The Scroll of Thoth: Simon Magus and the Great Old Ones

Richard Tierney is known for his weird poetry, his heroic fantasy in the tradition of Robert E. Howard, and a critical essay in which he emphasizes the role of August Derleth in elaborating the Cthulhu Mythos. He has a sophisticated take on how to write fiction based on the H. P. Lovecraft Mythos, tapping into Lovecraft's Gnostic tendencies as well as his cosmic nihilism. The 12 tales in this collection feature Simon Magus, the famous heretic and Gnostic from the early days of Christianity. Magus meets up with Shub-Niggurath (the evil goddess), searches for the Ring of Set, and has several other dark adventures. Tierney is a fine writer with a special gift for evocative descriptions of place, and he puts more effort into characterization than is typical for modern Mythos stories. Robert Price, as editor, provides a plenitude of background materials. In his inimitably witty way, Price compares Tierney to other Lovecraftian writers and places his fiction in a rich historical, religious, and mythological context.