Customer Reviews

That Darn Squid God

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It is a dark and misty night in London and Professor Felix Einstein has just arrived at the London Explorers Club. A few minutes later Lord Benjamin Carstairs arrives carrying a small wooden ship. Following a small mishap involving an indoor fountain and a lot of broken wood the two explorers leave the club, secretly watched by a group of mysterious cloaked men.

Soon the two adventurers begin to discuss a strange phenomenon that is taking place. The moon is slowly revolving to reveal its hidden face. As a result the world is being plagued by unseasonable weather. Professor Einstein wonders if the movement of the moon could be related to the mythology of an ancient race, the Duterian Empire as an ancient Duterian artefact indicates that the turning of the moon ushers in the returning Squid God.

Soon Einstein and Carstairs find themselves in the middle of a fantastic adventure. Pursued by disciples of the Squid God they fight a desperate battle to save the world before the time of the god's return. However, while the adventurers are away, who will save London from the rampaging "squiddies"?

At first this story reads like a classic Victorian melodrama, rather reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes tale. However within a page or so it develops into a unique fantasy/comedy with a style of it's very own.

The main characters are larger than life and brighter than technicolour. Professor Felix Einstein reads like an ageing Indiana Jones with less philanthropic tendencies. Einstein thinks nothing of breaking into the Vatican to steal an artefact or acquiring other priceless relics via less than reputable sources. Lord Carstairs is a boys-own hero. You can see his square jaw aneetred stiff upper lip clearly between the lines of the story.
The story is truly fantastic (in both senses). It is necessary to take a step out of reality and accept certain things as fact, especially when learning of the artefacts held in Professor Einstein's museum.

I found the whole novel utterly compelling. It was nigh on impossible to put the book down despite being in desperate need of sleep. In fact Steve (husband) must have grown totally sick of me digging him in the ribs just to read another section from the story.
As an English woman I especially enjoyed the over-the-top characterisations of the Victorian gentry, in particular the Explorers Club's Ladies Auxiliary. This group of ladies show what makes an English gentlewoman - the ability to provide cups of tea, buttered crumpets and muffins whilst taking pot-shots at the enemy with an elephant gun and debating the various uses of barbed wire (don't ask me for more details - just read the book and you will understand).

All in all this is a hell of a story. Funny, compelling and an absolute pleasure to read. The finest comedy/fantasy I have read this year.

Set in Victorian England in the year 1881, That Darn Squid God is an hilarious parody of the otherworldly mythos of H. P. Lovecraft, strewn with delightful trappings of mystery and magic. Two British explorers must race against time before a prehistoric squid god rises again to destroy the world, which would after all be a ghastly inconvenience. Tongue-and-cheek humor and a fresh and fast-paced narrative style set apart That Darn Squid God as a fantastically funny end-of-the-world ride.

"...and moon is slowly revolving to reveal it's darkly hidden face. Soon Prof. Einstein and Lord Carstairs find themselves pursued by disciples of the Squid God. They fight a desperate battle to save the world before the time of the demon god's return. However, while the adventurers are away, who will save London from the rampaging "squiddies"?

At first this story reads like a classic Victorian melodrama, rather reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes tale. But within a page or so, it develops into a unique fantasy/comedy with a style of it's very own. The main characters are larger than life and brighter than technicolour. Professor Felix Einstein reads like an ageing Indiana Jones with less philanthropic tendencies. Einstein thinks nothing of breaking into the Vatican to steal an artifact or acquiring other priceless relics via less than reputable sources. Lord Carstairs is a boys-own hero. You can see his square jaw and stiff upper lip clearly between the lines of the story. The story is truly fantastic (in both senses). It is necessary to take a step out of reality and accept certain things as fact, especially when learning of the artifacts held in Professor Einstein's museum.

I found the whole novel utterly compelling. It was nigh on impossible to put the book down despite being in desperate need of sleep. In fact Steve (my husband) must have grown totally sick of me digging him in the ribs just to read another section from the story.

As an English woman I especially enjoyed the over-the-top characterizations of the Victorian gentry, in particular the Explorers Club's Ladies Auxiliary. This group of ladies show what makes an English gentlewoman - the ability to provide cups of tea, buttered crumpets and muffins whilst taking pot-shots at the enemy with an elephant gun and debating the various uses of barbed wire (don't ask me for more details - just read the book and you will understand).

All in all, this is a hell of a story."

Ok now I am now a totally devoted fanboy of Nick Pollotta. I totally enjoyed the Bureau 13 series and laughed out loud several times during his Illegal Aliens book. This book however takes the cake. I haven't enjoyed a read like this in a long while.

