for a treat as you watch a talented poet spin tales that are nuanced and real even as they deal with thousand foot monsters from beyond the stars.
Its the first verse of the second poem in the book that grabbed me and kept me reading through the entire collection in one go. The poem is entitled 'because who she is matters more than her words' and if you follow any Black femme presenting authors on twitter its going to ring all too true to the daily struggle that these talented women go through.
This book is the perfect take for people who enjoy the cosmic horror genre but want to see it be more than just tired old stories. This is a fictional genre that's always been more for what has been added and this continues a rich tradition of making it more. Mr. O'Brien mentions in his author's note the concept of Black Significance in the face of the cosmic and its an idea I look forward to being more explored.
The premise does an amazing job of grabbing you from the start. The intersection of the mythos spun out in the writings of a dead racist and a talented young Black poet writing odes to hip hop stars and monsters is fascinating in both its contradiction and how well it works. Brandon O'Brien is sometimes listed as a performance poet and that is clear from the cadence of the first poem in the book and is continued throughout. Its hard to not find yourself reading them outloud, testing patterns and beats that would bring them to life. I'm hardly the first reviewer who would love to hear this collection in audio from the artist as well.
The biggest selling point for me is the way the horror (both in the cosmic sense and as social commentary) are interwoven with a sense of humor and charm. It disarms you as you read it and also gets through your defenses, making some of the poems land all the harder for it. If you are familiar with Brandon from his time as Poetry Editor for FIYAH (a literary magazine that I feel like is going to continue giving the world gifts for years), you won't be too surprised at his deft hand in tying in allusions to cultural touchstones and literary work. If this is your first time coming across the author, you are in for a treat as you watch a talented poet spin tales that are nuanced and real even as they deal with thousand foot monsters from beyond the stars.
Its the first verse of the second poem in the book that grabbed me and kept me reading through the entire collection in one go. The poem is entitled 'because who she is matters more than her words' and if you follow any Black femme presenting authors on twitter its going to ring all too true to the daily struggle that these talented women go through.
This book is the perfect take for people who enjoy the cosmic horror genre but want to see it be more than just tired old stories. This is a fictional genre that's always been more for what has been added and this continues a rich tradition of making it more. Mr. O'Brien mentions in his author's note the concept of Black Significance in the face of the cosmic and its an idea I look forward to being more explored.
June 20, 2021
This was an adventure that I went into blindly! I’m glad that I did because it took me by surprise and I didn’t want to put it down. I felt like I was in another world while I was reading it. The writing was written beautifully and definitely kept my attention all the way through and I wanted more! I would recommend this to anyone.
June 6, 2024
I have taken it in and my heart has heated it to burst within me, spiralled into star swirls that fell to earth to break through concrete and asphalt to vine around me under a full moon, watching sailors swore. If I return, I will try to sing something worthy. Until then.
June 29, 2021
Because I am not as well-read in SpecPo as I would like to be, I fell into a trap when I agreed to read Can You Sign My Tentacle?, the poetry collection by Brandon O’Brien. I was seduced by the cover art, a delightful piece by Trevor Fraley. The colors, the line art, the title font (in conjunction with the whimsical title) lulled me into the expectation of wry, lighthearted poems that would juxtapose Lovecraftian mythology with contemporary popular culture. I made the horribly cliché mistake of associating Fraley’s comic-style cover illustration with material that was perhaps not so important as other, more serious endeavors. I, who should most definitely know better, confused comic with comedic. Based on the cover, I lazily assumed the content to be Less Stuff, More Fluff, as it were.
But please let me assure you, this collection is as serious as it gets. Oh, it does definitely blend the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft with the media-driven existence of today’s hip-hop artists. Among other topics. It does so wryly. There are whimsical moments. I’m sure there is some lightheartedness within these pages, for those who know how to find it, for those readers for whom these poems are written.
I, however, am not such a reader.
I am an outsider to these poems, one who has been granted the honor of reading/listening to O’Brien’s work. His culture is not my culture and thus, many of his references are from outside of my sphere of experience.
Make no mistake, the fact of this is not a criticism of the work. Who am I to say that a poet must speak to me, for me? No. As O’Brien notes in his “Lovecraft Thesis #1,” “if you can’t make sense of what / the rhythm of time seeks to say / then it wasn’t for you”. To be clear, however, nor should you make the mistake of thinking that if the words are not meant for me, they have no message for me. Quite the contrary.
