William Meikle, Armand Rosamilia, Bracken MacLeod… Twice Upon an Apocalypse: Lovecraftian Fairy Tales review

Written by Paula Limbaugh

I’ve always been one for fairy tales, so when I saw that Crystal Lake Publishing was putting together a collection of Lovecraftian tales based on actual fairy tales I just knew I had to be on board to receive an ARC.  Twice Upon an Apocalypse: Lovecraftian Fairy Tales does not disappoint! Using some familiar favorites along with some obscure tales as a springboard for some very unique twisted tales makes this collection a winner.

• Introduction by Gary A Braunbeck
• “The Pied Piper of Providence” by William Meikle
• “The Three Billy Goats Sothoth” by Peter N Dudar
• “Little Maiden of the Sea” by David Bernard
• “The Great Old One and the Beanstalk” by Armand Rosamilia
• “In the Shade of the Juniper Tree” by JP Hutsell
• “The Horror at Hatchet Point” by Zach Shephard
• “The Most Incredible Thing” by Bracken MacLeod
• “Let Me Come In!” by Simon Yee
• “The Fishman and His Wife” by Inanna Arthen
• “Little Match Mi-Go” by Michael Kamp
• “Follow the Yellow Glyph Road” by Scott T Goudsward
• “Gumdrop Apocalypse” by Pete Rawlik
• “Curiosity” by Winifred Burniston
• “The Ice Queen” by Mae Empson
• “Once Upon a Dream” by Matthew Baugh
• “Cinderella and Her Outer Godfather” by CT Phipps
• “Donkeyskin” by KH Vaughan
• “Sweet Dreams in the Witch-House” by Sean Logan
• “Fee Fi Old One” by Thom Brannan
• “The King on the Golden Mountain” by Morgan Sylvia
• “The Legend of Creepy Hollow” by Don D’Ammassa

Who better than William Meikle to begin the telling of tales? A man who in his own words says… “I’m just a big kid at heart. And therein lies my secret. I haven’t grown up.” just has to be the right candidate. Meikle gives us The Pied Piper of Providence, a chilling tale of what happens when you don’t pay the piper.

Armand Rosamilia’s The Great Old One and the Beanstalk is a dark take on the original telling of Jack and his beanstalk. You won’t be finding any geese laying golden eggs here.

Bracken MacLeod has written The Most Incredible Thing! Yes, that’s the title and it is quite an incredible story. Ah, fame, glory, all those things that will garner adoration that’s what Marcus Carter hopes to achieve, yet, we’ve been told time and again to be careful what you wish for. Marcus should have heeded this advice.

Inanna Arthen gives us a wonderful twist on The Fisherman and His Wife. Henry and his wife, Luella were granted a modicum of rank under the new regime but for Luella, that just wasn’t enough; the greedy wench just didn’t know when to quit.

Disney has made Sleeping Beauty such a soppy tale today, but Matthew Baugh with his Once Upon a Dream refashions this tale back to the grim, gory story the Brothers Grimm originally presented ala Lovecraft.

As you can see by the TOC there are many more tales to cover, but I think you should read them yourself. They are all cleverly done and with a touch of Lovecraft transformed into tales that I wish were available to me as a child. Nothing here to induce nightmares but enough to sufficiently creep you out. Available in both paperback and e-book format, you can pick up your copy HERE!! (Paperback link)

5/5