Scan barcode
ktitus25's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
From what collections of Shea's stories I can find on paperback or even digital, Demiurge was an amazing read on paperback and such good time going through his Cthulhu Mythos tales that range from pure pulp to tense and horrifying.
holbeancoffeeld's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
throatsprockets's review against another edition
5.0
These are the best Cthulhu Mythos stories I’ve read apart from the top tier of Lovecraft’s own stuff, and as a prose writer and a creator of character Shea is superior to Lovecraft.
hucklebuck411's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jdhacker's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is going to feel more like a review of the collection itself, rather than of the individual stories. Why? Because I already really enjoy Michael Shea. He's capable of really humanizing more esoteric horror and fantasy by grounding it in believable, identifiable, and realistic characters. He can do action that feels like a more believable Howard. At least, when he's at his best. And the initial half to two-thirds of this collection is some of his best.
Demiurge is as close to a complete collection of every cthulhu mythos related tale that Michael Shea wrote as you're likely to get (there's an outlandishly expensive Centipede Press collection that's probably more complete). I do not necessarily know if that is a good thing.
You see, its essentially the Perilous Press edition of Copping Squid, with a few other stories tacked on to the end. And I mean tacked on. Its clear to see why several of these entries may have been omitted from that collection, as they just don't hold up by comparison. Some of them don't even feel related to the cthulhu mythos besides stylistic similarities to Lovecraft. Taken on their individual merits, there are a couple of fun additional stories though.
Momma Durtt was fantastic, creative, original story about gangsters, truckers, poor small town folk, and maybe some sort of cthonic entity (or something else entirely?). For me, it had echoes of Ambrose Bierce's "Damned Thing."
Under the Shelf fooled me. Its opening with characters preparing to explore the ocean below the ice shelf had me prepped for a Jules Verne, Jacque Cousteau, Abyss, but-with-some-more-horror style adventure. It quickly and surprisingly morphs into one of the most action packed (and to some degree sci-fi channel movie goofy/campy) Shea short stories I've read.
Ultimately, though, none of the individual stories added on to this collection are good enough that you really need to read this in addition to Copping Squid. Barring being a completionist.
Demiurge is as close to a complete collection of every cthulhu mythos related tale that Michael Shea wrote as you're likely to get (there's an outlandishly expensive Centipede Press collection that's probably more complete). I do not necessarily know if that is a good thing.
You see, its essentially the Perilous Press edition of Copping Squid, with a few other stories tacked on to the end. And I mean tacked on. Its clear to see why several of these entries may have been omitted from that collection, as they just don't hold up by comparison. Some of them don't even feel related to the cthulhu mythos besides stylistic similarities to Lovecraft. Taken on their individual merits, there are a couple of fun additional stories though.
Momma Durtt was fantastic, creative, original story about gangsters, truckers, poor small town folk, and maybe some sort of cthonic entity (or something else entirely?). For me, it had echoes of Ambrose Bierce's "Damned Thing."
Under the Shelf fooled me. Its opening with characters preparing to explore the ocean below the ice shelf had me prepped for a Jules Verne, Jacque Cousteau, Abyss, but-with-some-more-horror style adventure. It quickly and surprisingly morphs into one of the most action packed (and to some degree sci-fi channel movie goofy/campy) Shea short stories I've read.
Ultimately, though, none of the individual stories added on to this collection are good enough that you really need to read this in addition to Copping Squid. Barring being a completionist.
kkehoe's review
5.0
Having never read Shea, this collection has hooked me, albeit to an oeuvre cut all too short. A master of the Lovecraftian.
chmccann's review
3.0
Shea does something truly extraordinary here - he faithfully recreates the outlines and the emotional impact of Lovecraft's mythos, but sheds the blue-blood New England setting and the upper class, educated white dude protagonists. You wouldn't think that homeless people, prostitutes, drug dealers, and alcoholics would be suitable as Lovecraftian heroes, but Shea makes it seem perfectly natural.
"Copping Squid" is the clear winner of all the stories. Creepy and otherwordly, while grounded and gritty. Loved it.
"Fat Face" is pretty effective too, although the reveal is unsurprising to any savvy mythos reader.
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" and "Dagoniad" are campy fun. I feel like Sam Raimi should adapt "Dagoniad" for film - the super gross-out horror melded with silly slapstick is just his thing.
The other stories range from OK to awful. "Under the Shelf" in particular squanders its strong opening in a laughably stupid climax and resolution.
Worth checking out if you're a Lovecraft fan! Though I did notice that my Kindle version had lots of misprints, unfortunately.
"Copping Squid" is the clear winner of all the stories. Creepy and otherwordly, while grounded and gritty. Loved it.
"Fat Face" is pretty effective too, although the reveal is unsurprising to any savvy mythos reader.
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" and "Dagoniad" are campy fun. I feel like Sam Raimi should adapt "Dagoniad" for film - the super gross-out horror melded with silly slapstick is just his thing.
The other stories range from OK to awful. "Under the Shelf" in particular squanders its strong opening in a laughably stupid climax and resolution.
Worth checking out if you're a Lovecraft fan! Though I did notice that my Kindle version had lots of misprints, unfortunately.
arthurbdd's review
2.0
Intended as a tribute but instead exposes Shea as being a generally fairly hit-and-miss writer when it came to Mythos material who never quite wrote anything to equal Fat Face - which, being compiled in the much better Cthulhu 2000 anthology, will already be in many readers' collections. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2021/05/27/shea-delight/
joe_mcmahon's review
3.0
I just couldn't get into it. Shea writes well, but it's just too grimdark and depressing for me right now. If you're in a sunnier place personally, it's probably fine.