Review: A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill
Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on September 17, 2019
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Family Life, Fantasy, Fiction, General, Horror
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher

"I started collecting my older sister Eunice’s suicide notes when I was seven years old.”

Noah Turner grows up in the shadow of his father's death.  His father, Henry, was obsessed pulp fiction horror tales.  His obsession lead him to create a House of Horrors in the family backyard. He was so obsessed with this idea that he ignored the tumor that grew in his brain, causing his behavior to change.  The family haunted house does lead to a family business that provides for the family financially for many years following his father's death, but with it comes loss.  A daughter goes missing, another retreating emotionally, stability only gained with antidepressants.

Without a father and much of a strong family structure to support him, Noah is lonely.  Then one evening, a scratching at the window introduces him to a creature that should defy belief.  Soon, though, a friendship is forged, one that continues to adulthood and develops into something much more.  Our world is not without monsters, those that come from another existence that isn't too far from our very own.

Egads, this book! I often tell people that one of the many reasons I adore horror fiction, for it really makes you think!  This is no exception, but perhaps one of the best examples! Hamill excels at crafting a truly remarkable story-line, one that will thrill those of us who are fans of greats like Lovecraft.  Though it has similarities to Loftcraftian fiction, it is wholly unique and completely and totally mesmerizing.  You are spooked one moment and the very next you are pausing to contemplate and examine what you’ve just read.

Though the obvious chill factor comes from the monsters that Hamill has crafted, the haunting feeling continues in the relationships he’s crafted.  Noah’s relationship with his sister, Eunice (the one member of the family with whom he has a strong connection) is completely heartwarming.  This balance of family intermixed the chilling world of monsters is done so eloquently, one of the many things I enjoyed about this read.

“If John Irving ever wrote a horror novel, it would be something like this. I loved it.” —Stephen King

The great Stephen King says it best; I couldn’t come up with a better comparison.  Whether you read horror or not, this is a Fall read you don’t want to miss out on.  Highly, highly recommended.