The Riddle of Cthulhu

Rating:
Summary: Lovecraftian adventure!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Time, the Forth Dimension
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Love and Lovecraftian Horror!
Review: 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!

Rating:
Summary: Fantasy, horror and romance in one package!
Review: [e-mail]
www.cthulhu-books.com

By George Randall

Part murder mystery, part horror fantasy, and part love story, The Riddle of Cthulhu by Ray Emerson entices the reader into a dark and mysterious labyrinth in order to shed light on the duality of human nature as revealed through a mysterious, omnipotent force known as Cthulhu, the evil brother of Yahweh.

The story begins when Ulysses Martini, a detective in Long Beach, California, investigates the murder of a sailor by an alluring woman with "hypnotic violet eyes." As it turns out, the woman is a "siren" who is part of a nefarious plot inspired by Cthulhu to destroy mankind. Although Cthulhu is not a character from Greek mythology, there are frequent allusions to Greek mythology throughout the story, and many of the characters are named after ancient Greeks or Greek gods.

Martini falls in love with a beautiful young woman with psychic powers named Cybele, who may be a siren herself. As his investigation progresses, he and Cybele discover a top-secret government research project based on evidence that there is an invasion of female aliens with "non-human mitochondrial DNA" who are killing men at random. These alien women are descended from the sirens of Greek mythology and dutifully follow the will of the evil Cthulhu.

But will the beautiful but enigmatic Cybele turn out to be a siren that tries to kill Ulysses Martini? Or will she help him solve the riddle of Cthulhu? These questions are answered in the final chapters of the story as the two main characters descend into the underworld and the inner sanctum of Cthulhu.

Following in the tradition of H.P. Lovecraft, the author creates a spooky, multi-layered, world where fantasy, reality, and metaphor all blend together to keep the reader turning pages. In addition, the author's writing is simple, fast-paced and unassuming; however, there are spots where the dialogue and character descriptions are predictable and cliché, and the frequent references to Greek mythology eventually become tedious and heavy-handed, revealing them as literary devices rather than as integral parts of the story.

Nevertheless, The Riddle of Cthulhu will appeal to a wide scope of readers- from murder mystery buffs to horror/fantasy fans to those who like an eclectic blend of elements not often found in the same story.

Rating:
Summary: Decent Read But Totally Unlovecraftian
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Curled Up With a Good Book
Review: 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

Rating:
Summary: Go back to writers' school
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Good Science
Review: 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!