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Title: Lovecraft Unbound
Editor: Ellen Datlow
Published: Milwaukie: Dark Horse, 2009
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 421
Total Page Count: 119,873
Text Number: 348
Read Because: personal enjoyment, purchased from The Book Bin
Review: All short story anthologies are doomed to ups and downs; this is no exception. Lovecraft provides wide but often transparent (more often in theme than in mythos) and occasionally repetitive inspiration, especially in the stories written expressly for this collection, a problem exacerbated by post-story blurbs where authors provide two-penny insights into Lovecraft's work. But Datlow is an accomplished collator: the selection is broad, the variety of styles—sometimes ranging too far: there's a few instances of glaring failed humor—keeps a steady forward flow, and the quality over these 20 stories is more good than bad. In the best selections, Lovecraft's influence thrives but the story is unique and distinctly written. Philips's chilling "Cold Water Survival" haunts the corners of Lovecraft's impossible geometry and ancient landscapes. Kiernan is one of my favorite Lovecraft-influenced authors; "Houses Under the Sea" is not her best but has many of her trademarks: the dark poetry of humanity, tipping over the brink of what lies beyond our ken. Monette and Bear's "Mongoose" is science fiction that flirts with Lovecraft and Lewis Carroll but remains startling and unique. I've read better Lovecraft-influenced short stories (see: Kiernan's collected short fiction), and Lovecraft Unbound has a number of selections with good intentions but mixed results. But on the whole, the collection lives up to, although it fails to exceed, its aim. I recommend it moderately.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Editor: Ellen Datlow
Published: Milwaukie: Dark Horse, 2009
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 421
Total Page Count: 119,873
Text Number: 348
Read Because: personal enjoyment, purchased from The Book Bin
Review: All short story anthologies are doomed to ups and downs; this is no exception. Lovecraft provides wide but often transparent (more often in theme than in mythos) and occasionally repetitive inspiration, especially in the stories written expressly for this collection, a problem exacerbated by post-story blurbs where authors provide two-penny insights into Lovecraft's work. But Datlow is an accomplished collator: the selection is broad, the variety of styles—sometimes ranging too far: there's a few instances of glaring failed humor—keeps a steady forward flow, and the quality over these 20 stories is more good than bad. In the best selections, Lovecraft's influence thrives but the story is unique and distinctly written. Philips's chilling "Cold Water Survival" haunts the corners of Lovecraft's impossible geometry and ancient landscapes. Kiernan is one of my favorite Lovecraft-influenced authors; "Houses Under the Sea" is not her best but has many of her trademarks: the dark poetry of humanity, tipping over the brink of what lies beyond our ken. Monette and Bear's "Mongoose" is science fiction that flirts with Lovecraft and Lewis Carroll but remains startling and unique. I've read better Lovecraft-influenced short stories (see: Kiernan's collected short fiction), and Lovecraft Unbound has a number of selections with good intentions but mixed results. But on the whole, the collection lives up to, although it fails to exceed, its aim. I recommend it moderately.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
