Escape from Yokai Land

Escape from Yokai Land (Laundry 7.5) by Charles Stross


Bob is back, and he's sent to Japan to fight Yokai and Gaiju.

This is an enjoyable quick read - slightly longer than a short story - that introduces Laundryphiles to the paranormal world of Japan. The Japanese are worried that an epidemic of Yokai (Japanese monsters) will metastasize into a single big Gaiju disaster. Bob - who is settling into his Eater of Souls role - is sent to handle the problem.

Stross is brilliant in setting his story in the cute/adorable world of Japanese culture, where the Gaiju threat comes from “Hello Kitty” and the color scheme of the Lovecraftian apocalypse is pink and white and powered by the giggles of pre-teen girls.

My complaint is that this seems to be a section of a longer book - Laundry 8, perhaps. It satisfies our Laundry addiction, but leaves us hankering for the next fix.