The Flock of Ba-Hui and Other Stories

Oobmab breathes new life into the cosmic horror genre with this debut collection of four tales that transport the Cthulhu mythos to China. In the spine-tingling, if slightly overlong, title story, archaeological findings from a previously unknown ancient civilization nestled deep in a secluded region of Sichuan lead to the discovery of a race of monstrous snake people. The other standout tale, “Nadir,” follows the growing obsession of painter Nebuchadnezzar as he becomes fixated on a black tower he sees in his dreams and believes to have been built by vengeful gods. His fixation turns to madness as he seeks out and ascends the tower, only to witness the cosmos collapsing around him as he climbs. These unapologetically pulpy tales are as strange, hallucinatory, and chilling in the best way. Fans of cosmic horror will be thrilled by these wonderfully ghoulish offerings. (Feb.)