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Original Essays | April 29, 2013

Edward Lee: IMG How to Clarify Butter: A Writer's Tale

2 comments By Edward Lee

Chefs don't have time to write. While I was working on Smoke and Pickles, I was running a restaurant — a daily regimen of testing recipes,... Continue »
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1 Beaverton Science Fiction and Fantasy- A to Z

The Atrocity Archives

by

The Atrocity Archives Cover

ISBN13: 9780441016686
ISBN10: 0441016685
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In the title piece, Alan Turing, the father of modern computer science, completes his theorem on Phase Conjugate Grammars for Extra-dimensional Summoning. Turing's work paves the way for esoteric mathematical computations that, when carried out, have side effects that leak through a channel underlying the structure of the Cosmos. Out there in the multiverse are listeners who can sometimes be coerced into opening gates. In 1945, Nazi Germany's Ahnenerbe-SS, in an attempt to escape the Allied onslaught, performs just such a summoning on the souls of more than six million. A gate opens to an alternate universe through which the SS move people and material — to live to fight another day. But their summoning brings forth more than the SS have bargained for — an evil, patiently waiting all this time while learning the ways of humans, now poises to lunch on Earth. Secret intelligence agencies, esoteric theorems, Lovecraftian horrors, Middle East terrorist connections, a damsel in distress, and a final battle on the surface of a dying planet round out this story.

Review:

"Lovecraft's Cthulhu meets Len Deighton's spies in Stross's latest, as the Scottish author explains in his afterword to this offbeat book offering two related long novellas, 'The Atrocity Archive' and 'The Concrete Jungle' (the latter previously unpublished). With often hilarious results, the author mixes the occult and the mundane, the truly weird and the petty. In 'Atrocity,' Bob, a low-level computer fix-it guy for the Laundry, a supersecret British agency that defends the world from occult happenings, finds himself promoted to fieldwork after he bravely saves the day during a routine demonstration gone awry. With his Palm, aka his Hand of Glory (a severed hand that, when ignited, renders the holder invisible), and his smarts, he saves the world from a powerful external force seeking to enter our universe to suck it dry. In 'Jungle,' Bob teams up with a cop, Josephine, to save the Laundry from a powermonger who seeks to stage an internal coup by using zombies as her minions. Amid all the bizarre happenings are the everyday trappings of a British bureaucracy. Bob gets called on the carpet by his bosses because he requested backup during an emergency without first getting his supervisor's okay and filling out the requisite forms. Though the characters all tend to sound the same, and Stross resorts to lengthy summary explanations to dispel confusion, the world he creates is wonderful fun." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Stross is the heir of the cyberpunk fascination with the way the world works-or can be made to dance!" Asimov's Science Fiction

Review:

"Stross has gene-spliced H. P. Lovecraft and Len Deighton to produce a SF thriller that is both witty and unsettling." Andrew Wilson, The Scotsman

Review:

"[T]his volume highlights Stross's storytelling expertise and vivid imagination." Library Journal

Synopsis:

Secret intelligence agencies, esoteric theorems, Lovecraftian horrors, Middle East terrorist connections, a damsel in distress, and a final battle on the surface of a dying planet round out this offbeat story.

Synopsis:

Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.

Synopsis:

Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.

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About the Author

Charles Stross is the author of Singularity Sky, Toast and Other Rusted Futures, and The Web Architect's Handbook.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
KPD269, May 9, 2011 (view all comments by KPD269)
First Stross book I've read, not a macbre tales fan, almost turned off by the back cover comments... NEVER judge a Book by its' cover(s)!! A thoroughly enjoyable read. His concept of the Web/'Net being esoterically "Reality hacked" to other dimensions/realms is very neat.. ANY computer geek who has NOT read Stross' tales dealing with the concept CANNOT truly call themselves a geek! A neat "Easter Egg" exists for those War-Quest/Ever-Crafters who take the plunge. A very chilling outlook on what Hitlers' crew COULD have accomplished in the "Multi-core Babbage Engines Using Hemoglobin accelrated graphics systems" disciplines..Worth the read!
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John Bartley, January 1, 2010 (view all comments by John Bartley)
Superbly tongue-in-cheek fusion of Cthuloid horror and brit-spy-fic. Warning; first book of a trilogy (and book #3 does not arrive until later this year), for Bob will addict you!
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780441016686
Author:
Stross, Charles
Publisher:
Ace Books
Introduction by:
MacLeod, Ken
Introduction:
MacLeod, Ken
Subject:
Science Fiction - General
Subject:
Horror - General
Subject:
Fantasy - General
Subject:
Science Fiction and Fantasy-A to Z
Copyright:
2009
Edition Description:
B-Mass Market
Publication Date:
20090131
Binding:
MASS MARKET
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
368
Dimensions:
6.60x4.10x1.10 in. .40 lbs.
Age Level:
from 18
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Related Subjects

» Fiction and Poetry » Horror » General
» Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » A to Z
» Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » Fantasy » General

The Atrocity Archives Used Mass Market
0 stars - 0 reviews
$4.95 In Stock
Product details 368 pages Ace Books - English 9780441016686 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Lovecraft's Cthulhu meets Len Deighton's spies in Stross's latest, as the Scottish author explains in his afterword to this offbeat book offering two related long novellas, 'The Atrocity Archive' and 'The Concrete Jungle' (the latter previously unpublished). With often hilarious results, the author mixes the occult and the mundane, the truly weird and the petty. In 'Atrocity,' Bob, a low-level computer fix-it guy for the Laundry, a supersecret British agency that defends the world from occult happenings, finds himself promoted to fieldwork after he bravely saves the day during a routine demonstration gone awry. With his Palm, aka his Hand of Glory (a severed hand that, when ignited, renders the holder invisible), and his smarts, he saves the world from a powerful external force seeking to enter our universe to suck it dry. In 'Jungle,' Bob teams up with a cop, Josephine, to save the Laundry from a powermonger who seeks to stage an internal coup by using zombies as her minions. Amid all the bizarre happenings are the everyday trappings of a British bureaucracy. Bob gets called on the carpet by his bosses because he requested backup during an emergency without first getting his supervisor's okay and filling out the requisite forms. Though the characters all tend to sound the same, and Stross resorts to lengthy summary explanations to dispel confusion, the world he creates is wonderful fun." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "Stross is the heir of the cyberpunk fascination with the way the world works-or can be made to dance!"
"Review" by , "Stross has gene-spliced H. P. Lovecraft and Len Deighton to produce a SF thriller that is both witty and unsettling."
"Review" by , "[T]his volume highlights Stross's storytelling expertise and vivid imagination."
"Synopsis" by , Secret intelligence agencies, esoteric theorems, Lovecraftian horrors, Middle East terrorist connections, a damsel in distress, and a final battle on the surface of a dying planet round out this offbeat story.
"Synopsis" by , Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.
"Synopsis" by ,
Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.
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