Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores, October 2026
“The Fox’s Bargain” by Benjamin Adams
Reviewed by Eric Kimminau
Eldritch is “… the strange, the indefinable, the liminal, the uncanny things between the space that sweep tingles over us…”. The afternotes for this story reported “This story is based on a Mesopotamian legend that has only this past year been translated into English. Some of the original is missing, and the author hopes that it has not been hubris to compose an ending for it!” I am looking forward to such a mythical epic.
Within “The Fox’s Bargain” by Benjamin Adams, the narrative establishes a desolate Mesopotamian landscape surrounding the city of Ashur, gripped by a catastrophic, unheralded drought following the inexplicable disappearance of the storm deity Ishkur. As the celestial council of gods bickers amidst infrastructural decay, the impending collapse of mortal civilization necessitates an unorthodox intervention, prompting an unassuming trickster figure to volunteer for a perilous descent into the netherworld.
This ambitious mythological retelling mixes high-stakes divine politics with clever negotiation tactics, charting the protagonist’s subterranean odyssey through increasingly surreal and atmospheric domains. While the text employs familiar folkloric archetypes, it reframes traditional underworld motifs through an analytical lens, balancing existential dread with subtle pragmatic diplomacy as the quest unfolds toward an unrevealed equilibrium.
Perfectly timed for the Halloween season, it is profoundly appropriate at this point in our nation’s history that we remember the sins of eons past, as well as our commitment to faith, hope, charity, and mercy, and the bargains made at the founding of our great nation. We must continue to sing of its’ mercy and grace. A truly enjoyable read!
Eric Kimminau is a BBS geek turned IT professional seeking the next Great Adventure. Let’s Go!