Charles Stross: Atrocity Archives (2007, Little, Brown Book Group Limited)
336 pages
English language
Published June 2, 2007 by Little, Brown Book Group Limited.
Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.
Completely improbable mix between Lovecraft, X-Files and cyberstuff. Typically the kind of things I apparently just don't get. It does make me sad, but when I can't... well I can't. I do think that this is a good book, possibly a great one, but not my cup of tea.
The series was recommended by a friend. At very first I was groaning, ugh, what IS this? A hypercaffeinated public servant dealing with the beurocracy of summoning Lovecraftian horrors, whatever. Oh, look, some hilariously laboured popculture references for the 30-somethings. I never really understood the appeal of the Dunwich mythos and I despise being pandered to. Anyway. I slogged through - my friend would ask me about this and I should have a better grasp of what it was that I didn't like... And bugger me if it didn't get a lot better really quickly. I think it's the proper, deep and beautiful nerdery of the protagonist. The author knows nerds, he knows beurocracy and be damned (ahaha) if I'm not his exact target audience. Lovely stuff, after a fashion. If you're a 30 plus polymath who's ever had the delight of the public sector, get amongst it.
Thriller, with horror elements. Too much of the precise description of fire power, or how to disable the network, for my taste.
An enjoyable (really 2) books that kept me entertained throughout. Definitely recommended if you like geeky and quirky scifi/horror fiction.
This book is actually two related novellas about a British civil servant/operative who works at a secret government agency doing their best to keep Nameless Horrors from overrunning the earth. A good combination of comedy, horror, and spy thriller. I think Stross and Tim Powers are the best new author discoveries of the year - I've read a few books by both so far this year, and they haven't disappointed.
I keep wanting to like Stross more than I actually do.
I keep wanting to like Stross more than I actually do.
