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The Nightmare Stacks: A Laundry Files novel Paperback – May 11, 2017

by Charles Stross (Author)

3,684 ratings

Book 7 of 14: Laundry Files

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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Alex Schwartz had a great job and a promising future - until he caught an unfortunate bout of vampirism and agreed (on pain of death) to join the Laundry, Britain's only counter-occult secret intelligence agency. His first assignment is in Leeds - his old hometown. But the thought of telling his parents he's lost his job, let alone their discovering his 'condition', is causing Alex almost as much anxiety as his new lifestyle of supernatural espionage. His only saving grace is Cassie Brewer, a student from the local Goth Festival who flirts with him despite his fear of sunlight (and girls). But Cassie has secrets of her own - secrets that make Alex's nightlife seem positively normal.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 11, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 385 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0356505367
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0356505367
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.04 x 1.18 x 7.72 inches
Book 7 of 14 ‏ : ‎ Laundry Files

Best Sellers Rank: #1,137,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,015 in Espionage Thrillers (Books)
- #41,040 in Science Fiction (Books)

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3,684 ratings

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Charles Stross

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Charles Stross, 58, is a full-time science fiction writer and resident of Edinburgh, Scotland. The author of six Hugo-nominated novels and winner of the 2005, 2010, and 2015 Hugo awards for best novella, Stross's works have been translated into over twelve languages.

Like many writers, Stross has had a variety of careers, occupations, and job-shaped-catastrophes in the past, from pharmacist (he quit after the second police stake-out) to first code monkey on the team of a successful dot-com startup (with brilliant timing he tried to change employer just as the bubble burst).

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3,684 global ratings

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Customers find this book to be a satisfying read with a refreshing plot and interesting twists, describing it as a darkly fun Laundry-verse novel. They appreciate the character development, particularly Cassie as a great protagonist, and the humor that combines solid science fiction with the right amount of irony. The writing receives positive feedback for its creativity, with one customer noting how it masterfully stirs the imagination. While some customers praise the excellent pacing, others mention a slightly slow start.

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Readability Plot Fun Character development Humor Creativity Writing quality Pacing

110 customers mention "Readability"100 positive10 negative

Customers find the book to be a satisfying read, with one customer noting it's a worthy follow-up to the author's series.

"...A must read, but not until you have read at least a couple of of the earlier Laundry series -- it stands well enough alone, but its very rich..." Read more

"...This book was actually refreshing for being a part of the horrific Laundry Files series...." Read more

"...All in all, a worthy entry in an excellent series." Read more

"...]], just a couple of books ago, and here he does quite well...." Read more

79 customers mention "Plot"64 positive15 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, describing it as a suspense novel with interesting twists and a tight story arc.

"...And for all of us devoted LOTR fans, the entire novel is a bonus surprise, even if perhaps not the one we would have expected... It also clearly..." Read more

"...The answer is no and the ending is quite unexpected and satisfactory. Enjoy! I certainly did. VFL" Read more

"...the shifts in perspective increasing in a way that (mostly) successfully adds tension and urgency to the narrative...." Read more

"...all the series' trademark humor and intrigue while elaborating on its intricate mythology and giving a new and unique twist on an aspect of folk..." Read more

48 customers mention "Fun"48 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, describing it as a darkly fun Laundry-verse novel and one of the best guilty pleasure reads.

"...series: like some of the first in the series, this novel is full of very entertaining and sometimes outright hilarious moments...." Read more

"...This book is no great work of literature, but it's the best guilty pleasure reading I've done in a long time...." Read more

"...That said, it's a damn fun read. I'm going to focus on one thing here. I am a working researcher in evolutionary biology and genomics...." Read more

"...once more Stross pulls it off with another excellent and darkly fun Laundry-verse novel...." Read more

34 customers mention "Character development"31 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, particularly noting the great protagonists Cassie and Alex, as well as the welcome change in main heroes.

"...He is an interesting character and sets the stage for one of the most entertaining books yet...." Read more

"...The change of main heroes is welcome; the main protagonist of this novel is Alex the vampire who was introduced in [..." Read more

"...This book has interesting characters, phenomenal background research, humor, horror... you name it......" Read more

"...This seventh book works with some new characters and can be read out of sequence...." Read more

30 customers mention "Humor"30 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, appreciating its right amount of irony and how it blends with solid science fiction elements.

"...One is to stress the rekindled energy and especially humor in the series: like some of the first in the series, this novel is full of very..." Read more

"...It's all delightfully ludicrous, completely unnecessary, and so much fun." Read more

"...Still, it's a Laundry novel that delivers all the series' trademark humor and intrigue while elaborating on its intricate mythology and giving a new..." Read more

"...The result manages to be both funny and frightening, a good trick...." Read more

21 customers mention "Creativity"21 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's creativity, finding it masterfully stroked their imagination and riveting, with one customer noting its well-developed elvish theme.

