Miskatonic University

Rating:
Summary: Don't be fooled by the cheesy cover art...
Review: Even though some of the stories in here aren't strictly Lovecraftian in that they don't include elements of the Mythos, almost all of them retain a great Lovecraftian atmosphere of ancient darkness, tainted ancestry and cosmic horror. A few are less than great, but I think the good ones make up for the ones I didn't like. Among my favorites-

The Sothis Radiant- This story starts out small and mundane and then builds up to a horrible revelation that affects not just our world but the gallaxy. It has a really chilling ending.

Ghoulmaster- A man dubbed "Ghoulmaster" because of the horror stories he writes runs into the real thing.

Her Misbegotten Son- This one stars Keziah Mason and the Dark Man from "Dreams in the Witch-House", by HPL. Here we get to see how different children can be from their parents.

Rating:
Summary: Fun to the last drop!
Review: Even though these stories were not written by H.P. Lovecraft. They are definitely worth reading. Pure fright and fun.

Rating:
Summary: An education that will truly "open doors"....
Review: I think I was drawn to this book because I wish that such a place as Miskatonic University really existed. Think of it, a place where both conventional science and the occult could be seriously studied side-by-side. Now that's an interdisciplinary approach to education....

I ordinarily do not read "theme" collections of short stories, especially when I have never heard of most of the contributors. However, in this case it works. The theme seems to have inspired the writers to do some exceptional work. It may not be Lovecraft, but for the most part it is in the spirit of the master by people who understand and appreciate his work.

There are thirteen stories (how appropriate) to this collection, plus an introduction from the President of the university. This intro in briefly describing the mission, history, and facilities of Miskatonic really sets the tone and atmosphere for the rest.
Heck, I'm tempted to mail out a transcript to Miskantoic University, Arkham, Massachusetts- if I only had the zip code....