This year I am resolved to clear out some mythosish books that have been on my shelves a long time now. That Darn Squid God by Nick Pollotta and James Clay is a 308 page hardcover from Double Dragon Publishing, listed at $19.99 but discounted a few dollars on Amazon. I was anticipating a possible Lovecraftian send up but there was actually less here than meets the eye.

This is a book that plays way over the top for humor, following some adventurers, who are paragons of Britsh explorer manhood, in Victorian England on a wild adventure. Everything is tongue firmly in cheek, as every trope imagniable is played for laughs. The Squid God of the title may have been modeled on Cthulhu at bit, but only inferentially. Some crazy cultists want to awaken the squid back into our dimension so he can destroy the world in apocalyptic fury, and our heroes (and heroine) must stop him. There are no other Lovecraftian associations, so once again I was snookered by the cover of a book. Just about every famour British character from the era, historical or ficitonal makes an appearance.

The book is a breathless read and in spite of the page count can be zipped through pretty effortlessly. Problem is, I did not like it much. I wonder if I would have liked Bored of the Rings so much if I first read it at age 51 vs age 12. It was OK, but only OK. I didn't guffaw, chortle, whoop or even snicker out loud. I think I occasionally smiled briefly. More than once I checked how many pages I had left to finish, always a bad sign.

Recommended to those who like this sort of book; if you can read the first chapter in the bookstore you will be able to decide if it's for you. Not a necessary addition to a Lovecraftian's library, even ridiculous completists. My copy is headed to the used book store.

Instead of chasing down That Darn Squid God, let me suggest an alternative. In the vein of fantasies set in Victorian England, if you don't mind delving into books sadly described as children's literature, try Larklight, Starcross and Mothstorm by Phillip Reeve. Here plucky Englishmen and women sail spaceships across the ether encountering adventures and bizarre creatures in all the planets, moons and asteroids. It was wit, energy and humor without resorting to ridiculous caricatures. David Wyatt's numerous brilliant illustrations are an added bonus. ( )

This book defines the term "tongue-in-cheek" and is a solid book of inner chuckles the entire way through. From H. Rider Haggard to HP Lovecraft; from Jules Verne to H.G. Wells; with a brief bit of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson and Indian Jones thrown in for good measure, this book is an absolutely delightful parody of all Victorian-based stories you can think of. It is a hoot. Do NOT read this expecting something serious...you won't find it. It's as if the authors got together and said "hmmm...whose work can we throw in to keep this story going?" And for a fun read, it definitely works. It was really fun, mostly, to be reading and then catch the "aha" as my inner light of story recognition went on each time there was another element added to the story. Must find more works by this person!

The basic story is this: Professor Felix Einstein, who runs the museum of stolen antiquities in London, has remembered an ancient text he once stole and deciphered which tells that the squid god will be reborn when the moon turns its face around, which is supposed to happen, according to his precise calculations, in about 2 weeks. There have already been signs of an oncoming apocalypse -- earth quakes, tidal waves, rainbow trout swimming in the Dead Sea, you name it. He goes one night to the London Explorers Club to seek help in stopping the rebirth of the squid god before it can rise and claim the world as its own, and runs into another brave member of the Club, Lord Benjamin Carstairs. It doesn't take much to convince Carstairs, especially after Benjamin meets Felix's niece Mary, so the two go off in search of the temple of the squid god. Of course, nothing is easy and they are relentlessly tailed & threatened by the squid god's priests & minions who do not want the rebirth interrupted.

To say that this is funny is an understatement...and it is a GREAT parody of the Cthulhu stories by Lovecraft. There are some really funny moments in here so read carefully so as not to miss a thing. Very good and a great way to spend a few hours of your day. ( )