Cthulhurotica

by Carrie Cuinn (Editor, Illustrator), Cody Goodfellow, Kenneth Hite

REVISED EDITION! From independent publisher Dagan Books, Cthulhurotica is an exciting new anthology of erotic horror, inspired by the writing of H. P. Lovecraft.

This decadent collection contains unique creations of Mythos fiction, plus thought-provoking academic essays. In addition, the revised edition contains more than 20 pieces of original art.

With work by Cody Goodfellow, Kenneth Hite, Steven J. Scearce, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Gabrielle Harbowy, Matthew Marovich, Kirsten Brown, Richard Baron, Don Pizarro, K.V. Taylor, Jennifer Brozek, Galen Dara, Mae Empson, Nathan Crowder, Leon J. West, and many more ...

Contents

Astrophobos by H.P. Lovecraft
Introduction by Carrie Cuinn
Descent of the Wayward Sister by Gabrielle Harbowy
The C-Word by Don Pizarro
Infernal Attractors by Cody Goodfellow
Daddy’s Girl by Madison Woods
Victim of Victims by Anonymous
The Cry in the Darkness by Richard Baron
Riemannian Dreams by Juan Miguel Marin
Turning On, Tuning In, and Dropping Out at the Mountains of Madness by Ahimsa Kerp
Song of the Catherine Clark by Maria Mitchell
Between a Rock and an Elder Goddess by Mae Empson
The Fishwives of Sean Brolly by Nathan Crowder
Flash Frame by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Transfigured Night by K.V. Taylor
The Lake at Roopkund by Andrew Scearce
Ipsa Scientia by Constella Espj
Amid Disquieting Dreams by Leon J. West
The Dreamlands of Mars by Travis King
The Assistant from Innsmouth by Steven J. Scearce
The Summoned by Clint Collins
Sense by Matthew Marovich
Optional On The Beach At The Festival Of Shug Niggurath by Gary Mark Bernstein
Le Ciél Ouvert by Kirsten Brown
Astrophobos, conclusion by H.P. Lovecraft

ESSAYS
Cthulhu’s Polymorphous Perversity by Kenneth Hite
The Sexual Attraction Of The Lovecraftian Universe by Jennifer Brozek
Cthulhurotica, Female Empowerment, and the New Weird by Justin Everett, PhD

ILLUSTRATIONS
Cthulhurotica by Oliver Wetter
Glyphs by Carrie Cuinn
Into the Darkness by Galen Dara
The Widow's Walk by Galen Dara
Infernal Machine by Galen Dara
Shirley's Demon Lover by Galen Dara
Whateley Family Portrait by Kirsten Brown
Wandering Bride by Galen Dara
Lovecraftian Love by Galen Dara
Deep Ones by Galen Dara
Woman, Yellow by Galen Dara
Love from the Black Lagoon by Galen Dara
Your Fisheater by Stephen Stanley
The Whateley Estate by Galen Dara
Anna by Galen Dara
The Box by Galen Dara
The Brides of Tindalos by Kirsten Brown
Great Rift by Galen Dara
Plus additional interior images by Carrie Cuinn

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Erotica, Short Stories, Fiction, Romance, Anthologies

323 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Carrie Cuinn is a writer, editor, historian, and geek. Her writing often blends science fiction and fantasy with feminism, anti-colonialism, myth, poetry, and whatever weirdness she’s fascinated by today. Recent fiction can be found in Kaaterskill Basin Literary Journal, Luna Station Quarterly, Apex Magazine, and Unlikely Stories.

As an academic, she holds degrees in Fine Art and History of Art, with a focus on Early American printing. In her spare time she researches local history, enjoys music and art house cinema, cooks everything, reads voraciously, and tries to find time for sleep.

She's online at @CarrieCuinn and at http://carriecuinn.com.

Reviews

[Tarl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, yes, you read the title of this anthology correctly. Now let me say something about it. This isn't a collection about tentacle sex, and in no parts is it ever really that graphic with the actual sex itself. Instead, the erotica is written in a variety of forms, but the core of it is generally the same. Take Lovecraftian themes + erotica fiction = An actually amazing anthology. And one I recommend to pretty much anyone.

Let's look at the stories:

Decent of the Wayward Sister- nothing all that special here. Reads like a Victorian erotic story which was most likely the intent. Though well written, it failed to really capture any sort of atmosphere or eroticism to it. Very much like the opening band to a concert, this one gets you warmed up for the main show, but leaves you thinking they could have been better.

The C-Word- A very interesting story about a young man who is in love with a older woman. This story reads like a romance/erotica story with very little Lovecraftian elements to it unless you are familiar with Lovecraft's world. (at which point, it's like a twisted inside joke) I enjoyed the way it was written, and the fact that much like Innsmouth, unless you peek into the shadows, you won't know that something dark lies behind the facade.

