Amazing. Absolutely amazing story. ( )

2 stars

Somewhat unsettling but not really creepy.
It also has a lovecraftian feel and all the associated sliminess. ( )

Emrys is excellent at taking portions of the Cthulhu mythos seriously, and then writing stories that earnestly explore implications for the real world -- how things like the patriarchy or academics' entrenchment would shake out. That, to me, is where their appeal lies: that peculiar mix of genre-savviness and social issues, coupled, of course, with a good dose of hindsight envy ("So obvious what historical linguistics would look like, why didn't I think of that implication?").

Emrys is interested in detailing humanity and humanness in the cold and uncaring bureaucracy that would be necessary to cope with a Lovecraftian universe, and she does so with a straight face, and it all blends together just right. It's a neat angle, and it leads to tantalizing stories. ( )