A Conventional Boy

Derek Reilly's troubles begin in 1984, when a midnight government raid derails his teenage life as a suburban dungeon master and deposits him in a facility for rehabilitated Elder God cultists. Decades later, Derek has settled into a dull routine at Camp Sunshine, running a play-by-mail game from behind institutional walls. When a nearby gaming convention offers his first real shot at freedom, he discovers the stakes are far higher than nostalgia: a live-action roleplay event at the con is quietly staging an actual occult ritual, and stopping it may fall entirely to one middle-aged man and his dice bag.

Gideon Emery brings warmth and dry wit to Derek's narration, capturing both the character's resigned humor and his unexpected heroism. Stross's blend of Lovecraftian dread and mundane British bureaucracy thrives in audio, where Emery's measured delivery makes every absurd turn land with deadpan precision. At under eight hours, the pacing stays brisk, and the result is one of the most entertaining entries in the Laundry Files.