The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files, #1) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Sep 04, 2015 Lyn rated it liked it

Charles Stross’ 2004 publication The Atrocity Archives introduces readers to his Laundry Files and protagonist Bob Howard.

Taking inspiration from HP Lovecraft and Robert A. Howard (too much of a coincidence that his hero is named Bob Howard) Stross describes an urban fantasy world building where “The Laundry” is an ultra-secret British agency that deals with the paranormal and occult, kind of a British Men in Black.

Stross’ science and mathematics appear to be solid and he artfully mixes in conce ...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, cthulhu-goes-ph-nglui-mglw-nafh-ct, humor

Update 1/17/18
This is the third read and since I keep getting more excited every time I read it, I'm breaking down and just plopping a big extra star on for sheer enjoyment.

I've decided this book is not only Spy Fiction with a Cthulhu twist with lots of super geeky math moments, but it's also Physics Porn. I've decided that I am exactly the right audience for this book. Or maybe I've become exactly the right audience. I want more. More. More. More. More. More. More.

I chuckle throughout the whole Update 1/17/18
This is the third read and since I keep getting more excited every time I read it, I'm breaking down and just plopping a big extra star on for sheer enjoyment.

I've decided this book is not only Spy Fiction with a Cthulhu twist with lots of super geeky math moments, but it's also Physics Porn. I've decided that I am exactly the right audience for this book. Or maybe I've become exactly the right audience. I want more. More. More. More. More. More. More.

I chuckle throughout the whole damn novel, and when I start realizing that I actually understand the physics porn, I get this huge giddy feeling. But that's not all this is. Not by a long shot. It's a fight with the damn administration. It's feeling stuck and deciding to follow your instinct to make the best out of things by doing the right thing. Even if it's becoming an active operative in a nightmare scenario. :)

This book, this series, is one of the biggest reasons why Charley Stross is one of my absolute favorite authors of all time. He's wicked smart, funny, and geeky to hell. :)

I can't recommend this enough. :)

Original Review:

This is the second time I'll be reading the Laundry Files to get to the new stuff I haven't. It has so many great aspects that bring those big smiles on my face, namely: Cthulhu hacking spy comedy. The first time I read it, I didn't realize these novels were all based individually on the style of different spy fiction authors, which will end soon and be based solely upon Charles Stross's style. It is an easy and fun read and tickles all my genre bones, so it, therefore, qualifies in some of very top lists for must-reads. That isn't to say the novel doesn't have it's dry spots, either in the admittedly authentic sounding military jargon or the specialized mathematical humor that may or may not be lost upon many readers; even so, the voice never falters and the humorous parts are definitely humorous. I will admit that I am a fanboy of his works and will always be skewed in his favor. Guilty pleasures, and all that. ...more

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Jan 17, 2018 Trish rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was fun!

The Atrocity Archives is the first in Charles Stross' The Laundry Files books. The Atrocity Archives is an actual archive in Amsterdam where occult and bizarre objects are kept. And Laundry is the name of a super top secret organization in Her Majesty's government charged with stopping stupid people from accidentally inviting god-like creatures into our realm and thus destroying Earth.

The first thing I noticed about this book was the author's style. The MC is a guy working for "IT" ...more

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Jan 19, 2018 Veronique rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read2018

3.5*

After years of being aware of Stross’s Laundry Files books, I finally dived in :0)

This first instalment introduces Bob Howard, a hacker turned agent for a secret British government agency dealing with all the weird and wonderful things that go bump in the night. Don’t think James Bond but rather an ‘IT guy’ working for Men in Black / X Files but with a lot more geekery, maths, and mind-numbing bureaucracy, in triplicates, where computers can summon Lovecraftian demons! Somehow, Bob keeps bei ...more

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