Also included is the disturbing Muto-Harpy which was previously only available to Society of Excavator members by way of joining our forums, and six never before seen nasties including the troublesome little Nubinz, the grotesque Walking Mouther, slithering, highly venomous Snaykin, enormous yet varied race of Rubble Trolls, winged terror called the Apocalypse Moth, and most fearsome, intelligent and terrifying of all, the Spider Lord.Īll of these creatures come with their own mutation listing, and many, an extensive loot table perfectly suited to the sort of fiend they are, the victims they collect, and dwelling place they inhabit. Included in this tome are the first 13 deviant adversaries from the free PDF offerings: Sickle Foot, Red Harvester, Spikeback, Junk Mobster, Bog-Billy, Scraplurker, Back Hatcher, Quasi, Spiker, Wailing Jhonny, Tyrannosapien, Chest Head, and Talontessa. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.īoth comments and pings are currently closed.This mutant manual showcases 20 nasty freaks to keep your players on their toes. On Saturday, June 15th, 2019 at 6:26 pm and is filed under Books. Stross blends the natural ripening of a human with the guidance and discipline of the (faith-influenced?) organizational management styles in believable ways that are enjoyable, subtle, and worth reflection.įinally, there are some plot twists for the series that make one gasp in the how-did-I-miss-that way that great spy writers can pull off.

Meanwhile, Bob Howard is becoming a more mature and responsible manager of people and himself. The social criticism of both Megachurches and National Intelligence Services is subtle, but pointed. Stross lets neither organization off the hook for that. Some of these practices and motivations are inherently exploitative. It extends to the implicit comparison with the application of similar constraints and techniques inside the Laundry. The details of the way the church administration blends faith and business practices are clear and believable. The view is – perhaps surprisingly – sympathetic. One way that manifests itself is in Stross’s understanding and explication of the world of megachurches, both functionally and philosophically. I didn’t come away with the same feeling of gleeful pastiche that I have in other Laundries, but I came away with a deeper understanding of what’s going on behind the scenes in the world. The Apocalypse Codex shows off Stross’s world-building and attention to the clockwork of plot. All the computer science, networking, IT, and aviation references help a lot, of course. I love the mix of spy thriller, horror, and organization management review. My admiration for Charles Stross’s work in general and the Laundry books specifically is sizable and enduring.

The apocalypse codex