Infernal Attractors- Possibly one of my favorite stories in this collection, and one I will read again. To be honest, this story haunts me at times, with its suggestion as to where all our wants and needs come from. It also makes use of dimentional vibrations, a favorite of mine in the Lovecraftian world. One of the best stories in this collection, and one of the few that describes in insane detail the creature that comes a calling.

Daddy's Girl- Not really a great story in my mind. Very light, make that VERY light, on the erotica. The concept wasn't too bad and the writing was pretty solid, but all in all not a lot happens in this story and when it is done, you feel like the entire point of the story was missing.

The Cry in The Darkness- A well written story about a man and his wife who keeps vanishing at night. Any man who has feared about their significant other cheating on them will find this story to ring a bit too true in their head space. Wonderfully detailed yet mysterious, this is a strong story in the anthology.

Riemannian Dreams- A weird one centered on dreams. An interesting take on communication with other life forms, and echos Lovecraft's own dreamscapes relatively well. Not a personal favorite, but interesting none-the-less.

Turning on, Turning in, And...- Hippies. Hippies and Lovecraftian themes. Oddly interesting, well written and true to the language and behaviors of the day. A good read, and draws nicely to the feelings of being drawn to something that will (and you know it) use you to get what it wants. Euphoria is oddly a touching character and one someone can easily relate to.

Song of The Catherine Clark- Short. That's how I would define this. Too short actually. The action seems to build too slowly, and then suddenly just ends leaving one feeling unfulfilled.

Between a Rock and An Elder Goddess- This one was facinating, if only the imagery of a creature with five furry 'mouths' that barked. (yes, I mean vaginas...) When I finished this story I had to take a moment to reflect upon it, something I don't normally do. It combines a fair bit of historical knowledge into it which is a nice touch when compared to the other stories in this collection. The work done is obvious and it pays off with the detail and believability of the story. And again, I really am curious as to what it would feel like to be caressed by dexterous multi-vaginas...but that's just me. :P

The Fishwives of Sean Brolly- This story rocked me in all the right ways. The ending was right up my alley, the plot was well though up and executed, and the writing was solid. The writer captures obsession extreamly well and executes the build up to the climax of the story excellently. Another one of my favorites from this collection.

Flash Frame- Another interesting story about obsession, though one that didn't strike as much of a cord as the previous story. I found the pacing to be on the slower side despite the interesting events that took place in the story. The ending was well done and I found the notion of his insanity to be interesting, but the path to that point was just too slow.

Transfigured Night- This was one of the stories I didn't enjoy that much. The subject matter wasn't bad, nor was the way it was laid out. But the way it was told just seemed to come across as overly cluttered. Too much detail, too much feeling, too much of everything. Also, the vulgarity in the story takes away from it and tends to ruin the already skitterish pacing of the piece.

The Lake at Roopkund- Another man fearing his wife is cheating on him story, but one with an interesting twist to it that caught me off guard. You end up feeling kind of bad for the protagonist in this one, even if his jealousy seems unfounded.

Ipsa Scientia- Ok, as far as erotica goes, this story takes the cake for being one of the more interesting, and odd of the bunch in this anthology. I've never read something where someone gets off on physics and knowledge. But here it is, and well enough written that you can actually understand, and relate, to what Kara is feeling when she talks to Jake. One of the better stories in this anthology.

Amid Disquieted Dreams- Another of my personal favorites. And one that inspired me to take up 2nd person POV for my own writings. I described this story to a friend as leaving me with the feeling that I was being mind raped by the author. One is left wondering at the end of the story which part is reality and which part is fantasy. Strongly written, it tickles the emotions, messes with the mind, and leaves you feeling like you just were part of something you shouldn't have been. Damned good story!

The Dreamlands of Mars- Well written, though the journal format breaks the story up like a spiked belt on a highway. When you hit them you just stop, and part of you wonders if you should actually read them or not. Sadly, I did. Other than that, once you get past them the pacing is good, the story itself is alright, and overall it's not a bad story. The descriptions are vivid and dreamlike, capturing the feeling of being in a threesome very well. But other than that, the reason for the story seems absent.

The Assistant from Innsmouth- An average read right up until the end where it all comes together in possibly the best representation of a male rape I have ever read. Even without viewing the mouth as a version of the vagina as stated in one of the essays, it will leave any man wondering about asking his mate to swallow ever again...

The Summoned- A very interesting story about artists and obsession. I rather enjoyed this piece though the way it played out seemed to be predictable as I made my way through it. The characters were well done and their actions believable. Just enough mystery was left in the tale to leave the reader wondering what happened next.

