The Howling Terror and Other Lovecraftian Horror Stories

by Tony Richards

AN AWARD-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR TAKES YOU ON A TERRIFYING, STARTLING TOUR OF LOVECRAFT COUNTRY

And they are all here … the Great Old Ones, the Deep Ones, Dagon, Gol-goroth and the Shoggoth, half-human mutants, horrific marine beasts and all the other chilling denizens of the Cthulhu Mythos, brought to life again in one story and four short novels.

The Death of Vanessa Fell

A wealthy publisher heads north to help console a grieving friend from college days, little knowing he is on a journey out beyond the very gates of Death, into a realm occupied by ancient beings and cruel gods, where madness, terror and betrayal reign.

The Darkness in the Harbour

An infantry captain from the First World War finds himself marooned while traveling through the Far East, abandoned on a tramp steamer that lies moored in the waters off Hong Kong. Except he soon suspects that he is not alone, and his investigations lead him to a tragic tale of loss and to a truth far deadlier than any he has known before.

The Orphanage at Trellaree

In a sleepy little Irish coastal town, a huge dark building – the Menningdale Orphanage – hangs above the rooftops like some threatening cloud. And when the newly-arrived local doctor tries to find out more about the place, he finds himself plunged into a world where human beings have no place and timeless forces are at work.

The Shadow Out of London

In the near-future, that great capital city lies in ruins and is viewed with dread. But when two neighbors start to realize that a new danger has sprung up in the place, they set off to confront it, never once guessing at the true appalling nature of the horror that has now arisen there.

…and then there is THE HOWLING TERROR.

Genres: Horror, Lovecraftian

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2022

About the author

My latest book -- from UK publisher Endeavour Media -- is a bit of a departure for me. THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY -- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... -- takes the Great Detective all over the world, from the States to Africa to the Far East, taking in locations in Europe and the Caribbean along the way. How did I come to write these 13 new mysteries? It's explained in my blog, below.

I'm a writer mostly of supernatural fiction, author of a series of fantasy thriller novels set in the magic-filled town of Raine's Landing, Massachusetts. Currently, that series is up to #6 -- WITCH HUNTER --.with a seventh on the way.

But I write regular crime fiction too, with numerous tales published in AHMM, and a second novel featuring my ex-FBI agent turned private detective, Matt Barrett, is now out from Cemetery Dance Publications. It's called THE TRIBE. (The first novel was THE DESERT KEEPS ITS DEAD).

I've seen to publication almost 100 short stories, enough to fill 8 collections, the latest being THE UNIVERSAL AND OTHER TERRORS (Dark Renaissance Press), and my work has appeared in Asimov's SF, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Weird Tales and numerous top anthologies including Year's Best Horror.

Reviews

[Tomasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually, these two stars? Rounded UP, man.
This was a solid block of torpid, tepid, tedious fourth generation Lovecraftiana - a step above the productions of David Conyers, but that is the lowest possible bar to clear. Mr. Richards apparently had resolved to channel the tone and skills of Frank Belknap Long (in his weakest outings), and, so to say, succeeded.
Badly written, anachronistic (penicillin tablets in 1920s - yeah, sure), defiantly uninventive. I expected way more.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Anthology

It's a rare occurrence these days when I read an anthology and enjoy every single story. I am having a hard time picking my favorite, but it is a tossup between the last story, "The Shadow Over London", and "The Darkness in the Harbor". The only story that was weaker than the rest was the eponymous story "The Howling Terror", but even that was good.
Give it a read if you want some fun Cosmic Horror.

[Kari Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliciously dark

The tales told in this collection are evocative and well plotted. The reader is transported around the world to hear the stories of those who have suffered through harrowing experience and, perhaps unfortunately for them, have lived at least long enough to tell about it. Not every story has a bleak ending, though multiple characters are left trapped in prisons if not of a physical nature, then of their fragile minds. The various voices used are consistent and fitting for their settings as well as being powerfully descriptive. A must read for fans of Lovecraftian horror.

[The Smoog · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of stories, they all felt very fresh and not a dud amongst them, which is unusual for a collection. I’ve never read and of Mr. Richards' material before, but I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes open for more of his work. There’s also some quite beautiful black-and-white art plates scattered throughout (one has been coloured for the front cover to see a sample).

[Simon Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ,well written stories!

I enjoyed all the tales in this book, especially the final story, all were well written and entertaining! I shall certainly be finding some more stories from Tony Richards.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This writer does a great job of mimicking the style of HPL and others of his period and inclination. He gets their feel and then does a better job of crafting his sentences than they did.

Unfortunately, I don't much care for that style.

[Skynet2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follows in the footsteps of HP Lovecraft himself. The settings are good, the prose is imaginative, and there is always a sense of foreboding that gradually builds up in a truly lovecraftian style. It's a good read for anyone interested in Lovecraftian horror.

[Jenny Clifford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really good book, where all the stories were almost equally good. There is definitely a strong Lovecraftian feeling in all the stories, which I've found that many authors have arrived for but few succeed at. This author really does, and it is very spooky.