A review by chmccann
Dark Gods by T.E.D. Klein
3.0
I'm glad I read this - it's a notable entry in the development of Lovecraftian fiction. I had really loved [b:The Events at Poroth Farm|7055789|The Events at Poroth Farm|T.E.D. Klein|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458812325s/7055789.jpg|7307112], and I'd read "Black Man with a Horn" some time ago and remembered liking it. This is a larger helping of T.E.D. Klein, so it seemed promising.
Unfortunately, the story I'd already read was the strongest entry in this collection. Aside from the issues noted below, "Black Man with a Horn" was a pleasure to revisit, with one of the best opening lines in all of weird fiction:
How can you not read on after that? And I find the story mostly delivers, with a more modern take on the standard piecemeal research leading to unutterable realizations of horror. Enough is implied, without too much being revealed. There's a lot of atmosphere, and intriguing use of modern settings to good creepy effect, which can be hard to pull off. There's also an overarching theme of aging out of relevance that ties everything together (and to HPL himself) effectively.
The other stories left me a little meh. They have their moments, but mostly failed to connect. The narrator of "Children of the Kingdom" is obnoxious, and Klein's attempt to have him record his wife's first-person narrative in his diary comes of as ludicrously clunky. (Not to mention it's in service of some plotting that fails in every possible way in characterizing women.)
"Petey" left me utterly cold - a bunch random names spout random dialog, taking way too long to set up a pretty underwritten reveal.
"Nadelman's God" had an interesting idea, I guess, but seemed pointless when the main character is totally unsympathetic, and everything revolves around his personal perceptions.
The final element that detracted from my enjoyment was a lot of unalloyed racism. Throughout much of this book, you have to get past a concerning amount of "people of color are weird and Other and scary!" It's arguable that Klein is depicting the beliefs of his characters and not endorsing them. Indeed, most of the protagonists are deliberately unlikable, and even the narrator of BMwAH is depicted as a relic. For some readers, there's probably enough distance from the characters that their offensive beliefs and behaviors just add to the characterization. But for me it was hard to put up with.
Unfortunately, the story I'd already read was the strongest entry in this collection. Aside from the issues noted below, "Black Man with a Horn" was a pleasure to revisit, with one of the best opening lines in all of weird fiction:
There is something inherently comforting about the first-person past tense. It conjures up visions of some deskbound narrator puffing contemplatively up a pipe amid the safety of his study, lost in the tranquil recollection, seasoned but essentially unscathed by whatever experience he’s about to relate.
How can you not read on after that? And I find the story mostly delivers, with a more modern take on the standard piecemeal research leading to unutterable realizations of horror. Enough is implied, without too much being revealed. There's a lot of atmosphere, and intriguing use of modern settings to good creepy effect, which can be hard to pull off. There's also an overarching theme of aging out of relevance that ties everything together (and to HPL himself) effectively.
The other stories left me a little meh. They have their moments, but mostly failed to connect. The narrator of "Children of the Kingdom" is obnoxious, and Klein's attempt to have him record his wife's first-person narrative in his diary comes of as ludicrously clunky. (Not to mention it's in service of some plotting that fails in every possible way in characterizing women.)
"Petey" left me utterly cold - a bunch random names spout random dialog, taking way too long to set up a pretty underwritten reveal.
"Nadelman's God" had an interesting idea, I guess, but seemed pointless when the main character is totally unsympathetic, and everything revolves around his personal perceptions.
The final element that detracted from my enjoyment was a lot of unalloyed racism. Throughout much of this book, you have to get past a concerning amount of "people of color are weird and Other and scary!" It's arguable that Klein is depicting the beliefs of his characters and not endorsing them. Indeed, most of the protagonists are deliberately unlikable, and even the narrator of BMwAH is depicted as a relic. For some readers, there's probably enough distance from the characters that their offensive beliefs and behaviors just add to the characterization. But for me it was hard to put up with.