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Post by ChewsUrOwnAdventure on Nov 6, 2018 17:21:23 GMT -5
Gotta say, I love me some Lovecraft, and having exhausted his works, I've really enjoyed reading other authors extensions of the Cthulhu mythos, ranging from Derleth's stories to the Simon Necronomicon to a smattering of more contemporary authors in short story anthologies like Tyson's Gods of HP Lovecraft. The Laundry Files is a really fun take on it, but maybe a little too silly at times. I've heard LaVelle's The Ballad of Black Tom is pretty good, and is a direct extension of The Horror at Red Hook, so I'm thinking that might be next on the reading list.
Anyone else here into that stuff? I'd be happy for some recommendations.
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Post by Ronv69 on Nov 6, 2018 17:43:23 GMT -5
Read "14" and "The Fold" by Peter Clines. Modern fiction with an eldritch twist.
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Post by ChewsUrOwnAdventure on Nov 6, 2018 18:01:56 GMT -5
Read "14" and "The Fold" by Peter Clines. Modern fiction with an eldritch twist. Maybe not exactly what I'm thinking about here, but those do look like a hoot. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Nov 6, 2018 18:17:19 GMT -5
I have read some other similar stuff, but these stand out. Especially "14".
More traditional but with varying levels of sophistication are "The Book of Cthulhu" volumes 1 and 2, and "New Cthulhu, The Recent Weird"
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2018 18:35:21 GMT -5
The most modern I got was some of the Fedogan & Bremmer anthologies, like Acolytes of Cthulhu. I did enjoy Brian Lumley's series when I was a teenager, but recently read Burrowers Beneath again and wasn't too impressed.... I'm not really interested in Cthulhu Goes to Iraq or whatever, but if there are any decent literary recent takes I'd be up to reading them. It seems like the gaming world really cheapened the genre and there was such a glut of crap out there for a while.
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Post by LSUTigersFan on Nov 6, 2018 21:07:03 GMT -5
Gotta say, I love me some Lovecraft, and having exhausted his works, I've really enjoyed reading other authors extensions of the Cthulhu mythos, ranging from Derleth's stories to the Simon Necronomicon to a smattering of more contemporary authors in short story anthologies like Tyson's Gods of HP Lovecraft. The Laundry Files is a really fun take on it, but maybe a little too silly at times. I've heard LaVelle's The Ballad of Black Tom is pretty good, and is a direct extension of The Horror at Red Hook, so I'm thinking that might be next on the reading list. Anyone else here into that stuff? I'd be happy for some recommendations. I LOVE the old weird pulp stuff, and I doubt I have much to add, since I am not at home to peruse my shelves. But, I would recommend "The Magnus Archives" podcast. It is a high quality product, and they are up to 120 episodes about a half-hour long. The primary speaker is an archivist reading written statements into a recorder for posterity. The Magnus Institute is a repository of the weird and paranormal, and they hold thousands of statements of witnesses to the paranormal. These are not ghost stories, and they are definitely something Mr. Lovecraft would have enjoyed. There is a story weaved into the various statements, and it is masterfully done. |
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gav
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Post by gav on Nov 6, 2018 21:16:27 GMT -5
love me some Lovecraft. Stephen Kings the Mist is a very good modern twist on the genre. Both the story and movie and TV show.
This is a very good doc on the modern influence on Lovecraft
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Post by driftingfate on Nov 6, 2018 21:54:02 GMT -5
The Monster Hunter series borrows heavily from Lovecraft, though even heavier on the action and (technically correct) gun play, the bad guys are all tentacles without revealing too much. Larry Correia is the author and he has a number of short stories more directly linked to Lovecraft.
Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian) was a friend of Lovecraft and there is a 1980's or 1990's collection of short stories by him all based on the Cthulhu mythos. Haven't read it since high school (Lord, what a long time ago), but remember it being good, though at that time I was more of a fan of Howard than Lovecraft, so take it with a grain of salt.
Going to follow-up on some of the writings you mention as sources of new reading material - thank you!
