Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Golden Gryphon Press (Urbana, Ill., 2006). 1st edition, 1st printing. 340 pages. $25.95.
Description
Bob Howard, geekish demonology hacker extraordinaire for "The Laundry," must stop ruthless billionaire Ellis Billington from unleashing an eldritch horror, codenamed "Jennifer Morgue," from the ocean's depths for the purpose of ruling the world...
User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
"The Laundry operations manual is notably short on advice for how to comport oneself when being held prisoner aboard a mad billionaire necromancer's yacht, other than the usual stern admonition to keep receipts for all expenses incurred in the line of duty." (167)
The Jennifer Morgue is one of
As with the first book, this one contains the titular novel, a bonus short story, and an essay reflecting on the espionage-adventure genre. The story "PIMPF" is a completely office-bound yarn, contrasting with the exotic travel and international entanglements of the novel, and it is funny in the nerdiest possible way. The essay didn't seem as insightful as its counterpart in the first volume. Having chosen to place special attention on Bond villains, it seems to me that Stross erred terribly in neglecting to observe that Le Chiffre (from Casino Royale) was actually based on noted occultist Aleister Crowley, with whom Fleming was acquainted from their mutual employment by British intelligence services.
The Jennifer Morgue is one of
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Stross' hacker-gique occult espionage books about Bob Howard, agent of Capital Laundry Services. (The initials of the organization are never written as such, so it took me until the middle of this second volume to get that BASIC joke!) Like its predecessor The Atrocity Archives, it is a terrific romp. Where Stross drew his literary spy inspiration from Len Deighton in the first book, this time around sees him looking to Ian Fleming and the Bond movies. Given the more "exoteric" -- okay, crassly pop-cultural -- status of the Bond material, Stross elects to make his nods to it more overt, metafictional even. Protagonist Bob is put in a position to exploit his memories of "the ritual Bond move every Christmas afternoon on ITV since the age of two" (187), since he is fighting a supernatural opponent who is using the Bond plot formula as a magical mechanism. Stross manages to pack sardonic hilarity, genuinely stomach-churning horror, and sentimental uplift into this single novel. Oh, and weird sex. As with the first book, this one contains the titular novel, a bonus short story, and an essay reflecting on the espionage-adventure genre. The story "PIMPF" is a completely office-bound yarn, contrasting with the exotic travel and international entanglements of the novel, and it is funny in the nerdiest possible way. The essay didn't seem as insightful as its counterpart in the first volume. Having chosen to place special attention on Bond villains, it seems to me that Stross erred terribly in neglecting to observe that Le Chiffre (from Casino Royale) was actually based on noted occultist Aleister Crowley, with whom Fleming was acquainted from their mutual employment by British intelligence services.
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LibraryThing member PaulBaldowski
While entirely readable and including some interesting characters, it's not a shadow of the first book. Easily devoured in short order, I'm not deterred from moving on to the next book... but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to someone who wasn't already engaged with the Laundry series.
LibraryThing member page.fault
What would you get if you substituted a computer nerd for James Bond, then sent him off to fight Lovecraftian Deep Ones? Well, in fact, you'd get this book.
There's this fun (well, depending on how humorous you find Lovecraft) little story ("Dreams in the Witch-House") in which a mathematician
Bob Howard is a programmer--uh, computational demonologist-- at the Laundry, the top-secret British department that focuses on the occult. As far as I can tell, he's kind of a sysadmin (see, it goes to show--all the sysadmin all have occult powers!) but also does a bit of field work: demon banishing, spell patchups, cult dispersals, that sort of thing. When, during an apparently routine assignment, Bob is forced into "destiny entanglement" with a demon, he knows things are about to get tricky. Soon enough, he's forced into an arrangement with a beautiful and deadly foreign spy, on an island full of hostile powers, dressed to the teeth in his tux, losing horrifically at baccarat, and driving his seriously decked out car (a Smart car rather than an Aston Martin--governments have a budget to stick to!), and a license to implant rather deadly computer viruses into the evil mastermind's mainframe. All this is adding up to make poor Bob quite shaken, and not particularly stirred.