Sense- Written like a Hard Boiled detective story. Too little of everything plagues this story. The action seems overly rushed to the point where it's a blur and even at the end, instead of wanting more you are just happy it's over. Not the best of stories.

Optional on the Beach at t...- Another story that seems to be lacking in its plot and point. The first person view from Nyarlathotep was rather interesting, and well written to boot, but the story really didn't go anywhere. Rather, it just seemed like an excuse to have some witty dialogue and that's about it.

Le Ciel Ouvert- A rather interesting concept for the setting. Though the story lacks a lot of prose to it, it retains enough to capture the mood and feeling of the environment the student is in. And her final decision makes sense as she describes why she does what she does. Though not a huge favorite of mine, this one left me wondering about the obsession of people with those who are more powerful than they are.

Cthulhu's Polymorphous Perversity- Beyond one interesting quote about those artists who are drawn to produce Lovecraftian works, this essay is rather bland and not that informative. The introductory paragraph is laden with all the Cthulhu things you can purchase, and to the point, looses any and all statements as to what the essay is truly about.

The Sexual Attraction of The Lovecraftian Universe- A nice essay on why the Lovecraftian universe works so well with erotica. And the author does a good job (if brief) explaining it. Overall very informative.

Cthulhurotica, Female Empowerment- This essay actually made me appreciate some of the stories even more as the author explains how the women in those stories were empowered by their positions within the story. The reason for the attraction is also brought up as well. All in all an interesting read after completing the entire anthology.

So there you have it, my review. There is also art in this collection, my favorite being 'The Brides of Tindalos'. They provide a nice break from the writings and leave the reader with something visual to go with their mind's eye imagery.

Go out, get this collection, I recommend it highly!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fist off, how about dat cover art? It's my desktop background at work =)

Well, its the first erotica book I've ever read so I can't really compare it within the genre. However, as weird fiction or supernatural horror tales alone these were pretty damn good. The Lovecraft universe lends itsself to this I feel (or am I just airing my own psychology?) Lovecraft style monsters basically look like terrifying and grotesque distorted conglomerates of genitalia, what with their phallic tentacles, mouths and other mysterious orifices. Lovecraft's own stories have a fiar amount of miscegenation and alien orgies taking place unstated in the background. And as the final essay says (yes, there are 3 essays in the back of the book) the notions of breaking rules, being violated, losing control, and the like are all Lovecraftian themes which are easily exploitable for erotic purposes.

As for the stories themselves: They are mostly written in the "New Weird" style, although some are more gothic and some are more scifi (and one or two dream-quest style tales). The erotic content varies from story to story. Some are only suggestive, and others would put a smile on a Japanese pervert's face. That said, this isn't just tentacle porn, and the erotic content actually involved tentacles a lot less than I expected.

I liked that most of the stories strayed away from excessive violence or obscenity. When this happened I found it distracting, and really counter to the whole indirect Lovecraftian approach.

I would do a "top picks" thing, but my attention span has run out so toodles.

[Jeannie Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful anthology.I stumbled upon it on Amazon and couldn't resist.
This is an anthology full of sex and horror.Two of my favorite subjects.
The stories are very well written and I even read the essays at the back of the book which is something I don't usually do since I am only usually interested in the fiction.
The stories are not very graphic although if sex offends you this should not be your anthology.Some of the stories are better than others but there wasn't a dud among them.Anyone who likes Lovecraft will love this work.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I picked up a book of short stories, and it was refreshing to do so with this one. It has the advantages of dosage. If you've got 15-20 minutes, a quick read can be a nice, light literary snack, and in that context, this book has both the merits of the anthology and the weaknesses.

The merits are in variety. You get a nice range of work in a book like this one. Other merits are things like the presentation of the editor. In this case, the editing is nicely arranged. There's a particular skill to arranging this many authors into a coherent overarching narrative. Cuinn does a very good job of conducting the orchestra in this case.

At the same time as it is a strength of a short story collection one of its weaknesses is also the range of authors. Some stories are demonstrably better written, better conceived, better presented than others, and when you put them side-by-side in a single text that dichotomy becomes all the more stark. There are a few of the stories that are going to be flatter that others. I'll not pick on any particular writer, but I will note that there are a few of the stories in a collection as particular as this one that aren't as good. That said, more than a few of the stories in this volume stand out as quality stories, and can/could stand on their own, so it balances out.

Occasionally, the writers in this anthology are able to capture bits and pieces of Lovecraft's genius, which is no small feat. I enjoyed the references to HPL's oeuvre, several of which were elegantly woven into the stories. Some of the stories were more directly "borrowed" from HPL's work, but none in a way that I would characterize as "derivative." This kind of book is an homage and honors its inspiration more than steals from it. Though, as one of the essayists points out, Lovecraft would probably not have embraced the eroticisization of his work. Despite that fact, there's not a good reason why modern readers and writers should limit themselves to the buttoned down Victorian sensibilities that Lovecraft was immersed in. I can't help but wonder what the Lovecraftian world would be like if H. P. had been more LOVE than CRAFT. A book like this one gives a glimpse of an alternate to Lovecraft's alternate universe where Howard's relations with women were less strained.

