C.T. Phipps

This is a looser anthology than Crossroad Press’ previous Books of Cthulhu (Tales of the Al-Azif, Tales of Yog-Sothoth, and the Book of Yig) to say nothing of their anthologies of intricately linked Mythos stories Eldritch Prisonersand Time Loopers. The tone and types of the stories vary more; there are more authors; there is no single overarching story.

And that, as the “Foreword” tells us, is entirely appropriate. Nyarlathotep has many names: the Black Man, the Crawling Chaos, and the God with a Thousand Forms. He wears many mask in these stories: trickster, avatar of doom, bringer of dark enlightenment, a good and faithful servant – if not particularly invested – servant of Outer Gods. Cthulhu and the liberation of his promised return is a parody of Christianity, and the Nyarlathotep offers sort of an anti-Buddhist dark Enlightenment. Most importantly, Nyarlathotep is

"about the only Lovecraftian god who cares about humanity. Like a kid with a magnifying glass and a bunch of ants."

C. T. Phipps is an author who likes his elaborate and dense references to H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos though “The Black Pharaoh’s Test” owes as much to Robert E. Howard’s version of prehistory as Lovecraft. The ancient city of Stygia is about to fall; the followers of the New and Old Gods are at the gates. Maybe its king Apophis Zul shouldn’t haven’t been so avaricious in his pursuit of mystical power. And maybe you can’t terrorize your subjects into obediance. So, Apophis Zul, a member of the Snake Men (though the race has been doing some degenerate breeding with humans), sacrifices a slave to embody Nyarhlathotep. Maybe that god will help.

Like granting Zul’s wish, asks Nyarlathotep? Sure. But there’s a little matter of a test first.

Similar to the framing device of the green orb in the movie Heavy Metal, Nyarlathotep is going to present some stories of his presence in other dimensions and other times. He’ll have a question for Zul at the end.

And then Phipps gives us a blackly humorous retelling of a fairy tale in “Cinderella and Her Outer Godfather”. Here Cinderella is the daughter of Marcus, a warlock who once commanded the spirits of the Dreamlands, talked with Nyarlathotep, and dined with the spirit of Abdul Alhazred in Azathoth’s court. But Marcus blows his money and ends up having to marry Salyssa, a Deep One. Cinderella resents this because her family’s traditional alliance is to Yog-Sothoth. Marcus dies, and her stepmother and stepsisters decide to make her life miserable so she will willingly shift her alliance to Cthulhu.

As with the previous Books of Cthulhu, a lot of the authors here present new installments in their ongoing series, and “Where the River Ends” is another of David J. West’s Cowboys & Cthulhu adventures. This one takes place in 1859 and has Porter Rockwell pursuing a killer into a box canyon. But Bishop, his Indian ally, isn’t going to go in after him and warns Rockwell the canyon is dangerous. Time behaves oddly there. But Rockwell goes in anyway and meets some old acquaintances (even if he doesn’t remember them): Mr. Nodens and Nikolai Tesla. The killer is attempting to create a rift in spacetime. And that’s brought a giant river monster into the world. Rockwell avails himself of some anachronistic weapons provided by Tesla: dynamite and a Gatling Gun. More pulp action than Lovecraft horror, but that’s not a bad thing at all.

“The Apophis Sarcophagus” from David Hambling is also a pulpy good time though it still has some of the esoteric elements that are one of the pleasures of the Stubbsverse. Here, though, it’s book dealer and occult scholar Captain Cross that’s featured and not Harry Stubbs. Cross is contacted by a woman looking to sell a scroll from the tomb of Nefereka. She wants the money to escape her occultist family, the Edmonds. The trouble is any buyer will want provenance, and the provenance is she stole it from her father. When her loutish brother shows up uninvited, Cross has to conceal the woman’s theft and finds himself invited to the Edmonds home. It’s 1928, and, in the wake of King Tut’s tomb being found, Egyptomania is a thing. But the Edmonds take it to an insane and quite serious level as Cross finds out when he has to battle a flesh-consuming entity in their locked home.

I haven’t always been enthusiastic about Matthew Davenport’s Andrew Doran series, but I liked “Andrew Doran and the Curse of Nephren-Ka”, mostly because of its darker tone and the absence of any of his usual associates. The assistant curator of the Arkham Historical Museum is referred to Doran, the Mad Archaeologist and Head of Miskatonic U’s Anthropology Department, to investigate a canopic jar allegedly from the tomb of the Black Pharaoh. A battle of wills follows between Doran and an avatar of Nyarlathotep. Bluff, a Templar sword, and heroic sacrifice may win the day, but the cost is high and Doran will wonder what’s becoming of his soul given the wreckage of lives that seems to trail in his wake.

