I do legitimately enjoy these, albeit increasingly for completely different reasons than Charlie Stross might have intended. There’s just something relaxing about reading a horror novel whose author has employed both real effort and genuine skill to show something that he’s fundamentally scared of, and you’re not. It’s like “The Horror at Red Hook:” I can appreciate the artistry of SEASON OF SKULLS, without running the risk of it creeping me out.
I don’t know if that would bug him, or not. After all: the sale gets rung up either way, right? And in paperback, too! That’s extra-special.