Customer Reviews

Invertebrata Enigmatica: Giant Spiders, Dangerous Insects, and Other Strange Invertebrates in Classic Science Fiction and Fantasy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another fine collection of classic fiction by Coachwhip, with tales ranging from 1846 ('The Sphinx' by Edgar Allen Poe) to 1931, with a focus on invertebrates. Most tales deal with spiders, but there are others involving ants, moths, and various creepy crawlies.

Some of the best stories were 'The Crab Spider' by Erckmann Chatrian, with a monstrous spider inhabiting a cave. 'The Empire of the Ants' by H.G. Wells featured intelligent ants in South America, a similar theme to the entertaining 'The Captivity of the Professor' by A. Lincoln Green, which actually predates Wells' work. 'Vampires of the Desert', by A. Hyatt Verrill involves revived prehistoric...things after a rain storm. Horacio Quiroga's squirm-inducing tale 'The Feather Pillow' should not be read before bedtime!

There are also paranormal stories beyond the cryptozoological-types tales. The excellent 'The Ash-Tree' by M.R. James for example, 'Caterpillars' by E.F. Benson and 'The Spectre Spiders' by William J. Wintle.

A few tales seem oddly included that have little to do with the anthology theme. Robert W. Chambers paranormal tale 'The Messenger' (and a 'sequel' of sorts to his 'The Purple Emperor' also included) is more of a ghost story, and the rather philosophical 'The Golden Fly' by Algernon Blackwood uses the insect of the title as a POV revelation. Not terrible tales, by any means, just barely tied to the anthology theme.

Overall, however, I found this to be one of the best anthologies Coachwhip has published. If you enjoy cryptozoological or paranormal themed tales with spiders, insects and such, I recommend it.