 Lovecraft, now that's a whole can of worms, in recent years this author has fallen from grace, and rightly so his views on race etc., re way beyond the pale, however, you cannot deny his place in genre history. With the exception of Stoker and Shelly, there probably isn't an author whose works have stood the test of time with regards to both sales and inspiration for other authors. The Cthulhu mythology still has ripples that reach out to all corners of the genre, hell my daughter goes by the name of Cthella, and one of our cats is called H.P. Lovecat, does that mean I support his awful world views, no it doesn't, all it means is I respect his contributions to the genre that I love. I have to admit when I first heard of Lex Jones' idea to write a children's book using both the mythos and Lovecraft himself as the protagonist, I was a little concerned; it just felt wrong, and even now I still swither over my thoughts on it. Having said that, leaving this to one side for the review The Old One and The Sea is a truly delightful book.  Jones has made the smart decision to set the book within the fictional worlds of Lovecraft, with Howard growing up in the infamous seaside town of Innsmouth, with the fiction representation of Derleth as the war-torn neighbour who enchants Lovecraft with his strange stories. When an undersea earthquake brings a mysterious black reef to the surface along with the mighty Cthulhu himself, Howard and Cthulhu both discover that they have a lot in common, and quickly form a strong secret friendship. The Old One and the Sea is an imaginative and creative fictional look at the formative years of a horror legend. Told with an almost dreamlike quality, the surreal nature of the story is handled with great care and sensitivity, Lovecraft has been stripped of all the trappings and reduced to being just a lonely boy looking for both companionship and his place in the world. Beautifully written with a great depth of character and a heart as big as the ocean, this is a story that pulls at the heartstrings, with its considered and compelling take on grief and loss. And this where the book excels, horror has always been a great medium to look at the human condition, and Lex's marrying of grief to the mythos has created a book that can be loved by both children and parents. While many kids won't get the relevance of the characters and setting, it is a book that is just perfect for horror parents to read to their kids. Books for this age range rarely even attempt to tackle any themes, they are generally insipid books with no substance, so to find a book filled with emotional depth, and a strong message about friendships and our place in the universe is an utter joy to discover. Lex's writing is assured, and poetic, allowing this book to be both respectful to the source material without ever coming across as a pastiche. Aided by illustrations that capture the tone and sentimentality of the book perfectly from Liam "Pais" Hill, The Old One and the Sea is novel that should be read by all ages, even the most hardened of horror fans will get "the feels" from this exceptional emotionally packed tale. We all struggle to find our place in the universe, and without a doubt, this book should find a place on your bookshelves.  Comments are closed.
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