Carter & Lovecraft by Jonathan L. Howard

His first book, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was published in 2009 and launched a series of seven novels charting the exploits and escapades of our titular protagonist. Warranted approbation soon catalysed his desire to try his talented hand as an author of fiction.

In the 1990’s, Howard worked as a successful scriptwriter and acclaimed video game writer. Howard and can gleefully report that he is an author perfectly equipped to tickle my Gothic funny bone with linguistic legerdemain and devilish aplomb! If an author can offer me the quintessence of the genre whilst simultaneously salting their fare with deliciously diabolical wit, cynicism and a jocund spirit of erudite whimsy, I’m likely to be as happy as the infamous Countess Báthory in her warm blood bath ! Thanks to a recent visit to my local second hand book shop, I stumbled upon Jonathan L. Howard’s first novel is a devilishly thrilling comedic fantasy which artfully imbricates the tropes of the traditional Gothic novel over those of Steam Punk, science fiction and paranormal genres. James have become my most adored tour guides when venturing into the impenetrable stygian darkness, providing nefarious cover for things that go bump in the night.īy way of a confession, my leanings toward such works have even found me enjoying Dennis Wheatley, though I’m unlikely to advertise this guilty pleasure unless tempted to do so by Bacchus himself! Counterpointing this reverence for the venerated masters of the Gothic genre, is a counterintuitive fondness for books which flagrantly lampoon this hallowed genre, and its iconic progenitors.

These lucky finds remain one of my greatest joys, and go a long way to explaining the enduringly ineluctable pull of the second hand book shop upon both my curiosity, and book craving psyche.Īmongst my many predilections is a taste for the macabre, the supernatural and the luridly scintillating, recondite shibboleths of the occult.

Quite by chance I will be drawn to a book ostensibly appearing to be something unlikely to tickle my fancy, yet upon closer inspection, said book magically provides unexpected noetic stimulation, and the invaluable balm of unadulterated entertainment. As with innumerable readers, my reading proclivities benefit from the deft hand of serendipity acting as a delightful agent of fortuitous thaumaturgy.

Carter & Lovecraft by Jonathan L. Howard