Titus Crow, Volume 1: The Burrowers Beneath; The Transition of Titus Crow (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The two novels contained in the first volume of Titus Crow--"The Burrowers Beneath" and "The Transition of Titus Crow" (originally published in 1974 and 1975)--are a matched set marking the introduction of Brian Lumley's Sherlockian paranormal investigator, Titus Crow, and Crow's Watsonesque partner, Henri-Laurent de Marginy. Both tales are grounded in the Cthulu mythos originated by H.P. Lovecraft, but Lumley offers an effortless introduction to Cthulu for newcomers.

While Lumley is perhaps best known now for Necroscope, the Crow novels (which also include those collected in Titus Crow, Volume Two and Titus Crow, Volume Three) offer an early glimpse at the creative talents of a contemporary horror master. Crow is a fascinating character--an obsessed genius uncovering ancient gods in a late-20th-century world that is blind to its imminent destruction. At the same time, de Marginy, writing through epistles and journals, brings a naive immediacy to the narratives. Lumley's prose has a baroque feel that lends an antique patina to Crow's world (supposedly in the 1960s and '70s), and his blend of horror à la Lovecraft, adventure reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and techno-science fiction with shades of Asimov is always pleasantly surprising. Titus Crow makes for solid and enjoyable reading that deftly crosses genres. It's a pleasure to have these novels in a readily available form again. --Patrick O'Kelley

From Publishers Weekly

Although horror writer Lumley is best-known in the U.S. for his Necroscope series, he first achieved international attention for his Titus Crow saga, modeled on H.P. Lovecraft's seminal Cthulhu mythos. This volume, containing the short novels The Burrowers Beneath and The Transition of Titus Crow, is the first of three Titus Crow volumes to be published by Tor, each of which will contain two novels. Lumley's style here is straight out of the classic pulp era, fast-paced and full of eerie landscapes and sinister plots. Titus Crow and his Watsonian sidekick, Henri Laurent de Marigny, face one danger after another with a mix of horrified fascination and grim determination. In The Burrowers Beneath, research into a series of underground disturbances leads the duo into a deadly encounter with the evil minions of Cthulhu. A cliffhanger ending segues directly into The Transition of Titus Crow, in which an antique grandfather clock turns out to be a vehicle for traveling through space and time. Lumley's settings are worthy of H.G. Wells as well as Lovecraft. The ornate style retains the distinctive tone of Lovecraft's work without being excessive, offering a refreshing change of pace from the usual, hard-driving modern horror novel.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (January 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312868677
• ISBN-13: 978-0312868673
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #282,868 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy H.P. Lovecraft pastiche and so much more., June 6, 2000

By	Bradley J. Weingart (Tampa, Florida United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Few authors are able to capture the trademark "other-worldly" dread that Lovecraft's stories inspire, Ramsey Campbell is one, and Brian Lumley is certainly another. This book includes two stories told in first person through "discovered" manuscripts about occult adventurer Titus Crow. The first story, The Burrowers beneath introduces readers to the Ancient Ones, dark gods banished to secret metaphysical prisons scattered about the Earth. These restless beings are continually trying to break-through to our world via channels ranging from the minds of weak willed men to deep sea drilling rigs. Lovecraft's opus, Cthulu is one of these such beings.The second story, The Transition of Titus Crow is an incredibly imaginative story with strong science fiction and fantasy themes as well as horror as the title character travels through time and space in a Grandfather clock made by unknown powers from ages past. Brian Lumley is best known in the USA for his unparalleled Necroscope series. The Titus Crow books are widely read in his home country of England and creating more and more fans here as they are published domestically in tradepaperback form. READ 'EM!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic tale. A new level of literary imagination, April 1, 2000

By	John Kokel "Shred King" (US) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have few words to adequately desribe this book. One reason is that it was a few years ago I picked this one up. The other is that one really has to read it to believe how immersive it can be. It builds slowly at first, but once Titus' adventure kicks into high gear, the flow from page to page is liquid. A spellbinding book, so much so that I felt the urge to say good things about this book that I still remember fondly. Somewhat comparable to the atmosphere of King's Gunslinger books, but more lighthearted and touching more on boundless fancy and imagination. Pick this up, you won't regret it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lovecraftian voyage into Terror and Madness., April 23, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Titus Crow: The Burrowers Beneath, the Transition of Titus Crow (Hardcover)

From the moment I glanced at the horrific artwork on the dust jacket, until the turning of the last, fear drenched page, Brian Lumley had me firmly in the grasp of his skilled fiction.I'm a fanatical reader of H.P. Lovecraft, and thus, find it hard to criticize the Hemingway of Horror, but, in this case, someone has done Lovecraft better than Lovecraft.<Titus Crow> includes all of the wonders one comes to expect from the Cthulhu Mythos, such as Lurkers at the Threshold, Burrowers Beneath, Nuclear Chaos, Telepathy, and Elder Gods. However, Lumley has added his own, quite astute, interpretations of the Necronomicon. While Lovecraft's style is quite suited to the short story, his novel-length works tend to grate on the reader. Lumley has joined his style with Lovecraft, in order to make this first volume flow from page to page. The point of view from which the tale is told varies from section to section, serving to heighten the suspense by controlling the omniscience of the reader. At the same time, Lumley's skill avoids making a cliche out of "The Scholarly Review" and "The Unfolding Memory" methods he uses to tell the story. Lumley succeeds in doing what lesser writers have often attempted: Expanding upon Lovecraft's elegant worlds, without damaging their delicate balance of terror and reality. I would recommend this book to any follower of horror, and especially, lovers of the works of Lovecraft. Lumley has my highest praise for his excellent work, and I look forward to reading the future volumes in the series. Good luck, Titus Crow...