When Cthulhu Met Atlach-Nacha
By Alan Ryker
Rating: 3 & 1/2 out of 5 stars
Trust me on this. My first marriage was inter-faith. I'm not saying which faiths but I assure you it did not involve Cthulhu. Nonetheless, there was much blasphemy and the gnashing of teeth, usually coming from my mother-in-law.
When Cthulhu Met Atlach-Nacha is a one-act play concerning relational conflict after the rise of the Ancient Ones. We are talking socially relevant stuff here. Just because Cthuhlu and Company slept through the Mayan apocalypse doesn't mean they'll sleep through the next one. And when that happens, people are going to take sides and back their favorite Dark One. Plus, there's going to be some major unspeakable horrors and ritualistic shit happening...
I can't describe it. Until you've torn a toddler apart with your bare hands and fed it to the snapping mandibles of a pair of beetle-men who were once its parents, you just can't know.
Ryker's play can be very funny. There are a lot of in-jokes so it helps to know something about Lovecraftian lore. Yet it is entertaining enough for the average reader to enjoy. It is also not a one punch line joke. There is some nice rapport between the the main characters and some really nice subtlety at the end. I'm almost tempted to say it could be re-titled Who's Afraid of Virginia Soggoth but I won't.
So here are the pluses..
1. It actually has some depth.
2. It is funny
3. Nice take-off on the Cthulhu Mythos.
4. After you read it, you'll really want to see it performed.
4. There are some good housekeeping tips from Martha Stewart.
Forget the last one, although I suspect Ms. Stewart will play a role in the real awakening of the Ancient Ones. You never know.
Method acquired: Purchased
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