That does, of course, bring up the issue of eroticism in general. There's certainly a lot of freaky sex in this book. Some of it probably not the kind of thing many people would enjoy. Sometimes it's sexy-sex. Sometimes it's meant to be horrific, fangoria-type stuff. Cuinn gets a nice range of the possibilities here. Generally, there's a sort of undercurrent of crypto-feminist thinking in the choice of stories. What I mean is that the sexuality might be subversive and counter-cultural, but none of it is directly demeaning in a way that would compare to Hentai or similar more pornographic styles/genres. That's a bit of a tightrope for a book of this kind, and Cuinn walks it with seeming ease. Put this anthology in other hands, and it might have gone a very different way.

So, this book has a lot of weird, creepy, and often disturbing sex, but it's not demeaning sex, if anyone would care to make such a distinction. Often the sex is dehumanizing, but it's not defeminizing. I wouldn't want to associate it with empowerment, or feminism per se, but it isn't disempowering in the way that a lot of similar material would be.

The essays that conclude the book are generally interesting. (One more than the other.) However, both have interesting points to make, and are worth reading for those inclined to intellectualize such matters. (I'll include myself as one of those kinds of people, so I liked them both.) Either would have worked as an introduction rather than a footnote, but the decision to put them at the end doesn't really hamper the book, or decrease the essays themselves.

[Hydra Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book several friends suggested to me as a ‘must read’, perhaps not so much because they thought it was an amazing collection but rather because of its theme and how much I enjoy Lovecraft’s work and how much I love erotica. So, I had some pretty high expectation going in, expectations this book did not fully deliver on.

First, let me state, some of the stories in this anthology are quite good, very erotic even. Even among the less erotic ones, there isn’t a single story I can point to and say, ‘this story is poorly written.’ All the authors compiled here are talented. However, more than a few of the stories compiled here is not what I would call erotica. When all the sex in a story takes place ‘off screen’, that is not the sort of story I’d label as erotica and as a reader I am disappointed.

I was also highly disappointed by the illustrations published throughout this book. Again, the artist has the talent required for the job. The pieces were quite nicely done. It was only the subject matter and scenes from the story that were picked to be depicted that left me scratching my head. I mean, if you are going to illustrate a story where in the main character engages in lesbian sex with a oiled up chained captive girl and then a beast comes out of the shadows with tentacles ready to ravish them both (probably the best and certainly most erotic story in the book), why in the world would the illustration accompanying that story be of the main character walking down a flight of stairs fully clothed? I don’t understand. If it was fear of making the images ‘too pornographic’, maybe it would have been best to not illustrate the book at all.

I all around felt like there was, perhaps, a bit of a fear to ‘go there’ holding this collection back from being all that it could have been. This is why I’m giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. It’s not a ‘bad’ book. I just don’t think it lived up to all that the concept behind it promised.

[meltem]

This should be interesting.

[E. K. Strider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cthulhurotica was an enjoyable - although forgettable - read overall. Most of the contributions could be read in five minutes or less, which meant that it was very easy to put down and pick back up again later on. I found some of the stories compelling due to referencing numerous details associated with the surrounding mythos and the way that some concepts had been reworked to a more modern setting. The element of horror present in a number of the stories was also very nice. There were a few stories that introduced decidedly xeno aspects, which I also enjoyed; it's difficult to find much representation of this in erotica.

While I am a casual fan of both Lovecraft's mythos and erotica, I was a bit disappointed on the representation for the latter in Cthulhurotica. There were scant few stories that did anything more than a fade-to-black scene or a half-paragraph description of sex, mentioned just in passing, and more than one had virtually no erotica content whatsoever. Those that did go beyond that typically used purple prose to gloss over the actual sex. While this may be a plus for those not looking for anything particularly steamy, I felt that the title and advertising was a bit misleading compared to other stories or anthologies of the genre.

The quality of writing varied greatly from one contributor to the next. Some flowed very nicely, but others suffered from the feel of bad fanfiction or seemed of the quality of submissions to amateur writing ezines, either due to excessive simplicity in prose or to rushed story progression with too many details omitted.

One small detail that I really enjoyed was the addition of numerous illustrations throughout the anthology. I felt that the interpretations depicted of specific scenes from the various stories added a great deal to the overall anthology. I'm very glad that the publisher included them in latter editions.

