Fabulous

The reader, Gideon Emery, was perfect for this book, and the material was a fascinating blend of Lovecraftian tropes, computer technical geekery, and the application of over-the-top spycraft.

And damn it if the interpersonal relationships didn't have extraordinarily satisfying arcs! Stross's characters have really begun to feel like real people in the best possible way.

This has me slavering to hear the previous Laundry book, also read by Emery. I hope you've got Emery already producing the Fuller Memorandum, now that I'm on the topic, because if you can't tell, I think Stross, the Laundry books, and Emergy are a winning combo.

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The Laundry series continues to thrill

What made the experience of listening to The Jennifer Morgue the most enjoyable?

Charles Stross' dry geek humour makes the book feel like a conversation with my friends.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bob Howard is the perfect hero - flawed, honest and dealing with all situations in dry humour.

What does Gideon Emery bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator manages to insert the story directly into the listener's mind without intruding on the narrative.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I almost fell off the treadmill laughing at several points, and chuckled through most of the story.

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The Laundry as James Bond

The demon dimensions exist. Scary things from your nightmares are real. And Bob Howard- a computer geek - works for the Laundry. An MI-6/MI-5 type agency with all the bureaucratic ISO nightmares, created to control the demons and other horrible things that no one else believes really exist.

In 1975, the CIA used Howard Hughes's Glomar Explorer in a bungled attempt to raise a sunken Soviet submarine in order to access the Jennifer Morgue, an occult device that allows communication with the dead. Now a ruthless billionaire intends to try again, even if by doing so he awakens the Great Old Ones, who thwarted the earlier expedition. It's up to Bob to stop the bad guy and save the world, while getting receipts for all expenditures or else face the most dreaded menace of all: the Laundry's own auditors.

This third in the Laundry series move Bob along in his life, his relationship with his significant other- Mo, his next ina series of matrix management bosses, his father-son relationship with his true mentor in an entertaining story that makes Bob into the James Bond-like damsel in distress.

The snark factor has gone down as the Laundry series has continued. And we know that while Charles Stross has a problem with religion. What he really, really, really hates is American-style, pro-life, evangelical Christianity. However, you can get past this bias and just enjoy the story.

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GREAT NEW LISTEN

Once I got used to the accent it turned out to be a really fun listen. Lots of twists and turns. Wish I had listened to Book 1 first. Have ordered Book 1 to listen to better late than never. The characters are very richly portrayed by the narration. Easy to pick up where you left off and get absorbed in the book each time you start listening.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to any sci-fi enthusiast.

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Boring, dry, hard to get into!

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

No clue

What didn’t you like about Gideon Emery’s performance?

Dry, monotone almost embarrassing american accents

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

maybe if you can get past the narrator you MIGHT enjoy the book.

Any additional comments?

Classic case of narrator ruining the book

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Second book in the series

This is my second book in the series. I have been a little unsure whether to listen to it or not after having found the first book a little mixed.

Well I think this book is better than the first. There is still something about it that doesn't sit quite right with me - especially the second mini story at the end and the appendix; those I hated.

But for the main story which is the bulk of the book it was pretty decent and enough for me to give the third book a try.

I'd recommend this book if you work in IT and laugh (or cry) at bureaucracy.

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A Tap of the Nose and a Wink

Any additional comments?

Lighter on the satire, heavier on the adventure, still a fun ride.

If you read the first book in this series, then honestly this book is probably better written than that one. That said, I liked the first one more. However, in terms of a Did-I-Enjoy-This-Book scale, it remains equal. The Atrocity Archives and The Jennifer Morgue are just two different books. Where the first book was a satire of office culture and adventure mystery novels with a Lovecraftian spin, this one purposely plays a dashing British Spy story straight with the formula, but all the while it taps its nose and winks at you. So yeah, there is still satire here, but it is more of a clever adventure novel that plays with the tried and true stereotypes and cliches.

As for this book more specifically, Bob is back! I was actually afraid each book would have a different character, which would made me sad. But he is back and remains the main character. Also back are Pinky and Brains with a more active role. They are hilarious, Q eat your heart out. New to this book is a drop dead gorgeous mysterious woman and a maniacal bad guy. You'll like them, I promise.

Given the archetype this book is spoofing, you can count on a lot more scenes of poor Bob having to wing it MacGyver style (with tentacles). When he isn't doing this, he is usually being screwed over by whatever heinous and unmentionable events he's been railroaded into. I mean, he is just some poor cubical rat that gets sent out on dangerous missions occasionally.

So while this book has less, or maybe just more subtle, satire and fewer Eldritch horrors, it is a great example of what someone with a creative mind can do with a novel. I recommend it to anyone who liked the first book, and I for one plan on starting the third book before long - maybe tomorrow.

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Ian Fleming meets H.P. Lovecraft

Originally posted at Fantasy Literature. Life's too short to read bad books!

The Jennifer Morgue, the second novel in Charles Stross’ LAUNDRY FILES, is a science fiction spy thriller that’s an obvious homage to Ian Fleming and H.P. Lovecraft. Bob has been sent to the Caribbean to try to find out why Ellis Billington, an evil megalomaniac billionaire, is interested in The Jennifer Morgue, a place deep in the ocean which may be an access point into our universe by tentacled eldritch horrors. For this assignment, Bob is paired up with someone from the American agency that deals with this kind of supernatural stuff — a gorgeous woman possessed by a succubus.

As usual, Bob has been insufficiently briefed about his mission, so he’s bewildered most of the time. What is he doing wearing a tuxedo to a casino and ordering vodka martinis (shaken, not stirred)? Why does his nemesis have a fluffy white long-haired cat and insist on giving long-winded monologues every time he captures Bob? Bob doesn’t get to drive an Aston Martin, but his Smartcar swims and has an eject button. Eventually Bob discovers that he’s been hooked by a Hero Trap and he’s destined to play a role he doesn’t feel suited for.

Unpredictable and amusing all the way through, The Jennifer Morgue is a strange blend of genres that manages to work in Charles Stross’ hands. The plot is extremely far-fetched (just like a James Bond story), but that’s part of the fun. There are the usual geek culture references (e.g, Thinkgeek, and the famous 1984 Mac ad), comical office scenes (such as when all the attendees of a meeting are hypnotized by a Powerpoint presentation), and cool technology that seems more like magic (e.g., cosmetics used for surveillance). There are also undead seagulls, minions with mirrored shades and machine guns, and Bond babes. There are several plot twists and a reveal that turns the whole misogynistic James Bond trope on its head (thank you, Mr. Stross!).

At the end, The Jennifer Morgue contains some bonus material. There’s a hilarious short story called “Pimpf” in which Bob has to rescue a new intern from inside a MMORPG. Gamers will love it, I think. Then there’s an essay by Stross about the culture of the James Bond franchise which includes an interview with Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Again, I listened to the excellent audio version produced by Recorded Books and read by the perfectly-cast Gideon Emery. I recommend it.

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good, but not his best

Stress has an excellent turn of Phrase and an excellent sense of snark. I enjoyed this tho He really gets up to speed with The Fuller Memorandum and The Apocolypse Codex.

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I listend to the Laundry Files out of sequence

I listened to this series out of sequence and I cannot remember the individual story lines now after a few months have passed. But I did love the series.

just because i started writing this review I want to finish it but … i just want to remember if this book was the one of with the killer mermaid and james bond machines or the one with the killer violin or the one where the ice giants carved hitlers face into the moon.

Any ways... buy the book, listen to it, and then go buy all the other Atrocity Archive/Laundry File books there are... cause they are quite awesome.

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