The premise is simple Cthullhu tried to destroy the literary verison of Victorian England. Man I had to laugh at all the obscure and not so obscure literary references. This is what The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen should have been like.

Now as to the review theat finds these reviews fishy. Let me say this. The book came out months before it was listed on Amazon direct from Wildside press. I got mine there. Plus, most readers of Nick's are very well read and enjoy his brand of Sci-Fantasy and humor.

Can't wait for further offerings from this very funny and gifted writer.

This book sends up every Victorian story of derring-do you've read and makes Indianna Jones and his search for treasures look like the job of a beginner.

Its the end of the world - but not the world as we know it -as Professor Einstein and his trusty sidekick decide to stop the moon turning and save the world from the Squid God.

As long as you don't attempt to take this seriously you'll have a fun time with this book. Its a light hearted romp through an alternate Victorian England full of unbelievable larger-than-life characters. I enjoyed this novel as the send unabashed up that it is.

After finding the truth concerning the mysteries of Noah's Ark proves to be more trouble than it was worth, Victorian scientists and adventurers Felix Einstein and Lord Carstairs move onto more serious matters. It would appear that the world could be ending based on the climatic chaos that has reached a global scale. When the two intrepid gents learn that a secret cult attempting to bring the squid god back into the world and that is why mute animals now can sing, dogs howl at the sun and the snow has turned blue, they know they must stop it. Leaving Einstein's valiant niece Mary and their cook, Katrina, in charge, the two friends take off on a globe trotting adventure that moves from the hidden broom closets of the Vatican to the Flying Dutchman to the Bermuda Triangle before coming to a violent, and hilarious climax in London.


If you enjoy Robert Asprin's Myth novels or Piers Anthony's Xanth ones, then give this a shot. The scene on the Dutchman alone makes it worth your time.

I've never read Pollotta before, but now I think I'll be seeking out his writing. This is all the old British derring do stories rolled into one, along with a healthy dose of Lovecraft. Exciting, adventurous and hilarious are only a few adjectives I could use for this book. Excellent work. A wonderful satire and a fantastically funny story.

Easily my favorite book by Nick Pollotta. This book was both fun and full of the quirky sort of humor that makes Nick Pollotta such a great writer. If you see Nick Pollotta (which, unless you live in Chicago, is more rare than Bogfoot sightings), buy the man a slice of pizza, because he nailed it. The perfect combination of fun and sci-fi fun.

This year I am resolved to clear out some mythosish books that have been on my shelves a long time now. That Darn Squid God by Nick Pollotta and James Clay is a 308 page hardcover from Double Dragon Publishing, listed at $19.99 but discounted a few dollars on Amazon. I was anticipating a possible Lovecraftian send up but there was actually less here than meets the eye.

This is a book that plays way over the top for humor, setting some adventurers in Victorian England who are paragons of Britsh explorer manhood. Everything is tongue firmly in cheek, as every trope imagniable is played for laughs. The Squid God of the title may have been modeled on Cthulhu at bit, but only inferentially. Some crazy cultists want to awaken the squid back into our dimension so he can destroy the world in apocalyptic fury, and our heroes (and heroine) must stop him. There are no other Lovecraftian associations, so once again I was snookered by the cover of a book. Just about every famour British character from the era, historical or ficitonal makes an appearance.

The book is a breathless read and in spite of the page count can be zipped through pretty effortlessly. Problem is, I did not like it much. I wonder if I would have liked Bored of the Rings so much if I first read it at age 51 vs age 12. It was OK, but only OK. I didn't guffaw, chortle, whoop or even snicker out loud. I think I occasionally smiled briefly. More than once I checked how many pages I had left to finish, always a bad sign.

Recommended to those who like this sort of book; if you can read the first chapter in the bookstore you will be able to decide if it's for you. Not a necessary addition to a Lovecraftian's library, even ridiculous completists. My copy is headed to the used book store.

Instead of chasing down That Darn Squid God, let me suggest an alternative. In the vein of fantasies set in Victorian England, if you don't mind delving into books sadly described as children's literature, try Larklight, Starcross and Mothstorm by Phillip Reeve. Here plucky Englishmen and women sail spaceships across the ether encountering adventures and bizarre creatures in all the planets, moons and asteroids. It was wit, energy and humor without resorting to ridiculous caricatures. David Wyatt's numerous brilliant illustrations are an added bonus.

I bought this book based on the enthusiastic reviews here. It's well-written but nowhere near as hilarious as what I was led to believe.

In going through these reviews I note the following:

1. Many of them were written around the same time in March, 2004.

2. The writing style is far superior to that which one usually sees in Amazon reviews.

3. Most suspicious of all, the reviews were written a month before the book even came out.

Draw your own conclusions.