Because this book is so much of a spoof, I think it really requires the necessary background to enjoy it. As is explained in the book, Bob is being slowly forced into the James Bond "eigenplot" (math-ish speak for an archetype). If we performed PCA (principal component analysis) on this book, we'd get James Bond as the first eigenplot, Lovecraft as the second, and tech-nerd farce as the third. Personally, I'm definitely fine on the CS/math, ok on the Lovecraft, and weak on Bond. I'm not a fan of Bond; I've only read one book and seen no movies, so that limited my ability to recognize and enjoy the jokes here. Because it pervades so much of our culture, I was able to follow the story, but a Bond aficionado who doesn't take himself too seriously will get a lot more out of this.
Because of the heavy Bond emphasis, there ends up being a heavy focus on sex. Bob is paired with a ridiculously sensual succubus who feeds through the act of sex, and because they're sort of sharing brain space, Bob gets a close-up--and gets off on it. So, so TMI. What is it with male authors writing in female characters who (graphically) feed off sex? The other thing that bothered me, was, as usual, the very casual use of rape terminology that seems to pervade this series. "Mindrape" seems to be a general trend, but there are other uses also. For example, in the next book, Bob faces a cult he nicknames the "goatf*ckers", and ends up (in his own terms) being set out as the "sacrificial goat" for them...readers can draw their own conclusions as to what happens (metaphorically, thankfully) to him. In this story, one character captured by the villains keeps repeating, "Lie back and think of England," and yes, that phrase, which originated in 1912 with a woman who did not enjoy intercourse but needed to provide heirs, means exactly what you think it does. I found that extremely distasteful, unnecessary, and irrelevant to the actual circumstances. hover for spoiler
Other than these issues, I think I am now a hardcore Stross fangirl. I love the CS jokes, especially those about the evils of Powerpoint or the differences between Lovecraftian monsters and tech CEOs. I also continued to like Bob in this book--impressive, as I positively detest Bond. Although the book fails the Bechdel test, there are two strong female characters and an interesting and absolutely hilarious twist. hover for spoiler Last, this book has a very intriguing afterward in which Stross discusses and analyses Bond, noting how very Mary Sueish Bond is, discussing the tropes created, and more.
Should you read this book? If you like Bond but can enjoy some humour at his expense, then I'd give it a try. If you've also read (and can laugh at) Lovecraft and/or know a little nerd culture, then most definitely. I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to continuing to dig into the Atrocity Archives.
There's this fun (well, depending on how humorous you find Lovecraft) little story ("Dreams in the Witch-House") in which a mathematician
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discovers that very abstruse topological mathematics can transport one to far-off dimensions and manifolds in which (you guessed it) the uber-horrors lurk. In the Laundry series, Charles Stross takes this idea one step farther. In his world, sufficiently advanced technology is not only indistinguishable from magic, but has the adverse effect of breaking down barriers to dimensions where all the demons and cthulhuian monsters and so on live. It's like the ultimate wish fulfilment for computer scientists, because the difference between a program and a spell is just a little Enochian, a bit of blood, and a lot of know-how. Bob Howard is a programmer--uh, computational demonologist-- at the Laundry, the top-secret British department that focuses on the occult. As far as I can tell, he's kind of a sysadmin (see, it goes to show--all the sysadmin all have occult powers!) but also does a bit of field work: demon banishing, spell patchups, cult dispersals, that sort of thing. When, during an apparently routine assignment, Bob is forced into "destiny entanglement" with a demon, he knows things are about to get tricky. Soon enough, he's forced into an arrangement with a beautiful and deadly foreign spy, on an island full of hostile powers, dressed to the teeth in his tux, losing horrifically at baccarat, and driving his seriously decked out car (a Smart car rather than an Aston Martin--governments have a budget to stick to!), and a license to implant rather deadly computer viruses into the evil mastermind's mainframe. All this is adding up to make poor Bob quite shaken, and not particularly stirred.