A non-Native native of the American West, I have spent most of my life living within an hour’s travel from one Indian Boarding School or another, and the recent news (disturbing, yet to those of us who are familiar with the system, not particularly surprising) of mass unmarked graves of Native children, victims of these schools, weighs heavily on me these days. “Birth, Place” is about the experiences of an altogether different people, and yet the lines “Shade will one day grow / in the place where your father’s / bones once called me low.” bring to my mind the resistance and resilience of my Native friends and neighbors.
A father of two daughters, I have spent my life as a parent seeing and fearing and cringing at the casual and explicit misogyny they must face every day. I know there are sub-texts that pass me by in “Cthylla Asks For J. Cole’s Autograph,” but it reminds me that my daughters are strong, that they are ‘girl-gods’ and that they, I pray, will “need rescue last.”
More than two-dozen poems are included in the collection. Some, such as those noted above, evoked scenes and situations from my own life. More drew me closer to O’Brien’s world. All gave me pause. These are serious works. This collection is an event. These poems are, as we used to say, the Real Deal. If they are written for you, you should clasp them to you and read them. If they are not written for you, you may want to begin with the Author’s Note at the back of the book in order to gain some context, and then you should clasp them to you and read them. Now.
ARC from Interstellar Flight Press via NetGalley
But please let me assure you, this collection is as serious as it gets. Oh, it does definitely blend the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft with the media-driven existence of today’s hip-hop artists. Among other topics. It does so wryly. There are whimsical moments. I’m sure there is some lightheartedness within these pages, for those who know how to find it, for those readers for whom these poems are written.
I, however, am not such a reader.
I am an outsider to these poems, one who has been granted the honor of reading/listening to O’Brien’s work. His culture is not my culture and thus, many of his references are from outside of my sphere of experience.
Make no mistake, the fact of this is not a criticism of the work. Who am I to say that a poet must speak to me, for me? No. As O’Brien notes in his “Lovecraft Thesis #1,” “if you can’t make sense of what / the rhythm of time seeks to say / then it wasn’t for you”. To be clear, however, nor should you make the mistake of thinking that if the words are not meant for me, they have no message for me. Quite the contrary.
A non-Native native of the American West, I have spent most of my life living within an hour’s travel from one Indian Boarding School or another, and the recent news (disturbing, yet to those of us who are familiar with the system, not particularly surprising) of mass unmarked graves of Native children, victims of these schools, weighs heavily on me these days. “Birth, Place” is about the experiences of an altogether different people, and yet the lines “Shade will one day grow / in the place where your father’s / bones once called me low.” bring to my mind the resistance and resilience of my Native friends and neighbors.
A father of two daughters, I have spent my life as a parent seeing and fearing and cringing at the casual and explicit misogyny they must face every day. I know there are sub-texts that pass me by in “Cthylla Asks For J. Cole’s Autograph,” but it reminds me that my daughters are strong, that they are ‘girl-gods’ and that they, I pray, will “need rescue last.”
More than two-dozen poems are included in the collection. Some, such as those noted above, evoked scenes and situations from my own life. More drew me closer to O’Brien’s world. All gave me pause. These are serious works. This collection is an event. These poems are, as we used to say, the Real Deal. If they are written for you, you should clasp them to you and read them. If they are not written for you, you may want to begin with the Author’s Note at the back of the book in order to gain some context, and then you should clasp them to you and read them. Now.
ARC from Interstellar Flight Press via NetGalley
July 31, 2021
"The foxes wanted something to eat, after all. To roast it all and grin, to live rich at the summit. But the smoke rose to meet them. The tar baby never stopped hungering. It already ate all of the poor. That was just its job. Its salary was the flesh of everything else. "
I enjoyed some poems but some doesn't make sense to me(sorry) and some are so good and meaningful.
I enjoyed some poems but some doesn't make sense to me(sorry) and some are so good and meaningful.
June 19, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Can You Sign My Tentacle? by Brandon O'Brien.
This collection of poems really intrigued me, and the fantastic cover art by Trevor Frayley was what had me clicking to find out more about this book.
I will not pretend to be an expert in poetry. In fact, I don't often read it. But Can You Sign My Tentacle? just had that draw that made me want to read it... and I'm glad I did.
I am going to insert the author's blurb here as it honestly is the best way to explain exactly what this book of poerty is:
"Cthulhu meets hip-hop in this book of horror poems that flips the eldritch genre upside down. Lovecraftian-inspired nightmares are reversed as O'Brien asks readers to see Blackness as radically significant. Can You Sign My Tentacle? explores the monsters we know and the ones that hide behind racism, sexism, and violence, resulting in poems that are both comic and cosmic."
