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Title: The Black Wings of Cthulhu Vol 1
Series: Cthulhu Anthology #7
Editor: S.T. Joshi
Rating: 3.0 of 5 Stars
Genre: Cosmic Horror
Pages: 385
Words: 141K
TOC
Introduction
S. T. Joshi
Pickman’s Other Model (1929)
Caitlín R. Kiernan
Desert Dreams
Donald R. Burleson
Engravings
Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.
Copping Squid
Michael Shea
Passing Spirits
Sam Gafford
The Broadsword
Laird Barron
Usurped
William Browning Spencer
Denker’s Book
David J. Schow
Inhabitants of Wraithwood
W. H. Pugmire
The Dome
Mollie L. Burleson
Rotterdam
Nicholas Royle
Tempting Providence
Jonathan Thomas
Howling in the Dark
Darrell Schweitzer
The Truth about Pickman
Brian Stableford
Tunnels
Philip Haldeman
The Correspondence of Cameron Thaddeus Nash
Annotated by Ramsey Campbell
Violence, Child of Trust
Michael Cisco
Lesser Demons
Norman Partridge
An Eldritch Matter
Adam Niswander
Substitution
Michael Marshall Smith
Susie
Jason Van Hollander
There was a distinct lack of Cthulhu in this collection. A VERY distinct lack. It would have been better to call this a collection of stories about authors navel gazing as cockroaches ate their belly buttons. At least I would have been prepared for the completely self-absorbed narcissists who wrote these stories. They weren’t all necessarily bad, but without a direct tie to Cthulhu or some of his equally evil and cosmic brethren, they just came across as authors spouting nonsense about nonsense. I confirmed that Joseph Pulver Sr is a blithering idiot and has the skill of an epileptic caught in the throws of a fentanyl withdrawal while falling off of Nakatomi Towers.
I still gave this 3stars because of the ones that did tie directly into the Mythos. And I really enjoyed them. But 3 or 4 stories out of a collection of 21 is not a very good track record. Joshi (the editor of this collection) and I have a very mixed track record. Sometimes I really enjoy what he’s put together and other times I think he’s on drugs and his selections are crap. He is definitely one of those people who think Lovecraft’s mythology deserves “special attention” instead of just playing in the sandbox.
I just looked on Devilreads and there are FIVE more collections of this series. That’s rubbish. I am “almost” tempted to sample them to see if they too are Cthulhu’less, but I’ve got 6 other anthologies to investigate first. Maybe when I run out and am desperate for a Cthulhu fix (as I take a swan dive off of Nakatomi Tower, hehehehe).
★★★☆☆
Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road 
is that me on the cover with the long tentacles and the big wings?
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Sorry, not this time. That’s actually your little sister…
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Ah yes, my sister, I see the resemblence now…
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That chin, gives it all away…
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Sounds like a scam to me. You can’t have Cthuluhless Cthuluh stories! I’d want me money back.
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I fully agree!
And if I’d paid more than just my time I’d probably be very unhappy
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Man, even if there were 3 or 4 stories you enjoyed I don’t see how that savage a takedown gets you to 3 stars. I mean, you just dropped this book off of the Nakatomi Tower.
Someday I might take up one of these, but that day is still quite a ways in the future. But at least I’ll know where to go to find out where I should start.
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Because enjoyment can cover a multitude of mediocrity. Plus, I just like cosmic horror 😀
No worries, there are plenty more Cthulhu anthologies for me to read and for you to think about! No need to rush into something that you’re not ready for. Save it for that special book 😉
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Looks like Joshi should have stuck too Mario instead of breaking into HP sauce. Did you ever read all the originals? I cannot remember if we ever had a conversation on that topic.
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I read an “Annotated Lovecraft” but it wasn’t a complete edition of all his works. I feel like I’ve read enough though so I don’t have to.
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One thing that really annoys me about Cthulhu mythos is how people use the name as marketing when it should just be labelled as cosmic horror. Literary clickbait on their part 😕
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I fully agree. I never would have picked up a volume called “Pretentious Wankers Write Unpleasant Stories” 😀
but now I know to avoid all the rest in this series.
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Whereas ‘Tales of Cosmic Horror’ would have been a shade more appealing … and honest haha
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Yeah, it’s all about Joshi and his crusade to legitimize Lovecraft’s work as “literary”. Just wish people would accept it for the pulp it is. Nothing wrong with that at all.
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I’ve always been of the opinion that Lovecraft was wonderful as an ideas man, but his actual writing left a lot to be desired. For me, it was very dry and slow with barely anything happening to keep the pace up. A few were the exception to my little rule shadow of Innsmouth was very good, as were a few others that I can’t quite recall. But on the whole, I’m in the ‘loved his ideas, but wish the writing was more dynamic’ camp.
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They put Cthulhu in the title, but he was practically absent? Ah, the horror! The unspeakable horror!!! 😀 😀 😀
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Touche!
Hahaha.
I do think that Joshi is a literary snob n he brings that attitude to Cthulhu…
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I clicked on this because I was like, “Wait, authors other than Lovecraft write about Cthulhu?”
Apparently, they don’t actually.
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Well, if you click on the reviews for all the other anthologies, you’ll see a boatload who do 🙂
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“It would have been better to call this a collection of stories about authors navel gazing as cockroaches ate their belly buttons.” This one sentence says so much. Lmao.
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Unfortunately, it’s not anything good 🙂
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I’m curious which three or four stories you liked. This series has a lot of stories with Lovecraft as a character or stories that are merely Lovecraftian but not of the Mythos. So, you’re probably going to be disappointed with much in them.
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I’d have to go through and re-read it to remember. Overall, I didn’t care enough to take note, as I don’t ever plan on re-reading this or the direct sequels. There’s enough other Cthulhu material that will suit my taste better 🙂
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That has to be so annoying… To plug “cthulhu” in there just to get people interested in the mythos to pick it up….
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Very cynical of Joshi, that’s for sure.
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