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A review by philibin
Cthulhu Armageddon by C.T. Phipps
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I have to start off my review by saying that I've never been a huge fan of the Lovecraft Mythos. To be honest, I'm a lot more interested in what "other" writers have done with the "lore". That might not be entirely true, when I first read The Necronomicon (at 13), I think I really liked it. And when I re-read it (at 18), I wasn't as impressed.
With that being said, I am a fan of C.T. Phipps. I think he knows how to write a good story, and he is a great person on top of that. So, I may be biased with this review, but I don't think so. I believe I am able to judge this story independently of any known biases.
On the positive side... this story is not much different than many of the author's other works, Phipps does a great job writing an interesting story, sticking to the basic elements as he sees them, and writing as a fan, but a fan with a more modern social (and moral) standard. He is great with dialog, character development, and brings the world together with vivid imagery.
On the negative side, Phipps goes out of his way to almost apologize for the many problematic aspects of Lovecraft's origin story. He deliberately points out where he branches away from many of the sexist/racist/homophobic themes in the original work. And he explains that these backwards ideas have no place in this world. Don't get me wrong... I completely agree with Phipps, I just don't like the throwbacks to the source.
This is a fun, quick story with an enjoyable spin on the original works. It isn't too heavy, and can really be read in a single weekend. It is less "Horror" story, and more like a video-game quest set in a horror-like environment. The Narrator does a great job and the pacing is perfect.
With that being said, I am a fan of C.T. Phipps. I think he knows how to write a good story, and he is a great person on top of that. So, I may be biased with this review, but I don't think so. I believe I am able to judge this story independently of any known biases.
On the positive side... this story is not much different than many of the author's other works, Phipps does a great job writing an interesting story, sticking to the basic elements as he sees them, and writing as a fan, but a fan with a more modern social (and moral) standard. He is great with dialog, character development, and brings the world together with vivid imagery.
On the negative side, Phipps goes out of his way to almost apologize for the many problematic aspects of Lovecraft's origin story. He deliberately points out where he branches away from many of the sexist/racist/homophobic themes in the original work. And he explains that these backwards ideas have no place in this world. Don't get me wrong... I completely agree with Phipps, I just don't like the throwbacks to the source.
This is a fun, quick story with an enjoyable spin on the original works. It isn't too heavy, and can really be read in a single weekend. It is less "Horror" story, and more like a video-game quest set in a horror-like environment. The Narrator does a great job and the pacing is perfect.