Horror

Quantum of Nightmares

Quantum of Nightmares

  • Downloads：4240
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-01-13 04:19:24
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Charles Stross
  • ISBN：B099QJ6L88
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

David C Ward ，

Stross’ Merchant series has （apparently） ended but the Laundry Files ticks on。 Basically national security plus witchcraft， alternate time lines， necromancy and paranormal humans with extra powers。 The real subject is work and bureaucracy and Stross is very good at the Corpspeak， euphemisms， agendas and action items of post modern， privatized neo liberal society。 This one is not a continuation of others in the series as the takeover of a mid level shopping chain by the Bigge Corporation is a cov Stross’ Merchant series has （apparently） ended but the Laundry Files ticks on。 Basically national security plus witchcraft， alternate time lines， necromancy and paranormal humans with extra powers。 The real subject is work and bureaucracy and Stross is very good at the Corpspeak， euphemisms， agendas and action items of post modern， privatized neo liberal society。 This one is not a continuation of others in the series as the takeover of a mid level shopping chain by the Bigge Corporation is a cover for a religious cult and an extermination/slave labor plot。 The kids and young adults are a little annoying but arright in the end。 The action is pretty frenetic and you probably shouldn’t read this if you don’t want to know how sausage （sic） is made。 。。。more

Verity Halliday ，

Quantum of Nightmares is the second in the New Management series， which is a spin-off from Charles Stross' Laundry Files series。 I think it's important to read the series in order， so that you're properly introduced to the characters so I was glad to have read Dead Lies Dreaming before this。Quantum of Nightmares is a high speed super-villan caper， with magic and elder gods， set in an almost-recognisable present day London。 If you're squeamish， be warned that there are some rather gruesome parts， Quantum of Nightmares is the second in the New Management series， which is a spin-off from Charles Stross' Laundry Files series。 I think it's important to read the series in order， so that you're properly introduced to the characters so I was glad to have read Dead Lies Dreaming before this。Quantum of Nightmares is a high speed super-villan caper， with magic and elder gods， set in an almost-recognisable present day London。 If you're squeamish， be warned that there are some rather gruesome parts， which have made me think twice about visiting a supermarket deli counter。A highly recommended read， but make sure you read Dead Lies Dreaming first。Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback。 。。。more

Alexandra ，

I read this courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher。 This is a Charles Stross novel on。。。 whatever drugs you take that make you talk at， like， three times the normal speed。 （Hmm。 Is it speed？） One blurb says this is a Laundry Files novel。 Another says that it is Laundry Files-adjacent。。。 and that's the accurate one。 I haven't read every Laundry Files， but I've read enough that I know what's going on。 The start of this novel， though， was unrecognisable。。。 so then I went to look it up， and it's th I read this courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher。 This is a Charles Stross novel on。。。 whatever drugs you take that make you talk at， like， three times the normal speed。 （Hmm。 Is it speed？） One blurb says this is a Laundry Files novel。 Another says that it is Laundry Files-adjacent。。。 and that's the accurate one。 I haven't read every Laundry Files， but I've read enough that I know what's going on。 The start of this novel， though， was unrecognisable。。。 so then I went to look it up， and it's the sequel （not mentioned in the blurbs I saw） to a spin-off。 So。。。 that's all important information to have on hand。 （There is no Bob Howard in this novel。） Having said that， I did read the whole thing and I did largely enjoy it， so Stross manages to get enough background info in without dry info-dumps to make it understandable。。。 eventually。 CW: there's some pretty gross stuff here。 Think。。。 meat packaging。。。 and really the very worst bits about what can go wrong in abattoirs。 Also， and I'm only slightly joking， if you have a phobia about HR and their policies， this is not the book for you; it takes corporate speak and the ill-intentions of large corporations to a whole new level。 I suspect this does count as horror， in which case it's right on the giddy edge for me。 There are many different strands entwined throughout this story。 There's a pseudo-nanny looking after kids who are not what they seem （well， they're annoying little kids but with Extras）; there's loafers who just want to play D&D who get pulled into annoying real world stuff; there's the aforementioned HR and a truly heinous view of cut-price supermarkets and a nightmarish future for how they might turn a profit。 There are desperate people and sad people and bewildered people; there are double-crosses and worshipping of sinister entities and ruthless acts that just made me blink at their atrociousness。 It's not a particularly happy book; nor is it uplifting; so if that's what you need right now， go somewhere else。 But there is a dark humour to parts， and there's a diverse cast of characters （trans， queer， not-Anglo）， and the occasional good deed， so it's entirely and unrelentingly depressing。 。。。 when I put it like that I'm not sure how I managed to get through it！ It's not quite as bad as that makes it sound。 For one thing， it rockets along at a tremendous pace。 I never quite got lost but it was occasionally a white-knuckle， hold-on-tight and trust that Stross is in control of the narrative kind of experience。 I probably only kept going because I do， indeed， trust Stross to land such intricate stories in a way that makes sense。 Which he does here， yet again。 I don't think I'll go find the first book now - I suspect much of it is now spoiled， because I know who survives various difficult situations。 Also， if it's like this one， I need a fair while to balance out the grimness。 But I don't regret reading this one。 。。。more

K。J。 Charles ，

This book is what happens if you put superheroes， HP Lovecraft， The Office， and Mary Poppins into a blender。 An evil blender。 Immense fun， picking up immediately after the end of book 1 （don't even think about starting here）。 Ex-henchwoman and sorcerer Eve is trying to complete the corporate takeover she started by killing her boss （also， trying to stop him coming back， oops）， aided by her brother and his motley crew of superpowered layabouts; ex cop Wendy is investigating bizarre and indeed dis This book is what happens if you put superheroes， HP Lovecraft， The Office， and Mary Poppins into a blender。 An evil blender。 Immense fun， picking up immediately after the end of book 1 （don't even think about starting here）。 Ex-henchwoman and sorcerer Eve is trying to complete the corporate takeover she started by killing her boss （also， trying to stop him coming back， oops）， aided by her brother and his motley crew of superpowered layabouts; ex cop Wendy is investigating bizarre and indeed disgusting goings on at a supermarket with an even worse HR department than usual （I *know*）; a fake nanny with a bag of infinite holding has infiltrated the family of a pair of superheroes。 The various plotlines weave together very enjoyably， at accelerating pace。 Some cracking jokes， fun pop culture references， ingenious magic， good action sequences， and the supermarket horror is proper grim。 Plus plenty of overt political comment and satire because seriously， look around you。 And Ultra-Violent Mary Poppins is a joy。 Let me also note that the cast is properly diverse with queer couples and a trans boy， and the sort of racial mix you would expect from a book set in London but frequently don't get， plus three of the four main viewpoint characters are women。 Very much looking forward to how this story resolves！I had an ARC from the author。 。。。more