Customer Reviews

The Riddle of Cthulhu

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

 

 

The author's style doesn't bother me much, the plot made sense and even involved me a little, and the romance was amusing, bordering on titillating. However, as usual, the author has adopted the Derlethian heresy of good vs. evil, meaning that the story cannot be lovecraftian in any way.

I was warned away from this book by several Cthulhu mythos fans I respect but I then picked up Ultimate WMD, started it and realized it was a sequel to The Riddle of Cthulhu. I broke down and got a copy. The Riddle of Cthulhu is by Ray Emerson, published in 2003 by Llumina Press. For such a dog, the list price is an extravagant $18.95, discounted currently to $14.78 by Amazon. Page count is 232, although there is a several page introduction not counted in the total. There is no cover art to speak of. The author was evidently given little editorial help as there were quite a few scattered typographical errors, letter deletions and word substitutions, for example do for due. Mr. Emerson had retired as a physicist when he decided to write a science fiction novel, I guess. Well if Jacqueline Susann can write a bunch of bestsellers I guess anyone can give it a try. And Cthulhu is in the public domain so anyone is allowed to use the name.

This book was mind numbingly bad. I read the previous reviews with a surreal sort of disbelief. There was nothing to like here. Where to start?

The dialogue was incredibly amateurish. Here is a passage where an apparently ancient and wise man is speaking to the heroine. She says: "I don't believe you! You're just a dried up old fart!" His reply: "Thou hast much spunk, Siren!" Lots of exclamation points! Exclamation points are a prop authors tend to use to try to give punch to prose that has none on its own. The sex (and there was a lot of it) was not just leering, it was puerile. "Kiss my nipples! Pinch them! Yes - - but not that hard!" There were pages of this drivel. The Cthulhu mythos parts are really confined to Mr. Emerson lifting Lovecraft's place names and creature names, with no apparent understanding of Lovecraft's cosmic vision. Instead of alien immensities, incomprehensible and utterly foreign, the Mother gave birth/created Yahweh and his brother, Cthulhu, who is also known as Satan. This is just plain bad mythos fiction. So what does Cthulhu say, seeing as he is shackled under a giant stone on a mountaintop on the planet R'lyeh circling the star Aldebaran? "Tell me the answer to my riddle! Tell me now or I will commence my erotic experiments on your lush body!" We get further butchery where Miskatonic University is moved from Arkham to Mystic, Connecticut and renamed Arkham University, for no good reason. We get tedious physics lectures that have no place in the narrative, poorly researched genetics and an inexplicable insertion of names and characters from Homer's poems.

Do yourself a favor and avoid this like the plague. I feel obligated to try to wade through Ultimate WMD as I already bought it, but I am not happy about the prospect.

I don't generally dwell on typos in a vanity press book. Accidents happen, and when you are doing most of the work yourself, they seem to happen more often. But in this case the misspelling of 'fourth' turns out to be one of the highlights of the book. And it does make a peculiar kind of sense.

Ray Emerson's freshman novel is and adaption of Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos into the context of an attack in the genetic structure of the human race. Somewhere out in space, the Elder Gods (also known as 'good old squid-face') have devised a plan to take over the earth by using a comet to sprinkle us with alien DNA. Now, faced with the sudden appearance of beautiful blond vampires who eat sailors, the secret agencies of the free world unite to stave of this horrific invasion.

It's up to Detective Ulysses Martini and beautiful psychic Cybele Sikorsky to solve a string of ugly murders and chase the cause into the dark caverns and oceans beneath New Hampshire. Or rather, that's what their doing when they're not in the bedroom. Lovecraft, who I believe was something of a prude, will be turning over in his grave.

What is interesting about this book is Emerson's efforts to develop scientific explanations for Lovecraft's evil creations. He also tries to fit Cthulhu into Judeo-Christian mythology. In neither case does he succeed well, since Lovecraft intended his creations to be just what they were - mysterious and terrifying denizens of a world gone dark. Explanations will always ring false because they are never more than one person's opinion. That Emerson has to modify Lovecraft a bit to make everything work doesn't help.

The book is a little too roughly written, a little too focused on sex, and a little too prone to overblown language to be a success. On the other hand, Emerson demonstrates a unique ability to explain the scientific complexities behind his story making. There is potential here and the book does have it's moments. My feeling is that, if Emerson were to learn how to flesh out his characters and build up his narrative, he could very easily be an entertaining writer.

Be warned that the more you like Lovecraft, the more you are likely to be irritated by some of Emerson's reinterpretations. The book lacks what we like best about Lovecraft, the brooding sense of doom that inhabits his horror stories. If on the other hand you are looking for a breezy bit of heroic sci-fi you might very well like this story.

My experience with this book was frustrating. I knew not to expect a traditional Lovecraft story, but was still unsatisfied. The characters came across as fake and soulless, while their dialogue and actions sometimes made no sense. The characters motivations seemed to materialize out of thin air, all of which did not help me to relate to the characters at all.

The story itself was less interesting than one would hope for with such a promising premise. The introduction really captured my imagination, but once we join the main characters, disappointment ensues. I found myself pushing through most pages, giving the author the benefit of the doubt until Ulysses and Cybele finished their adventure. I did appreciate attempts to mix Greek mythology with the Cthulhu universe, but overall, I feel dumber for having read this book.

The Riddle of Cthulhu is a mix of ancient mythology, science fact and science fiction combined to form a mesmerizing tale that is hard to put down.

The cast of characters includes aliens who manifest themselves in a beguiling manner, protagonists who are named for Homeric heroes, manufactured critters beyond grotesque and enough seesaws between good battling evil to please the most discriminating reader.

The plot moves along steadily and is assisted by well-drawn characters whose personal foibles are believable. The science facts that are utilized so effectively give the whole book a ring of authenticity even in the face of the most outlandish "special effects". The science fiction becomes believable mostly because everything else is so recognizable and familiar.

Cybele calls to mind Ripley of Alien fame. She is a strong female character who manages to stand up very nicely against the boys, both human and otherwise. Some of the varmints she battles would give most anyone nightmares. It is refreshing to see a female hero for a change. The conflicts between Cybele and the men of the group provide a telling glance into the psyche of men faced with a strong, independent woman.

The Riddle of Cthulhu is the kind of book that, if you have to put it down before you finish it, keeps you wondering what comes next. That is the hallmark of a truly good book.


© 2004 by Karri Watson for Curled Up With a Good Book

This is not a bad book, but it's not good Lovecraft. Yog-Sothoth has now become an "extension" of Cthulhu(?), and this whole story is definitely not in any Lovecraft, or Derleth, or any follower of Lovecraft, mold. With that out of the way, it's not a bad story. A little too much emphasis on sex, but that's not unusual for today's writers. The characters are a little two dimensional and just slightly too "heroic" for their own good. If you love Lovecraft, don't even think of reading or buying this book.

This story is a little goofy in places, but the science is very interesting and even infomative. The romance is a little too erotic for me, but some modern women might find it exciting. All in all, it is definitly worth a read!

This must be the worst-written book I've ever read! The author's skills are amateurish and the plot is simply illogical. Don't waste your time or money on this one.

Cthulhu strikes again! Wow, he sure is bad, bad. But "good" will win again; maybe?
If you worry about WMD's better check Cthulhu out!
Nice touch of romance and Greek Odyssey mythos too.

Ray Emerson not only writes a terrifying horror story in the Lovecraft tradition, but he also has a flair for love scenes, which are the hardest in literature to write properly! His love scenes are believable, they engage the reader, they are tender, sensual and romantic, without being clichéd. This book is beautifully written!