"...a bit tired of the eldritch horrors, the threat in this book was creative and well conceived...." Read more

"...I liked the development of elvish theme, which is tied quite neatly into the Laundry universe...." Read more

"...by and large unfriendly to Civil Servants of moronic disposition and realistic..." Read more

"...On the whole, The Nightmare Stacks does a well-done look at fleshing out the universe of the Laundry series as well as showing CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN..." Read more

21 customers mention "Writing quality"19 positive2 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it well-crafted and worth reading, with one customer noting it can be read out of sequence.

"...His writing is outstanding as always..." Read more

"...excursion firmly within what the science tells us is plausible and comprehensible...." Read more

"...Even so, the book is worth reading for the writing, which is as good as ever...." Read more

"...This seventh book works with some new characters and can be read out of sequence...." Read more

17 customers mention "Pacing"10 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it excellent while others note a slightly slow start.

"...The book is fast paced, by and large unfriendly to Civil Servants of moronic disposition and realistic..." Read more

"...Stross mad computer science Slashdot fiend humour but the book does drags on at time like an over zealous D&D DM." Read more

"...The going is fast-paced, though, so you don't have too much time to ponder about it." Read more

"...This latest book in the Laundry Series delivers the goods. Fast paced story telling with excellent character development and a story only he can..." Read more

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B. Moret
Stross' Laundry novels are a delight, but he had found some difficulty in the ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2016
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

One of the reviews is entitled "back to form" and that says it all. Stross' Laundry novels are a delight, but he had found some difficulty in the last two novels in keeping the superfast, can't-put-it-down, pace of action, innovation, and surprise in an increasingly complex web of interactions revolving around Bob Howard and Dr. O'Brien. By focusing this time on a newbie to the Laundry, and a shy and inexperienced vampire to boot, he brings back the delightful sense of discovery of his first 3-4 Laundry novels. His writing is outstanding as always (except for irritating non-grammatical gerunds, but that may be the fault of his copyeditor and the world, alas, seems to be forgetting grammar more and more) and he brings it down to an ivory-tower type in his first girl encounter with a light touch, friendly, slightly ironic, but never condescending. And for all of us devoted LOTR fans, the entire novel is a bonus surprise, even if perhaps not the one we would have expected... It also clearly presages at least a couple of new novels developing themes around the new characters introduced in this book.
A must read, but not until you have read at least a couple of of the earlier Laundry series -- it stands well enough alone, but its very rich context from the previous novels would be a shame to miss.
I'd add two more comments to my original review. One is to stress the rekindled energy and especially humor in the series: like some of the first in the series, this novel is full of very entertaining and sometimes outright hilarious moments. The other is to regret that the author did not do his homework on CS theory -- P-complete is nothing hard (unlike, at least in today's view, NP-complete), and there is a gigantic difference between computability (Church-Turing thesis etc.) and complexity (PSPACE, NP, etc.) For a second printing, I would recommend to the author that he contact a CS theoretician (any university CS dept) to clarify the terminology.

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BigOrangeDave
A very different installment
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
So Bob is somewhere in Japan, and his lovely wife is currently on medical leave. Can a “Laundry Files” book be any good without the two main characters which have kept the series going until now? Yes!

The main character in this installment is one of the PHANGS from the investment banking house, who is now a lowly paid civil servant trying to figure out how to get through the day. He is an interesting character and sets the stage for one of the most entertaining books yet.

While you’ve been expecting the old gods to cause the most havoc, it turns out that the elves are the ones who show up in Leeds. It’s a fascinating story from multiple angles that you guessing until the end. As I hit the 90% mark in my Kindle I started worrying is this going to be at two-parter. The answer is no and the ending is quite unexpected and satisfactory.

Enjoy! I certainly did.

VFL

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wind in the whispers
I finished it in one sitting.
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2016
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I just finished the book and oh look, the sun just came up. This book is no great work of literature, but it's the best guilty pleasure reading I've done in a long time. Read if you would like your imagination tickled and you want to read extremely detailed battles between modern military forces and a magic army!

After the boring disappointment of the Annihilation Score I wasn't expecting too much but this is one of the best Laundry Files yet. It has lots of references to previous works in the series, but nothing essential to the plot requires having read the previous books; If you've never read a Laundry Files novel, this is a good place to start. However I do recommend you be familiar with the work of HP Lovecraft before trying this one. It's not strictly necessary, but then you miss out on a lot of the parody.