Can You Sign My Tentacle? is eye opening, beautiful and heartbreaking all at once, and so very well written. Some of my favourites included: -
-Lovecraft Thesis #2
-Birth, Place
-Kanye West's Internet Bodyguard Asks Hastur to Put Away the Phone
-Cthylla Asks for J. Cole's Autograph
Tloto Tsamaase put their praise of this book into words far better than I could: "Dreamlike, visceral, and emotionally moving. An intoxicating poetic journey and a heartbreaking ode casting your fave hip-hop artists juxtaposed with chilling and beautiful imagery through the haunting lens of tangible pain, loss, grief and love"
Overall, a really, really good book of poems that will get you thinking, and hopefully, acting and using your own voice.
This collection of poems really intrigued me, and the fantastic cover art by Trevor Frayley was what had me clicking to find out more about this book.
I will not pretend to be an expert in poetry. In fact, I don't often read it. But Can You Sign My Tentacle? just had that draw that made me want to read it... and I'm glad I did.
I am going to insert the author's blurb here as it honestly is the best way to explain exactly what this book of poerty is:
"Cthulhu meets hip-hop in this book of horror poems that flips the eldritch genre upside down. Lovecraftian-inspired nightmares are reversed as O'Brien asks readers to see Blackness as radically significant. Can You Sign My Tentacle? explores the monsters we know and the ones that hide behind racism, sexism, and violence, resulting in poems that are both comic and cosmic."
Can You Sign My Tentacle? is eye opening, beautiful and heartbreaking all at once, and so very well written. Some of my favourites included: -
-Lovecraft Thesis #2
-Birth, Place
-Kanye West's Internet Bodyguard Asks Hastur to Put Away the Phone
-Cthylla Asks for J. Cole's Autograph
Tloto Tsamaase put their praise of this book into words far better than I could: "Dreamlike, visceral, and emotionally moving. An intoxicating poetic journey and a heartbreaking ode casting your fave hip-hop artists juxtaposed with chilling and beautiful imagery through the haunting lens of tangible pain, loss, grief and love"
Overall, a really, really good book of poems that will get you thinking, and hopefully, acting and using your own voice.
August 6, 2021
NetGalley and the publisher, Interstellar Flight Press provided a copy of this collection.
I've been getting into poetry a bit more, and I really enjoy O'Brien's flow. This is one heck of a collection.
O'Brien does an absolutely phenomenal job of blending hip hop culture with Lovecraftian horrors, and not just the tentacled-make believe ones. He hits on racism, sexism, violence, institutions and how they perpetuate such things. I may be an outsider in terms of the perspective given in this collection, but I recognize the greatness underneath.
Yeah, some of them didn't hit with me. That's fine. It's a poetry collection, so there's going to be stuff that really hits me and stuff that's less so, but this had a lot more hits than not, and a good portion of those were big hits.
Ultimately, if you're in the market for some hard-hitting poetry set in a Lovecraftian-monster x hip-hop mashup, this is a great (and very specific) choice. If you need an overarching narrative in your poetry collections? Keep looking, although the theme is heavily prevalent throughout.
As for any favorites of mine, there are a number of poems in the collection where the title is all lower-case. Every single one of these hit hard for me.
I've been getting into poetry a bit more, and I really enjoy O'Brien's flow. This is one heck of a collection.
O'Brien does an absolutely phenomenal job of blending hip hop culture with Lovecraftian horrors, and not just the tentacled-make believe ones. He hits on racism, sexism, violence, institutions and how they perpetuate such things. I may be an outsider in terms of the perspective given in this collection, but I recognize the greatness underneath.
Yeah, some of them didn't hit with me. That's fine. It's a poetry collection, so there's going to be stuff that really hits me and stuff that's less so, but this had a lot more hits than not, and a good portion of those were big hits.
Ultimately, if you're in the market for some hard-hitting poetry set in a Lovecraftian-monster x hip-hop mashup, this is a great (and very specific) choice. If you need an overarching narrative in your poetry collections? Keep looking, although the theme is heavily prevalent throughout.
As for any favorites of mine, there are a number of poems in the collection where the title is all lower-case. Every single one of these hit hard for me.