Because this book is so much of a spoof, I think it really requires the necessary background to enjoy it. As is explained in the book, Bob is being slowly forced into the James Bond "eigenplot" (math-ish speak for an archetype). If we performed PCA (principal component analysis) on this book, we'd get James Bond as the first eigenplot, Lovecraft as the second, and tech-nerd farce as the third. Personally, I'm definitely fine on the CS/math, ok on the Lovecraft, and weak on Bond. I'm not a fan of Bond; I've only read one book and seen no movies, so that limited my ability to recognize and enjoy the jokes here. Because it pervades so much of our culture, I was able to follow the story, but a Bond aficionado who doesn't take himself too seriously will get a lot more out of this.
Because of the heavy Bond emphasis, there ends up being a heavy focus on sex. Bob is paired with a ridiculously sensual succubus who feeds through the act of sex, and because they're sort of sharing brain space, Bob gets a close-up--and gets off on it. So, so TMI. What is it with male authors writing in female characters who (graphically) feed off sex? The other thing that bothered me, was, as usual, the very casual use of rape terminology that seems to pervade this series. "Mindrape" seems to be a general trend, but there are other uses also. For example, in the next book, Bob faces a cult he nicknames the "goatf*ckers", and ends up (in his own terms) being set out as the "sacrificial goat" for them...readers can draw their own conclusions as to what happens (metaphorically, thankfully) to him. In this story, one character captured by the villains keeps repeating, "Lie back and think of England," and yes, that phrase, which originated in 1912 with a woman who did not enjoy intercourse but needed to provide heirs, means exactly what you think it does. I found that extremely distasteful, unnecessary, and irrelevant to the actual circumstances. hover for spoiler
Other than these issues, I think I am now a hardcore Stross fangirl. I love the CS jokes, especially those about the evils of Powerpoint or the differences between Lovecraftian monsters and tech CEOs. I also continued to like Bob in this book--impressive, as I positively detest Bond. Although the book fails the Bechdel test, there are two strong female characters and an interesting and absolutely hilarious twist. hover for spoiler Last, this book has a very intriguing afterward in which Stross discusses and analyses Bond, noting how very Mary Sueish Bond is, discussing the tropes created, and more.
Should you read this book? If you like Bond but can enjoy some humour at his expense, then I'd give it a try. If you've also read (and can laugh at) Lovecraft and/or know a little nerd culture, then most definitely. I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to continuing to dig into the Atrocity Archives.
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LibraryThing member texascheeseman
Jennifer Morgue
By Charles Stross
Publisher: Golden Gryphon Press
Published In: Urbana, IL, USA
Date: 2006
Pgs: 313
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
A world where peace...or detente has been made with the Cthulian horrors that man shares the world with. Agents of The Laundry guard the world from
Genre:
fiction, horror, espionage
Why this book:
The Laundry sounds like a fascinating entity.
This Story is About:
courage, doing the right thing, jealousy, love, duty, the evil that men do
Favorite Character:
Bob Howard, civil servant, secret agent, savior of the universe, battler of demons and creatures from the Outer Dark.
Against my better judgment, just like Bob, I’m starting to like Ramona Random, demon succubus in human form...or demon succubus with a glamor cast over herself...itself to cause it to look the blonde bombshell part.
Least Favorite Character:
The invisible Black Cabinet and their backdoor attempt to upset the apple cart and by way of their attempt almost giving the world over to Ellis Billington.
Character I Most Identified With:
Bob Howard. He’s a good guy, in pretty much every sense of the word. Hope I get to red more of his adventures.
The Feel:
The creepy could be stronger, but the story is awesome.
