(Lovecraft Pastiche) In 1933, Doug quits his job to go on an expedition to Antarctica to kill the Great Shoggoth and retrieve the priceless treasures of the lost city of Leng. (21,373 words; Time: 1h:11m)
Rating: ★★★★☆ A Very Different Twist on Lovecraft’s Story
Although this story revisits the site of Lovecraft’s “At the Mountains of Madness,” the tone is much closer to humor than to horror
"In the Lost City of Leng," by Rudy Rucker [bio] and Paul Di Filippo [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 01-02|18, published on December 15, 2017 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Probably the best thing about this story is the way Doug narrates the events. He’s so earnest and so naïve that he manages to make the Elder Ones are either comical or sexy but never terrifying.
As far as plot goes, Doug’s the protagonist, and it’s clear what he’s after, even though he doesn’t achieve it. The two Elder ones have their own agenda, and they succeed completely.
The story is filled with references to different Lovecraft stories. If you want to follow them and you’re reading on a Kindle, I suggest acquiring The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft (it’s free from Amazon) and then using the “Search All Text” feature when you find unusual names.
It's amusing that Doug uses the "I don't remember what happened" excuse to not tell us what happened during his three-way with a giant cucumber-shaped alien and another man. Perhaps it's better imagined than described.
Con: It was a fun ride, but it didn’t conjure up any emotion. Not even when the dog died.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|18)
Rudy Rucker Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Paul Di Filippo Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
As far as plot goes, Doug’s the protagonist, and it’s clear what he’s after, even though he doesn’t achieve it. The two Elder ones have their own agenda, and they succeed completely.
The story is filled with references to different Lovecraft stories. If you want to follow them and you’re reading on a Kindle, I suggest acquiring The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft (it’s free from Amazon) and then using the “Search All Text” feature when you find unusual names.
It's amusing that Doug uses the "I don't remember what happened" excuse to not tell us what happened during his three-way with a giant cucumber-shaped alien and another man. Perhaps it's better imagined than described.
Con: It was a fun ride, but it didn’t conjure up any emotion. Not even when the dog died.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|18)
Rudy Rucker Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Paul Di Filippo Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
But Baxter was the most likable character!
ReplyDeleteIndeed he was. His dialogue was kind of limited though. :-)
DeleteNotes on the story from the author Rudy Rucker.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2017/12/28/rudy-paul-di-fi-in-lovecrafts-lost-city-of-leng/