The Book of Hastur

Books of Cthulhu 7

By: C. T. Phipps, Tim Mendees, David Hambling, Matthew Davenport, Andrea Pearson, Eric Malikyte, David Niall Wilson

Narrated by: Gary Noon

“Have you seen the Yellow Sign?”

Hastur was not a creation of H.P. Lovecraft but an adaptation of concepts created by Ambrose Bierce and Robert W. Chambers. Nevertheless, Hastur, AKA The King in Yellow, has since gone on to become one of the most iconic Great Old Ones. Whether the mysterious Lord of Leng in the Dreamlands or Cthulhu’s alleged half-brother, he is a figure who haunts the dreams of those mortals who touch upon even the barest knowledge of his existence.

THE BOOK OF HASTUR is a collection of short stories and novellas depicting Hastur’s influence over a variety of individuals as well as those individuals affected by his presence. Some of them are horror, some of them are Pulp adventure, and some are a mixture of the two.

©2024 C. T. Phipps, Tim Mendees, David Hambling, Matthew Davenport, Andrea Pearson, Eric Malikyte, David Niall Wilson (P)2024 David N. Wilson

An Enjoyable Anthology of Lovecraftian Stories

I'm about halfway through, and I've enjoyed this anthology so far. Some parts of it are a bit more in the two fisted pulp tradition/Lovecraft Lite, but overall I've found it to be worth the listen.

A Must-Listen Lovecraftian Collection

I've always been drawn to the eerie and the eldritch, and The Book of Hastur by a selection of authors, narrated by Gary Noon, delivers both in spades.

This collection of short stories and novellas all revolves around the ever-mysterious Hastur, also known as The King in Yellow—a figure whose mere knowledge has been known to drive people to madness.

Whether you're steeped in the lore of Lovecraftian horror or just dipping your toes into its shadowy depths, this book has something for everyone. From ancient cults to mid-20th-century intrigue, these tales stretch across time, showcasing the many ways the influence of Hastur can twist fate and fracture reality. The perfect mix of historical adventure and cosmic horror scratches an itch I didn't even know I had.

I enjoyed this one a lot. Every entry is engrossing, each with its own distinct flavor of dread, action, or mystery. And Gary Noon's narration? Absolutely spot on. His delivery enhances the creeping unease where needed and ramps up the excitement when the action kicks in.

This is, without a doubt, my favorite collection in the series so far, and if you love cosmic horror, pulp adventure, or just incredibly well-told stories, The Book of Hastur is a must-listen.

Only One was Decent

This addition to the series was pretty bleh. Even the David Hambling story was really stupid, which is surprising. The CT Phipps story was garbage as usual. The two stories starring bumpkins were stupid. In fact the only parts of this entire book that are worth listening to are The Stranger and the intro and outro by Erik Malikyte.

The voice acting was pretty good.

Disappointing

In any Mythos themed anthology I expect things to be somewhat uneven. But I didn’t find anything in this collection I found either intriguing or entertaining. Most seemed rather formulaic fan fiction rather than a homage to the genre. And what attempts there were at enriching or extending the lore fell flat.

The biggest problem with these stories is they seem to make the same mistakes August Derleth made by trying to explain and rationalize shat essentially is by definition unknowable and unexplainable if it’s to be considered within the realm of legitimate Cosmic Horror. For a tale in this genre to work you have to instill a sense of vague but looming otherworldly dread where an explanation or and understanding can be sensed but still remains forever out of reach.

The “why” of the situation the protagonists finds themselves in can’t be understood because whatever lies behind it, whether some form of intelligence or simple chaos, doesn’t have anything in common with human emotion or reason. It is totally “other” to our minds because of that. And it is perceived as “evil” because the most accurate definition of true evil is that which is totally “other.” And unfortunately, for this reader at least, nothing in this collection managed to convey that vibe.

i have obviously have very strong opinions about stories set in Lovecraft’s universe. So a lot of the above review may very well just be me. But I wouldn’t be honest if I said I felt otherwise.