The house of Cthulhu: Tales of the Primal Land, Volume 1

I haven't read very much (anything?) in the post-Lovecraftian Cthulhu mythos vein, so I'm not sure how much of the world-building here is shared, and how much is Lumley's own creation--I suspect it's mostly the latter, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

This is a collection of very good short stories, with a framing device that posits some earlier civilization (heaps earlier, like millions of years earlier) has left supposedly true accounts of their time in a sealed contraption that could survive until now.

There is an introduction extolling the wonders of the geography of this earlier time which you will enjoy as much as you think you will (no judgement here, you may love this sort of thing or hate it, and in this case, you will show more then love or hate this instance of it). And then we're on to the stories, and they're great fun.

If you're iffy about weird framing devices and geographical introductions, plunge into the stories and see how they work for you. The first is good, the second better, so start there and then work outward.

If some stories seem familiar, they were apparently all published elsewhere first, but I for one am very happy they have been gathered together--they fit nicely as one unit, and I was left hoping for more--which do exist, luckily for me, as this is the first of three collections. show less

A collection of short stories set in an antediluvian time, based very loosely on Lovecraft's few tales (inspired by Robert E. Howard) set in such a time. Competently written, but nothing spectacular here.