The Way of the Worm

Campbell’s chilling conclusion to his Lovecraftian Three Births of Daoloth trilogy makes it easy for readers to buy in to its cosmic horrors by building up to them through emotional engagement. In the moving opening, Dominic Sheldrake, a retired Liverpool University film lecturer, struggles with the death of his beloved wife. Their son, Toby, is a member of the Church of the Eternal Three, which is rumored to be able to put people in touch with their pasts. Toby invites Dominic to seek solace by meditating with that congregation. Dominic is reluctant, given the connection of the church with Safe to Sleep, an organization that billed itself as helping children with sleep disorders but instead exposed him to “the abyss between the stars... hungry to drain stars that it left dead and blackened.” His eventual decision to participate in the church’s activities leads to large-scale tragedy. The contours of the story line will be familiar to fans of the Cthulhu mythos, but Campbell adds passion and depth not regularly found in such works. Like the eldritch church itself, this work welcomes newcomers and will particularly satisfy longtime fans. Agent: John Jarrold, John Jarrold Literary (U.K.). (Oct.)