Corporate Cthulhu: Lovecraftian Tales of Bureaucratic Nightmare

YOUR CALL TO CTHULHU IS IMPORTANT TO US. PLEASE HOLD. Red tape. Catch-22s. Circular chains of command. Whether you're a customer or co-worker, bureaucracies drive us all insane. Even management is just a cog in a vast machine. Information, items, and even people get lost in the system, never gone but never found. No one seems to notice the insanity surrounding them... or if they do, they keep it to themselves. After all, those who notice and call attention to it tend to disappear, leaving nothing behind but an empty desk and whispered rumors in the break room. If ever there was a place for a cosmic horror to hide, grow, and thrive, it's deep within the archives of a huge, old bureaucracy. But of all bureaucracies, corporations are the most powerful, seeming to have a life and will of their own. They're privately held with a multi-national reach, seemingly bottomless resources, and armies of lawyers jealously guarding their trade secrets. Corporate culture fiercely resists any attempt to change or regulate it, and anything and everything is justified by the bottom line. Who needs a Cthulhu Cult when you've got Cthulhu, Inc.? Into this insidious world are thrust our heroes—the curious, the puzzled, and the frustrated. Defying authority, seeking answers they'd be better off not knowing, the secrets they discover threaten their sanity and their lives. Will they become the next whistleblower media hero? Or the next no-call / no-show their coworkers promptly forget? Just remember: it's nothing personal—it's just business. This book contains twenty-five tales of bureaucratic insanity, including: DEATH PLEDGE by Jeff Deck WELCOME TO THE R’LYEH CORPORATION by James Pratt SHADOW CHARTS by Marcus Johnston CASUAL FRIDAY by Todd H. C. Fischer THE GOD UNDER THE CHURCH by David Tallerman REFUSAL by DJ Tyrer DAGON-TEC by Adam Millard ESOTERIC INSURANCE, INC. by Evan Dicken &amp; Adrian Ludens CAREER ZOMBIE by John Taloni BOEDROMION NOUMENIA by Andrew Scott INCORPORATION by Max D. Stanton THE LOPONINE EXPLOITATION by John M. Campbell FESTIVAL PREPARATIONS by Justin Bailey MARYANNE’S EQUATIONS by Harry Pauff WHOLESOME LABOR by Sam Rent LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR by Wile E. Young TINDALOS, INC. by Charlie Allison CLEAN UP AISLE FOUR by Josh Storey FORCED LABOR by Peter Rawlik THE SHADOWS LENGTHEN in the Close by Ethan Gibney IT CAME FROM I.T. by Gordon Linzner RETRACTION by Marie Michaels FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AT DAGOCORP HQ by L Chan NO DOVES COME FROM RAVEN EGGS by Mark Oxbrow APOTHEOSIS by Darren Todd

Literature & Fiction

Ludens, Adrian

Rawlik, Peter

Tallerman, David

Dicken, Evan

Tyrer, DJ

Linzner, Gordon

Millard, Adam

Fischer, Todd H. C.

Stasheff, Edward J

Todd, Darren

Genre Fiction

Stasheff Literary Enterprises

CROSS THE VOID OF TIME AND SPACE, SEEK AND FIND YOUR PROPER PLACE! 
Matt didn't know the scrap of parchment was a trap. So he read the runes — and found himself on a world where reciting poetry verses worked magic. His first effort got him locked in a dungeon by the evil sorcerer Malingo. Trying for light, he brought forth a fire-breathing, drunken dragon, who told him Princess Alisande, rightful ruler of Merovence, was also held in the dungeon. 
Naturally, he had to free her, himself, and the dragon, using poetry lifted from Shakespeare. And because she was young and beautiful, he swore to serve as her wizard. Then he learned that his job as wizard was to fix it so the three of them could overcome all the dark magic and armies of Malingo! 
The addition to the party of a lust-witch and a priest who became a werewolf now and then didn't seem much help. Matt figured he had got himself into quite a predicament. 
For once, he was right! 
This 25th anniversary edition includes new cover art and a new introduction by the author.

Her Majesty's Wizard (A Wizard in Rhyme)

Stasheff, Christopher

Humor & Satire

ENEMIES AT THE GATES... AND A DEMON WITHIN. 
Something sinister is creeping over the northern duchy of Gramarye. Fleeing refugees carry rumors of a warlock army conquering barony after barony, invading and controlling the minds of innocent people. 
Rod Gallowglass, the Lord High Warlock of Gramarye, is sent to investigate, accompanied by his wife and children. Who is behind all the turmoil? The mysterious sorcerer Alfar who frightened peasants whisper about? Or something even worse? 
But before he can confront the rebel warlocks, Rod must find a way to reign in his violent, explosive temper. If he loses control at the wrong moment, he'll lose more than his temper, he'll lose his head — or, worse, his family!

The Warlock Enraged (The Warlock of Gramarye)

Humor & Entertainment

Humor

AN UNBREAKABLE VOW 
Matt Mandrell, unsuspecting graduate student, never imagined his research would lead him to a strange scrap of parchment that would change his life forever. . . . 
Crossing the void of time and space, Matt is whisked away to an enchanted world where speaking in rhymes works the most dazzling magic. There he wins not only fame and power as the Lord High Wizard, but the heart of the beautiful Queen Alisande. His dreams are shattered, though, when he learns that he can’t marry his true love; wizard or not, Matt is just a commoner in this bizarre land. 
So Matt makes a foolish vow: to conquer a kingdom, any kingdom, if that’s what it takes to claim his bride. But, as Matt discovers, in this world of enchantment, such an oath cannot be broken. He has truly committed himself to win a crown or die trying. 
In search of lands to conquer, Matt sets his sights on neighboring Ibile, where the evil Gordorgrosso rules with an iron fist and sinister magic. Matt marches off against the tyrant, gathering a small band of unlikely allies, including a surly dracogriff, a well-spoken cyclop, and a damsel in distress. But against Gordogrosso’s foul genius, Matt is going to need much more than a few stout-hearted companions and some clever rhymes. . . . 
Matt Mantrell's talent for poetry had won him fame, power, and the heart of a beautiful queen. But to win her hand, he would have to conquer a kingdom.

