History Literature / TheLaundryFiles

* UsefulNotes/FermiParadox: In ''Nightmare Stacks'', it is stated very clearly that the Laundry believes that '''Case Nightmare Rainbow''', aka the various EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt scenarios they have to worry about might well be our personal Great Filter. In fact, The Laundry discovered several ruins of alien civilizations in multiple habitable worlds...all of them seem to be murdered.

* UsefulNotes/RoleplayingGameTerms: Used for a gag in ''The Fuller Memorandum''. Bob has just gotten his PDA fried and needs to pick up a new one. He just happens to stumble upon the [=iPhone=] sitting pretty in a display case. In Mo's words:
--> "Bob loses saving throw versus ''shiny'' at -5 penalty, takes 2d8 damage to the credit card."

* MoreDakka: Laundry agents are discouraged from carrying guns around; they tend to be much more trouble than they're worth. On the other hand, when they ''do'' get authorization they get all kinds of fun toys. Like the [[CoolGuns Atchisson AA-12]] that Harry the Horse offers Bob, who thinks it'd be great for clearing unwelcome visitors off their front step--and the sidewalk, and the street, ''and'' the neighbors across the street, [[RunningGag and anyone in the neighbors' backyard as well...]]

** The Franchise/CthulhuMythos entities [[spoiler:Nyarl'ath'hotep and Dread Cthulhu itself]] pull an EnemyMine with the Laundry against the Cold Ones, who are even higher on the SuperWeight scale and [[HorrifyingTheHorror utterly terrifying to them]].

** An entity known as the Eater Of Souls was summoned into a human MeatPuppet to serve as a LivingWeapon, but ended up in The MenInBlack's management instead as [[spoiler:Mr. Angleton]]. It turned out that HumanityIsInfectious and the Eater picked up more of a sense of honour and fair play than its handlers ever had.

** Mind-controlling supervillain Fabian Everyman aka the Mandate is also aka [[spoiler:Nyarlathotep]].

** Magic in this setting works by interfacing with other dimensions. This means performing magical calculations in your head opens microscopic portal inside your brain, letting in tiny demons that think human neural tissue makes a great brunch. The cumulative effect of too much spellcasting means irreversible brain damage that looks a lot like Mad Cow Disease. The only ways to avoid are to either use a computer to cast the actual spell, which is very limiting, or to bond with an extradimensional entity, which has its own drawbacks.

** Casting spell macros bound to user's body (like what Persephone did in ''The Apocalypse Codex'') cause damage to the body that shaved around an hour's worth of lifespan.

*** A non-canon short posted only on the author's blog refers to Brexit as "Case Nightmare Tweed", though that was probably just Bob (or the author, a would-be anti-White ideologue) being flippant.

* GoodShepherd: Pete Wilson, [[TheVicar a local vicar]] and a friend of the Howards, shows up in ''Codex''. Even though Bob claims to be an atheist (actually, closer to a NayTheist, but he couldn't well reveal the truth about betentacled Elder Gods and the like), he respects him for genuinely taking care of his flock's spiritual needs. His Christian credentials are questionable in the extreme, however, as he preaches in favor of sodomy and baby-murdering.[[spoiler:Doubles as a ChekhovsGunman when Bob needs a theological scholar to analyze the Apocalypse Codex of Saint Enoch, which Pete quickly deciphers as a guide to a ritual, not to mention deeply disturbing: Bob has to reassure him that, no, he hasn't gone batshit crazy and joined that particular church. Bob, naturally, feels really guilty about dragging him into it. Pete shows up in ''The Nightmare Stacks'' as a BadassPreacher; driving the Kettenkrad all over the place, saving Alex and Cassie, and generally helping to save the day.]] However, [[spoiler:he got turned into Black Chamber vampire in ''The Labyrinth Index''. While Mhari thinks she'll be able to override the vampire strain with hers instead of Black Chamber's, there's a good possibility that he'll end up committing suicide after that due to his GoodShepherd nature. At least, after he gets to say goodbye to his family.]]

* GoodShepherd: Pete Wilson, [[TheVicar a local vicar]] and a friend of the Howards, shows up in ''Codex''. Even though Bob claims to be an atheist (actually, closer to a NayTheist, but he couldn't well reveal the truth about betentacled Elder Gods and the like), he respects him for genuinely taking care of his flock's spiritual needs. [[spoiler:Doubles as a ChekhovsGunman when Bob needs a theological scholar to analyze the Apocalypse Codex of Saint Enoch, which Pete quickly deciphers as a guide to a ritual, not to mention deeply disturbing: Bob has to reassure him that, no, he hasn't gone batshit crazy and joined that particular church. Bob, naturally, feels really guilty about dragging him into it. Pete shows up in ''The Nightmare Stacks'' as a BadassPreacher; driving the Kettenkrad all over the place, saving Alex and Cassie, and generally helping to save the day.]] However, [[spoiler:he got turned into Black Chamber vampire in ''The Labyrinth Index''. While Mhari thinks she'll be able to override the vampire strain with hers instead of Black Chamber's, there's a good possibility that he'll end up committing suicide after that due to his GoodShepherd nature. At least, after he gets to say goodbye to his family.]]

*** A non-canon short posted only on the author's blog refers to Brexit as "Case Nightmare Tweed", though that was probably just Bob being flippant.