Animal Talk: All the animals (including the non-magical ones) can speak to each other in what seems to be the same language. Though, oddly, it appears a werewolf can understand Snuff but not any of the non-canine animals. Friendly Enemy: The players start out cordial and sometimes willing to cooperate on mutually beneficial projects, but mostly because at that point nobody knows yet who's an ally and who's an enemy; once everybody knows for sure who's on their side they start getting properly adversarial. The only friendship durable enough to fit the trope is Snuff and Gray (and their respective masters) who continue to be on friendly terms, even after the battle lines have been drawn and they've established that neither is willing to join the other's side. A Night in the Lonesome October is creepy yet humorous, gruesome and witty at the same time. One of the highlights is a grave-robbing scene in which several players spend an evening gathering ingredients, with various bodily parts flying through the air in a macabre game of catch: “Eyeballs, anyone?” came a call. There are 31 chapters in A Night in the Lonesome October, one for each day in October. It’s great pulpy fun, but with an underlying intelligence and dry humor. I can see why reading A Night in the Lonesome October has become an annual October ritual for so many fans! Anyone care to join me next year? Bad People Abuse Animals: Nearly all the Openers are shown being cruel to animals at some point. One attempts to poison Snuff. Another attempts to drown Greymalk in a well. The main villain hunts Needle with a crossbow and tries to get Snuff done in by vivisectionists.

How many times have I read Roger Zelazny’s A Night in the Lonesome October? I literally can’t remember if it’s four or five or six. And it never loses its freshness or excitement. The Dividual: Morris and MacCab are an example of the Syndividual; they're not identical but they function as a single unit, neither ever being mentioned separately or doing anything without the other. They even die simultaneously. Where all the other teams of Players consist of one human and one familiar animal, theirs is the two of them sharing one familiar, the owl Nightwind.

During the entire month of October, in the late 1800s, in a year when the full moon falls on Halloween, strange forces gather in a village outside of London. Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday: Halloween night plays a very important role in the story. Streaks of high cirrus fluoresced above us from the stars they framed, and a gust of wind stirred my fur." During the entire month of October, in the late 1800s, in a year when the full moon falls on Halloween, strange forces gather in a village outside of London. Various iconic characters ― who will be familiar to fans of Victorian literature and classic horror movies ― create shifting alliances, gather herbs, instruments of power and the odd eyeball and femur, and prepare for a mystery-shrouded event that will take place on Halloween night. l’ho seguito. Ha portato il suo bottino in una grande fattoria a sud di qui – un posto pieno di pali della luce, sopra il quale infuria una tempesta perenne. Ha consegnato il materiale a un uomo alto e longilineo, chiamandolo 'Buon Dottore'. "

I went to his reading at an SF convention and the guy literally got up on the table and barely read from his script as he performed, with glowing eyes and such energy, a scene right from A Night in Lonesome October. A few times a century, on a night in the lonesome October, when the moon shines full on Halloween, the way may be opened for the return of the Elder Gods to Earth. Some people will assist in the opening of the way for them, while others will strive to keep the way closed. For ages, the closers have won... Often, just barely. And there are stories of a shadowy man, half mad, a killer, a wanderer -- and his dog -- who always show up to attempt the closing."

New in Series

And how do I write a review for this book that will do it justice? So cleverly written, and readers will delight in figuring out one by one who each of the “players” in the game are — many of which are characters from Victorian literature. Even though this was my fourth or more go-round with these characters, I stayed up late to experience the novel’s unique ending all over again. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read — not just one of the best fantasy or science-fiction books. Want proof? My three children, then teenagers, listened to it twice on car trips, lapping up every word, eager to hear what was to come next. Now that’s magic!

There was a big fellow lurching about the place-drunk perhaps. Biggest man I’ve ever seen. He was only about for a little while, during the height of the storm. Then he lay down on that fancy bed in the basement, and the Good Doctor covered him up, entirely, with a sheet. He didn’t stir again. Sono tre notti che un ometto gobbo saccheggia i cimiteri. L'ho visto durante i miei pattugliamenti. Due notti fa, grazie al plenilunio, I think one has to read the book to understand what the story is all about. And many reviewers mentioned that it takes half the novel read to get the idea of the story. I would like to correct it, it took me more than two third of the book to understand what is happening. Story is written from watchdog's point of view. In a certain area of London, during Halloween of 1880's, a group of people (with special powers) gathered to perform a particular ceremony. They call it the Game. Each player has their own companion (animals) who help them during the Game. Players are divided into two groups, the Openers and the Closers. This year's Game became dangerous because of the death of players from both the sides. Snuff, watchdog, and Gray, cat, venture their own adventures during Game to find out truth behind various strange events. You will find all type of characters in story, a magician, a witch, a vampire, a warewolf, a psychopath, a Frankenstein and many more. MADE THE CIRCUITS. THE THING IN THE CIRCLE changed shape, finally making itself look like a lady dog of attractive person and very friendly disposition. But I was not fooled into breaking the Circle. It didn’t have the smell part down yet Thank you to my friends Tadiana and Evgeny for turning me on to this book and this author! I will be rereading this for October as each chapter is a day in October. I might summarize my feelings during the whole process.

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Master of Your Domain: Snuff finds Larry deep in a meditative trance in a zen garden on the day before the full moon, which is implied to be part of the man's efforts to retain self-control during his upcoming moon-change. Re-reading for the SF/Fantasy monthly & loved it. It's a fast, fun read & has the quality I've come to expect from Zelazny. The story, as one of the character's of the book puts it, is 'a lunatic scavenger hunt' in more ways than one. Who are the people, what are they trying to accomplish - are they good or bad guys? It's also perfect Halloween reading. There's also a mysterious wolf by the moniker of Growler, and a monster with a beating heart after all (come on up to the podium Mr Frank N. Stein and take a bow).

Casts No Shadow: Cheeter, thanks to the shadow-pinning rite Owen used to make the squirrel his familiar. The book begins with a gathering of strange (and strangely familiar) magic workers who gather in a village outside of London to play a “game” in which each player has chosen one of two sides. Told from the perspective of Snuff, a delightful dog who loyally accompanies his master on strange and grisly errands, the story is slowly revealed through the interactions of the animal familiars (though the more-or-less human characters play their parts, as well).Okay, so that's not really Bubo and that's not really Snuff and that's not really Gray. But that's the best I could do, so there.