The Oathbound Wizard (A Wizard in Rhyme)

Poetry

AN ATHEIST IN A WORLD OF ANGELS AND DEMONS 
Saul didn't have so many friends that he would give one up without a fight. So when Matt disappeared, Saul started a search that led through Matt's kitchen window -- straight into a world of magic and desperate danger! 
Saul discovered that in this world, his love of verse made him a wizard. But his newfound magic earned him a dreadful foe: Queen Suettay, a false monarch without peer for wickedness and corruption. A fearsome sorceress herself, with armies steeped in evil ready to obey her every sinful command, she determined to break Saul's growing power -- or win his soul for Satan. 
Fortunately, Saul earned some stalwart friends, as well: Gruesome the troll and young Squire Gilbert; Saul's own guardian angel, and the beautiful -- if unsubstantial -- Angelique. But he'd need the help of the mysterious Spider King to spin a web strong enough to trap this tyrant!

The Witch Doctor (A Wizard in Rhyme)

CAN A SECULAR SOVEREIGN SURVIVE IN A WORLD OF PURE GOOD AND EVIL? 
In sunny Latruria, the wicked old king was dead, and the new king spurned the rule of Evil. But turmoil began to spread, even across the border, when the new king also resisted Good! In nearby Merovence, Lord Wizard Matt Mantrell donned a disguise and set off to investigate, never dreaming that Latruria's malevolent prime minister was mobilizing his minions... 
"Minstrel" Matt sang his way south, dodging deadly enemies and music critics alike. He was teamed with a lovesick lad, menaced by a manticore, haunted by a ghost from Greece, and swept along in a flood of youngsters fleeing the provinces for the "glamour" of the city. But when they all washed up in the capital, harsh reality awaited them, not gold-paved streets. 
An even harsher reality awaited Matt: cutthroat court politics vying for control of Latruria's King... and if he refused to be controlled, he'd have to be eliminated. To keep Latruria's secular monarch on the throne, Matt would have to square off against corrupt conspirators and sinister sorcerers backed by all the power of Hell. In the end, the Lord Wizard would face the ultimate test of magic - and he would need a lot of help to pass!

The Secular Wizard (A Wizard in Rhyme)

A WORLD OF TROUBLES - TIMES TWO! 
Matt Mantrell - Her Majesty's Wizard - conjured himself from magical Merovence to Jersey City for a long-delayed visit to his parents. Back in his hometown vicious, drug-dealing gangs had reduced Matt's old neighborhood to a wasteland, driven his father out of business, and forced his parents to the brink of destitution and homelessness. The only answer was for Matt to transport them - permanently - to Merovence. 
But once back in that realm with his parents in tow, Matt found that Merovence and the neighboring Kingdom of Ibile faced imminent subjugation by the conquest-hungry Moors. As Queen Alisande led her army to engage the enemy head-on, Matt launched his own campaign - with the aid of his fledgling wizard father, the faithful dragon Stegoman, and a hapless tag-along thief. Grappling with djinnis, matching wits with a Moorish military genius, and trading spells with sinister sorcerers, they sought to root out the real enemy behind the mayhem: a cunning and deadly wizard who served the most evil master of all...

My Son, the Wizard (A Wizard in Rhyme)

CAN THE WIZARD OF RHYME SOLVE A ROYAL CRIME? 
There's little love lost between the kindly monarchs of Merovence and the scheming sovereigns of Bretanglia. But when the brutish Prince Gaheris - heir apparent to the Bretanglian throne - is murdered during a brawl in a Merovence tavern, any pretense of civility between the two kingdoms flies out the window faster than the mysterious brigand who committed the dastardly deed. 
While the outraged king and queen of Bretanglia declare their intention to lay siege to Merovence, royal wizard Matthew Mantrell suspects the slain prince was done in by one of his own "loyal" subjects. 
As both sides gird for battle, Matt sets out - with trusty dragon in tow - to catch the killer. But the road to royal justice is rocky indeed, and a powerful sorcerer, a sinister cult of false druids, and a mischievous spirit are just some of the obstacles Matt must conquer - by wit or wizardry - to save his enchanted land from unholy forces of darkness...

The Haunted Wizard (A Wizard in Rhyme)

A CAT-NAPPED PRINCESS 
The feline magician Balkis has returned to Maracanda to reclaim her royal title. But a vengeful foe sprouts a diabolical scheme to spirit away the Princess of the Eastern Gate and send her tumbling forever through unknown worlds. Now an unprecedented search is begun, led by Balkis's mentor, Royal Wizard Matthew Mantrell. 
But the hardship of finding his apprentice cannot compare to Balkis's own struggle to escape the strange world in which she has landed. With the aid of a soul-weary young boy named Anthony, Balkis mounts a magnificent, though treacherous, journey. Together they must rely on each other and their powers--both mortal and magic--to defy the forces of darkness as they travel through a strange and magical land, ultimately to embrace the destiny they are fated to share...

The Feline Wizard (A Wizard in Rhyme)

The Warlock Wandering (The Warlock of Gramarye)

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