Favorite Scene:
The opening scene had me feeling like they were going to raise Cthulhu or Godzilla out of the depths before they found what they were looking for. Great tension. Raising a wrecked Russian submarine goes horribly wrong when a many tentacled monster decides that the submarine belongs to them and pulls it back into the depths. Man has an understanding with the beasts of the deep and no permanent or semi-permanent human structures are allowed below a certain depth. Apparently, the submarine has sat long enough in the deeps that they have taken ownership of it.
Driving the small Smart car on the Autobahn sounds about like I would expect the trip to be. Woof.
The scuba showdown in the underwater occult Maginot line along the reef is well done.
The magic Bond elements onboard the Mabuse play well to my sensibilities.
Pacing:
The pacing is incredible.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
For the supervillain who set up the Bond geas as a way of controlling who could upset his plans, he sure did allow himself and all those around him to get sucked into it. Though forcing his opposition to jump through hoops to try and meet all the archetype limitations to try and get him was a stroke of genius. But leaving himself open to it was silly.
Last Page Sound:
Wow.
Author Assessment:
The descriptions in the scene sets are awesome from the depths of the Pacific to the Audi from Hell ripping passed him on the Autobahn. Love the reference to something that may have been a Luftwaffe Starfighter blowing passed him in the fast lane.
Would definitely read something else by this author. Really want to find more stuff about The Laundry.
The James Bond vs. Cthulhu vs. Chthon with secret agents, double agents, and evil billionaires thrown in is genius.
After finishing this book, I’ve got one thing to say.
Dear Marvel Comics, call Charles Stross. Do it today. Get him to write the script for a Dr. Strange movie. It’d be awesome. Thanks.
Editorial Assessment:
The book is tightly done.
Hmm Moments:
I love the contrast of the James Bondian elements with the Lovecraftian. Really love the occult James Bond stuff.
The term “fuck vampire” used here is completely awesome. She’s a succubus with a hearty appetite for both the big death and the little death. Ramona Random is coming across as a more complete character than most demons in literature.
The cybergeek occult magic demonology paradigm in this story is awesome.
The cat.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
instant classic,
Disposition of Book:
Plano Public Library, Plano, TX
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
The whole secret agent motif in a horror setting would be so X-Files that it could translate awesomely to the big or the little screen.
Casting call:
Scarlett Johansson would be incredible as Ramona Random.
After seeing James McAvoy in Wanted, I could absolutely see him as Bob Howard.
Woody Harrelson could be awesome as McMurray.
Would recommend to:
friends, family, kids, colleagues, everyone, genre fans
By Charles Stross
Publisher: Golden Gryphon Press
Published In: Urbana, IL, USA
Date: 2006
Pgs: 313
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
A world where peace...or detente has been made with the Cthulian horrors that man shares the world with. Agents of The Laundry guard the world from
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eldritch horrors. A rich man wants to rule the world. A subsea evil is rising. Jennifer Morgue is coming. A remorseless billionaire will unleash the horror on the Earth and ride the wave of panic to mastery of the planet.Genre:
fiction, horror, espionage
Why this book:
The Laundry sounds like a fascinating entity.
This Story is About:
courage, doing the right thing, jealousy, love, duty, the evil that men do
Favorite Character:
Bob Howard, civil servant, secret agent, savior of the universe, battler of demons and creatures from the Outer Dark.
Against my better judgment, just like Bob, I’m starting to like Ramona Random, demon succubus in human form...or demon succubus with a glamor cast over herself...itself to cause it to look the blonde bombshell part.
Least Favorite Character:
The invisible Black Cabinet and their backdoor attempt to upset the apple cart and by way of their attempt almost giving the world over to Ellis Billington.
Character I Most Identified With:
Bob Howard. He’s a good guy, in pretty much every sense of the word. Hope I get to red more of his adventures.
The Feel:
The creepy could be stronger, but the story is awesome.
