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A Lush and Seething Hell

Two Tales of Cosmic Horror

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A Lush and Seething Hell

Written by: John Hornor Jacobs
Narrated by: Almarie Guerra, MacLeod Andrews
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About this listen

The award-winning and critically-acclaimed master of horror returns with a pair of chilling tales - both never-before-published in print or audio - that examine the violence and depravity of the human condition.

Bringing together his acclaimed novella The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky and an all-new short novel My Heart Struck Sorrow, John Hornor Jacobs turns his fertile imagination to the evil that breeds within the human soul.

A brilliant mix of the psychological and supernatural, blending the acute insight of Roberto Bolaño and the eerie imagination of H. P. Lovecraft, The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky examines life in a South American dictatorship. Centered on the journal of a poet-in-exile and his failed attempts at translating a maddening text, it is told by a young woman trying to come to grips with a country that nearly devoured itself.

In My Heart Struck Sorrow, a librarian discovers a recording from the Deep South - which may be the musical stylings of the Devil himself.

Breathtaking and haunting, A Lush and Seething Hell is a terrifying and exhilarating journey into the darkness, an odyssey into the deepest reaches of ourselves that compels us to confront secrets best left hidden.

©2019 John Hornor Jacobs (P)2019 HarperAudio Dark Fantasy Fantasy Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Scary Paranormal Fiction Exciting Heartfelt Dream
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Both of these novellas share a similar plot device, a person exposed to something causing them to become obsessed with discovering more about it, leading them on a path to their inevitable fates.
Although a common trope in cosmic horror, these stories lacked the existential dread so crucial to the genre.
I’d recommended these stories as they are both very entertaining, but the hype man at the beginning and all the online reviews touting this as a work of cosmic horror tainted my experience and left me wanting.

Books good. Advertising sucked.

Enjoyable but light on cosmic horror.

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A Lush and Seething Hell is made up of two unrelated novellas, but only one of them is really worth your time. The second story, My Heart Struck Sorrow, takes up about 80% of the book, and this review and rating are based entirely on that one—because it’s that good.

The first story, The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky, is vague, slow, and ultimately forgettable. It leans too heavily on mystery without delivering a satisfying payoff. The ending feels rushed and predictable. Honestly, skip it—you won’t miss anything.

The second story, on the other hand, is excellent. My Heart Struck Sorrow is original, atmospheric, and incredibly well written. The pacing is spot-on—not too fast or too slow—and the way it blends folklore, music, and horror is fresh and engaging. The narrator also does a great job switching between characters, making the whole thing feel immersive and alive.

Since the second story takes up most of the book, you’re still getting plenty of value even if you skip the first. It’s absolutely worth buying, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys thoughtful, well-crafted horror.

Original, creative, amazing.

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