Review: The Spiraling Worm

The Spiraling Worm is a 'linked-novel' of seven Cthulhu Mythos horror/espionage stories written by David Conyers (Australia) and John Sunseri (USA). The book is published by Chaosium, a US publisher famed for its range of Call of Cthulhu horror role-playing game books, and is the latest in Chaosium's line of Mythos fiction.

The Spiraling Worm's subtitle of "Man vs the Cthulhu Mythos" is apt, as Conyers and Sunseri have placed action to the fore. The Cthulhu Mythos, based on the body of work of HP Lovecraft and his 1930s contemporaries, is typified by bookish gentlemen in their mid to late years being terrified into madness through encounters with ageless, inhuman gods and demonic entities from outer space and other dimensions.

The events that take place in The Spiraling Worm, while drawing on many Mythos favourites such as shoggoths, Shub-Niggurath, and Nyarlathotep, occur in modern times and are focussed on spies saving an unsuspecting world from marauding cosmic entities with as much bravado, guns, and explosions as possible. The emphasis on espionage and action places The Spiraling Worm sqaurely alongside the Mythos work of authors such as Charles Stross (The Atrocity Archives) and appears to be the direction in which Cthulhu Mythos writers are steering the sub-genre.

Our heroes are Major Harrison Peel from Australian Army Intelligence and US NSA Agent Jack Dixon, the creations of Conyers and Sunseri respectively. Both authors have established reputations writing in the Cthulhu Mythos, especially Conyers, who has written extensively for Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu RPG (including the recently released gaming supplement Secrets of Kenya), and Peel and Dixon are probably their most notable characters.

Although a less forgiving reader could accuse the authors of skimping on character at the expense of plot and action, Peel and Dixon develop quite distinctly different personalities in spite of their similar roles as protagonists. Both characters are shown to have had harrowing first encounters with Mythos manifestations (in the first two stories, "Made of Meat" and "To What Green Altar"), although Peel is the more gun-ho of the two. Limited by the Australian government's military hardware and influence on the world stage, Peel is shown as a man of action who often acts independently, making him a great hero for the reader empathise with.

Dixon is shown to be an ex-cop with a nose for detective work, and although he gets his hands dirty, Dixon is more often the advisor, the holder of secret knowledge. Intriguingly, as the over-arching plot progresses, both men are wearied by their tangles with politics, cultists, and monsters from beyond. This manifests for Peel as disillusionment and the need for more independence, whereas for Dixon, it becomes a desperate desire to fight the system from within.

The collection's main weakness is instances of over-writing or inappropriate word choices. A lot of information is detailed in the book, with many alien concepts, action scenes, and vivid descriptions on offer that could confound a reader unfamiliar with the Cthulhu Mythos. Cramming extra detail in through overwriting exacerbates this confusion. The quality of writing varies from story to story but the quality is never less than average to good.

While I have not read John Sunseri's body of work, I am familiar with earlier stories from David Conyers, and to his credit, I find that the instances of awkward language and inappropriate punctuation are much less than in his previous works. These writing flaws are probably more a failure of the editor for not thoroughly proof reading and asking more of the authors in the editing stage.

Another occasional weakness is the authors' use of the omniscient point of view. This is particularly noticable in later stories with multiple characters in the action, which can sometimes result in confusion. It also tends to lead to dumps of plot information. For the most part, however, this technique is used successfully as there is a considerable amount of backstory and Mythos world-building information to be imparted. Conyers and Sunseri are to be commended for keeping this POV technique consistent throughout the book, and for that matter, keeping the characters consistent (when one of the authors has included the other's protagonist, such as Sunseri's use of Peel in "Resurgence") even as they evolve.

The strength of the collection is the authors' sheer enthusiasm and breadth of imagination. Sunseri's and Conyers' ability to convey abstract concepts (particularly the object in "Impossible Object" and describing the multi-dimensional senses of the Many-Thing in "False Containment") is at times breathtaking.

The opening story "Made of Meat" (by Conyers) introduces Major Peel and British MI6 spy James Figgs as they wait in the Cambodian jungle for a stolen bioweapon to be delivered by a local contact. Figgs is another important recurring character, shown to initially have greater knowledge of the Mythos than either Peel or Dixon, and to have a practical streak that borders on amorality. He is a good example of a man fighting fire with fire, and proves to be a successful foil to Dixon's and Peel's self-sacrificing attitudes.

In "Made of Meat", Figgs brutally shows Peel how to deal with a victim of the supernatural forces around them, which sets Peel on the path to seeking the destruction of the abomination they encounter and all the Mythos evils threatening the world.

