Listening to 'Southern Gods' (and review)

I took the step of getting hold of 'Southern Gods' as an Audible production. I didn't want to add the book to the tail end of a long and joyful 'to read' list. I also reasoned that I could listen while I worked. That didn't pan out. Either parts of the story got lost or parts of the work came to a stop.

Unlike a couple of other Audible books for the Kindle that I bought for my daughter (The Thirteen Clocks and The Wonderful O are only available as Audible books), the volume was loud enough to listen to in the kitchen or in the bath, without the need to shove the speaker edge right up to my ear. I hope I will find more like this.

Listening to the story gave me back a part of my childhood. TV was a late arrival in Namibia. Instead we had radio plays. But for a few sound effects, the stories sucked me in as well as books did. There were adventure stories, cop stories, comedies and heaps of other goodies. Evening chores almost always happened in fits and starts as the radio caused my jaw to drop and my hands and feet to stop moving.

'Southern Gods' brought that pleasure back to me, and I will be listening to more.

Here's something else worth noting. Eyes have a way of flying over words and books rush by in the process. There were nine hours of listening in the thing.

What also came to me from the narration is that I need to read my own stories out loud to myself, to improve them.

Here's the review I wrote of 'Southern Gods'. Don't worry. It's spoiler free.

Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos has a way of getting stuck in small, inbred communities or deposited on a Pacific Island, but this gives it a new setting. Use of the Mythos does not overwhelm. It is subtly placed instead of in-your-face, 'hey-look-I'm-doing-a-Lovecraft'. Noticing the references is a bit of delight, not a duty. The addition of the Erlkönig in the context of the Cthulhu Mythos plays out well. The ending has a moment of unexpected shock, which will be a bonus for jaded horror readers.

I kept the review short. There were other people who wrote more about it. Whether you choose to listen or to read, it will be worth the time for horror readers.