[Jacob Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book - it's a nice blend of horror and erotica. Some of the stories stay very close to the Cthulhu Mythos, but many stray - some quite a distance - and it's very welcomed. The erotica ranges from subtle to not-quite-excessive, and anywhere in between.

There are several standout stories in the mix, stories that will stick with me for some time to come. Too many for me to cite individually.

What is really interesting is that the Ms. Cuinn also has some essays on H.P. Lovecraft, the mythos, the idea of erotica mixed in, and on the stories themselves. Often I'd groan at the idea of such discussions in a collection of short stories, but they add weight and credibility (not that the book would lack this without them) and overall they were a pleasant addition to the book as a whole.

[Cate Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cthulhurotica is an excellent anthology for both those who adore Lovecraft and those who aren't versed in the mythology--the latter being me.

Favourite story was 'Optional On The Beach At The Festival Of Shug Niggurath' by Gary Mark Bernstein. It had a delightful humourous vein running throughout.

Other standouts include 'The Lake at Roopkund' by Andrew Scearce, 'Transfigured Night' by K.V. Taylor, 'Flash Frame' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, 'The Assistant from Innsmouth' by Steven James Scearce' and 'Ipsa Scientia' by Constella Epsj.

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well.

Hot damn.

Literally.

A strange blend of Lovecraftian horror and literary erotica.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book club read. My favorites were “the assistant from innsmouth” and “le ciel ouvert”

[Kirsten Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, thanks Bonnie Burton! You sure did push me out of my comfort zone!

I find it really hard to rate a book like this. I really enjoyed some of the stories, and really disliked others. Many of the stories I felt ended too soon or too suddenly. Others were just plain confusing.

I'm not much of a fan of horror, and most of these stories were definitely leaning towards the horror rather than the erotic.

I'll do a quick comment about each of the stories. I'll confess I only skim-read the essays so I won't do a review of those.

Descent of the Wayward Sister
I quite liked this but found it seemed to end just as it was getting interesting!

The C-Word
Again I kinda liked this one, but didn't like the ending.

Infernal Attractors
Interesting concept!

Daddy's Girl
This was another story that ended just when it was getting interesting. Walked the line between sexy and too weird.

The Cry in the Darkness
This was one of my favourite stories. I liked the main character and his relationship with his wife.

Riemannian Dreams
Didn't really like this one. Can't put my finger on why.

Turing on, Tuning in, & Dropping out at the Mountains of Madness
The hippie talk annoyed me. I liked the ending though.

Song of the Catherine Clark
I found this one kinda boring.

Between a Rock and an Elder Goddess
Interesting concept. 'Nether mouths'? *Shudder*

The Fishwives of Sean Brolly
I liked the way this story was structured, with the hint at the beginning of how it would end. But it was so, so, creepy.

Flash Frame
I didn't mind this story. I liked the imagery and the use of the colour yellow.

Transfigured Night
This was one of my favourite stories. I liked the journal format, and loved the scene when he goes back and finds the dead body is gone. A great mystery.

The Lake at Roopkund
Great ending!

Ipsa Scientia
This one left me feeling confused.

Amid Disquieting Dreams
Creeeeeeppppppppyyyyy

The Dreamlands of Mars
Mixed feelings about this one. I didn't find it flowed very well.

The Assistant from Innsmouth
I felt a bit sorry for the guy in this story, even though he was a bit of a wanker.

The Summoned
Speaking of wankers, the guy in this story was a complete wanker. I really disliked him. Got what he deserved. I quite liked this story though - I think because it gave me a character I felt something about, even if it was intense dislike!

Sense
Starts out like a classic detective story, but with a very creepy ending! Made me think of The Twilight Zone.

Optional on the Beach at the Festival of Shug Niggurath
Made me chuckle. Liked the confrontation on the beach with the incensed couple. I felt like I was missing something though, not having read any HP Lovecraft.

Le Ciel Ouvert
I quite liked this one! I liked the main character & the dark atmosphere.

[Guillermo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know what you're thinking - tentacle porn. Tentacle porn that would put the manga and anime people to shame. Tentacles everywhere, filling every orifice. That's the image we come up with when someone suggests combining the world of Lovecraft and erotica. Don't be ashamed, I thoughts so as well. So much so, that I went into reading Cthulhurotica with a chuckle. Carrie Cuinn, the editor, pulled a fast one over us lovers of Lovecraft. We suckers will buy just about anything with Cthulhu plastered on it, right? Of course, we'd be wrong.

Combining the monstrous science fiction horror of Lovecraft with the literary erotic word must've been a hard task for the writers featured in the collection. The stories range from creepy to cute to downright arousing, touching on all ranges of attraction. Some writers dip into the bisexual landscape while others are a tad more conservative. In "Transfigured Night," K.V. Taylor spills out a homoerotic tale that skirts on necrophilia. Whereas, in "Le Ciél Ouvert," Kirsten Brown introduces us to a character whose sexual appetite can only be sated by something otherworldly. "The C-Word" by Don Pizarro, a May-December romance is reignited in the town of Innsmouth, showing that love has no age boundaries, as well as, cursed ones.

