Fury From The Tomb by S.A. Sidor
This horror/western mashup is the start of ‘The Institute For Singular Antiquities’ series and sees an Egyptologist and some other trope characters run around Mexico after a malevolent mummy. This was unreadable purple-prosed pap that is not a dark imagining. Avoid this.
Best Lines:
“Stinkdamp?”
“The skull rock.”
“I have seen better things at the bottom of a hog pen.”
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Such Things May Be: Collected Writings by James Wade, part 2
Something For Grooley
A sequel to ‘Grooley’ that tells the tale from the child’s POV. This is a creepy tale that could be read as a child grooming story, also the child rebels against his abusive parents.
Best Line:
“He almost did something awful then, but I promised to do better and he forgave me.”
Grooley: Adapted by Terence Staples
A very badly formatted script of a short film based on ‘Grooley’. The child is neglected by his abusive parents in this numbing useless relentlessness.
Best Line:
“Fears father’s reaction.”
Time After Time
From 1966, comes this badly written obvious story designed to cultivate an image of victimhood for the ‘hero'. Wade is incapable of undeniable brilliance.
Temple Of The Fox
From 1965, this is an exposition filled, vaguely racist tale of evil monks that suffers from the absence of nuance, wit reflection or emotion.
The Deep Ones
From 1969, I’ve read this before. This is a misogynistic tale of evil dolphins and junk science. So much for the potentially limitless narrative framework of the cthulhu mythos. One views this with stunned disgust.
Best Line:
“Don’t stop for hippies or high water.”
The Nightingale Floors
From 1975, a man gets a job as a night watchman. With crushing inevitability things go wrong via matted exposition. This was okay.
Best Line:
“The fifth college I failed to graduate from.”
The Facts In The Case
This cryogenics horror makes no sense and is not thoughtful or self-reflective.
Who’s Got The Buttons
A boy has manifest resentment of his baby sister. This was short and nasty.
Medium Without Message
This was illogical.
The Silence Of Erika Zann
From 1976, a man dismisses a woman’s lived experience as hippies encounter cthulhu inspired horror. This was okay.
Best Line:
“Crepitating underwater green.”
A Darker Shadow Over Innsmouth
From 1961, a man decides to investigate and see if there is any truth to Lovecraft’s story about the ill-rumoured town. The man finds nothing cosmically evil in this hilarious parody.
Best Line:
“That ancient, decadent, shadow-blighted Massachusetts seaport of which so many repellent legends are whispered.”
A Swishing Over Innsmouth
From 1980, comes this vaguely homophobic tale of a gay man who like the nefarious goings on in Innsmouth. This was good.
The Sandals Of Sargon
Reading this dreck from 1971 is detrimental to one’s sanity.
Those Who Wait
From 1972, transmontave evil with vast condescension roams. This was incoherent crap.
Best Line:
“We shook hands. I did not enjoy the experience.”
Planetfall On Yuggoth
From 1972, this tale of an ill fated landing on Pluto is full of dated technology and is not consequent.
Photo Finish
I’ve no idea what this tale from 1977 is about.
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Heidi by Johanna Spyri
This 1881 children’s book is bucolic.