June 26, 2021
5/5
The sheer artistry evident in every line of this poetry collection is breathtaking. O’Brien’s level of craft and polish easily balances razor-sharp wit and whimsy with moving commentary on art, race, Blackness, the complexity of admiring and being influenced by artists who are imperfect humans, and so much more. Every poem in the set is a highlight, though the one about MF Doom and the ones about iconic Calypso singers were particular standouts for me. All of the poems in the book are thoughtful, musical, hilarious and tragic in equal measure—and, most of all, they are brilliant. I went into this book expecting to be entertained—after all, the title! The Lovecraft mythos references! —and came away amazed.
This collection is a joy to read. I would very much recommend it—and I plan to purchase a hard copy to share with friends and family.
I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The sheer artistry evident in every line of this poetry collection is breathtaking. O’Brien’s level of craft and polish easily balances razor-sharp wit and whimsy with moving commentary on art, race, Blackness, the complexity of admiring and being influenced by artists who are imperfect humans, and so much more. Every poem in the set is a highlight, though the one about MF Doom and the ones about iconic Calypso singers were particular standouts for me. All of the poems in the book are thoughtful, musical, hilarious and tragic in equal measure—and, most of all, they are brilliant. I went into this book expecting to be entertained—after all, the title! The Lovecraft mythos references! —and came away amazed.
This collection is a joy to read. I would very much recommend it—and I plan to purchase a hard copy to share with friends and family.
I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2021
This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
This poetry collection was everything that I didn’t know I needed. Part Lovecraftian horror, part hip-hop, and part social reform, ‘Can You Sign My Tentacle?’ is a ride, and one that you won’t soon forget. It felt like a fever dream wrapped up in a poetry collection, and I mean that in the best way possible. The way that it not only manages to do exactly what it says on the tin, but also cover important social issues is spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
This poetry collection was everything that I didn’t know I needed. Part Lovecraftian horror, part hip-hop, and part social reform, ‘Can You Sign My Tentacle?’ is a ride, and one that you won’t soon forget. It felt like a fever dream wrapped up in a poetry collection, and I mean that in the best way possible. The way that it not only manages to do exactly what it says on the tin, but also cover important social issues is spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
June 24, 2021
thank you netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review !!
first of all, the cover is absolutely stunning. i spent more time admiring it than i ever have in my entire life. just please please A D M I R E the cover y'all.
the poetry was average. as a student who took literature, i was able to identify language devices throughout (which i have to say was really good a times), otherwise this book was normal- i've read poetry collections. i think this is a children's book so like i can't be one to judge too harshly because the poet had written this with an audience in mind and i admire that very much.
i didnt make sense i need sleep bye
first of all, the cover is absolutely stunning. i spent more time admiring it than i ever have in my entire life. just please please A D M I R E the cover y'all.
the poetry was average. as a student who took literature, i was able to identify language devices throughout (which i have to say was really good a times), otherwise this book was normal- i've read poetry collections. i think this is a children's book so like i can't be one to judge too harshly because the poet had written this with an audience in mind and i admire that very much.
i didnt make sense i need sleep bye
September 18, 2024
Many thanks to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
One of the most original and imaginative works of poetry I've read. Each poem is written in the way of a chaotic but fascinating story. If you're a fan of / familiar with H. P. Lovecraft's work, this collection is your cup of tea and will definitely be interesting for you. Otherwise, not knowing about the references may decrease the joy you're getting from reading this collection. In any case, with its strong style, Brandon O'Brien, sometimes by humoring and other times by grabbing and shaking his reader, offers a great poetry experience.
One of the most original and imaginative works of poetry I've read. Each poem is written in the way of a chaotic but fascinating story. If you're a fan of / familiar with H. P. Lovecraft's work, this collection is your cup of tea and will definitely be interesting for you. Otherwise, not knowing about the references may decrease the joy you're getting from reading this collection. In any case, with its strong style, Brandon O'Brien, sometimes by humoring and other times by grabbing and shaking his reader, offers a great poetry experience.
September 27, 2021
I'm so pleased that Brandon has finally put out a poetry collection. He is one of my favourite active speculative poets and this collection is a strong representation of his work. Additionally, this collection is a really important look at Blackness in culture.
This collection included some old favourites of mine like drop some amens, and Birth, Place. New favourites included: Lovecraft Thesis #2 & #3, and That Business They Call Utopia Part Two.
This collection included some old favourites of mine like drop some amens, and Birth, Place. New favourites included: Lovecraft Thesis #2 & #3, and That Business They Call Utopia Part Two.
