Cthulhu's Reign
Encyclopedia
Cthulhu's Reign is an anthology
of original horror
short stories edited by Darrell Schweitzer
. It was first published in paperback by DAW Books
in April 2010.
The book collects fifteen short stories by various authors, with an introduction by the editor. All share the Cthulhu Mythos
setting originated by H. P. Lovecraft
, with the twist that the dreaded revival of the fearsome "Great Old Ones" who once ruled the Earth is not a future possibility but an event that has actually come to pass, taking the Mythos from the realm of contemporary horror into that of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
..
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of original horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
short stories edited by Darrell Schweitzer
Darrell Schweitzer
Darrell Charles Schweitzer is an American writer, editor, and essayist in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror, although he does also work in science fiction and fantasy...
. It was first published in paperback by DAW Books
DAW Books
DAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company therefore claims to be "the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy." The first DAW Book published was...
in April 2010.
The book collects fifteen short stories by various authors, with an introduction by the editor. All share the Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
setting originated by H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, with the twist that the dreaded revival of the fearsome "Great Old Ones" who once ruled the Earth is not a future possibility but an event that has actually come to pass, taking the Mythos from the realm of contemporary horror into that of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
..
Contents
- "Introduction" (Darrell SchweitzerDarrell SchweitzerDarrell Charles Schweitzer is an American writer, editor, and essayist in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror, although he does also work in science fiction and fantasy...
) - "The Walker in the Cemetery" (Ian WatsonIan WatsonIan Watson may refer to:* Ian Watson * Ian Watson , British science fiction author* Ian Watson , British cricketer* Ian Watson , British footballer...
) - "Sanctuary" (Don Webb)
- "Her Acres of Pastoral Playground" (Mike AllenMike Allen (poet)Mike Allen is an American editor and writer of speculative fiction and poetry. He currently lives in Roanoke, Virginia.His short story "," published in the October 2007 issue of Helix SF, was a finalist for the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Short Story.The Philadelphia Inquirer has described Allen as...
) - "Spherical Trigonometry" (Ken Asamatsu)
- "What Brings the Void" (Will Murray)
- "The New Pauline Corpus" (Matt Cardin)
- "Ghost Dancing" (Darrell SchweitzerDarrell SchweitzerDarrell Charles Schweitzer is an American writer, editor, and essayist in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror, although he does also work in science fiction and fantasy...
) - "This is How the World Ends" (John R. Fultz)
- "The Shallows" (John Langan)
- "Such Bright and Risen Madness in Our Names" (Jay LakeJay LakeJoseph E. Lake, Jr. is a science fiction and fantasy writer. In 2003 he was a quarterly first place winner in the Writers of the Future contest. In 2004 he won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction. He lives in Portland, Oregon and currently works as a product manager...
) - "The Seals of New R'lyeh" (Gregory FrostGregory FrostGregory Frost is an American author of science fiction and fantasy, and directs a fiction writing workshop at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa...
) - "The Holocaust of Ecstasy" (Brian StablefordBrian StablefordBrian Michael Stableford is a British science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published as by Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped the middle initial and appeared under the name Brian Stableford...
) - "Vastation" (Laird BarronLaird BarronLaird Samuel Barron is an award winning author and poet, much of whose work falls within the horror, noir, and dark fantasy genres. He has also been the Managing Editor of the online literary magazine Melic Review. He lives in Olympia, Washington.-Biography:Mr...
) - "Nothing Personal" (Richard A. LupoffRichard A. LupoffRichard Allen Lupoff is an American science fiction and mystery author, who has also written humor, satire, non-fiction and reviews. In addition to his two dozen novels and more than 40 short stories, he has also edited science-fantasy anthologies. He is an expert on the writing of Edgar Rice...
) - "Remnants" (Fred ChappellFred ChappellFred Davis Chappell is an author and poet. He retired after 40 years as an English professor at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was the Poet Laureate of North Carolina from 1997-2002...
) - "About the Authors"
- "About the Editor"