New Review - Old Book

A Night in the Lonesome October

All is not what it seems.

In the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman named Jack prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff - gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite.  For soon after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world.  And all manner of Players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate.

Some have come to open the gates.  Some have come to slam them shut.  And now the dread night approaches - so let the Game begin.

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This book is wonderful.  It is 31 chapters long - one for each day of October, and it is told in the form of a diary, detailing one team's activities in the contest between Openers and Closers.  Characters include famous literary characters: the Great Detective, the Count, the Mad Monk, and the Good Doctor (with his shambling friend who smells of the grave).  The illustrations by Gahan Wilson capture the delightfully irreverent yet macabre feel of this story.  But the thing that makes this a truly unique story is the narrator - I can't think of a single other book told from the perspective of Jack the Ripper's watchdog.

Wait for a chilly night, wrap yourself up in a blanket, and give this one a read.  This book is essentially out of print, but you can find reprintings of it on Amazon, and used copies all over the Internet.  

Spoilers: 
This is a parody of HP Lovecraft with a twist of Monster Mash.  It is a bit gruesome in places, and has an illustration of one of the characters hanging from a noose.  It's not really adults-only, since there's no smut, but younger (teen+) readers may miss out on the in-jokes about some of the characters.  With a thorough adult pre-reading it may be appropriate for mature teens who love a good, gruesome story, and may bridge them into the classics: Dracula, Frankenstein, Holmes, and, of course, Lovecraft.