The enemy cultists in "Made of Meat", the Tcho-Tcho, are typical of what follows in later stories: they are horribly disfigured/self-mutilated, cannabalistic tribesmen who worship a Mythos Elder God or Great Old One (in this case, a sentient tree that represents Shub-Niggurath, the "Mother of the Speaking Children"), and gain supernatural advantages through such worship. It's hard to accuse the authors of stereotyping because the Tcho-Tcho, like most other cultists and creatures in The Spiraling Worm, are drawn from Mythos canon (originally created by August Derlath in 1933). However, the portrayal of the Tcho-Tcho lacked a suitable exploration of their motivations and offered little more to the existing canon.

"Made of Meat" includes some nice touches. The scene where Harrison Peel interviews disabled Aussie Vietnam veteran Sergeant Grogan shows traces of the emotional scars that could afflict someone fallen foul of otherworldly evil, particularly Grogan's despondency, his matter of fact recounting of the skirmish with the Tcho-Tcho in 1968, and his disturbing recurring visions of seagulls with teeth. The opening sections with Figgs dealing with Deka's 'bioweapon' infestation and the descriptions of the infestation (and the later description of the Shub-Niggurath tree and milk) also resonate with the reader.

"To What Green Altar" (by Sunseri) is probably the strongest story in the collection and certainly the most complete. Whereas Peel's introduction in "Made of Meat" to the Mythos is brutal and personal, Jack Dixon, the protagonist in "To What Green Altar", encounters the Mythos through international conspiracies and political intrigue. On temporary assignment in London, Agent Dixon pairs with Figgs as the British spy investigates an abandoned mine site in Siberia. Through some dirty-handed detective work (and a disturbing scene as a mass grave is uncovered), Dixon and Figgs discover that Islamic extremists plot to destroy a city in Europe (you'll find out which one) using the power of an object unearthed from the Siberian dig site.

This story has it all: gunfights, political power plays, mysticism, and a brilliant interpretation of the Great Old One Cthugha and explanation for the Siberian 'Tunguska event'. Although a little heavy-handed, the spreading doubt of terrorist Hassan concerning his master the imam ("Praise Allah indeed... Cthulhu fthagn") added depth to what otherwise could have been a set of cardboard bad guys.

Conyers returns with the next two stories, "Impossible Object" and "False Containment", both featuring Harrison Peel. "Impossible Object" was the very first Harrison Peel story written by Conyers, although the author has retrofitted the story and character into The Spiraling Worm timeline.

On the whole, the revision works, but the reader is still left with the feeling that the Harrison Peel in "Impossible Object" is less worldly wise and savvy about the Mythos. This may be because, as the head of security to an ultra-secret base in the Australian desert (actually the entrance to a vast and ancient underground city of alien design), he seems more constrained by the orders of base commander General Hyatt and a more passive protaganist. These two stories probably suffer the most from awkward prose, but conversely, contain some of the most imaginative concepts in the collection.

"Impossible Object" is the story of an alien device found in the long-abandoned underground city that has "impossible" characteristics (its appearance depends on the viewer) and imbues observers with occasional advanced scientific and mathematical epiphanies. It also has a tendency to cause researchers to be altered in strange ways or even erase them from history.

The early pages show the object from a researcher's perception. After something bizarre happens, security chief Peel is introduced. This story has a sense of alienness running through it arising from the descriptions and influence of the object and the city. It is the most introspective story in the collection but also the most atmospheric. The revelation Peel has at the end of the story is brilliant and creepy in its implications.

"False Containment" is an action tour-de-force and the story that sets Major Peel in the action hero mould. Like "Impossible Object", this story was retrofitted into The Spiraling Worm continuity and was the second story Conyers wrote featuring Peel. The plot is a convoluted mish-mash of nuclear waste cropping up in strange places, time-travel, metaphysics, and unabashed action - but it works!

Tipped off by a truly horrendous find by archeologists in the Australian outback, Peel travels around the world to destroy the Westmorton Global Industries waste disposal facility in the Nevada desert. Aided by environmentalist Nicola Mulvaney and FBI Agent Curtis Fulton, Peel takes on a loathesome creature called the Many-Thing that is spawned by the Nevada facility, with some very odd consequences.