Favorite Scene:
The opening scene had me feeling like they were going to raise Cthulhu or Godzilla out of the depths before they found what they were looking for. Great tension. Raising a wrecked Russian submarine goes horribly wrong when a many tentacled monster decides that the submarine belongs to them and pulls it back into the depths. Man has an understanding with the beasts of the deep and no permanent or semi-permanent human structures are allowed below a certain depth. Apparently, the submarine has sat long enough in the deeps that they have taken ownership of it.
Driving the small Smart car on the Autobahn sounds about like I would expect the trip to be. Woof.
The scuba showdown in the underwater occult Maginot line along the reef is well done.
The magic Bond elements onboard the Mabuse play well to my sensibilities.
Pacing:
The pacing is incredible.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
For the supervillain who set up the Bond geas as a way of controlling who could upset his plans, he sure did allow himself and all those around him to get sucked into it. Though forcing his opposition to jump through hoops to try and meet all the archetype limitations to try and get him was a stroke of genius. But leaving himself open to it was silly.
Last Page Sound:
Wow.
Author Assessment:
The descriptions in the scene sets are awesome from the depths of the Pacific to the Audi from Hell ripping passed him on the Autobahn. Love the reference to something that may have been a Luftwaffe Starfighter blowing passed him in the fast lane.
Would definitely read something else by this author. Really want to find more stuff about The Laundry.
The James Bond vs. Cthulhu vs. Chthon with secret agents, double agents, and evil billionaires thrown in is genius.
After finishing this book, I’ve got one thing to say.
Dear Marvel Comics, call Charles Stross. Do it today. Get him to write the script for a Dr. Strange movie. It’d be awesome. Thanks.
Editorial Assessment:
The book is tightly done.
Hmm Moments:
I love the contrast of the James Bondian elements with the Lovecraftian. Really love the occult James Bond stuff.
The term “fuck vampire” used here is completely awesome. She’s a succubus with a hearty appetite for both the big death and the little death. Ramona Random is coming across as a more complete character than most demons in literature.
The cybergeek occult magic demonology paradigm in this story is awesome.
The cat.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
instant classic,
Disposition of Book:
Plano Public Library, Plano, TX
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
The whole secret agent motif in a horror setting would be so X-Files that it could translate awesomely to the big or the little screen.
Casting call:
Scarlett Johansson would be incredible as Ramona Random.
After seeing James McAvoy in Wanted, I could absolutely see him as Bob Howard.
Woody Harrelson could be awesome as McMurray.
Would recommend to:
friends, family, kids, colleagues, everyone, genre fans
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LibraryThing member Shrike58
This series where Stross mixes unspeakable horror, espionage thriller, and bureaucratic absurdity, is one of the best genre concepts going right now, and this remix with the Bond mythos is even better than "The Atrocity Archives." Succinct, clever, and to the point. I'll also say that when Stross
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hangs his story on a modified version of an actual society I like the results better. Show Less
LibraryThing member mmyoung
Not, in my opinion, as good as _The Atrocity Archives_ I would put this in my 'definitely reread' pile. it is not that the voice of the author is strained, indeed I found this book less consciously mannered than in TAA I felt that the book needed serious editing. At points in the reading I felt
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that I was in a flabby portion and that architecture of the novel was too visible. Show Less
LibraryThing member edstan76
Fun read. In the vane of a slightly more realistic simon green but still with lots of urban fantasy elements. James Bond meets Men In Black. Also lots of references to the James Bond movies. And a plot twist by the villain thats just funny.
Great fun beach read. Don't have to think too much. Love
Great fun beach read. Don't have to think too much. Love
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the characters and mainly told from Bob Howard's point of view, but there are a few area's it skews to someone else. Check it out. Show Less
LibraryThing member ropie
The Jennifer Morgue is another of Stross' 'Laundry' books, featuring the hapless but somehow competent secret agent Bob Howard. In this episode, Bob has to rescue the world by preventing the attempted re-awakening of one of the ancient Eldritch terrors from the deep.
This yarn was just not as good
Not to say that it was a bad book by any means. For the most part it was enjoyable and it had moments of tension but the overlying presence of Ian Flemming, silly gadgets and mad billionaires I found to be a bit disposable for such a talented writer.
