I've read quite a bit of Joshi's commentaries and reviews concerning the horror genre, and, when I noticed this book while browsing, I became curious to see what kind of fictional story he would write. I wondered what kind of Lovecraftian novel a scholar of Lovecraft would produce.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the excellent quality of the tale. This is exactly how a modern Lovecraftian work should be done. The story combines cosmic horror with flawed, very believable characters who have realistic interactions. The tale is very effective at combining the cosmic horror elements with emotional content, and, by using a slow accumulation of details to incrementally increase the dread factor, and a great sense of atmosphere and place, and an immensely disturbing denouement, Joshi really knocks this one out of the park.

To give you an example of the fine prose, here is one of my favorite quotes from the book, a gorgeous cosmic horror sentence:

"I am aware that the earth holds many strange things within itself, whether it be in the remote reaches of the untenanted wilderness or in the inky depths of the sea; but I instinctively sensed that this entity was in no way earthly, and that its purpose, motivations, and very existence were beyond the comprehension of our little minds." ( )