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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Agents of Dreamland, a Lovecraft-fueled novella from Caitlin R. Kiernan, is a trippy, non-linear story that has a bit of an X-Files vibe about it. From a mythos standpoint, Kiernan explores the apocalyptic fate of mankind following first contact with the Fungi from Yuggoth and the investigation of a secret government agency in the years prior.
This is a short, but dense, narrative, and Kiernan hops around from one time period to the next. There are a lot of awesome ideas crammed into this novella, from the mystery of those briefly lost hours when the New Horizon's satellite went dark just before reaching Pluto, to the investigation of a small group of murdered cultists and the strange, fungal infection that has seized their bodies. For the most part, though, the focus is on present-day (well, July 2015 to be exact), but Kiernan plays fast and loose with the timeline, presenting information in non-linear dollops.
At its core, Agents of Dreamland is more concerned with ideas and possibilities than it is in presenting a straightforward narrative with resolution. This is more like a slice of life vignette set against the backdrop of Lovecraft's cosmic horror, and the story itself demands plenty of thought well after the last page turns shut. Kiernan gives us a set of intriguing characters placed in a dynamic world, with several book's worth of possibilities encircling each of them. And I hope to sweet, dear Cthulhu that she'll write those books!
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.]
This is a short, but dense, narrative, and Kiernan hops around from one time period to the next. There are a lot of awesome ideas crammed into this novella, from the mystery of those briefly lost hours when the New Horizon's satellite went dark just before reaching Pluto, to the investigation of a small group of murdered cultists and the strange, fungal infection that has seized their bodies. For the most part, though, the focus is on present-day (well, July 2015 to be exact), but Kiernan plays fast and loose with the timeline, presenting information in non-linear dollops.
At its core, Agents of Dreamland is more concerned with ideas and possibilities than it is in presenting a straightforward narrative with resolution. This is more like a slice of life vignette set against the backdrop of Lovecraft's cosmic horror, and the story itself demands plenty of thought well after the last page turns shut. Kiernan gives us a set of intriguing characters placed in a dynamic world, with several book's worth of possibilities encircling each of them. And I hope to sweet, dear Cthulhu that she'll write those books!
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.]
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I listened to the audiobook, but plan on reading the print version as well. I feel like I may have missed some things. This was a really weird story and I mean that in the best way. I am definitely going to seek out the second book in this series.
This book is a great lovecraftian horror riff, with fine noir style prose, and a bit of a southwest 'True Detective' vibe. And fungi.
In some ways, this little novella is a 5-star read for me. I deeply enjoyed every page, and when I finished, I wanted to turn back to the beginning and read it again. The voice and imagery are extremely compelling and exactly the kind of unsettling-and-gloomy darkness I enjoy best. It felt very much like the first season of TRUE DETECTIVE, if the creepy and weird Lovecraftian stuff had been true Lovecraftian stuff.
But this is definitely a *Lovecraftian* book, which cramps its style just a bit. There are moments when you can feel Kiernan's imagination being reigned in by HPL's mythos, beats that are there because, well, they have to be there to fit. That frustrated me as a reader (sort of the way WICKED frustrated me as a reader--the writing is such a delight, it feels unfair to bind it so tightly to the material that inspired it), but inspired me as a sometimes writer of Mythos-inspired tales.
One of my favorite reads this summer, though.
But this is definitely a *Lovecraftian* book, which cramps its style just a bit. There are moments when you can feel Kiernan's imagination being reigned in by HPL's mythos, beats that are there because, well, they have to be there to fit. That frustrated me as a reader (sort of the way WICKED frustrated me as a reader--the writing is such a delight, it feels unfair to bind it so tightly to the material that inspired it), but inspired me as a sometimes writer of Mythos-inspired tales.
One of my favorite reads this summer, though.
My brain hurts now. Not many books have made me reach the last page leading me to stare off into the distance in wonderful confusion.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror