Pyramid Review: The Unspeakable Oath 16/17 (for Call of Cthulhu)

Pyramid Review

The Unspeakable Oath 16/17

Published by Pagan Publishing

Edited by Brian Appleton, John H. Crowe III, Adam Scott Glancy & John Tynes

Art by John Coulthart et al

$16

The Unspeakable Oath is Pagan Publishing's magazine devoted to Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu game, and the latest issue has just been released. Unfortunately it has been a long wait for issue 16/17 . . . some four years since the previous issue (14/15) was released back in 1997. Pagan Publishing is not a company that likes to publish in a rush, and instead tends to release a book once they have it right. In the long hiatus, have they got it right with this issue?

As with all of their books, UO 16/17 is attractive to look at. John Coulthart's full wraparound cover is equally eye-catching and disturbing, and not necessarily something you want to be seen in public with. Inside, John Tynes' layout is very clear and simple after the graphical complexities of the previous issue. Throughout, the use of both artwork and photographs is suitably appropriate.

Besides three new mysterious manuscripts, this issue has a strong bibliophilic bent. John Goodrich's "That Horrid Book" discusses the possible side effects of reading Mythos tomes, with a focus upon the Necronomicon itself. This aside, these are very good suggestions and should set any good Keeper thinking about possible side effects of reading other books. In "Lesser Evils," Brian M. Sammons introduces a number of new tomes and published . . .

This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.



Article publication date: April 27, 2001

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