TITLE: Cthulhurotica
PUBLISHER: Dagan Books (December 11, 2010)
RELEASE DATE: December 11, 2010
PAGES: 244

ISBN: ISBN-10: 0983137307 / ISBN-13: 978-0983137306
PRICE: $16.99 (PB)

I’m struggling with how to open my review. Whatever I write I find myself instantly deleting. What I’ve probably managed to express right is how hard it is to review “Cthulhurotica”. It’s to do with the fact that I loved reading Carrie Cuinn’s debut as an editor. It also has a lot to do with the first thought that entered my mind, when I heard about Lovecraft erotica for the very first time: ‘tentacle porn has struck the Western World.’ Here, though, I have to agree with the editor, who in her introduction says:

“Readers expecting a collection of monster sex might, after all, be disappointed. The characters within these pages are all quite human, though they sometimes dally with creatures that are not. This book turned out to be about the kind of people who live in a world where monster sex is possible, and it looks at how that world and those people would have to operate.”

What you, as the reader, must know about “Cthulhurotica” is the anthology’s conviction. I’ve never read an anthology so sure in its identity, with a such a strong voice or as consistent in its theme. From concept to execution, I couldn’t find a fault within these pages. The covert art, the internal illustrations, the content, everything fits. Honestly, “Cthulhurotica” is also the first book I’ve read to justify its existence and then give an intimate confession about its secrets. I’m talking about the essays at the back of the anthology.

“Cthulhu’s Polymorphous Perversity” by Kenneth Hite layers arguments over arguments why the Lovecraftian mythos has gained such popularity and why its venturing into the territory of erotica is natural. Jennifer Brozek then proceeds to draw comparisons between Lovecraft’s universe and erotica, thus proving their compatibility in her essay “The Sexual Attraction of The Lovecraftian Universe”. Last comes Justin Everett, whose essay “Cthulhurotica, Female Empowerment, and The New Weird” helps the reader digest everything read and connect the dots for them. His in-depth musings about how the featured stories treat the Lovecraftian Mythos serve as the anthology’s in-built review and, to a degree, render my services useless. How in the world am I to say something this man hasn’t eloquently touched upon? I will have to try though, since I didn’t get this shiny book for worshiping purposes only.

As Justin Everett discusses at length, one of the major themes is the female empowerment as well as the male impotence and submission to the female’s dominance. It’s time to whip out my favorite phrase: ‘role reversal’ and how that reflects upon the usually patriarchal structure of society. The anthology opens with the very flirty “The Descent of the Wayward Sister” by Gabrielle Harbowy, which sets the self-empowerment tone for the whole anthology.

The story’s protagonist is a woman at the bottom of the social order in Victorian society as it is suggested she could be a thief and a prostitute, which as Everett explains can be viewed as a representation of female disempowerment. After the character breaks the basement lock and the Lovecraftian creature makes itself known, her panic is momentary. There is no resistance to accepting the creature’s existence. Her sanity doesn’t suffer from the encounter. Instead she embraces the unknown, the monstrous as she is ready for her transformation through sex.

Sex is strength for women in “Cthulhurotica.” Their sensuality is a tool. What Everett doesn’t explain, however, is why the women in the Lovecraftian universe are ready to transition from the ‘uninitiated’ – sexually and in the sense of knowing the world – to ‘initiated’ – accepting the layers hidden within our world and coming back stronger from meeting the horrors. Well, historically speaking women were demonized because of their sexuality. Lilith supposedly slept with demons and Succubi are sex-starved demons that drain men of their life force after sex. Sirens lured men to their death with an irresistible song. Circe tried to seduce Odysseus to his death. Witches were rumored to copulate with Satan himself. In the long run, myths and legends – told by men – stigmatized women’s sexuality as sin and demonized them to a point where it’s ingrained in our subconscious collective mind. It’s why women in the Lovecraftian universe can transition and accept, whereas men fail to and become insane.

This demonization also results in what I like to call the ‘monstrous female’ in the anthology, when the female dominates over the male and as a demonstration of its superiority the female devours the male. In “The Assistant from Innsmouth” by Steven J. Scearce, Ana, the assistant in question, physically overpowers the narrator during sex, when the man is at his weakest. The narrator’s fate is unpleasant and Ana, as it turns out, is not quite human. Milleu from the story “Daddy’s Girl” by Madison Woods has inhuman heritage and trains tentacled creatures to perform sexual services. The trademark Lovecraftian terror, when meeting the monstrous, is absent. It’s a siren-like entity that sexually initiates Dryden into his true heritage and then devours his humanity during the act in “The Song of the Catherine Clark” by. Circe in Mae Empson’s “Between a Rock and an Elder Goddess” lures Dennis Papadakis to her cave and seduces him with Scylla’s many tentacles and orifices, supposedly to his death.

However, the ‘monstrous female’ is an extreme manifestation of the female dominance in the anthology. The idea of female empowerment through sex is handled in a constructive manner. With the demonization of female sexuality women achieved dominance through destruction, while here women use their sexuality to exert control over their own lives. This is best shown in “Infernal Attractors” by Cody Goodfellow, where Shirley copulates with the demon that’s been feeding on her to weaken it and liberate herself from its control. In “Turning on, Tuning in & Dropping out at the Mountains of Madness” by Ahimsa Kemp, Euphoria is in control when she understands Nyarlothotep’s true nature. Euphoria uses her sex appeal and a kiss to trick a deity, which in a Lovecraftian story is impossible to happen. The idea that the female is strong enough to withstand the madness of the newly revealed neighboring world is further developed in “Flash Frame” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Here the female narrator not only wins the battle with settling insanity, but also sets out to sabotage the malign forces’ intentions and plans. The men in these stories are either tools [“Infernal Attractors” and “Turning on, Tuning in & Dropping out at the Mountains of Madness”] or without importance [“Flash Frame”].

Speaking of men, they have it worst in “Cthulhurotica.” In the above stories they suffer death or unwanted transformation. The theme of the ‘weakened male’ takes on classic Lovecraftian treatment as well: the fragility and vulnerability of the human psyche. In Nathan Crowder’s “The Fishwives of Sean Brolly” Steve becomes so haunted by the fishwives in his dreams that he loses his sanity and commits murder. The same idea resurfaces in Leon J. West’s “Amid Disquieting Dreams,” where Jim indulged in the most humiliating pleasures at the expense of his sanity. Murder victim is involved. Jake from Constella Espj’s “Ipsa Scientia” remains only a broken remnant of himself, while Kara manages to continue her life; both have encountered the same knowledge.

Impotency is also used to reinforce the ‘weakened male’ theme. The women in “The Cry in the Darkness” by Richard Baron and “The Summoned” by Clint Collins choose monsters over their men as inseminators [forgive me for the crude term], thus undermining the cardinal and most quintessential characteristic of the male: to fertilize the female. It’s definitely fascinating to watch how the gender politics’ dynamic shifts once a new element enters the equation.

My review ran longer than intended, but is considerably shorter than it could have gotten if I went to summarize all those stories along with analyzing them. In short, “Cthulhurotica” is one of the best anthologies I’ve read in awhile. It echoes John Joseph Adams’ extreme dedication to his projects and the result is more than satisfying. The stories create an atmosphere, arouse and cater to die-hard Lovecraftian fans. Read it or Cthulhu will haunt you in your sleep.