So, the local bookstores are dire, and I had my new iPad, and I typed in "Lovecraft" just to see what hits I would get. Whispers in Darkness: Lovecraftian Erotica wasn't on the first page, but it looked intriguing and it was only $7, so I bought it along with a few other things. Released in 2011 by Circlet Press, Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the editor is J. Blackmore.

This is the third anthology of adult-oriented Mythos fiction I've read, the first two being Eldritch Blue, Love & Sex in the Cthulhu Mythos and Cthulhurotica. Whispers in Darkness is relatively short compared to the other two, with only eight stories, and there's an interesting sort of transition that can be observed here. Eldritch Blue basically wanted to be one of the Robert M. Price-edited Cthulhu Mythos anthologies released by Chaosium; it features relevant works by HPL and known Mythos authors like Carl Sargent, Ramsey Campbell, and Robert M. Price, and each story is succeeded by an editorial blurb page of analysis, with the remainder of the stories being predominantly by lesser-known talents. Cthulhurotica by contrast was primarily written by authors not known for their Mythos fiction, the "adult" content was greater, and the editorial voice less - mainly in the introduction and the concluding essays. Whispers in Darkness is entirely by relatively unknown authors, and the stories are explicitly graphic - but, y'know, I kind of appreciate that. Likewise, Whispers depends strongly on an audience already familiar with the Mythos, building off not just individual stories and ideas but the pop-culture ideas that have grown up around the Mythos. Of course, there is also a definitive shift in focus: Whispers is not an anthology of horror stories, even erotic horror, as much as it is a straight anthology of erotica with Mythos themes and source material.

I'll be honest, this is probably my favorite of the three anthologies, and the most enjoyable to read through. I won't say it has my favorite stories, but almost every story in Whispers is fresh and original in a way that the majority of offerings in Eldritch Blue and Cthulhurotica were not. There is a greater focus on bedroom scenes that was absent in the others - and let's be frank, the other anthologies were blatantly not looking to publish porn - but the writing is also uncensored and freer in many ways for not having to tip-toe around the squishy bits. By which I mean, there are actually stories in here which deal openly with tentacle sex, which is rare in Mythos stories, even adult-oriented ones.

The introduction by J. Blackmore is a thing of beauty, concise as hell but also open and honest. It's rare to see an editorial voice so on the mark, and I'm probably going to end up quoting the opening paragraph in its entirety at some point.

Ink (Bernie Mojzes) - Modern day, an Eldritch Abomination sits at a bar acting as a prostitute for college kids with too much money; in walks the private eye with a few questions. Not explicitly a Mythos story, Ink is at least original and has a tremendous but understated sense of humor and pathos which makes it a quick and enjoyable read.

Koenigsberg's Model (Paul Tupper) - My favorite story by far, this is the type of story which I don't think could have been written fifty years ago. A Miskatonic college student at a bookshop researching the early underground comics comes across a strange manuscript. One thing leads to another...this is fun for me because I'm a huge comic books fan, and the history and pseudo-history is beautifully done here. It's also an interesting continuation of a theme of presenting Shub-Niggurath, though in a new and really original form.

A Reflection of Kindness (Kannan Feng) - Taking it down a notch is a pseudo-Mythos tale involving a mysterious mirror and a newlywed couple in some unspecified period. Not bad as such things go, but the succubus/incubus-in-the-mirror idea has been done before and better. Lovely prose, though.

The Artist's Retreat (Annabeth Leong) - I hesitate to call this lesbian fiction, if only because the narrator is so openly hesitant about the whole thing, but I imagine there's an entire theme of "seduced into lesbianism" fiction out there somewhere. Again, no open Mythos references by name, but the themes and tropes are strongly present. A young woman from Providence goes to visit her friend in Massachusetts, an artist who has made a major and sensual change to her style. I actually like a lot of the plot and how the characterization was handled, but there are some weird plot holes that probably should have been better addressed - like what really happened to the dog.

The Dreams in the Laundromat (Elizabeth Reeve) - Short but brilliant, set in the modern day and reads like National Lampoon's sequel to The Dreams in the Witch House. Actually, this is probably the only story of the bunch I would love to see a sequel to, since the eponymous Laundromat is never visited directly in the story. Reeve's dialogue and college-think is clever and fun to read, and refreshingly honest for the brand of horny college student we all wish we'd run into. The phrase "Arkham-bad" has now entered my personal lexicon.

Sheik (Angela Caperton) - There are a lot of takes on Nyarlathotep, but this is the first I'm aware of that involves Hollywood in the twenties. It's actually pretty great, the weirdness is understated and floats on top of the usual sea of Hollywood orgies. A solid effort, because by the end I was wishing that the story hadn't been interrupted and we'd see some of the actual technical filming stuff.

The Flower of Innsmouth (Monique Poirier) - A prequel of sorts to The Shadow Over Innsmouth. I don't think Poirier get all the "facts" quite straight, but regardless this is a beautifully taboo-breaking story with a terrific set-up and a tremendous one-liner ending. What really makes the story work, I reckon, is that Poirier deliberately avoids some of the normal suppositions we have regarding Deep One hybrids and their anatomy.

When the Stars Come (Alex Pichetti) - Another prequel, this time to The Dunwich Horror, which does much to reform the personality and behavior of Lavinia Whateley. Again, literary license is taken with the source material to a great extant, and if somebody wanted to poke holes in the story by comparing it to Lovecraft's account they could have a good time of it. Readable but not great.

It's an interesting little anthology, and I enjoy the quality of the writing as much as the content. I don't know how well it would do on a second read-through - Koenigsberg's Model is the most interesting one to look at in that regard, simply because of the literary/comic references, which is a great layer of pseudohistory that really adds to the piece.