A review by anuragsahay
Crispin's Model by Max Gladstone
5.0
Tor.com Original by Max Gladstone, link here: https://www.tor.com/2017/10/04/crispins-model/
I read this because I recently downloaded a free collected edition of all Lovecraft's works in the public domain. Lovecraft has interested me in the past for multiple reasons, the biggest of which is the fact that he created a setting and horror ideal, and then let (in point of fact, encouraged) other authors to write in it. Lovecraft and his compatriots' writings, while themselves not often well read, have been so influential on modern popular culture, that you can assume that any franchise that lasts long enough will eventually include a reference to Lovecraft (sometimes going as far as containing a Great Old One) [examples off the top of my head: Star Wars, Warcraft, the Dresden Files, the DC Animated Universe, the beginning credits of Rick and Morty, and so on]. And so far, I've not even mentioned the insanely huge number of modern board games with a Cthulhu theme.
So when Max Gladstone releases a free Lovecraftian short story on Tor.com, I was hard pressed to come up with a reason not to immediate devour the story.
In terms of how the story goes, I can't compare it to the originals (having not read it yet), but the writing style has a very visceral feel to it, which I imagine is a staple of any story trying to emulate Lovecraft. The story is just long enough to build the threat of the Lovecraftian horror well, and just short enough to end it before it gets boring instead of disturbing. I read the story right before sleeping, and I definitely had some weird dreams as a consequence.
Overall, this story cements my love for Gladstone more than anything else; he's shown a large amount of variation on the types of stories and characters he can write well through his short fiction, and I'm really hoping to see some of that reflect in his longer fiction as well (in particular, I'm really looking forward to the non-Craft based novels he's currently contracted with Tor.com Publishing for). It's also convinced me to give Lovecraft a shot, though I don't know when I'll get around to doing that.
I read this because I recently downloaded a free collected edition of all Lovecraft's works in the public domain. Lovecraft has interested me in the past for multiple reasons, the biggest of which is the fact that he created a setting and horror ideal, and then let (in point of fact, encouraged) other authors to write in it. Lovecraft and his compatriots' writings, while themselves not often well read, have been so influential on modern popular culture, that you can assume that any franchise that lasts long enough will eventually include a reference to Lovecraft (sometimes going as far as containing a Great Old One) [examples off the top of my head: Star Wars, Warcraft, the Dresden Files, the DC Animated Universe, the beginning credits of Rick and Morty, and so on]. And so far, I've not even mentioned the insanely huge number of modern board games with a Cthulhu theme.
So when Max Gladstone releases a free Lovecraftian short story on Tor.com, I was hard pressed to come up with a reason not to immediate devour the story.
In terms of how the story goes, I can't compare it to the originals (having not read it yet), but the writing style has a very visceral feel to it, which I imagine is a staple of any story trying to emulate Lovecraft. The story is just long enough to build the threat of the Lovecraftian horror well, and just short enough to end it before it gets boring instead of disturbing. I read the story right before sleeping, and I definitely had some weird dreams as a consequence.
Overall, this story cements my love for Gladstone more than anything else; he's shown a large amount of variation on the types of stories and characters he can write well through his short fiction, and I'm really hoping to see some of that reflect in his longer fiction as well (in particular, I'm really looking forward to the non-Craft based novels he's currently contracted with Tor.com Publishing for). It's also convinced me to give Lovecraft a shot, though I don't know when I'll get around to doing that.