Swords Against Cthulhu!

[ecosophia]

 A heads up to Lovecraftiana fans -- a short story of mine, "The Black Goat's Servant," has just been published in the anthology Swords Against Cthulhu III: A New Dark Age from Rogue Planet Press. Yes, it's a sword-and-sorcery yarn; yes, it's set in a future dark age, after the Great Old Ones resume their briefly interrupted mastery over the planet; it's closer to straight Lovecraft than my Weird of Hali stories, and not connected to them, but it's got sex, violence, eldritch horrors, and a journey across a deindustrial Ohio rather different from the one Trey sunna Gwen visited in Star's Reach. Those interested can pick up a squamous, rugose copy here. 

Comments

Congratulations

[ferngladefarm.com.au]

Hi John Michael,

Congratulations on the story. And yes, who can resist the themes of: sex, violence, eldritch horrors, and a journey across a deindustrial Ohio! However, I suspect that Cthulhu would win against swords. I could be wrong...

Chris

[jpc2]

Ordered! Along with the first volume of Swords. Enjoyed the last issue.
Just finished Ruthanna Emrys' 'Deep Roots'. Seems like a world mid-way between Lovecraft's and WOH. A bit farther out than 'Winter Tide'.
Hope we see some WOH before too long.

Coop Janitor

Re: Congratulations

[ecosophia]

Thank you! I'm looking forward to seeing the other stories and see how they handle the mismatch...

[ecosophia]

I've been putting off reading Ruthanna Emrys' para-Lovecraftian fiction until I've got the Weird of Hali sequence finished; she's a very good writer, and I tend to be too easily influenced! But I'm looking forward to them.

According to the publisher, there'll be an announcement concerning The Weird of Hali: Chorazin next month. I'll post something here as soon as that happens.

Kudos

[jeffinwa]

Just ordered. Tentacles rock!

Sure hope your publisher will see clear to let your Weird of Hali stories be printed in a more affordable edition; the first book awakened a deep hunger and it needs to feed.

Jeff

[(Anonymous)]

Does Cthulhu exist like Slenderman, or more like Kek?

Re: Kudos

[ecosophia]

The first book, Innsmouth, is already out in a paperback edition, and the second, Kingsport, will be released in paperback when the third goes into print. I'm currently looking into options for getting it available in an e-book edition.

[ecosophia]

I think he exists in the same way as, say, Batman, or Gandalf the Grey. Literary egregores have their own curious mode of being, which is somewhat different from either of your examples.

[(Anonymous)]

Shortly after both books came out, I wrote a comparative review of Emrys's Winter Tide and The Weird of Hali: Innsmouth for my old-school print APA (circulation about 20). Once Hali is finished, and you've had a chance to read Winter Tide, I'll send you a copy.

[ecosophia]

Thank you -- I'll look forward to it.

Wonderful!

[(Anonymous)]

How cool! Also delighted to hear of an impending announcement about the Weird Of Hali. Having spent what is for me quite a large sum on the first two in the lovely Miskatonic editions, I would be crushed not to complete the set. That sum, by the way to any readers unsure about dropping such an amount on fiction, was entirely and abundantly Worth It. The editions themselves are lovely to hold and admire, and the story is fun and engaging while also having quite a bit of meat to support rereading. I'm already on my 3rd trip to Kingsport, though I'm a bit worried that by the time I get back I'll be entirely ruined for trade paperbacks and their ilk. They're also an excellent icebreaker into the world of limits for those otherwise unaware, and once I can bear to lend mine I've got a list of people waiting for them who are very, very excited to read them. The Cuddly Cthulu craze has deep roots, and biophobia doesn't seem to be among them.