This yarn was just not as good
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as The Atrocity Archives, unfortunately, as I had high hopes after that superb effort. It had the same steady humour and a plot replete with highly confusing occult methodology but the strong reliance on a James Bond style just didn't interest me in the same way that TAA's take on Lovecraft-with-laughs did. Not to say that it was a bad book by any means. For the most part it was enjoyable and it had moments of tension but the overlying presence of Ian Flemming, silly gadgets and mad billionaires I found to be a bit disposable for such a talented writer.
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LibraryThing member wvlibrarydude
Take computer geek that is now fighting the horrors of Cthulhu from within a giant British government bureaucracy, and then channel James Bond through him. Oh yeah. Laugh out loud funny with great action and humor. Where else do you ditch an Aston Martin (James Bond style) for a geek tricked out
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Smart Car. Just roll with it. Show Less
LibraryThing member TimSharrock
This is the first book of Stross' 'The Laundry' series that I have read - but I will read more. It stands well alone, but there are certainly links backward to the first book that I want to follow, and I look forward to reading more!
LibraryThing member markhgn
Trashy, clever and fun. Pretty much perfect and a great twist on the spy thriller using elements we're all familiar with along with a dose of Cthulhu-esque horror. Shame about the short at the end, this should have been left out as it really isn't up to the same standard as the novel.
LibraryThing member topps
Odd characters, based on a James Bond parody but it actually works quite well.
LibraryThing member SaintBrevity
Much like its predecessor, this book is equal parts BOFH and James Bond (the movie version, not the book version). A fun read, with a number of great lines and clever moves that I enjoyed. Better than the usual brain candy found in the sci fi aisle, and better for you, too.
LibraryThing member yarriofultramar
“Jennifer Morgue” is a loose follow up to the “Atrocity Archive” by Charlie Stross. The main protagonist, Bob Howard, is working for the “Laundry”. A British intelligence branch countering the occult and paranormal threats to the Crown (of mainly a tentacular origin). I loved the first
“Jennifer Morgue” has interesting cast of characters, some romance and all around Open-source geekines. A perfect mix. My biggest gripe with the story comes from the fact that the author uses first person, present tense narration – the same as in his short story collection “Accelerando”. For some reason I find this type of narration harder to read than your typical third person, past tense. Over time I got used to this but the reading was a bit of a chore. Overall a worthy read, particularly if you are interested in thrillers, Lovecraft and British sense of humor.
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book and I enjoyed this one. The story is entertaining, although it is a pastiche of James Bond flicks and as such it made me less immersed in the story. That is problem with me I guess – I like to believe that the story I read could happen and here I feel too much like author is blinking to me - “See how cleverly I play with the conventions?”. On the other hand, I admire the way Stross handles Cthulhu mythos – especially magic. As I am an avid Cthulhu roleplaying Game Master I am more than happy to steal his ideas of how magic works and what can be achieved with it. “Jennifer Morgue” has interesting cast of characters, some romance and all around Open-source geekines. A perfect mix. My biggest gripe with the story comes from the fact that the author uses first person, present tense narration – the same as in his short story collection “Accelerando”. For some reason I find this type of narration harder to read than your typical third person, past tense. Over time I got used to this but the reading was a bit of a chore. Overall a worthy read, particularly if you are interested in thrillers, Lovecraft and British sense of humor.
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LibraryThing member 8bitmore
Nice well-written pulp read, exciting and quickly digestible - if you have a love for Lovecraft and a weakness for Intelligence Agencies and grand dark (yet humorous, a considerable upgrade from Lovecraft himself!) realities involving treatises between humans and the old ones that occupy the other
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70% of Earth's surface.. well, then this Stross book is for you! Show Less
LibraryThing member gimble
Hmm not sure what the Decorating and Design part of the book is about. This is a really great book, very hard to put it down at night so I could have plenty of rest for work. It is an occult spy novel that makes you think, what could the government really be hiding from me. The main character Bob
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is thrown into an adventure he surly was not expecting and only James Bond could get him out of. The reference to Operating Systems and other technical jargon is much beloved by this reader since it is something dealt with on a daily basis. Show Less
LibraryThing member m.a.harding
What a scream! Bloody hilarious. And I loved the way the Bond motifs were all completely justifed by the plot. Top class, ingenious entertainment.
