2-in1 Short Story Reviews: The Doom That Came to Sarnath & The Cats of Ulthar by HP Lovecraft

Author: HP Lovecraft
Title: The Doom That Came to Sarnath (Dream Cycle)
Genre: Short Stories, Classic, Horror, Fantasy
Pages: 8 
Published: 1920
Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by a friend)

 Ten thousand years ago, in the remote Dreamlands region of Mnar, there was a vast lake, and on its shore stood the imperial city of men called Sarnath

A little bit of HP Lovecraft in October is always a good idea ;)

This was next on my pile of Lovecraft. I honestly feel like this was only an intro to more. Lots of backstory for such a short one. This really felt like it needed more. 

The creatures were creepy. I felt bad for them. People can suck and sorry...but KARMA! Don't be killing things that really did nothing to you but look weird. 

This wasn't spooky especially if you are like me and wanted the settlers to be punished for being evil. What is scarier? Humans or these creatures? Mmmm the humans for sure. 

But yes, a quickie to read at nighttime before bed. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Author: HP Lovecraft
Title: The Cats of Ulthar (Dream Cycle)
Genre: Short Stories, Classic, Horror, Fantasy, Mystery
Pages: 7 
Published: 1920
Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by a friend)

 In the tale, an unnamed narrator relates the story of how a law forbidding the killing of cats came to be in a town called Ulthar.

POWER TO THE CATS!!!!

This one was fun. Short, but fun nonetheless. I especially think this was fun because (rumor has it) that HP was a big cat lover. I bet he wrote this after someone hurt a cat or talked smack. 

But yes, this one is told by an unnamed character who tells of a town that forbids the killings of cats all because of what happened after a nasty old couple was killing cats for no reason. Shame on them.

Another tale where humans suck. That old couple desired what happened to them. Luckily the town learned from this and is now protecting the cats! Good. 

This was dark more so than anything else. I was scared to see what would happen to the old couple (I mean...they desired it, but you know it was going to bad since they made the law afterwards). 

All-in-all a good one to read during Halloween-time! Or even during a bonfire! This was perfect in length and in story. I'll stamp it with 5. 

Tell Me Something Tuesday: Ghost Story Books

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where Rainy discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.

What are some of your favorite ghost story books?

Ghost stories. Mhmmmm. I do not read a lot of ghost stories. I watch a lot of movies with ghosts, but reading? I’m not sure if it counts with PNR type books, so I shall not count that. 
I did recently read a short story about ghosts that was pretty good! Here is the link to my review. Check it out! Last I check it was free on Amazon. I think they were ghosts? Not 100% sure there. Buut it was creepy and good. 

In my youth, I loved the Goosebumps books. Those were fun too!


I would like to say that Edgar Allen Poe and HP Lovecraft are the Kings of Ghosts and other things spooky, so I highly recommend them. I haven’t read any this Halloween season yet. I should though! I tend to sprinkle in their works throughout the year. There are so many stories they work! Someday I will be able to claim to have read them all!

"WHAT ARE THIS!??"

Short Story Review: The Statement of Randolph Carter by HP Lovecraft

Author: HP Lovecraft
Title: The Statement of Randolph Carter 
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Short Story
Pages: 10
Published: 1920
Where I Got It: My shelf (Gift)



It tells of a traumatic event in the life of Randolph Carter, a student of the occult loosely representing Lovecraft himself. It is the first story in which Carter appears and is part of Lovecraft's Dream Cycle






This is technically book 1 of the "series". I read book 2 a while back. Had no idea there was some sort of order, because there really isn't an order, but there is all at the same time. Confusing? Yes. But you can read any of the shorts that belong to this "series". They tie in, but then they don't all at the same time. Fun stuff this Lovecraft fellow. 

Poor Randolph. Poor Harley. But you know what? Don't be poking your nose into places that you don't belong. There were signs. There were warnings. But do humans listen? Nope. 

This was quick and it ended quickly. I really do want more. I wish there had been to this. A page or two more would have been better. 

