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Something in the Water and Other Stories
From the author of the critically acclaimed SPECTRA Files trilogy come twelve mind-bending tales of cosmic horror. Family secrets, government lies, ancient magic, and modern science collide in Douglas Wynne’s debut short fiction collection.
An antique instruments appraiser finds an apocalyptic song slumbering in a haunted guitar. A pregnant woman house hunting with her husband discovers a doorway to another dimension and a devil’s bargain waiting on the other side. A performance of The King In Yellow staged during the COVID-19 pandemic holds up a mirror to mass insanity.
Within these pages lurk alien gods, covert ops, and pagan cults thriving like black mold beneath the thin veneer of American life from the New England seacoast to the Mojave desert.
Here too, fans will find a web of occult connections to Wynne’s novels.
“The Voyager” follows SPECTRA agent Jason Brooks as he investigates an abandoned amusement park thrill ride with harrowing cosmic implications.
In “Contact” Sgt. Matt Ritter from His Own Devices is ambushed on patrol in Afghanistan and swept into an encounter with an eldritch god on the borderland of death.
And years after the events of the Red Equinox, photographer Becca Philips is hounded by transcendental monsters when a tormented stranger is drawn to her art in the novella Time Out of Mind.
Few authors have brought the motifs of the Cthulhu Mythos into modern times with the depth and resonance of Douglas Wynne. Something in the Water weaves those dark themes into a symphonic overture that reaches terrifying crescendos!
An antique instruments appraiser finds an apocalyptic song slumbering in a haunted guitar. A pregnant woman house hunting with her husband discovers a doorway to another dimension and a devil’s bargain waiting on the other side. A performance of The King In Yellow staged during the COVID-19 pandemic holds up a mirror to mass insanity.
Within these pages lurk alien gods, covert ops, and pagan cults thriving like black mold beneath the thin veneer of American life from the New England seacoast to the Mojave desert.
Here too, fans will find a web of occult connections to Wynne’s novels.
“The Voyager” follows SPECTRA agent Jason Brooks as he investigates an abandoned amusement park thrill ride with harrowing cosmic implications.
In “Contact” Sgt. Matt Ritter from His Own Devices is ambushed on patrol in Afghanistan and swept into an encounter with an eldritch god on the borderland of death.
And years after the events of the Red Equinox, photographer Becca Philips is hounded by transcendental monsters when a tormented stranger is drawn to her art in the novella Time Out of Mind.
Few authors have brought the motifs of the Cthulhu Mythos into modern times with the depth and resonance of Douglas Wynne. Something in the Water weaves those dark themes into a symphonic overture that reaches terrifying crescendos!
248 pages, Hardcover
Published May 4, 2022
24 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Wynne
35 books141 followersDouglas Wynne is the author the horror thrillers The Devil of Echo Lake, His Own Devices, and the SPECTRA Files trilogy. His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and his writing workshops have been featured at genre conventions and schools throughout New England. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and son and a houseful of animals.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 27, 2023
Don't be put off by the 3 stars. These were very entertaining stories and were a lot of fun to read. All in all, a very competent and journeyman effort by Douglas Wynne, and I don't mean that in a snarky or pejorative way. Lot of folks have tried their hand at Lovecraftian stories and they often come off as fan fiction at best. This is not that. I have never read Douglas Wynne before, but his stories definitely reflect what appears to be his own serious reading and reflection of Lovecraft's work. He certainly adds in other more contemporary elements to the Lovecraftian mythology, which make his own stories enjoyable in a more contemporary setting.
I think for me though, for most of these stories, something was just missing. I didn't feel the terror or strong urge of horror from any of these... I never felt transported... that I perhaps would feel from another contemporary Lovecraftian writer like Laird Barron. These stories were reasonably good, but none ever rose to that higher level, which is totally fine. I would be open to reading more of Wynne in the future (perhaps he will further develop his style), but just don't currently have him on my absolute must-read list.
I think for me though, for most of these stories, something was just missing. I didn't feel the terror or strong urge of horror from any of these... I never felt transported... that I perhaps would feel from another contemporary Lovecraftian writer like Laird Barron. These stories were reasonably good, but none ever rose to that higher level, which is totally fine. I would be open to reading more of Wynne in the future (perhaps he will further develop his style), but just don't currently have him on my absolute must-read list.
October 3, 2022
A lot of people stay away from Lovecraftian horror due to how dense and introspective it can be. I can try to convince you how good Douglas Wynne is at making it accessible without dumbing it down, but there’s still an investment of time required on your part. If that means buying a book and committing several hours to it, some will understandably pass and move on to authors or genres they’re already sure about.
With Something in the Water, however, you have a chance to enjoy a wonderfully eclectic mix of stories that will scare you both in the moment and when they haunt your dreams.
Read my full review at AiPTComics.com
March 7, 2023
Respect for the Mythos
Wynne's short stories collected here treat the Cthulhu Mythos and Lovecraft's works with respect but provide new perspectives. He avoids both the trap of sheer pastiche and that of too much striving for novelty - traps which often catch many of today's Mythos writers. You can read the stories if you don't know anything about the Mythos but for those of us who do there is an added depth and richness to them.
Wynne's short stories collected here treat the Cthulhu Mythos and Lovecraft's works with respect but provide new perspectives. He avoids both the trap of sheer pastiche and that of too much striving for novelty - traps which often catch many of today's Mythos writers. You can read the stories if you don't know anything about the Mythos but for those of us who do there is an added depth and richness to them.
March 23, 2024
Solid collection.
Enjoyed-
The Last Chord
Good Bones
The Voyager
No Mask
Tracking the Black Book
Time Out Of Mind
The White Door
Enjoyed-
The Last Chord
Good Bones
The Voyager
No Mask
Tracking the Black Book
Time Out Of Mind
The White Door
August 30, 2024
Started very strong, finished well.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews