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Book Review: Carnacki: The Watcher at the Gate by William Meikle

 

Carnacki: The Watcher at the Gate by William Meikle, illustrations by M. Wayne Miller

Ghost House, Dark Renaissance Books, 2015

ISBN: 9781937128753

Available: Hardcover, new and used. Currently out of print.

Carnacki: The Watcher at the Gate collects twelve original short stories by William Meikle, with William Hope Hodgson’s supernatural detective at the center. Each story centers on a dire situation: an imperiled individual calls upon the unusual expertise of Carnacki to get to the bottom of the occult goings-on and expertly banish the evil back to the Outer Darkness.

A few of the stories that are particularly well-written incorporate another Hodgson character, Captain Gault. These are some of the most interesting tales of the collection. While Carnacki is a great character, Captain Gault adds a bit more panache to the atmosphere. In “Captain Gault’s Nemesis”, the captain is carrying cursed cargo below decks of his ship, and Carnacki has to deal with the problem. In “The Blue Egg”, Carnacki is a guest aboard Captain Gault’s ship, and witnesses the effects a sliver from a rare gem has on the captain and crew. Everyone who is near it wants to possess it, and its power grows day by day.  In “The Gray Boats”, a strange fog emanating from two abandoned Navy ships destroys everything in its wake, including flesh and bone.

An admirable trait of Carnacki’s is that when children come to him with matters of the occult, he takes them seriously, investigates, and inevitably finds that the issues are real. In “The China Doll,” Lord Atwell of Belgravia calls on Carnacki to investigate his youngest daughter’s room, as she thinks it is haunted. When he is alone in her room, he discovers the china dolls are whispering. His investigation leads him to the manufacturer’s facilities, where it turns out that the manufacturer has a unique problem with the curing oven. In “The Black Swan,” a young girl arrives at Carnacki’s residence, distraught and pleading for his help, regarding a large black bird she thinks lives in her closet. He travels with her to her home, where, after a few minutes of terse conversation, her father relates the story of the black swan in the basement.

In addition to being a friend to the seafaring Captain Gault and children, Carnacki is popular among political figures. In two stories, he comes to the aid of a young Winston Churchill. He also helps the Home Secretary in an investigation of an occult ritual gone wrong.

Other exciting stories await the reader. Having recently revisited one of the original Hodgson books, I can attest that Meikle’s writing is in keeping with the overall tone and atmosphere of Carnacki’s adventures, and I appreciate that, as well as his blending in of the realm of eldritch horror.  The inclusion of horrific entities tormenting humanity and threatening to either kill us or drive us insane is a nice touch, and fit in well with the overall feel of the Carnacki stories. This is a great read that will appeal to readers young and old. Recommended.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

Posted on June 5, 2016 by , Reply

Book Review: Scary School #3: The Northern Frights by Derek the Ghost, illustrated by Scott M. Fisher

Scary School #3: The Northern Frights by Derek the Ghost, illustrated by Scott M. Fischer

HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2013

ISBN-13: 978-0061960987

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition

There are several books in the Scary School series, and Monster Librarian has reviewed others, but this is the first one I have read myself, and it is a gem. The books are set in a school for children who are a little out of the ordinary: zombies, vampires, werewolves, and other creatures. Jason Boorhees wears a hockey mask and carries a chainsaw; Fred Kroger seems to think he is always in a dream. The teachers are pretty scary, too: King Khufu spends his lunch hour in a sarcophagus, a hydra monitors the hallways, and Mr. Acidbath creates frightening concoctions in the classroom.  Scary School also has its fair share of ordinary humans, like Charles Nukid, the main character of this book. In The Northern Frights, six human students from Scary School, including Jason, Fred, and Charles, are chosen as exchange students at the even scarier Scream Academy, located in the freezing north. Can they survive and succeed where so many other humans have failed?

The Northern Frights is not great literature. It’s sketchy in its world-building and, with a few exceptions, characters are pretty one-dimensional. It’s narrated by Derek the Ghost, a student who died during a disastrous science experiment and now haunts the school. However, I frequently forgot that the book was supposed to be written in first person, because except for occasional asides it reads like it’s written in third person. None of that really matters, though, because it’s funny, punny, fast-paced, and smart.  This is a book that parents and kids can both enjoy, reading independently or together (I hope most kids in the target age group don’t watch slasher films, but the Jason and Fred characters’ behaviors give those of us who do know the movies that something extra to appreciate).  It’s also extensively illustrated, with both full-page and in-text illustrations that complement the story. If you have a reluctant reader on your hands, or are looking for a fun read-aloud with your middle-grader, this is a perfect choice. Highly recommended for children’s collections and elementary school library media centers.

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Previously reviewed:

 Scary School #1 by Derek the Ghost

 Scary School #2 : Monsters on the March by Derek the Ghost

 

Posted on June 5, 2016 by , Reply

Comic Book Review: Afterlife with Archie, vol. 1: Escape from Riverdale by Roberto Auirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francovilla

Afterlife with Archie volume 1: Escape from Riverdale by Roberto Auirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francovilla

Archie Comics, 2014

ISBN: 9781619889088

Available: New, used & digital

Oh, Riverdale. The iconic small town USA, perpetually stuck in the 1950s, where a boy struggles with such heady things
as which girl to invite to a movie Friday night. Archie-with-zombies could have been a silly, campy adventure and still have been a fun read.

Instead, we have the comic book that spawned a Lovecraft-themed version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The authors go all out with a dark, moody story of a teen who loves his dog enough to court dark magics to bring him back, for which thewhole town will pay.

Zombies aren’t the only thematic element here. The writers also address substance abuse, some of the darker aspects of Riverdale relationships (like Reggie’s obsession with the taken Midge, Midge and Moose’s mismatch, and the more realistic angst of Archie being caught between Betty and Veronica), and even the struggles of being gay/lesbian in Riverdale. Highly recommended for horror fans and especially public library collections. It’s easy to dismiss this one, but Afterlife with Archie is
wonderful: self-aware, inclusive, and innovative.

Contains: gore, violence, animal abuse

Posted on May 23, 2016 by , Reply
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