The American horror writer HP Lovecraft's short stories and novels gave rise to the famous Cthulu mythos, which holds that the Earth is surrounded by hungry Elder Gods whose very gaze strikes madness in men and whose sole desire is the destruction of all that is good in the universe. As you might be able to tell, the mythos has not inspired particularly cheerful works, and most of the stories based on the Cthulu mythos are just as dark and twisted as Lovecraft's originals, filled to the brim with fungous flesh, baleful odors, and gibbering mad gods.

Roger Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October seems to be firmly set in the mythos, but unlike most of its compatriots, Zelazny's tale is a whimsical, at times satiric look at the mythos as everyday life. The story is narrated by Snuff, the dog of Jack the Ripper, who accompanies Jack to retrieve various bizarre items in preparation for October 31, the night referred to in the title, when a gateway could be opened for the Cthulu gods to invade Earth. Accompanying and opposing Jack and Snuff are a variety of other supposedly fictional creatures, including a vampire, a witch, and Sherlock Holmes (to whom Snuff refers throughout as The Great Detective).

Part of what makes the story so humorous is that it sneaks in various jabs at the Cthulu mythos, such as a cat's calling the Cthulu gods "unpronounceables" (and with names like Nyarlathotep and Chthulu, they certainly are that). But a large part of the story's appeal is the extremely matter-of-fact way in which Snuff and the other characters go about their business, despite all the fantastic and at times horrific things happening around them. You know how it is: Snuff wakes up, eats breakfast, checks on the terrifying clawed Things in the mirror, fetches Jack's slippers, drags a body through the woods, and then takes another nap.

But while A Night in the Lonesome October has a wonderful premise that is worked through in an endearing manner, the story never really exceeds the promise of that premise. The plot itself, like the telling of it, is a bit too matter-of-fact and ho-hum to really be exciting, and the characters are sometimes too fixated on the various machinations that occur to become fully fleshed out. But if you're a fan of the Cthulu mythos, A Night in the Lonesome October is a charming addition to the canon that is well worth your while.

Copyright © 2002 Steven Wu