Black Wings of Cthulhu: Tales of Lovecraftian Horror [Paperback]

S. T. Joshi (Editor)

Book Description

Release date: March 20, 2012

From the depths of R'lyeh come twenty-one brand-new, utterly terrifying, and thoroughly entertaining short stories of horror and the macabre! 

Taking their inspiration from works by Lovecraft himself, prominent writers such as Caitlin R. Kiernan, Brian Stableford, Ramsey Campbell, Michael Shea, Darrell Schweitzer, Donald R. Burleson, and David J. Schow delve deep into the psyche, expanding on concepts H.P. Lovecraft created and taking them in new directions.

The result is stories that are wholly original, some even featuring Lovecraft himself as a character. Black Wings editor S.T. Joshi is the recognized authority on all things Lovecraftian, and is famous for his restorations of Lovecraft's original works. He has assembled a star-studded line-up in a book that is essential for every horror library. 

Including: 
Pickman's Other Model - Caitlín R. Kiernan 
Desert Dreams - Donald R. Burleson 
Engravings - Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. 
Copping Squid - Michael Shea 
Passing Spirits - Sam Gafford 
The Broadsword - Laird Barron 
Usurped - William Browning Spencer 
Denker's Book - Davd J. Schow 
Inhabitants of Wraithwood - W.H Pugmire 
The Dome - Mollie L. Burleson 
Rotterdam - Nicholas Royle 
Tempting Providence - Jonathan Thomas 
Howling in the Dark - Darrell Schweitzer 
The Truth About Pickman - Brian Stableford 
Tunnells - Philip Haldeman 
The Correspondence of Cameron Thaddeus Nash - Annotated by Ramsey Campbell 
Violence, Child of Trust - Michael Cisco 
Lesser Demons - Norman Partridge 
An Eldritch Matter - Adam Niswander 
Substitutions - Michael Marshall Smith 
Susie - Jason Van Hollander 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Any fan of Lovecraft will find this to be a perfect addition to their collection and horror fans in general will find themselves stricken with a great deal of entertainment." - Day of the Woman

"Running the gamut from old-fashioned homage to contemporary nail-biter, all the stories smolder with the ghostly essence of Lovecraft." - Bloody Disgusting

About the Author

S. T. Joshi is the leading authority on H. P. Lovecraft. He has edited the definitive restored editions of the works of Lovecraft, and has written such critical studies as The Modern Weird Tale. His biography of the reknowned author; H. P. Lovecraft: A Life won the Horror Writer Association's Stoker Award for best-non fiction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Titan Books; annotated edition edition (March 20, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0857687824
• ISBN-13: 978-0857687821
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.3 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #649,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joseph S. Pulver, Sr., is the author of the Lovecraftian novel Nightmare's Disciple, and he has written many short stories that have appeared in magazines and anthologies, including Ellen Datlow's Year's Best Horror and S. T. Joshi's Black Wings and Spawn of the Green Abyss and many anthologies edited by Robert M. Price. His highly-acclaimed short story collections, Blood Will Have Its Season and SIN & ashes were published by Hippocampus Press in 2009 and 2010 respectively and as E-Books by Speaking Volumes in 2011.

His work has been praised by Thomas Ligotti, Ellen Datlow, Laird Barron, S.T. Joshi, and many other notable writers and editors.

Joe is currently editing 2 anthologies for Miskatonic River Press. A Season in Carcosa and The Grimscribe's Puppets will be released in 2012. His new novel, The Orphan Palace will be released by Chomu Press in October 2011.
You can find his blog at: http://thisyellowmadness.blogspot.com/

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb in Every Way October 16, 2012