The collection is well worth the read for lovers of the Cthulhu Mythos, as well as, those who simply just love. The collection also includes three essays, beautifully drawn images, and a few lines of Lovecraft's poetry.

[Logan Berrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best Mythos anthologies I have read in years. Great new stories by talented writers (of Mythos short fic, at least) you've probably never heard of. Absolutely no reprints, which is refreshing for this type of anthology. This cook should serve as inspiration for other Mythos collection editors-you don't need to recycle stories by the big names, you can actually bring in fresh material from up and coming/undiscovered writers and and your collection will be instantly bumped up a couple stars.

My main issue with this collection is the rather misleading title. I was expecting a book filled with stories featuring people doing it with people, people doing it with monsters, monsters doing it with monsters, and while there are a few of those, the main reason "erotica" is in the title seems to be that characters in most stories think about sex, or maybe say the word "boobs" or something. A bit disappointing on that front. If you are a fan of Lovecraftian fiction, but wouldn't be into a collection of erotica, do not fear-this is very light on the erotica, and heavy on the excellent Mythos storytelling.

[Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe it or not, it's not all tentacle porn. Maybe about half.
Great short story comp. Most are written quite well; better than HPL himself. In terms of actual erotica, some stories are downright hot, while some almost seem to have added what little eroticism there was as an after thought. Or maybe I'm just spoiled by some of the other trash I read.

[G (galen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

fabulous collection of short fiction, intriguing array of illustrations (biased? who me?? no way! :P) and ESSAYS!! I LOVE that there are essays on the topics of horror, erotica, and H.P. lovecraft!!

Brava to everyone involved in this anthology <3

[Ruchita Nemade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giving this 3.5 for the stories.
I liked them

[Amanda Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably one of the strangest books I have ever read, but I loved it! I joined the Vaginal Fantasy book club a few months ago and this was September's main read.

It is a collection of Lovecraft-esque tales of Cthulhu in various romance/sexy/rape-y scenarios. Each author portrays Cthulhu in a different light usually incorporating a female protagonist (something Lovecraft never did...read up on him if you don't know why...).

The stories range from "Oh my god! So it's THAT kind of book!" to "I may not be able to sleep tonight" to "LMFAO!!! That is the funniest thing I have ever heard!" to "Did I read that correctly?".

Overall I loved it. I was so different than anything that I would have EVER chosen to read by myself. So with all that said, watch what the Vaginal Fantasy girls had to say about it. And you know what? Pick up the next title and read along with us! :) We have fun, I promise!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Kk6ERQ577aQ
(The link WILL contain Spoilers...)

[Mekenzie Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I skimmed the essays at the end - I picked this up for the sexy times - but I may try reading them again when time allows.

Standout stories for me were "Descent of the Wayward Sister" by Gabrielle Harbowy, "Infernal Attractors" by Cody Goodfellow, "The Fishwives of Sean Brolly" by Nathan Crowder, "Flash Frame" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, "Ipsa Scientia" by Constella Espj, "Amid Disquieting Dreams" by Leon J. West, "The Assistant From Innsmouth" by Steven James Scearce, "The Summoned" by Clint Collins, "Sense" by Matthew Marovich, and "Le Ciel Ouvert" by Kirsten Brown.

I wasn't familiar with any of these authors. Now I'm stalking most of them. Buyer beware!

[Tyrannosaurus regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you read a book called "Cthulhurotica" you more or less know what you're getting into. It is going to be dark, and there are going to be tentacles. So I wasn't caught off guard by the level of non-con or the vagina-as-opening-to-hell motifs. But honestly, I had hoped that overall it would be a bit more inventive. It was neither particularly Lovecraftian nor particularly erotic (both would have been ideal but either of the two would have been acceptable) and in general, in all ways, it just sat around the middle. The stories were fine, and for me Silvia Moreno-Garcia's "Flash Frame" was a real standout, but lacked the oomph I was looking for.

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for titillating tentacle pr0n, this is not the book for you. Although the stories do get more explicit the further into the book you go, they are strongly in the weird/horror camp, not in the vicarious excitement/erotica camp. Whether this is a good thing or not is up to the reader.

I enjoyed the read, but several of these tales felt like first chapters rather than short stories - incomplete, just left you hanging, waiting for the rest.

I'd still recommend it to Lovecraft lovers, of course.

[Clockwerk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm an H.P. Lovecraft collector, and will obtain every book related to the mythos, no matter how remotely. This being said, fair warning. Here there be "Squick".