September 19, 2024
I would like to thank Interstellar Flight Press, Netgalley and the author for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
To be honest, I finished this book 3 months and half ago, so I don't remember this very well. But I remember that it covers some serious topics like racism, sexism, and violence, as the synopsis says.
There were a few poems which I enjoyed, but other than that, the book was just an okay read.
2 stars.
To be honest, I finished this book 3 months and half ago, so I don't remember this very well. But I remember that it covers some serious topics like racism, sexism, and violence, as the synopsis says.
There were a few poems which I enjoyed, but other than that, the book was just an okay read.
2 stars.
September 2, 2021
I've never read a collection of sci-fi poetry before, so this book was an interesting change of pace. The imagery and language used reminded me of a high fantasy novel, where some of the passages take a few rereads to really sink in. As with high fantasy, this poetry collection wasn't my cup of tea, but I'm glad I had the experience of reading it.
September 19, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
Most of these poems I would love to hear read aloud or performed at a poetry reading, but in my opinion the impact doesn’t hit when reading silently. I was really excited for the concept, but it ended up not really being my thing.
Most of these poems I would love to hear read aloud or performed at a poetry reading, but in my opinion the impact doesn’t hit when reading silently. I was really excited for the concept, but it ended up not really being my thing.
October 30, 2024
I picked this up at a convention, and devoured it quickly. I really enjoy this fresh take on cosmic horror! I recommend this highly, and I’m excited to read more from this author.
September 26, 2021
*I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.*
It's kind of challenging to review a poetry book, because poetry is meant to be read and processed so differently than the novels or even non-fiction that I usually read. I didn't fully understand all of the poems - there are a lot of references to mythology, horror and pop culture that I didn't understand, but that will make these poems much more delightful and add a lot more depth for those who do get them. From my perspective, if I love and am touched by a few poems from a collection, that's enough for me to give it a high rating, because I don't expect every single poem to work for me. And this collection certainly did that. I'm also writing from the perspective of a Trinidadian woman familiar with Trini history, culture and spaces, and I definitely connected with these works on that level.
This collection is written from a playful but also subversive and radical place, as the author's note explains (I read it after reading most of the poems, but I would recommend reading it first, as it gives a better understanding of what the poet is trying to achieve). The perspective of mythological/horror monsters interacting with pop culture, and specifically Black, icons is such an interesting premise. But many poems are also deeply Trinbagonian in the way they incorporate folklore, history, and the local crime situation. It's not a light read, as it also deals with racism, colonialism, violence and murder.
There were many poems that touched me:
Hunting Dog was a poignant look at the murder rate through the lens of folklore, referencing murder victims Sean Luke, Keyana Cumberbatch and Dana Seetahal.
I was absolutely floored by Birth, Place, which left me staring into the distance while contemplating the country's legacy of slavery and suffering and the hope and faith and hard work that went into building a better future. Lines like "make my children potters / of a planet, give them / farmers' hands", and "shade will one day grow / in the place where your father's / bones once called me low." are so deeply evocative. "I will plant a time I cannot see/ for children I will not know" had me thinking of my own work on the climate crisis, and the hope we need to have for a better future for generations to come. This is definitely my favourite poem in the collection.
The Metaphysics of a Wine, in Theory and in Practice was an incredible read, with an almost academic look at something so rooted in our culture. I loved the references - I want to know what each of those songs are.
Time, and Time Again brought me to tears, this look at queer love and loss and grief. Anyone who has lost or faces the loss of a loved one will relate to the line "I have tried to find / the space and time / when you still are."
Lovecraft Thesis #5 is relevant to anywhere with a legacy of colonialism, "a land already bought in / blood"
I'm so grateful to Interstellar Press for this ARC, it's a truly relevant read and a valuable addition to any collection of poetry books and to any collection of Caribbean writing. I will probably be buying a hard copy of this for my own shelf.
It's kind of challenging to review a poetry book, because poetry is meant to be read and processed so differently than the novels or even non-fiction that I usually read. I didn't fully understand all of the poems - there are a lot of references to mythology, horror and pop culture that I didn't understand, but that will make these poems much more delightful and add a lot more depth for those who do get them. From my perspective, if I love and am touched by a few poems from a collection, that's enough for me to give it a high rating, because I don't expect every single poem to work for me. And this collection certainly did that. I'm also writing from the perspective of a Trinidadian woman familiar with Trini history, culture and spaces, and I definitely connected with these works on that level.
