Just a thought. If you are a mile under the surface of the earth in a cavern that hasn't been opened since before the dinosaurs and you shine your flashlight and something stares right back at you---that is MOST DEFINITELY NOT a good thing.

My first book by Tim Curran. He has several big pluses going for him. Great creation of atmosphere. I could really picture the dank cave a mile under the ground and the 5 scared miners listening for any unexplained noises and jumping at shadows. Curran took his time to let the creepiness sink in and it paid off. The monster was NASTY. And from there it actually got better. I did not see this ending coming at all. Extra points for a great, creative, and completely unexpected ending. (4.5 stars) ( )

This was an excellent horror novella with Lovecraftian undertones that takes place in a deep, deep mine.

Tim Curran's excellent descriptions add to the creeping unease that slowly builds during the course of this story and doesn't let up.
Here is an example of Mr. Curran's excellent descriptive skills:

"Breed could see something...an eldritch and terrible form given body by the swirling dust. He couldn't be sure how much of it he saw and how much he imagined. It was roughly the size of a man. A semi-visible hunched-over thing, a hazy apparition speckled with dust. It was creeping at them on a dozen spindly legs. He saw reaching arms, an elongated head of undulant tendrils like a nest of writhing, loathsome snakes...and a distorted face: something with clustered pods of eyes".

Tim Curran is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. His descriptive skills are unmatched. I'm looking forward to reading more of his backlist and I'm happy that there are a lot of them!

Recommended for horror fans and especially fans of Lovecraft. ( )