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theesotericcamel's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting anthology that focuses on the mystical side of the Cthulhu mythos. The stories within cast a dark light on the religious aspects of the Old Ones and the Elder Gods, and interprets their reign as a source of black gnosis (as described in the subtitle). This does not mean that the stories are all from the perspective on the cultists, nor does it mean that the traditional antagonists become the hero in these stories, although sometimes that is the case. This does mean that the focus of the stories are not so much to scare us, but to get us to reevaluate the ethics and metaphysics behind the Lovecraft mythos. Short stories, peoms, and a novella, make up the collection.
Some of my favorites were "The Eternal Emperor," which tells of an ancient Chinese attempt at evoking Nyalarthotep... I also enjoyed "Heiros Gamos"which adds a Lovecraftian twists to the ancient Mystery Rituals of Eleusis. But the stand out story by far was "The Litany of Earth" which recasts the denizens of Innsmouth as a persecuted race, very much drawing a parallel to the discrimination of the Japanese-Americans during the Second World War. This is quite artfully done, considering that it turns the intent of the original "Shadow over Innsmouth" on its head.
The anthology was interesting and had a lot of satisfying stories, but they would probably only appeal to deep fans of the Cthulhu Mythos. Those that have become bored with the formulaic pastiches of the original pulp stories from Weird Tales. Gone are the grotesque and arabesque scares, and instead we are presented with sardonic states of awe. Missing are the heroes racing against time to save the world, and in exchange we have the grizzled and harried accepting and even ushering in the final cataclysm. In my opinion, the Lovecraftian "religion" that emerges from this collection is very Nihilistic. It suggests that we are but an infinitesimal speck in the whole of so-called reality. The fact that we even exists is an accident really. The Gods created us to try and create meaning for themselves. But even the Gods that made us will die eventually... I can see how some might find comfort in the utter meaningless of it all, but I'm not sure that the Black Gnosis is for everyone.
Some of my favorites were "The Eternal Emperor," which tells of an ancient Chinese attempt at evoking Nyalarthotep... I also enjoyed "Heiros Gamos"which adds a Lovecraftian twists to the ancient Mystery Rituals of Eleusis. But the stand out story by far was "The Litany of Earth" which recasts the denizens of Innsmouth as a persecuted race, very much drawing a parallel to the discrimination of the Japanese-Americans during the Second World War. This is quite artfully done, considering that it turns the intent of the original "Shadow over Innsmouth" on its head.
The anthology was interesting and had a lot of satisfying stories, but they would probably only appeal to deep fans of the Cthulhu Mythos. Those that have become bored with the formulaic pastiches of the original pulp stories from Weird Tales. Gone are the grotesque and arabesque scares, and instead we are presented with sardonic states of awe. Missing are the heroes racing against time to save the world, and in exchange we have the grizzled and harried accepting and even ushering in the final cataclysm. In my opinion, the Lovecraftian "religion" that emerges from this collection is very Nihilistic. It suggests that we are but an infinitesimal speck in the whole of so-called reality. The fact that we even exists is an accident really. The Gods created us to try and create meaning for themselves. But even the Gods that made us will die eventually... I can see how some might find comfort in the utter meaningless of it all, but I'm not sure that the Black Gnosis is for everyone.
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
Cthulhusattva: Tales of the Black Gnosis is a collection of Cthulhu mythos stories. The theme of the collection is enlightenment through insanity, that the cultists found in most mythos stories are the extremists and that more or less regular people lead more or less normal lives while worshiping the Great Old Ones, Elder Gods, and the like.
Like most anthologies, the stories range from okay to pretty damn good. For me, the standouts were We Three Kings, Messages, Mr. Johnson and the Old Ones, and The Litany of Earth.
While I enjoyed it, it lacked some of the punch of other Lovecraft anthologies I've read recently like [b:Heroes of Red Hook|32184368|Heroes of Red Hook|Brian M. Sammons|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474596789s/32184368.jpg|52823114] and [b:Whispers from the Abyss|18712643|Whispers from the Abyss|Kat Rocha|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1382630222s/18712643.jpg|26572922]. I guess that's what happened when you take away the soul-blasting horror from beyond the stars and things of that nature.
Cthulhusattva: Tales of the Black Gnosis is an interesting concept but you can better spend your squamous dollars elsewhere. Three out of five stars.
Like most anthologies, the stories range from okay to pretty damn good. For me, the standouts were We Three Kings, Messages, Mr. Johnson and the Old Ones, and The Litany of Earth.
While I enjoyed it, it lacked some of the punch of other Lovecraft anthologies I've read recently like [b:Heroes of Red Hook|32184368|Heroes of Red Hook|Brian M. Sammons|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474596789s/32184368.jpg|52823114] and [b:Whispers from the Abyss|18712643|Whispers from the Abyss|Kat Rocha|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1382630222s/18712643.jpg|26572922]. I guess that's what happened when you take away the soul-blasting horror from beyond the stars and things of that nature.
Cthulhusattva: Tales of the Black Gnosis is an interesting concept but you can better spend your squamous dollars elsewhere. Three out of five stars.
jdhacker's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
munjiru's review against another edition
4.0
Yet another collection of lovecraftian fiction to satisfy that niche craving. I remember seeing this book when it came out a few years ago and wanting to read it so bad but not being able to find it. I eventually forgot about it but it recently popped onto my radar and here we are.
This was really good. The stories have a more human focus than lovecraftian stories usually do and I found that it worked for me. Being able to get into the heads of these characters as they grappled with cosmic awe and horror was quite interesting. It’s something I haven’t seen before in the genre and having read this very engaging collection, would like to see more.
My favorite stories were:
We Three Kings - anything that puts a dark twist on religious stories will always do it for me.
Hieros Gamos - WTH did I just read? Seriously, this was some royally f*cked up shit and I loved it.
The Litany of Earth - because a well told Innsmouth story is always appreciated.
I loved pretty much the entire collection so this was a difficult top 3 to narrow down to. My least favorite story was Mr. Johnson and the Old Ones. The way the n-word was flung around by a character in there just set my teeth on edge. I get the context in which it happened but I just could not see past it to enjoy the story itself.
Overall, a solid collection of lovecraftian horrors, if you have ever found yourself yearning to dive deeper into the experiences of the people who these beings destroy.
This was really good. The stories have a more human focus than lovecraftian stories usually do and I found that it worked for me. Being able to get into the heads of these characters as they grappled with cosmic awe and horror was quite interesting. It’s something I haven’t seen before in the genre and having read this very engaging collection, would like to see more.
My favorite stories were:
We Three Kings - anything that puts a dark twist on religious stories will always do it for me.
Hieros Gamos - WTH did I just read? Seriously, this was some royally f*cked up shit and I loved it.
The Litany of Earth - because a well told Innsmouth story is always appreciated.
I loved pretty much the entire collection so this was a difficult top 3 to narrow down to. My least favorite story was Mr. Johnson and the Old Ones. The way the n-word was flung around by a character in there just set my teeth on edge. I get the context in which it happened but I just could not see past it to enjoy the story itself.
Overall, a solid collection of lovecraftian horrors, if you have ever found yourself yearning to dive deeper into the experiences of the people who these beings destroy.
dreamingdust's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating and enjoyable collection of post-Lovecraftian Mythos tales. Ruthanna Emrys’ “The Litany of Earth”, John Linwood Grant’s “Messages” and Luke R.J. Maynard’s “That Most Foreign of Veils” were my favourites of the book, but everything was very good and even the ones I liked least were only so because I found them too poetic for my tastes.
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