LibraryThing member lewispike
Two stories, just like in "The Atrocity Articles" to which this is the follow up. This time, with reasons that make sense even though they scream plot device, there's a Bond layer added to the mix of old ones, rude comments about normal PC users and civil service jokes. The second story looks at
If, like me, you loved the first one, you'll like this. If you weren't sure, I'd guess it's not for you.
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online gaming as a means for conjuring demons too.If, like me, you loved the first one, you'll like this. If you weren't sure, I'd guess it's not for you.
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LibraryThing member Penforhire
I agree with some other reviewers. Not nearly as good as the Atrocity Archives but still well worth reading. It felt like Stross was trying too hard here.
Yes it was a very clever send-up of the Bond mythos as it intersects with a H.P. Lovecraft horror genre. But too many sections felt forced,
I suppose that's part of the love/hate with all Laundry stuff I've read so far. We think we get a sense of the hero's toolbox and challenges and then he spins often away from those to dump more tools and challenges on us. Bob's helpless and just along for the ride too often to survive! Of course, this particular tale gives a good shaken-not-stirred reason but it still chafes the reader.
Sounds like I'm complaining too much to get it 3.5 stars, eh? In the end it is Mr. Stross writing after all and he is feeding us a delicious genre and playing on our traditions. I can't help myself, where's I put the next Laundry novel...
Oh, and the Blofeld interview short story is pure genious. Amazing work and a keen eye for the real villains succeeding in today's world.
Yes it was a very clever send-up of the Bond mythos as it intersects with a H.P. Lovecraft horror genre. But too many sections felt forced,
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didn't flow well. I don't get much glee from Stross' endless acronyms, even if based in real organizations or mathematics. I'll scream if he spouts one more 'and there on the floor was an Axil-Widget matrix' as if we're supposed to get some meaning from a name or go "ooooh." And the plot has too many 'deus ex machina' moments where the reader has no chance to sense something coming.I suppose that's part of the love/hate with all Laundry stuff I've read so far. We think we get a sense of the hero's toolbox and challenges and then he spins often away from those to dump more tools and challenges on us. Bob's helpless and just along for the ride too often to survive! Of course, this particular tale gives a good shaken-not-stirred reason but it still chafes the reader.
Sounds like I'm complaining too much to get it 3.5 stars, eh? In the end it is Mr. Stross writing after all and he is feeding us a delicious genre and playing on our traditions. I can't help myself, where's I put the next Laundry novel...
Oh, and the Blofeld interview short story is pure genious. Amazing work and a keen eye for the real villains succeeding in today's world.
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LibraryThing member quiBee
A fun read. Nameless horrors being looked after by a top secret British agency called the Laundry. Bob is just a minor agent in the agency, his speciality being geek knowledge attached to the arcane. Very much a play on the Bond legend, with a nice climax in the Bond tradition.
