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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fine Old School Horror, but a little too much repetition,
By Dave Deubler (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Colour Out of Space (Paperback)
A collection of short stories from one of the legends of the horror genre. The title story is pretty good, with perhaps a shade more emphasis on science fiction than usual, but still rather standard fare for this author - he's written several others that are just like it and some of them are even included in this very collection. Once you've read a few such, it's hard to get excited about them. Of somewhat more interest are the shorter tales that diverge a little more from the usual pattern, like the repugnant "Picture in the Cottage" and the chilling "Cool Air". Like so many genre writers, Lovecraft is good at what he does, but only has so many tricks up his sleeve, so no matter how well executed they are, once you've seen them, they're not nearly so impressive the next time around. So if you've never read Lovecraft at all, by all means pick up one of his collections, and find out how they did horror Old School. This one is certainly adequate. But if you've read some Lovecraft and weren't entirely blown away by it, this collection isn't going to change your mind.
4.0 out of 5 stars
"The Colour Out of Space"... one of his best,
By Mike C "motomike" (Richardson, TX USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Colour Out of Space (Kindle Edition)
(This is just about the title story)
Written in 1927, before the idea of radioactivity was in anyone's public consciousness, this is one of my favorite Lovecraft stories. For me, the non-Cthulhu stories have more to offer (The Rats in the Walls, The Music of Erich Zann, Cool Air), but this is arguably one of his best-written, possibly because the whole thing is (for Lovecraft) relatively understated. All the little touches - the trees moving when there is no wind, the strange produce from the crops, the creepy woodchuck - are well put together, and not dwelt on, but they are mirrored by the family's slow deterioration and breakdown. I reread this recently, prompted by the problems Japan is having with the nuclear plants. Lovecraft didn't know about radiation sickness or the pollution that could be caused by radioactivity, so of course his descriptions of the effect of this meteor aren't anywhere like the real thing. Obviously he wasn't thinking of radiation per se; yet in a way that makes it a little more haunting - the way he describes the slow degradation of the countryside and the effect far beyond the Gardner farm gives it an uneasiness connected with them that's kind of haunting. It's a story without the usual monster shambling on stage at the last couple of pages, and for once Lovecraft must have decided to just see if he could paint more of a mood piece than a fright fest. By the end, we understand why the narrator says "... nothing could bribe me to drink the new city water of Arkham."
5.0 out of 5 stars
So so good.,
By
This review is from: The Colour Out of Space (Mass Market Paperback)
A friend recomended this book to me. It's easy to read, is scary and has influenced so many writers. A must read for any fan of science fiction.
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