Reviews

Cthulhurotica by Carrie Cuinn

kellysilva's review against another edition

2.0

I did not enjoy this book. I was too stubborn to quit reading for most of it, and got about 78% through before I had to quit. The writing wasn't horrible, but some of it seemed unrealistic (besides the fantasy elements) and the sex scenes just weren't sexy. I'm not a big fan of horror in general, so this book just wasn't for me. I found most of the stories to be too weird for me to get into. There were only a few I kind of liked. I kept finding things to distract me from reading this book, and that's usually a sign that the book isn't quite reeling me in. This book may be for others but I really didn't like it.

tregina's review against another edition

3.0

When you read a book called "Cthulhurotica" you more or less know what you're getting into. It is going to be dark, and there are going to be tentacles. So I wasn't caught off guard by the level of non-con or the vagina-as-opening-to-hell motifs. But honestly, I had hoped that overall it would be a bit more inventive. It was neither particularly Lovecraftian nor particularly erotic (both would have been ideal but either of the two would have been acceptable) and in general, in all ways, it just sat around the middle. The stories were fine, and for me Silvia Moreno-Garcia's "Flash Frame" was a real standout, but lacked the oomph I was looking for.

lit_lady's review against another edition

3.0

A lot of this was really good, but I wanted a complete mind fuck here, and I was sadly let down, wasn't scarey, creepy or just plain gross at all. Maybe I'm just getting immune to this stuff. I blame the internet.

codiewood's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

morcabre's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

fairislemeadow's review against another edition

1.0

This sounded so sexy and weird. I like a little variety in erotica - twists and fantasy and elements of the bizarre. And I suppose these stories had some of that. But they were poorly written and executed, and most of them ended quite abruptly, sometimes just as they were getting interesting. And the sex itself wasn't that good. Many stories only hinted at it. When I got to one story about halfway through the book, the writing was so bad and the premise so thin and confusing that I had to put it down. Disappointing.

lisahoeflinger's review

dark funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

herblackwings39's review against another edition

4.0

Overall I really enjoyed this book. A story or two felt unfinished though.

gwimo's review against another edition

4.0

I know what you're thinking - tentacle porn. Tentacle porn that would put the manga and anime people to shame. Tentacles everywhere, filling every orifice. That's the image we come up with when someone suggests combining the world of Lovecraft and erotica. Don't be ashamed, I thoughts so as well. So much so, that I went into reading Cthulhurotica with a chuckle. Carrie Cuinn, the editor, pulled a fast one over us lovers of Lovecraft. We suckers will buy just about anything with Cthulhu plastered on it, right? Of course, we'd be wrong.

Combining the monstrous science fiction horror of Lovecraft with the literary erotic word must've been a hard task for the writers featured in the collection. The stories range from creepy to cute to downright arousing, touching on all ranges of attraction. Some writers dip into the bisexual landscape while others are a tad more conservative. In "Transfigured Night," K.V. Taylor spills out a homoerotic tale that skirts on necrophilia. Whereas, in "Le Ciél Ouvert," Kirsten Brown introduces us to a character whose sexual appetite can only be sated by something otherworldly. "The C-Word" by Don Pizarro, a May-December romance is reignited in the town of Innsmouth, showing that love has no age boundaries, as well as, cursed ones.

The collection is well worth the read for lovers of the Cthulhu Mythos, as well as, those who simply just love. The collection also includes three essays, beautifully drawn images, and a few lines of Lovecraft's poetry.

bludfellow's review against another edition

4.0

I admit I skimmed the essays at the end - I picked this up for the sexy times - but I may try reading them again when time allows.

Standout stories for me were "Descent of the Wayward Sister" by Gabrielle Harbowy, "Infernal Attractors" by Cody Goodfellow, "The Fishwives of Sean Brolly" by Nathan Crowder, "Flash Frame" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, "Ipsa Scientia" by Constella Espj, "Amid Disquieting Dreams" by Leon J. West, "The Assistant From Innsmouth" by Steven James Scearce, "The Summoned" by Clint Collins, "Sense" by Matthew Marovich, and "Le Ciel Ouvert" by Kirsten Brown.

I wasn't familiar with any of these authors. Now I'm stalking most of them. Buyer beware!