LibraryThing member chuckzak
Stross packs on the plot details, maybe a little too much in this one, but it's still a fun and interesting update on the Lovecraft Mythos. Still, the humor isn't as funny as it wants to be and the story kind of devolves into ever-thickening plot and too much cleverness at the expense of suspense
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and horror-thrills. The previous entry had some of these same problems but made up for it with creepy, ultra-dimensional Nazis, mounting scares and a more pronounced sense of existential threat. I'll still read the next entry, but it needs to top this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
From the world of The Atrocity Archives, Lovecraft meets spycraft, with a billionaire running a James Bond geas that sucks tech Bob Howard into a very different role than he planned on when he signed on to work at the top-secret Laundry, turning math into magic. I like Stross's gift for turning a
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cute phrase (when Howard is strapped down for a procedure, tech 1 says "clear," tech 2 says "clear," and Howard, who has no idea what’s going on, says "very unclear!"), and though the plot ultimately involves a twist that's surprising only if you've never heard a particular tired joke I still enjoyed the ride, though I think the spy-v-unspeakable horror from the deep thing works better in the short story/novella range. Show Less
LibraryThing member sdramsey
I often find Charles Stross difficult to read--it's not that I don't like his writing, it's just that it is so smart it makes me feel dumb. :) However, I really enjoyed this book. It's a lot of fun, especially for longtime James bond fans, and I'd like to spend more time in this world. I read this
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book without having read the first in the series (The Atrocity Archives) but it was standalone enough that it didn't matter. I will be adding the first one to my TBR list, though! Show Less
LibraryThing member andrlik
I've tried to read Stross in the past, and this is the first one I've finished. Others I've started and then gotten distracted from, and after completing this book, I really feel I should go back and give them another chance. This is fun book that blends modern day techo-geekery, espionage and the
The story itself is enormous fun. It's not a life-changing book by any means, but it merits the fourth star for the entertainment value alone and the fun of having the hero be computer geek wielding bootable Linux on a USB key. The Bond angle is a fun bit of play, with more than a little joking at that titan of pop culture's expense although it isn't really a full deconstruction of the Bond mythos, so if you're looking for profound statements in that regard you will be looking in the wrong place.
I did have one complaint and that was that the Stross takes an obvious short cut in the narrative. Most of the book is told in the first person, with the exception of the prologue, which takes place in the past. The prologue bit, I'm fine with. But there is a moment midway through the book where it shifts to third-person in order to show two other events, one in the past and one in the present. The worst part is that the author steps in as a new narrator speaking directly to the reader (for the only time in the book) and basically says, "Let's go look at these other things for a moment and come back." It's really irritating and takes you out of the story, and it felt like Stross was feeling lazy and couldn't think of another way of getting the related plot points into play. It's only a brief interruption though and things quickly get back on track.
Final conclusion: an enjoyable book, a quick read, and worth your time.
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Cthulu mythos. On top of that it has fun poking some fun at the James Bond archetype, and there is a rather interesting little essay about the Bond in the back of the book. The essay isn't groundbreaking, but it's an interesting read.The story itself is enormous fun. It's not a life-changing book by any means, but it merits the fourth star for the entertainment value alone and the fun of having the hero be computer geek wielding bootable Linux on a USB key. The Bond angle is a fun bit of play, with more than a little joking at that titan of pop culture's expense although it isn't really a full deconstruction of the Bond mythos, so if you're looking for profound statements in that regard you will be looking in the wrong place.
I did have one complaint and that was that the Stross takes an obvious short cut in the narrative. Most of the book is told in the first person, with the exception of the prologue, which takes place in the past. The prologue bit, I'm fine with. But there is a moment midway through the book where it shifts to third-person in order to show two other events, one in the past and one in the present. The worst part is that the author steps in as a new narrator speaking directly to the reader (for the only time in the book) and basically says, "Let's go look at these other things for a moment and come back." It's really irritating and takes you out of the story, and it felt like Stross was feeling lazy and couldn't think of another way of getting the related plot points into play. It's only a brief interruption though and things quickly get back on track.
Final conclusion: an enjoyable book, a quick read, and worth your time.
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LibraryThing member AstonishingChristina
Second in the Laundry Files series. The Laundry is still in Dansey House, security works (sort of), and we're introduced to more nefarious scheming from Human Resources.
Includes the novella PIMPF
Includes the novella PIMPF
Subjects
Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Fantasy Novel — 2007)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2006-11
Physical description
340 p.; 5.5 inches
ISBN
1930846452 / 9781930846456
Local notes
Inscribed (Dublin, August 2019).