A quick read that did make me scared. Ugh poor Harley the things he had to see. Luckily Randolph got away with his life and part of his sanity. 

In the end, if you even remotely like horror or thrillers you must read Lovecraft and some of his stuff! This would be a good introduction for sure. I'll stamp this with 4 stars. 

Book Review: Dagon by HP Lovecraft

Author: HP Lovecraft
Title: Dagon
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Short Story
Pages: 13
Published: 1919
Where I Got It: My shelf (Gift)



The story is the testament of a tortured, morphine-addicted man who relates an incident that occurred during his service as an officer during World War I.









I needed a little Lovecraft in my reading recently. Quick, simple, and horrifying all in one. Precisely what I needed after tackling two large novels. My poor brain!

But yes, this was certainly dark. The narrator is a stranded man who comes across something terrifying. However, he’s been lost at sea for ages…soooooo how trusty is this man’s sanity? One will never truly know and that scares me even more! Maybe he envisioned in? Maybe it was ACTUALLY true? I’m leaning towards it is actually true. Dark world and all. 

And ew...that creature is gross. LOL! Gross, but scary. 

A very good Lovecraft and I recommend it since it is so short but it really is filled with a good story. 

I’ll give this 5 stars. Nothing to complain about with this one!

Best of October 2017

Hi All! 

This is just a fun little meme that Blodeuedd and I are going to try  and do once a month. Give a little shout-out and "badge" of honor to our favorite book and movie of the previous month. This month we'll share our favorites of October.

First, favorite movie:

Blodeuedd selected..............Spider-Man Homecoming 

"Another meh movie month. I will go with Spidey cos at least it kept me entertained and it was a good Spiderman movie. Funny ya know."

Now, my choice for the month is.......................The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

"I didn’t really watch a lot of movies this month because of us moving. Not a lot of free time! Next month, hopefully, will be better. I’ll give the best movie to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. It is a classic and super scary and gross. If you love horror movies, this is a required watch. You can’t call yourself a horror fan unless you watched some of the old stuff that set the pace for future movies. Very gory, very scary and creepy. It is a 70’s movie so it was cheesy as cheese on cheese day. You have been warned ;) Even with the cheese, it is still a good watch. "

Now, favorite book:

First, here is my pick.................................From Beyond by HP Lovecraft

"I had a couple really, really good reads this month. So hard to choose! Mhmmm…I think I’ll say “From Beyond” by HP Lovecraft was the best in October. Yes, it was short, but it was soooooooo good. It was a great read especially during the Halloween season. Honestly though…you can read it whenever and it would still be good. It was so creepy and bizarre!"

Now, here is B's choice this month.................Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron

"Omg another month with best book going to an audiobook! Yes this month i was impressed with Nice dragons finish last by Rachel Aaron cos it was funny. :)"

About the Authors

Carole and Blodeuedd have been blogging a long while now. The last couple of years the epic duo have been discussing books, watching movies, and even wetting the pen and sharing their stories with the worldwide web. They both love cats, chocolate, and a good story.

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What was your favorite book of the month? Please share below! 

2-in-1 Short Story Reviews: The Outsider and From Beyond by HP Lovecraft

Author: H.P Lovecraft
Title: The Outsider
Genre: Horror, Short Story, Classic, & Fantasy
Pages: 13 pages
Published: 1926
I Got It: My shelf (From a friend)

 In this work, a mysterious man who has been living alone in a castle for as long as he can remember decides to break free in search of human contact and light.


Listened to an audio version of this and then went and actually read the story. I’m weird…don’t judge me with those judging eyes!

Sometimes stories are good enough to read more. This is the case and I also didn’t pay attention the first half, so I wanted to revisit. Why? Well…the beginning was sloooooooooow on the audio. However, the story-building was beautifully done.

And then the ending happened….holy cannoli. I had to read what I just heard. SO GOOD! So creepy and I honestly didn’t expect the ending to end as it did. I can’t say WHAT for fear of spoilers.

