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William Holloway

Author of Lucky's Girl

12 Works 98 Members 24 Reviews

Works by William Holloway

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I really, really wanted to love this one. A great idea, four novellas all connected by "the Event" or the thing that ultimately wakes dead Cthulhu from his dream state in his house at R'lyeh. Cool, right?

Well, ultimately for me, only a little.

Here's my thing when it comes to Lovecraftian horror...I love it. Hell, I've written it. But for me, it only really works when you work within the framework, or respect the mythology that Lovecraft built (and yes, I'm also aware that his mythos doesn't necessarily all fit together well, but still).

And after digesting the stories in this book for a bit, I feel that this is the central issue of why this didn't quite work for me. Cthulhu is name-checked a few times, but overall, the Great Old One mostly hangs around off stage and, while his influence is felt through the four stories, he plays virtually no direct role.

Instead, we're left with several characters fighting "squids" that have evolved under some influence from their god. And while the stories are interesting, I just found myself waiting for the mind-numbing lumbering of some monstrosity into the playing field that only sorta kinda happened.

Through the stories, we're instead given some very real, but mostly either utterly unlikeable characters (the heroin junkies and corrupt politicians in the first entry, the criminals in the second), or reasonably banal characters (the reluctant soldier in the third entry, the religious martyr in the final one) and, frustratingly, not a lot of them have any agency in any of the stories, seeming to lurch from situation to situation.

And while I'd hoped for some sort of point to all of this—because the preceding stories did feel like they were tiptoeing to some conclusion in the final one—it never really coalesced into anything definitive.

Stuff happens. Bad stuff happens. Worse stuff happens. The end.

And yes, if that ain't pulled right out of the Lovecraftian playbook, I don't know what is, but still, we're almost a century past Howard Phillips now, and I'd like to see some continuation and exploration of the mythos. I got a little excited when the Christian God was thrown up against Cthulhu, but again it kind of didn't go anywhere.

So, overall, while it was well-written and had some good stuff in there, overall, it didn't quench my thirst the way I'd hoped.

As TV Guide used to state about certain movies, this one could be considered "an okay time-waster."
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TobinElliott | 1 other review | Jun 5, 2023 |
The Abyssal Plain: The R’Lyeh Cycle is an epic Eldritch Apocalypse Horror that will change apocalypse fiction forever. The novel is comprised of four separate parts, each one a story of the events from a different area told by a different author.

It begins with “Ammonia” by William Holloway. Holloway’s masterful way with cosmic and Lovecraftian Horror is at its finest as he immerses you in The Event and one man’s subsequent struggle in the wake of it. Unrelenting suspense and terror compel you on as the true horror of The Event begins to unfold. This story is unparalleled in concept and execution, a brilliant creation bringing myth into reality with all of modern science to back it. It is the final evolution of Lovecraftian Horror.

But wait, there’s more.

The Sisters of Slaughter continue this epic horror with “A Sunken Desert.” Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason, aka The Sisters of Slaughter, take us to the Arizona desert where the human horror element is rampant. Is it insanity or human nature or something more profound? The Sisters’ vivid, well-developed characters take us deeper into the ever-changing horrors of the aftermath of The Event.

“The Rise and Fall” by Brett J Talley is a tale of physical and mental survival in Alabama as the horror of The Event spreads. Talley uses action, suspense, and human failing to keep you glued to the pages. The formula is reminiscent of classic King, but the telling and content is pure Talley.

The concluding story is “The Great Beast” by Rich Hawkins. Hawkins takes us to England and tells the story of a man in the midst of horrors from the Event, horrors both human and not human, horrors we have not seen prior. Hawkins’s rich and flowing storytelling reveal the final stage of events leading to the climax of this epic apocalyptic horror.

Cosmic Horror. Apocalypse Horror. Lovecraftian Horror. Suspense, terror, action, cults, disasters, violence, and horrifying creatures. The Abyssal Plain is a horror masterwork, a brilliant concept brought to life by brilliant authors, an epic apocalyptic horror unlike any other.
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BibliophiliaTemplum | 1 other review | Mar 21, 2021 |
Blackwood Estates by William Holloway is a brutal and relentless Cosmic Horror novel. Although it is not Extreme Horror, the subject matter throughout the story is especially gruesome and impactful. It assaults your mind, senses, and emotions, will you, nill you.

The way you get to know the characters through the progression of the story really drew me in, created a creepy realism (because that is how one gets to know people in the real world, gradually), and ultimately is what drives the premise of the story to its (withholding spoiler) conclusion.

The pace and flow are as ruthless as the content. Holloway creates a vivid and evocative story without wasting words. The feeling of being mentally and emotionally brutalized is surpassed only by the need to know what happens next. This story is not for those of delicate constitutions or a preference for soft horror. I can imagine Lovecraft himself would find Blackwood Estates to be disturbing.

Cosmic Horror that is heavy on the horror, this shelf-worthy book is a must for hard horror fans.
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BibliophiliaTemplum | Mar 21, 2021 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
I'm going to be honest, I didn't finish the book, feel like it started in the middle of a thought and went off on a tangent from there, might of been a great short story idea, or had the basis there just didn't follow through with actual intriguing book that was easy to follow.
 
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Amy_Webb | 16 other reviews | Apr 3, 2018 |

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Works
12
Members
98
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Rating
½ 3.4
Reviews
24
ISBNs
9

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