Say,
ho! Are these the three Edwardian gentlemen from the Fear Institute
come to solicit the services of Johannes Cabal as they travel forth to
the Dreamlands in their quest for the Phobic Animus?
To address
this quizzical query, a few words of context beginning with noting
Johannes Cabal earned a reputation as a necromancer of some little
infamy as was seen in the author's first two novel of the series: Johannes Cabal The Necromancer and Johannes Cabal The Detective.
The
three men, Messrs. Shadrach, Corde and Bose, have come to an isolated
townhouse, Victorian in design, since they are indeed members of a
secret, well-funded organization known as the Fear Institute and this
rural dwelling is the home of none other than Johannes Cabal. And their
mission: to persuade the necromancer to help them achieve a specific
goal: the removal of every trace of fear from human experience. “Our
dream is that one day the human race will walk this good Earth, free
from the invisible tethers of fear, subject only to the kindly effects
of rational caution.” To accomplish this end, they must convince Cabal
to join them as they travel to The Dreamlands.
As to be
expected, Johannes Cabal raises serious objections to such an enterprise
but the trio of visitors inform him they possess exactly what's needed
to enter the Dreamlands: the fabled Silver Key. Not only that, Mr. Bose
dangles the ultimate enticement a seasoned necromancer could never ever
turn down: he tells Cabal, in effect, once they attain their goal and
destroy the Phobic Animus (the Fear Institute's name for the physical
embodiment of fear), Cabal can keep the Silver Key for future research.
Cabal
bids Messrs. Shadrach, Corde and Bose good day and lets them know he'll
inform them of his decision on the morrow. Hardly a spoiler: although
he lacks any prior experience of the Dreamlands, research calls and
Cabal accepts. And they're off.
This British steampunk/fantasy
novel is a crackerjack, enjoyable from start to finish. And a piece of
good news: a reader need not have read any other Cabal novel - The Fear Institute
can stand alone. Nevertheless, once you connect with the character of
Johannes Cabal, you will surely be hooked and want to read the other
books in the series. Oh, yes, the most important point I can make in
this review: the instantly recognizable voice of author Jonathan L.
Howard. What I mean here is all you have to do is read a page or two to
discover if you will become a fan. The narrative voice is that strong.
To add an extra pinch of spice, The Fear Institute
is surely the funniest novel in the series. Here's the reason:
Shadrach, Corde and Bose are piffling poopsticks, men who share common
ground with a gaggle of buffoons off the pages of Charles Dickens, the
likes of Messrs. Bumble, Pecksniff, Pardiggle and Podsnap. Each and
every interaction Johannes Cabal has with one or all of these clowns
ranges from sarcasm, irony or ink-black humor to sidesplitting
hilarious.
For instance, here's a snatch of dialogue once they're in the Dreamlands:
"Shadrach
and Bose had finally managed to tear their eyes away from the peak of
Hatheg-Kla with the help of Corde, who had taken firm hold of their
chins and steered their gaze in a safe direction by force. 'How will
this...Hlanith,' Shadrach chewed on the unfamiliar word, making it sound
like a small mining village in Wales 'how will it help us, Mr. Cabal?
We are not dreamers.'
'Not in any sense,' said Cabal. 'But as a
result of every Tom, Dick and Harry with a talent for the particular
mode of dreaming required to travel here, Hlanith is a gathering place
for people whose minds are not altogether mired in the sticky
romanticism of the place. In short, gentlemen, there we will find people
who will give us straight answers to straight questions.'"
The
above exchange also highlights that, in addition to Cabal himself, the
novel's objective third person narrator also dabbles in jibs, sarcasm
and dark humor at the expense of these three Edwardian stooges.
Actually, the narrator's gallows humor and agile wit (functioning as a
second Johannes Cabal, of sorts) extend to every single personage and
happening. For those of us who click into Howard's brand of black
comedy, every page is a treasure.
Are you familiar with the writings of H.P. Lovecraft? If so, reading The Fear Institute
will be an especial treat. As a necessary first step, Cabal
informs the three men of the location of the door that opens to the Dreamlands. Where exactly,
they ask. Cabal replies, "Somewhere beneath the sagging gambrel
rooftops and behind the crumbling Georgian balustrades of Arkham, in the
state of Massachusetts. Arkham, that lies upon the darkly muttering
Miskatonic." And, of course, the Dreamlands, complete with Gugs,
moonbeasts and many other specific references is a nod to the great
American author of supernatural horror.
Another bow to Lovecraft
and black humor: sprinkled within the novel's chapters there are five
interludes - "Surviving fragments of Cyril W. Clome's manuscript for The Young Person's Guide to Cthulhu and His Friends." Number 5 is an ABC beginning with -
"A is for Azathoth, all mindless in space
B is for Bugg-Shash, a god with no face."
However,
the most fascinating feature of this extraordinarily comical
action-adventure yarn is Johannes Cabel himself. Cabal has the
penetrating, logical mind of a Sherlock Holmes but the crazy logic, or
should I say chaos, of the Dreamlands appears to defy the necromancer's
cool rationality at nearly every point. How will it all turn out? Will
the gentlemen of the Fear Institute locate and destroy the Phobic Animus?
Will Cabal or any of them make it back from the Dreamlands? And will
the Dreamlands teach Cabal there's more depth and heart to Johannes
Cabal then even Cabal himself will admit?
Questions, questions -
but one thing's for sure: count me among the avid fans of Jonathan
L. Howard. As many novels as I've read, and I've read a good number, I
can assure you, rarely have I come across a protagonist and author I
have found so appealing. I very much look forward to reading and
reviewing the other Cabal novels.
British author Jonathan L. Howard
Comments
Post a Comment