The Red Stone of Jubbah - An Abdul Alhazred Story
I received this book from Sadie Hartmann as a bonus in one of my Night Worms packages many months ago. I knew I would be interested because of its roots in H.P. Lovecraft's works, but it took me until now to pick it up.
At first, I was confused with the names and keeping characters straight. I needed to get my footing, but this only lasted a few pages before I was familiarized and grounded. Then I was fully immersed in this world that Donald Tyson formed around Lovecraft's mad Arab and author of the Necronomicon, Abdul Alhazred.
Surprisingly, the character of Alhazred was written in a very human and relatable way. He was interesting and I wanted to get to know him so I could understand his ways. This book reads like a pulp adventure story, with an atmosphere of intrigue. There were times where I was reminded of the movie The Mummy (the Brendan Fraser one) because of its fun, sometimes frightening excitement. It was also reminiscent of the Tales from the Cryptkeeper cartoon because of the presence of some goofiness alongside an underlying menace. It was absolutely a book for adults, so don't read too much into my childhood references, but it drew from all those places for me that really made it a home run in my eyes. The interior art by M. Wayne Miller helped contribute to that sensation.
I removed the fifth star for this rating because of that initial confusion in the writing that could have repelled me if I hadn't been persistent. I also did some homework afterwards and found that Donald Tyson has a variety of occult-style books relating to Lovecraft's mythos ('Necronomicon,' 'Alhazred'), yet I have no idea where 'The Red Stone of Jubbah' lies in the timeline, or if it's even part of a cohesive series. It seemed to start and end in the middle; a slice of life through Alhazred's eyes. It would have been great to know where the book in my hands was meant to stand in relation to Alhazred's life, and even doing a bit of research did not grant me clarity on that.
I must emphasize that I am very excited to read Tyson's other works. I have always wondered about the background of the creation of the Necronomicon and how Abdul Alhazred came to be the vessel for a book bound by cosmic horror and mystery. The Red Stone of Jubbah made me fully invested in seeking out everything else Donald Tyson has imagined up on paper.