This collection is written from a playful but also subversive and radical place, as the author's note explains (I read it after reading most of the poems, but I would recommend reading it first, as it gives a better understanding of what the poet is trying to achieve). The perspective of mythological/horror monsters interacting with pop culture, and specifically Black, icons is such an interesting premise. But many poems are also deeply Trinbagonian in the way they incorporate folklore, history, and the local crime situation. It's not a light read, as it also deals with racism, colonialism, violence and murder.
There were many poems that touched me:
Hunting Dog was a poignant look at the murder rate through the lens of folklore, referencing murder victims Sean Luke, Keyana Cumberbatch and Dana Seetahal.
I was absolutely floored by Birth, Place, which left me staring into the distance while contemplating the country's legacy of slavery and suffering and the hope and faith and hard work that went into building a better future. Lines like "make my children potters / of a planet, give them / farmers' hands", and "shade will one day grow / in the place where your father's / bones once called me low." are so deeply evocative. "I will plant a time I cannot see/ for children I will not know" had me thinking of my own work on the climate crisis, and the hope we need to have for a better future for generations to come. This is definitely my favourite poem in the collection.
The Metaphysics of a Wine, in Theory and in Practice was an incredible read, with an almost academic look at something so rooted in our culture. I loved the references - I want to know what each of those songs are.
Time, and Time Again brought me to tears, this look at queer love and loss and grief. Anyone who has lost or faces the loss of a loved one will relate to the line "I have tried to find / the space and time / when you still are."
Lovecraft Thesis #5 is relevant to anywhere with a legacy of colonialism, "a land already bought in / blood"
I'm so grateful to Interstellar Press for this ARC, it's a truly relevant read and a valuable addition to any collection of poetry books and to any collection of Caribbean writing. I will probably be buying a hard copy of this for my own shelf.
August 27, 2021
My thanks to Interstellar Flight Press for a review copy via NetGalley of ‘Can You Sign My Tentacle?: Poems’ by Brandon O'Brien in exchange for an honest review.
The colourful cover art by Trevor Fraley and quirky title first caught my eye and then the description ‘Cthulhu meets hip-hop’ intrigued me and ensured that this collection of horror/SF poetry was going on my shelf. I quickly purchased my own copy.
The publishers write that O’Brien is seeking to flip “the eldritch genre upside down.” These poems not only explore the nightmares inspired by the Cthulhu mythos but examines the monsters that “hide behind racism, sexism, and violence, resulting in poems that are both comic and cosmic.”
I read the poems aloud though I am certain that as their creator is a performance poet, Brandon O’Brien would do a much better job than me. I was happy to find a YouTube video of his reading one.
His Author’s Note was illuminating and highlights his intention to not seek to erase Lovecraft but to reimagine his writings in a way that challenges the legacy of racism, sexism, and xenophobia that had dominated Lovecraft’s worldview. Whether that is possible may be open to debate though I applaud the work of creators like O’Brien who are seeking to do so. Therefore, I have obtained two such works that he cites in his Note.
As for the poems, they are very dream-like and visually rich. As the cover indicates there is a comic element to many of the poems and I loved the idea of the Old Ones collecting autographs from Black celebrities.
After a quick initial read through these are poems that I plan to revisit and reflect upon over time.
The colourful cover art by Trevor Fraley and quirky title first caught my eye and then the description ‘Cthulhu meets hip-hop’ intrigued me and ensured that this collection of horror/SF poetry was going on my shelf. I quickly purchased my own copy.
The publishers write that O’Brien is seeking to flip “the eldritch genre upside down.” These poems not only explore the nightmares inspired by the Cthulhu mythos but examines the monsters that “hide behind racism, sexism, and violence, resulting in poems that are both comic and cosmic.”
I read the poems aloud though I am certain that as their creator is a performance poet, Brandon O’Brien would do a much better job than me. I was happy to find a YouTube video of his reading one.
His Author’s Note was illuminating and highlights his intention to not seek to erase Lovecraft but to reimagine his writings in a way that challenges the legacy of racism, sexism, and xenophobia that had dominated Lovecraft’s worldview. Whether that is possible may be open to debate though I applaud the work of creators like O’Brien who are seeking to do so. Therefore, I have obtained two such works that he cites in his Note.
As for the poems, they are very dream-like and visually rich. As the cover indicates there is a comic element to many of the poems and I loved the idea of the Old Ones collecting autographs from Black celebrities.
After a quick initial read through these are poems that I plan to revisit and reflect upon over time.
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