"Resurgence" (by Sunseri) is damn near as good as "To What Green Altar" and picks up with Jack Dixon investigating a strange mass off the coast of Antarctica. Two giant shoggoths have escaped their icy prison, and without their long-dead masters the Elder Things to control them, the protoplasmic behemoths set out to consume the earth. One giant oilslick-like monster attacks southern Argentina while another one heads for Australia. Dixon convinces his government to nuke the shoggoth on Argentinian soil, but the efforts of the Australian navy (against Peel's advice) prove to be disastrous.

Both men face complications in their bid to destroy the shoggoths, and at the darkest hour for the residents of Sydney, Dixon makes contact with Peel, and together, the men hatch a desperate plan that ultimately results in Peel being irradiated and given only weeks to live. Sunseri's deft display of political machinations in the face of annihilation and the frustrations of the protagonists make this story top notch.

"Weapon Grade" (by Conyers) follows, with Peel dying from radiation sickness that has mutated into a shoggoth-created cancer. Dixon gives the newly discharged major a final chance to save the world by advising the US government on the folly of a proposed shoggoth weapons program. The men travel to a secret base in Antarctica (an Elder Thing city in the Miskatonic mountains) where they go through an alien portal to another dimension. Mayhem ensues as an Israeli spy attempts to steal a "weapons-grade" shoggoth for use as a weapon of mass destruction.

Figgs makes a cameo early in the story, warning Peel about the Israeli spy. Nicola from "False Containment" also returns as Peel's love interest. The love story angle and Peel's imminent death inject a much-need dose of emotion into the book, which until then has been steeped only in tension and horror.

"Weapon Grade" does not reach the highs of "Resurgence" but emphasises character over action, allowing the reader to absorb everything that has taken place so far. The story wanders in places but makes up for this with excellent scenes in the alien city and "unfolded" dimension and a climax straight out of John Carpenter's The Thing (ironically inspired by Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness").

The concluding novella "The Spiraling Worm" was co-written by Sunseri and Conyers, and focusses on Dixon, Peel, and Figgs' hunt to prevent the summoning of an Elder God known as the Spiraling Worm in the African Congo. Dixon leads the team into the jungle, where they (and a rescued Australian woman) are captured by the bestial Spiraling Worm cult and their masked leader, an ex-US army officer left for dead. A series of double-crosses ensues, plus some face eating.

However, "The Spiraling Worm" is probably the least disciplined story in the collection. Too much time is spent in the jungle leadup, with more time needed to explore the characters' reactions to the horrors they face and the consequences of an unleased Spiraling Worm. With a tight edit, the word count could have been cut by a third. Also, the stakes are high but the reader has experienced similar in earlier stories, especially Sunseri's two contributions, which are more well-rounded pieces.

This is not to say "The Spiraling Worm" is unworthy of its place at the end. The action is climactic, with guerilla gun battles and a race to prevent a huge bomb from being dropped and the ensuing apocalypse. The authors' enthusiasm is also obvious.

The Spiraling Worm collection starts with two gunshots in the jungle and ends with a colossal sub-nuclear detonation in another jungle, which pretty much sums up the escalation of action and violence. Along the way, Dixon, Peel, and Figgs are transformed emotionally and physically, some heroes and plenty of innocents die (despite our protagonists' best efforts), and a dizzying array of horrors are quelled or somehow (mostly) staved off in the nick of time - but never without cost.

While the writing may vary and some flaws are apparent, the ideas and scope are consistently breathtaking. There is plenty in this book to captivate hardcore Cthulhu Mythos fans and those unfamiliar with the work of Lovecraft and his ilk. Despite The Spiraling Worm being written in a derivative sub-genre, it will probably be the most original and imaginative Australian release this year. While others are rehashing vampires, werewolves, and witches (particularly with the rise of the Paranormal Romance sub-genre), David Conyers and John Sunseri are tackling cosmic horrors - warts, pseudopods, and all - and the results are spectacular.

David Conyers is working on a sequel co-written with CJ Henderson, and I for one will be looking forward to it, particularly if a stronger editorial hand is applied.

The Spiraling Worm (Chaosium)
ISBN: 1-56882-212-X
320 pages (B format paperback)
US$15.95 from the publisher or Amazon.



Disclaimer: In 2007, Shane Jiraiya Cummings is a judge for the Australian Shadows Award and the horror division of the Aurealis Awards. The opinion expressed in this review is made by Shane as an individual and does not necessarily reflect:
1. the opinions held by the Aurealis Awards horror judging panel, the Australian Shadows Award judging panel, or the administrators of these awards, or
2. how the reviewed work(s) will be judged in the aforementioned awards in the context of other Australian works published in 2007.