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...

4.0 to 4.5 stars. Incredible concept realized by an outstanding author. Combine James Bond, H.P. Lovecraft, the X-files and science fiction and you get the Atrocity Archives, the first book of the Laundry series. The Laundry is an ultra top secret British agency in an alternate version or our modern world that battles supernatural forces right out of the Cthulhu mythos. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. RECOMMENDED!!!!

Stross’ take on the urban fantasy is engaging but clunky in parts. The Atrocity Archives is first in currently seven book series–for those of you looking to sink your reading chops into an established series–that feature Robert Howard, computer programmer and now employee of Her Majesty’s Secret Supernatural Service. Bob found his way into the top-secret government organization when he did something precocious with a computer, and now he’s facing the unusual dilemma of being a stipend collecting...

Charles Stross's The Atrocity Archives (The Laundry #1) was a fun read (the scattered Cthulhu references added to the entertainment). I liked the humor inherent in a bureaucracy battling demons and forestalling the coming apocalypse (while making sure timesheets are filled out properly). It felt a little less light-hearted when Nazis and the occult were woven into the plot. Even if this strengthened the plot, I enjoyed it a little less because what I like about The Atrocity Archives wasn't tied

Every so often I come across a book so laden with obscure references that only my own particular predisposition to trivia sees me through to the other side. Charles Stross has accomplished just such a feat with The Atrocity Archives, a bewildering, fascinating, and very funny look inside the bureaucratic world of top-secret British occult espionage.If I had to capture the tone of the Atrocity Archives in one sentence, I'd describe it as three parts Men In Black, two parts The Office, and two par...

Imagine that mathematics and magic are the same thing. Also imagine that all those people in madhouses in Lovecraft, H.P. stories are right and there are other universes where ancient malevolent entities are just waiting for an invitation to visit for a quick massacre of humanity before breakfast......plainly all nations would have a secret agency dedicated to protecting the public and keeping them blithely unaware of the outrageously dangerous world they really live in.Enter Bob Howard, junior

Dudes, I finally did it! I finally read a Charles Stross novel that didn't leave me feeling vaguely disappointed that I didn't enjoy it more! Apparently this is the series for me, of his work. So far. Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook

I'm about 140 pages into this and so far my opinion is rather low. If it's meant to be funny, it's not particularly so. Certainly there is no sense of dread or horror as pertains to Lovecraft's body of work that Stross seems to be paying homage to - though I think he was aiming for something far more slapstick - perhaps a Douglams Adams/Terry Pratchet take on the Cthulhu mythos. Thus far, Stross isn't succeeding in my view. It may also be that the main hero - Bob Howard, strikes me as just the s...

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...

This novel, the first in the "Laundry Files" series, is a blend of science fiction and fantasy. The story follows computer scientist Bob Howard into a job he has fallen into, in a top-secret British intelligence service. Bob has a wide range of talents in mathematics, computers, and engineering. He has learned how to conjure spirits from another universe, using scientific/magical techniques that are kept top secret.The plot is amazingly silly, yet there are some truly hilarious scenes scattered

A genre bending debut from Stross that takes its cues from Rankin and Holt as well as Morgan and Stephenson, Deighton and Le Carre - Highly recommended.Read on the plane from London to Vienna and whilst being bored to tears by ViennaSo Vienna is dull, a complete waste of time for anyone looking for a vibrant, friendly and warm city. On the plus side it gave me the chance to sit in the sun drinking coffee and finish reading this great book.I'd always thought Stross would be a difficult read, henc...

Update 1/17/18This 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...

What did I think? Cyber-Lovecraftian.Stross created an interesting world with The Atrocity Archives. It's got a Joe Almost Regular who's been pulled into a world of no name agencies and supernatural horrors. Bob, our fearless hero comes across like a midlevel IT specialist with a few extra talents. While this is fun, Stross goes off the rails into the deep end of technogeek speak a few times. What doesn't sound like IETF babble makes a hard attempt at really magicking quantum physics, which does...

so there's all sorts of nerds in the world, right? so many different kinds and really they don't have a lot in common outside of their basic nerdiness. I was out for drinks last Friday and someone made some kind of joke about renaming a lesbian club "Aphrodite" and I responded that that doesn't make sense, it should be called "Artemis" or at least "Athena", some goddess who isn't so connected to the male gaze and men in general etc. then I proceeded to describe what each of those goddesses overs...

Bullet Review:I've basically been reading this for 3 months. I'll make progress and then I'll find ANY excuse to drop the book. The ONLY thing keeping me going back is the fact I agreed to buddy read this with a friend - and in the same time I got over 1/3 of the way, she couldn't manage past the first chapter.DNF at 39%.Full Review:I have come to fully accept that there will be books that other people ADORE that I just won't like. This doesn't mean the book is bad (though sometimes I will say i...

I wasn't sure if I'd like this book or not, but I did end up enjoying it. The only reason I didn't give it 4 stars was there was too much technical jargon that I didn't understand. But all in all an ok read.

Charles Stross is an author I want to like. I like his blogs, I like his personality and honesty (in so far as one can gauge such things based on the author's writings, interviews and such). The only snag is I am somewhat ambivalent about his fiction. I don't doubt that he is a talented writer of science fiction. He comes up with some great ideas and is quite popular within his chosen genre. Unfortunately from the three books I have read so far there is something about his fiction writing style

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"

3.5The Atrocity Archives consists of two stories connected only by the main character Bob Howard and his weird job. It is more of an introduction to this series than anything else.And I liked it. I admit that the mathematical-engineering-scientific stuff mostly went right over my head, but the way Lovecraftian themes are used is enough for me to continue the series.

Bob is a hacker who accidentally came to the attention of a super-super-no-for-real-secret British agency known as the Laundry, and was recruited into an intelligence agency that literally makes you sign your oath of secrecy in blood. The Laundry is dedicated to saving the world one day at a time from eldritch horrors who threaten to blot out the sun, and also to maintaining Total Quality Management and keeping Parliament from cutting back on their office supply budget. In other words, it's mean...