By W. H. Pugmire

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The real title of the book is BLACK WINGS--but for some eldritch and absurd reason Titan wanted to add Cthulhu's name to ye title; & this does the book a disservice, for one of the "points" of Sunand's anthology is that it goes beyond the cliches of Cthulhu Mythos fiction, shewing Lovecraft's influence on today's weird writers. As he states in his Introduction, "It is for this reason that I have carefully chosen my subtitle, 'New Tales of LOVECRAFTIAN Horror'." This point seems to have been lost on some of the reviewers here, who continue to call the book a gathering of Mythos fiction. It is NOT such a book. Because of his world-wide renown as the world's leading Lovecraft scholar and editor, S. T. was able to procure tales from authors who are not known as delvers into Lovecraftian horror. Some of the Lovecraftian influences are subtle, but many are delightfully blatant and yet original to ye core. Caitlin R. Kiernan's "Pickman's Other Model 91929)" is told in first-person narrative by Eliot, the bloke to whom Lovecraft's original narrative is related. The story is absolutely Lovecraftian and yet distinctly the work of a writer of astounding originality. In "Copping Squid," we do indeed have a tale that is Cthulhu Mythos, and Michael Shea is perhaps our finest modern author of Cthulhu Mythos fiction who transcends that tradition while yet remaining true to it. It is a wonderful story, excellently told. Laird Barron is now acknowledged as one of the finest writers of the genre, with an imagination as astonishing as his writing ability. Again, Laird Barron is intensely modern and original, and his fiction is completely captivating. Like Caitlin's story, Nicholas Royle's "Rotterdam" reflects on Lovecraft's "Pickman's Model," and it is an extremely weird and mesmerizing tale.

There is not a poor story in this anthology, although some tales are decidedly more effective than others. The book celebrates that portion of the genre that has been tainted by the genius of H. P. Lovecraft. But it also celebrates the genre of weird fiction, with works by authors who are as equally talented as any from our past. H. P. Lovecraft continues to be a vital force of inspiration among weird fiction writers; my entire oeuvre is the work of one who is a totally obsessed Lovecraft fanboy, writing book after book of fiction in which I try to pay sincere homage to E'ch-Pi-El. I've just finished reading BLACK WINGS II, and it's even better than ye first one! Hooray for S. T. Joshi!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Fancy- Just good, solid Mythos writing September 11, 2012

By T. Dominy

Format:Paperback

One of the better compilations of Mythos short stories I've read in a while. Don't have time to do a full length review, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I've read just about all of them, including all of Howard Phillips' stuff I can find. Check it out, I think you'll enjoy it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice addition to the Lovecraft genre September 26, 2012

By Matthew S Baker

Format:Paperback

Ok...call me late to the game, but I just read my first H.P. Lovecraft story a while back. I know, I know...don't roll your eyes. I've had people chastise me in the past for not reading his works before. And it's not that I haven't wanted to...I mean, the man has some visionary and iconic horror premises (I hadn't read his work but I knew about it from other friends). I just never took the time to check it out. But I'm glad I did because reading that first story prompted me to look into other works inspired by him. This led me to BLACK WINGS OF CTHULHU, a collection of Lovecraftian horror tales that will chill you to the bone!

I have to tell you: Lovecraftian stories are one of my new favorite horror fiction genres. After reading "At the Mountains of Madness" a while back, I'm astonished at the depth contained within Lovecraft's works, not to mention those stories that are inspired by them. The tales within BLACK WINGS OF CTHULHU are a perfect example of this. I read concepts in some of them that literally made me stop and think.

These twenty-one stories in BLACK WINGS OF CTHULHU are all written very well and there is a nice diversity of prose between the various authors. Editor S. T. Joshi is to be commended for his selections; aside from the eclectic selection of storytellers, each story itself boasts a bold new voice that harmonizes nicely with the rest of the participants in the Lovecraftian canon.

One of my favorite stories in the book is titled "Copping Squid" by Michael Shea. In this tale, a late-night market clerk named Ricky is caught up with a stranger that introduces him to something older than the earth itself. Ricky, forever changed by his ordeal, then faces the tough choice of what to do with his newfound knowledge. Author Shea does an amazing job of bringing this character and his story to life and then plunging him into a surrealistic chaos.

Another favorite of mine is "An Eldritch Matter" by Adam Niswander. This short but potent story tells of a man who finds a strange coin on the ground and pockets it. Unfortunately, the coin is something not of this world and changes the man in ways he cannot even begin to fathom.

BLACK WINGS OF CTHULHU is an excellent collection of stories and I highly recommend them, not just to fans of Lovecraft, but to anyone looking for a higher class of horror. The book was released a few months ago, so be sure and pick it up soon. Just don't forget to wear your CTHULHU RULES t-shirt when you do.