But yes. Creepy man in a creepy castle decides to leave that castle and be creepy. Sure he doesn’t MEAN to be creepy, but he was. However, he is creepy for a reason that you will not see coming.

Not only is this creepy, but it also makes you think. I can for sure see some symbolism there. Some poor student somewhere could use this in a report!

This was quick, but the beginning feels slow since the author spends so much time building the scene. Worth it because of the ending.

I’ll give this 4 stars.

Author: H.P Lovecraft
Title: From Beyond
Genre: Horror, Short Story, Classic, & Sci-Fi
Pages: 15 pages
Published: 1934
I Got It: My shelf (From a friend)

A scientist creates a device that emits a resonance wave, which allows them to perceive planes of existence outside the scope of accepted reality. But the effect works both ways, and allows the denizens of the alternate dimension to perceive humans.


Again, listened to the audio and then read the written version. This time was different than the other time ;) I wanted to reread this simply for the fact it was amazing.

Beautifully creepy and cool.

I loved the whole crazy doctor story. He made the impossible possible. It was for sure unique especially considering the time period when the story was written. This crazy doctor created an electronic device that stimulates a person to be able to see the planes of existence outside of reality. Pretty much he created a way for someone to see a whole different dimension.

Remember…he’s crazy and so…poor staff. LOL! Can’t say much else, but yes. Poor innocents!

I wish I could say more! It is SOO hard not to give away any spoilers. I guess that is the curse of short stories...short reviews. 

But yes, this was a great read. Right mixture of story, plot, craziness, creepiness, and entertainment. I highly recommend this. 5 stars. I honestly want to re-read it again...

2-in-1 Review: In the Vault & The Call of Cthulhu by HP Lovecraft

Author: HP Lovecraft
Title: In the Vault
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, and Short Story
Pages: 15
First Published: 1925
Where I Got It: Borrowed from friend

An undertaker finds himself trapped in the vault where coffins are stored during winter for burial in the spring, and is mysteriously injured when he escapes.

Oooh Lovecraft. You are a strange author, but I like you because you remind me of Poe in some of your stuff. This one was super Poe-ish. 

This one was more psychological than his other pieces. The poor undertaker somehow got himself trapped in the vault. He was truly an idiot and TSTL. I do feel bad for him, but really? Super newbie mistake on his end and karma is a bitch sometimes. But yes, he gets locked down there with some freaky super old bodies. No one will miss him or hear him scream, so he decides to get himself out. 

So weird things happen and I laughed. This is a horror, but there is some horror involved as well. This does have a good moral lesson that I enjoy....don't be an idiot and lazy, because bad things will happen to you. 

This was short, but good. Anything longer would've been boring. I honestly read this a couple of times. It was good, but not super scary...no goosebumps with this one. Maybe it was too funny. 

I shall give this...mhmmm....4 stars. 

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Author: HP Lovecraft
Title: The Call of Cthulhu
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, & Short Story
Pages: 43
First Published: 1928
Where I Got It: Borrowed from friend

'The Call of Cthulhu' is a harrowing tale of the weakness of the human mind when confronted by powers and intelligences from beyond our world.

I have finally read this classic! This is one of his most famous short stories. And I was certainly not let down. I gobbled this up really quick and I will admit I did get some goosebumps by the end of the story. 

Creepy. 

I'm not sure why I got goosebumps. We don't even really get to see the wicked beast...only through the eyes of eye-witnesses and documents that the narrator read. Maybe that is why? The unknown and the mystery is creepy and spooky. It's much like if you live by a volcano that is dormant. You know its there and know its power, so it's kinda unnerving because you never know when it will go. The Cthulhu is an interesting beast and very creepy. 

I wish this had been longer, because I wanted to know more and I wanted to get more time with the beast. I get what the author was doing...so I can't complain too much, because I really don't think it would've had that scary/creepy vibe. However, I think there needed to be a hair more to make it great instead of good. 

In the end, this was pretty good. It gave me the chills because I would rather be dead than live in this world if this creature exists. Out of five stars, I'll give this 4.