Tales Out of Innsmouth [Paperback]

I really like short stories. In fact, I absolutely love short stories. I love horror, I love fantasy, and there's a really good reason that every book I've ever reviewed has been an anthology collection of horror or fantasy short stories.

Sadly, 'Tales out of Innsmouth' was not a book that I thought that I would get into. I decided to give it a chance, but things didn't look good from the outset. I've played CoC for years, I've gobbled down every book on, by, or about Lovecraft that I could lay my hands on, I know most of the Old Ones on a first name basis, and quite frankly, the Deep Ones, Dagon's hideous children and the inhabitants of shadowed Innsmouth have never seemed to do to much for me.

Until now.

From editor Robert M. Price's masterful introductory essay "The One That Got Away", 'Tales out of Innsmouth' is just one pleasant surprise after another. Every tale and short story in the book is a unique and intriguing look at some facet of the Deep Ones - the whole book is an experience in redefining one of the best known critters in Lovecraft's universe.

The most intriguing part of the book, in my opinion, is John Glasby's reworking of Lovecraft's original notes for the story that would introduce the Deep One's to his mythos. Entitled "The Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth", this strange take on Lovecraft's vision shows what could have been, and is lots of fun for a faithful reader of Lovecraft's work who may feel like they've read it all.

Other stories, particularly Gregory Luce's cinematic "The Deep End", Scott David Aniolowski's unique take on "The Idol", Brian McNaughton's horrific "The Doom that Came to Innsmouth", and the hilarious "It Was The Day of the Deep One" by Peter H. Cannon, make this book well worth a look. Players and Keeprs alike who want to add a new dimension to their Call of Cthulhu games with more fleshed out Deep Ones should invest in this book, and even folks who just dig a good horror story will undoubtedly find a lot to love about this book. Lovecraft would be proud.

There's a lot of Innsmouth fiction out there. This is not the best.

That having been said, I still think this collection has a lot to recommend itself. First up to bat is "The Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth", written by John Glasby using the notes for the original draft by HPL. I have to admit that I was very excited about this. It's the same story but significantly different, and not necessarily worse. "The Doom that Came to Innsmouth" is a sick little tale about a modern hybrid getting back to his roots. If the reader was sympathetic to Olmstead's character, you will not be towards this anti-hero. Deep Ones have very little respect for our humanity and it shows.

"The Old Ones' Signs" was pretty good until the end; it covers the period when Captain Marsh was still sailing and encountered the Kanakas. The story is told from the perspective of an old Yankee sailor, and the author resists the urge to bequeath him any modern conceits (until the very end). CJ Henderson tells an occult detective tale in "Fleas of the Dragon" - I'm not really a fan of this kind of self-aware story, but he is a well-known author in Mythos circles. "The Idol" by Scott David Aniolowski also appeared in DISCIPLES OF CTHULHU II, Stanley Sargent's "Just a Tad Beyond Innsmouth" appeared in Mythos Online Issue #3, and another story by Sargent "Trust Me" appeared in Mythos Online Issue #2. I was a little disappointed that I had read all of these before. "Day of the Deep Ones" is a bit of satire about Frank Belknap Long and, according to Price, is meant to parody that fan club while mixing in some actual convention occurrences. Much like the similar satire in "The Undercliffe Sentences", if you are not a hyper-fan the humor will be lost on you.

There are 13 stories altogether and only the one using Lovecraft's oringinal draft for the Innsmouth story stood out. The rest are of average quality and are probably worth buying if you are a fan of Innsmouth.

**Incidentally, I think the best Innsmouth fiction is in SHADOWS OVER INNSMOUTH by Del Rey

Buy it Lovecraft fans. If Innsmouth is your favourite creation by the man, it is an essential purchase, and in a decade these books will be exchanging hands for silly money. The unimpressed reviewers here can feel free to inspect paintings at the Louvre seeing as these humble books are beneath them. Have some fun, enjoy a wide spectrum of writing, get the other Innsmouth book from Chaosium too and enjoy some escapism. Oh,and check out my other Lovecraft reviews. Blunt and truthful.