These tales tend to "uncomfortable" rather than horrify, relying on taboo violation for their chills. If your Innsmouth look is come hither this is a book for you, otherwise remember you cannot unread somethings. This collection would be one of them.

[Annabeth Leong · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely disappointed by the book's closed-door sex, given the title and expectations the book set. In most cases, stories ended right when they finished setting the scene for the erotic part. I considered whether this was an outgrowth of the Lovecraftian technique of suggesting without showing, but if so it wasn't well-articulated by the book's presentation. As a reader, I found it deeply frustrating.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this is indeed an anthology of Lovecraftian erotica. This thing exists and I have read it. I have decided to review this thing which I have read.

Before we begin, I would like to dispense with a particular concern the fair reader may have. Specifically, that genre called tentacle hentai which involves tentacles, as does Lovecraft, who has tentacles but not love. Cthulhurotica contains exactly three instances of girl-meets-cephalopod and one guy-meets-octogirl but the action either happens offscreen, is vaguely implied, or briefly glimpsed by a third party who is then rendered unconscious. If you are a fan of such action, this is not the book for you.

So anyway, Cthulhurotica was edited by Carrie Cuinn, who had long wondered at the near-complete lack of any sort of romance, sexuality, or even female characters in the works of H.P. Lovecraft. His heroes are invariably chaste, bookish Anglo-Saxon men from New England who stumble upon nameless horrors in the pages of ancient Latin texts in musty libraries. Women, when they appear, are background characters who get taken out of the story pretty quickly - think "The Colour Out of Space" or "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward." Two important exceptions occur in "The Dunwich Horror" and "The Thing on the Doorstep," semi-sequel to "The Shadow Over Innsmouth." Those three stories are also the only ones Lovecraft wrote (other than "Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family") concerned with marriage, children, and reproduction, which he portrays as harbingers of degeneracy and doom. Lavinia Whateley has twins (somehow) by the alien god Yog-Sothoth who plot to open a gateway to extradimensional horror. Asenath Waite turns out not to be a woman at all but a man inhabiting the body of his daughter in a body-surfing attempt at immortality. Her family is from Innsmouth, a town ruined by interbreeding with a race of grotesque fish-frogs who worship Cthulhu. "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" is generally accepted by critics to be an allegory for miscegenation.

In reading his stories, it is easy to see Lovecraft as a repressed and neurotic individual with complexes upon complexes. He had original ideas that have influenced the entire scope of twentieth-century horror but for all his alien geometries and mad revelations, he's either neglected or twisted one vital part of the human experience. Still, Jennifer Brozek in her essay "The Sexual Attraction of the Lovecraftian Universe" points to common elements of Lovecraft's fiction that welcome an erotic interpretation. The most obvious is the attraction of the forbidden and the powerful and the myriad ways such power dynamics can be explored, subverted, and deconstructed. Atmosphere is also important: Lovecraft is known for his lush descriptions of decaying towns, dark forests, and arcane ruins that become veritable Scenery Porn. "''Food porn' and 'woodworking porn,'" one of my old blogger friends pointed out, ". . . can get as gratuitous as they want: there is no cultural stigma around watching cooking shows or looking at craft magazines, so we don't feel we need to apologize." Hell, there's even a site called Bookshelf Porn.

Thus, Cthulhurotica was envisioned not so much as a collection of sex stories but as an exploration of a possible human responses to Cosmic Horror left untouched by the traditional Cthulhu Mythos. In fact, quite a few of the stories are pretty PG-13 and I don't think any of them qualify as all-out X. They're a diverse bunch, some directly inspired by specific Lovecraft works (such as "The Whisperer in Darkness" and "The Silver Key") while others are more subtle in their influence. The book is divided into three sections but there doesn't seem to be any sort of theme uniting each one. The opening piece, Gabrielle Harbowy's "Descent of the Wayward Sister," does a great job setting the tone for the rest, turning Lovecraft on his head by centering on a bold female character who greets the monstrous with open arms (literally). An unapologetic thief and prostitute, she's a rule-breaker on the margins of Victorian society already, as opposed to some stuffy New England aristocrat. Don Pizarro's "The C-Word," on the other hand, is a quiet modern tale of two lovers, a young man and a woman seventeen years his senior. Except she lives in Innsmouth, which adds another layer to the issues of aging and physical change that have caused her to push him away.

