Read a Halloween-Themed Fantasy Novel That Beautifully Captures the Horrors of 2020
I love reading, but almost as much as I love telling people what to read. This has been my job for five years . And since reading the right book at the right time — to match a mood, answer a question, or satisfy a desire — is definitely a trick, I want to keep doing it. If you are looking for a suitable book to read, ask me . Otherwise, I’ll happily tell you what you need to read right now.
In the climax of Roger Zelazny’s fantasy horror novel A Lonely October Night, two opposing forces begin a sinister ritual ceremony as the full moon rises on Halloween night. The fate of the world is at stake, not to mention the lives of a few smart talking animals. Of course, this is a strange scenario, but it seems completely appropriate for 2020 – and not only because the October full moon falls on Halloween for us too.
Sherlock, Dracula and the Talking Dog
It wasRoger Zalazny’s last novel to be published in 1993, a few years before his death. Considered by many to be one of the best, which is no small feat for an award-winning writer revered by genre readers. At first glance, this is a silly joke – stylized in the Sherlock Holmes and L.P. Lovecraft period, balancing with cute vanity: each chapter takes place over one October day, and the narrator is a supernaturally intelligent talking dog. But it also works in deep conversation with classic horror films and detective stories. Characters and sets from Holmes’ canon, Lovecraft Myths , Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and others appear on the page in guises that will be familiar to anyone with even a little knowledge of early science fiction and fantasy.
HBO ‘s Lovecraft Country and other recent literary works have questioned the racism of Lovecraft’s writings, but this book is not; it’s more of a Kill Bill homage, collecting the coolest toys in the Mythos playset – the otherworldly landscapes, the unfathomable horror of the Elder Gods – but at least it leaves aside all the hatred of blacks and immigrants. we have something lighter, more funny and hilarious – remember when I said the storyteller is a dog? – but still sometimes frightening. Much of the joy lies in the discovery, so I won’t talk too much about the plot, but the basic setting is clear from the start: In a lonely October at the end of the 19th century, strange and sinister Characters are collected, all of them with animal familiars, many of them , uh, familiar from the pages of famous novels, gathered in a town outside London. Working independently, but not entirely alone, these strange strangers attempt to piece together all the pieces they need for a bizarre and consistent ritual to take place on All Saints’ Eve by the light of the full moon. Characters are opposed to each other; one side seeks to bring untold horrors to Earth, while the other hopes to put an end to it. Until the very end, it is not clear what their true loyalty lies. Our canine storyteller is Snuff, the faithful four-legged companion of a man who appears to be Jack the Ripper, albeit with an enchanted blade and a house filled with magical prisons. supernatural beings in fear, he is much more than a simple serial killer. The snuff (ahem) must clear the path to his master’s success in what he calls the Game, which means forming tentative tit-for-tat alliances with the animal companions of other players, including Greymolk. a sly, sarcastic cat who befriends – who else – a witch. The dog’s job is to find out who else is heading for this Halloween battle and find out which team they are on; an investigation that pits him against someone who is only called the Great Detective, and will include murder, mayhem and a trip to another dimension.
Why do you need to read this now
Despite being nearly 30 years old, A Lonely October Night still feels fresh, her vanity is witty despite a bunch of other, newer books that similarly combine Victorian horror and Sherlock’s investigation. (I can’t recommend last year’s “Case of the Mysterious” (letter is high enough). With few pages, a gripping mystery plot, and an adorable canine storyteller, it’s easy to read in one sitting – there’s still time to finish this extraordinarily lonely October! But it somehow seems to be especially relevant this year, right now, outside of lunar synchronicity – although that’s a pretty good reason, since 2020 will be the last full moon on Halloween until 2039. Not to mention, Lovecraft’s Land has brought Myths to prominence in pop culture, for example, never before – as the book approaches a battle between the warring forces of order and chaos, you can’t help but see a parallel with an uncertain fate awaiting us all in just a few days. I’ll let you decide which side of the 2020 presidential election is intelligence and which is madness. Regardless of your answer, it’s safe to say that if your team loses, your world will irrevocably change. Are you looking for the right book to read? Send me an email and I’ll try to answer your question in a future Read This article.