The biting wit and tongue in cheek that is characteristic of the series is back, and now with extra meme magic to go with it. Expect to be confused by at least some of the references, unless you have an expert knowledge of geek culture, mathematics, computer science, physics, military hardware, and British bureaucratic protocol, amongst others. I had fun googling and learning what an "unmasked affine spacelike brane" is. This book revels in it's "for geeks, by a geek" label.

The book starts out a bit clumsily with points-of-view switching for no apparent reason between third-person and first person, but it will start to make sense as you get towards the second half of the book, with the cast of characters and the shifts in perspective increasing in a way that (mostly) successfully adds tension and urgency to the narrative.

The main highlight of this book is the invasion of Britain by an army of magical monsters, described in pornographic detail. The spellcasters don't expect tanks and drone strikes, but they have some tricks up their sleeves too. Both sides grossly underestimate each other and shenanigans ensue. It's all delightfully ludicrous, completely unnecessary, and so much fun.

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Tomasthanes
YesYes, more PHANG
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2023
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
While I miss Bob and Mo, Alex does an excellent job taking their place and while I'd gotten a bit tired of the eldritch horrors, the threat in this book was creative and well conceived. This book was actually refreshing for being a part of the horrific Laundry Files series.

There is such a pleasant melange of ingredients making up this story. Cassie and cosplay. Cassie as a possessed entity. You were led to believe that the force coming against the "queen's fortress" in Leeds was starkly alien but turn out to be the Unseelie court, still alien but perhaps coming from our own mythical history.

I'm still trying to find out if there's any significance to Cassie's/Agent Second of Spies and Liars spoken tick "YesYes". It just sort of snuck in and became more and more frequent but I never got tired of it.

Despite it being the title, the "Nightmare Stacks" were only mentioned twice in the book and I still don't remember their significance.

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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
One hundred and one useful things to do with a Kettenkraft
Reviewed in Australia on December 26, 2019
Verified Purchase

A very welcome return to form. I thought the Laundry novels had peaked with the Fuller Memorandum, and wasn't too impressed by the next three in the series, but Nightmare Stacks is superb. His elves are terrifically powerful and otherworldy creepy, and I would never have thought he had such a talent for mil-sf (Eurofighter Typhoons v dragons? One hundred and one useful things to do with a Kettenkraft?)

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Hörster
up to now the novellas of the sequel were excellent, but this is outstanding
Reviewed in Germany on January 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
It is rather unusual plot and delivery for this type of fiction ( urban fantasy ?) but it is really really worth reading. By the way - the previous one has the same quality, but i had not rated it. Sorry

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Florentin Blanc
A fantastic (indeed) novel
Reviewed in France on June 30, 2016
Verified Purchase
Could not stop reading it once I opened it. Like pretty much all of Stross's books, as far as I am concerned (and I also loved The Annihilation Score, I have to say, contrary to some reviewers as I see). Gripping, fascinating, funny too (at times!). And a perfect blend of all possible streams of fantasy, SF and all-over-nerdism, etc. Just read it.

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Rod Croskery
Hey, it's a Stross.
Reviewed in Canada on July 5, 2020
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I certainly wouldn't have read this book if I were not looking around for more titles by this author, but I enjoyed it, through and through, in all its wacky nerdiness. Need I say more? It is a much lighter read than Neal Stephenson, but shows the same quality of sci-fi imagination.

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Peter Maloy
Regular life in the civil service - with a twist
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2025
Verified Purchase
This is an enjoyable read; there's a moderate build up at the start, then the pace builds consistently. The opposing forces are worryingly formidable.

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The Nightmare Stacks: A Laundry Files novel Paperback – May 11, 2017

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Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

5.0 out of 5 stars Stross' Laundry novels are a delight, but he had found some difficulty in the ...

4.0 out of 5 stars A very different installment

5.0 out of 5 stars I finished it in one sitting.

5.0 out of 5 stars YesYes, more PHANG

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars One hundred and one useful things to do with a Kettenkraft

5.0 out of 5 stars up to now the novellas of the sequel were excellent, but this is outstanding

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic (indeed) novel

5.0 out of 5 stars Hey, it's a Stross.

5.0 out of 5 stars Regular life in the civil service - with a twist

Stross' Laundry novels are a delight, but he had found some difficulty in the ...

A very different installment

I finished it in one sitting.

YesYes, more PHANG

One hundred and one useful things to do with a Kettenkraft

up to now the novellas of the sequel were excellent, but this is outstanding

A fantastic (indeed) novel

Hey, it's a Stross.

Regular life in the civil service - with a twist