Andrea Pearson’s “Blackwood Relic” is novel in its characters and setting. Travis Blackwood is a shy farm boy who has, surprisingly, gotten himself a girlfriend, Cassidy, who he hasn’t told his parents about. But reveries of young love distract him while he’s plowing a field, and a cardinal rule of his father – don’t disturb a particular rock in the field – is broken. (Another is not to go into the nearby woods.) Soon Travis is possessed by the spirit of his ancestor, the cutely named Algernon Blackwood. Algernon is rather disappointed on how lackadaisical his descendants have been about their responsibilities toward Nyarlathotep. Cassidy and Travis’s and mother have to figure out what’s going on and how to exorcise Algernon. I quite liked the sting at the end of this tale of young love

We get another name for Nyarhlathotep in C. T. Phipps’ “Cookies for the Gentleman”. It’s a strange, frightening tale related by a man whose parents and wife have been obliterated from the universe and human memory by that entity. Why is terrifying and so is the daily propitiation he undertakes.

Pearson’s “Coolidge and the Enchanted Dagger” is from her young adult series, the Mosaic Chronicles. Given that I’m not fond of young adult stories and especially not stories of people gaining magical powers, it’s no surprise this one didn’t do much for me. In this world the Arete – magic users – are less made than born. Protagonist Coolidge, however, has a problem. He’s not going to follow in his famous Arete parents’ footsteps because his pineal gland, essential for using magic, is naturally atrophied. He has one chance: stab himself with a magical dagger. He may get magical abilities or he may die. Undergoing that ordeal, he will meet Nyarlathotep who is willing to make a deal. Because it’s part of a series, it has something of an incomplete feel about it.

The only story here that is a direct sequel to an H. P. Lovecraft story is Eric Malikyte’s “In Its Shadow”, and it’s an effective evocation of terror and mystery. Imprisoned at some military base and terrified of the dark, its narrator undergoes a series of interrogation by a Dr. Webber who tries to pry out his account of a secret government mission he undertaken to Alaska.

Davenport’s “Dream Math” is part of another series, his Scion Cycle though it also partakes of elements of Lovecraft’s “The Dreams in the Witch House” since, rather like Keziah Mason in that story, there is a “math witch” here, Sheryl Mason. She can consciously alter and travel between realities. Unfortunately, she also does this when asleep which is a danger to her roommate. Another student at Miskatonic University student may have a pharmaceutical solution to this problem. She is the suspciously named Nyla Smith. Like “Coolidge and the Enchanted Dagger” and for the same reasons, this story didn’t do much for me.

Phipps’ “The Siege of New Ulthar” is an immoderate, dense tale clotted with despair and grimness – and I mean that in a good way. Another installment in his Cthulhu Armageddon series, this is an extremely dark story full of existential angst, theological allusions, memorable dialogue, and philosophical musings as well as being sort of a post-apocalypse western. In a world where the Old Gods have returned, millions have died and humanity’s very genetic line has been corrupted, Sheriff John Henry Booth, the narrator, wonders what the point of fighting is. To make sure humanity lasts, at best, a few decades more? He’s not even human and has to fight his shoggoth inheritance. The town of New Ulthar is threatened by the fungus encrusted Yellow Riders, and their leader, a smiley face drawn on his cowl, is Nyarlathotep. Booth and his posse aren’t really even human. His wife Mercury – whore, doctor, and witch — resorts to human sacrifice to get enough magic for the coming fight. It’s the book’s most memorable story, a Viking-like tale of doom, courage, and sacrifice.

David Niall Wilson gives us another tale of Cletus J. Diggs and Donovan DeChance story with “All the Way Up”. DeChance’s magical allies, including a cat and raven, and Nettie, a magical woman who guards the Great Dismal Swamp, make this story more of a fantasy tale than one of horror. The swamp is menaced by Nyarlathotep who is compelling the residents of Eternity to dredge the swamp for its concealed ruins in order to construct a building for the Church of New Light and Starry Wisdom. While I found the plot and characters not very compelling, the story does have one strong element: a cameo appearance by Brian Lumley’s Titus Crow.

And, finally, Apophis Zul must face his test with Phipps’ “The Final Judgment”. Naturally, on his way to becoming a myth himself, he doesn’t really understand what Nyarlathotep is all about. It’s another strong tale from Phipps and again shines in the dialogue he gives the most capricious, mysterious, and personally malicious of Lovecraft’s deities.… (altro)

Moon Cops on the Moon!
C.T. Phipps
Well, first off, the blurb says this is just a stand alone book! That can't be tolerated! This has to be made into a series! I really enjoyed the characters! Especially Barkley the robot dog. Of course the kooky guy with the crazy Purple Rain car was a real hoot too!
The funny situations, conversations, and people, or whatever, kept me smiling and giggling. This is even better than Phipps' Weredeer books 😂. This book is a pure delight to read! Unpredictable, funny, a bit crazy, a bit naughty, but totally worth the read!… (altro)