Epeolatry Book Review: The Call of Poohthulhu Edited By: Neil Baker

This could be, potentially, my favorite anthology of the year. Almost every anthology has a central premise. It could be as vague as ‘horror’ or quite specific. This one, was very specific, with Winnie-The-Pooh entering the public domain, April Moon Books’ editor Neil Baker saw a joke about mixing Pooh with Lovecraftian horror.

Baker peaked beyond the veil into the realm of insanity and decided to make this fever dream a reality. Because of this vision, we have been blessed with ten amazing tales of terror spreading through hundred-acre wood. Some of the writing itself feels like you’re actually reading from the same pages that A. A. Milne had once written so long ago, just quite a bit darker. Not every tale gives us a directly horrifying tale, though they all deliver the cosmic horror that H.P. Lovecraft was known for. 

It is really hard to talk about any of these tales without entering spoiler territory though I will say that my favorites are The Celery at the Threshold by John Linwood Grant which felt like the truest to the voice of Milne’s classic tales and The Very Black Goat by Christine Morgan who gave us a fun new ‘friend’ for Pooh. Well, maybe not.

There is also amazing artwork for the stories that truly help unlock the feeling you get as you read through each story.

The Call of Poohthulhu is a mash-up of two completely different genres of literature blended to perfection. Children’s stories and cosmic horror apparently go hand in hand and each of these authors made a significant impact with their contributions. This is an anthology every horror, cosmic horror, and even Winnie-The-Pooh fan should have in their collection.

/5

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.