Richard Baron's "The Cry in Darkness" is a semi-sequel to "The Dunwich Horror" featuring secondary character Mamie Bishop, whose new husband is perplexed at her obsession with pregnancy and sleepwalking episodes that routinely take her into the dark rural night. The ending is one of those wham! conclusions, similar to that of the great escape in "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," that fades to black and assumes the unreal quality of a dream. "Transfigured Night" by K.V. Taylor had a potentially silly "castaway on a deserted island" premise but quickly redeemed itself with its mood of sinister expectancy and a truly disturbing instance of the "last man on earth hears a knock at the door" variety. It also subverts Lovecraft's favored motif of intellectual seduction through crumbling tomes and hidden history. Leon J. West's "Amid Disquieting Dreams" was a deeply disturbing study of addiction and masochism, while "Le Ciél Ouvert" by Kirsten Brown ends the book with a rapturous blend of cosmic revelation, sexual transcendence, and all-out reality-warping.

My favorite story by far was "Flash Frame" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, publisher at the Innsmouth Free Press. "Flash Frame" is best described as a cross between The Ring and The King in Yellow. Creepy, creepy, creepy! I won't spoil it for you but suffice to say, this one is exactly what Lovecraft (or Chambers) plus erotica should look like. Unnerving, commingled disgust and perverse fascination, hints of an uncanny wrongness and secret malignant forces at work. Moreno-Garcia subsequently become one of my favorite people working in the Cthulhu Mythos today. Do check out the Innsmouth Free Press if you haven't already.

The rest of the book didn't do much for me, unfortunately, although I did come away from Cthulhurotica with the feeling that Carrie Cuinn had accomplished what she had set out to. I've read a few Lovecraft anthologies over the past year, mostly from Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu fiction line, and after awhile they do tend to blend together and become predictable. There's only so much you can do in following Lovecraft too closely and writing about mind-shattering discoveries and towering monsters and lurking doom in the family tree. There's also the risk of merely perpetuating Lovecraft's many, many Unfortunate Implications by failing to do any deconstruction, alternate interpretations, or exploration of new angles. I also applaud Cuinn for selecting a large number of female authors and authors from different culture backgrounds, both sorely needed in the Lovecraftverse.

Cthulhurotica also includes a few illustrations by various artists and three essays: "Cthulhu's Polymorphous Perversity" by Kenneth Hite, "Cthulhurotica, Female Empowerment, and the New Weird" by Justin Everett, and Brozek's "The Sexual Attraction of the Lovecraftian Universe." All of them quite thought-provoking and a great way to round out the book. So. *thumbs up* I support this endeavor.

Original Review

[Dutchess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I did enjoy quite a few stories in this collection, many of them feel uninspired. There are plenty of name-drops that fans of Lovecraft will recognize, but oftentimes they seem to have little bearing on the events of each story. If a character's name, or a town's name, can be swapped out with another name without affecting the story, then it might be a sign that the name/setting/character is a weak choice.

Moving on from the negatives, my favorite story in this collection, by far, is Flash Frame by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. (I find it funny that the first story of hers that I've read is in some obscure erotic horror collection.) Many of the other stories are about Innsmouth and the Whately family, which can feel a little redundant, but this one seems to be inspired by the King in Yellow, while using a cursed videotape as a plot device.

There are also some essays at the end of the book, and though they aren't anything groundbreaking, they are interesting reads, essentially talking about Lovecraft's ironic influence on erotica, and why cosmic horror is so appealing to us.

Despite some positives, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. There's plenty of superior erotica out there, and plenty of more fleshed-out cosmic horror tales elsewhere.

[Apollo Mul · Rating 1 out of 5]

This had a lot of less erotica than I was expecting, and the erotica that was within was... lackluster, to say the least.

The essays were fine aside from the first one that utilized waaaaay too many parentheses. It’s one thing that really annoys me in any kind of writing, whether it be novels, essays, text messages, etc.

Anyway, is this collection worth buying? No. There are maybe 3-4 stories worth reading, but the rest could be scrapped. Most didn’t leave an impression on me, and it took me so long to read this because many of them were so boring.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of great imagination from many wizard of tales! Mythological creatures, underworld monsters, succubus, incubus, sea monsters, you named it they have it in here. Such a fun mythical reading experience. Definitely not the kind of erotica that I had in mind (truly Lovecraftian horror X literary erotica)

"In the submissive sense, there is an extreme sexual attraction to being taken by force by an otherworldly entity"

"The attraction of the forbidden, the delightfully creepy atmosphere that lends itself well to rule breaking and sexual encounters..."

[Amanda Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting read and I had no expectations going in, there are some really fascinating and charged stories in here with usually grim results. Usually horror tries to scare you away from sex but here it is sex positive. The essays were not too bad either. Even though it will probably get me sent somewhere into Hell for doing it, I would have no problem reading the book again.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

A departure from my usual reading choices, I ended up enjoying this book of short stories. Not for the faint of heart, these stories are gripping, spooky, thrilling and at times confusing.

One note:
The part where a woman is turned on by physics and the Navier-stokes equation.... as a person traumatized by fluid mechanics.... no

[Di]

Too many stories in too short of a span, leaving me confused.