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Post by ChewsUrOwnAdventure on Nov 9, 2018 10:57:41 GMT -5
I LOVE the old weird pulp stuff, and I doubt I have much to add, since I am not at home to peruse my shelves. But, I would recommend "The Magnus Archives" podcast. It is a high quality product, and they are up to 120 episodes about a half-hour long. The primary speaker is an archivist reading written statements into a recorder for posterity. The Magnus Institute is a repository of the weird and paranormal, and they hold thousands of statements of witnesses to the paranormal. These are not ghost stories, and they are definitely something Mr. Lovecraft would have enjoyed. There is a story weaved into the various statements, and it is masterfully done. Now that sounds like it'd be right up my alley. Weird is at its best when presented earnestly. |
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Post by jeffd on Nov 9, 2018 13:49:16 GMT -5
Gotta say, I love me some Lovecraft, and having exhausted his works, I've really enjoyed reading other authors extensions of the Cthulhu mythos, ... It was somewhat sad when I had finished the Lovecraft cannon. I agree there is good follow on literature to pursue, and many of the recommendations in this thread are great, but nothing, IMO opinion, approaches the "oookeness" of the original. Not just the stories, but the wording and the pacing. IMO nobody is as good. I am a little jealous of those who have not yet read Lovecraft and are exposed for the first time. "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." |
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Post by Butch Cassidy on Nov 9, 2018 17:14:54 GMT -5
Whats a good first book to read ?
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Post by ChewsUrOwnAdventure on Nov 9, 2018 17:39:44 GMT -5
Whats a good first book to read ? Lovecraft was a prolific short story writer, most of which don't follow a sequence. You can find many of his works free here: www.lovecraft-stories.com/readMy intro to Lovecraft was Whisperer in the Darkness, a story I still love. Other good intros are Call of Cthulhu, At the Mountains of Madness, The Dunwich Horror, Shadow Over Innsmouth, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and The Music of Erich Zahn. There are numerous other stories others would recommend, these are just the ones I like most. If you like audio books, Cthulhu Podcast (http://cthulhupodcast.blogspot.com) has done most if not all of Lovecraft's stories over the years. |
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Post by ChewsUrOwnAdventure on Nov 9, 2018 17:42:19 GMT -5
It was somewhat sad when I had finished the Lovecraft cannon. I agree there is good follow on literature to pursue, and many of the recommendations in this thread are great, but nothing, IMO opinion, approaches the "oookeness" of the original. Not just the stories, but the wording and the pacing. IMO nobody is as good. I am a little jealous of those who have not yet read Lovecraft and are exposed for the first time. I can relate. There's the occasional author who can get their claws into me in the same way. Danielewski's House of Leaves hit me that way. |
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Post by Butch Cassidy on Nov 9, 2018 19:26:05 GMT -5
Whats a good first book to read ? Lovecraft was a prolific short story writer, most of which don't follow a sequence. You can find many of his works free here: www.lovecraft-stories.com/readMy intro to Lovecraft was Whisperer in the Darkness, a story I still love. Other good intros are Call of Cthulhu, At the Mountains of Madness, The Dunwich Horror, Shadow Over Innsmouth, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and The Music of Erich Zahn. There are numerous other stories others would recommend, these are just the ones I like most. If you like audio books, Cthulhu Podcast (http://cthulhupodcast.blogspot.com) has done most if not all of Lovecraft's stories over the years. Much obliged......... |
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Post by jeffd on Nov 9, 2018 20:44:07 GMT -5
I would start with Shadow Over Innsmouth. It is a carefully paced masterpiece with a whiplash ending. Really great, really nasty.
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Post by jeffd on Nov 9, 2018 21:06:36 GMT -5
I would start with Shadow Over Innsmouth. It is a carefully paced masterpiece with a whiplash ending. Really great, really nasty. In fact I think it is an excellent place to start. After that, perhaps Call of Cthulhu, which is a good intro to the whole mythos. But Innsmouth is a great introduction to Lovecraft. Its a great example of what a story can do. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2018 22:09:09 GMT -5
I would start with Shadow Over Innsmouth. It is a carefully paced masterpiece with a whiplash ending. Really great, really nasty. In fact I think it is an excellent place to start. After that, perhaps Call of Cthulhu, which is a good intro to the whole mythos. But Innsmouth is a great introduction to Lovecraft. Its a great example of what a story can do. +1 - One of HPL's best stories. |
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Post by jeffd on Nov 11, 2018 2:04:17 GMT -5
OK, those who have read Lovecraft and are looking for something else, I have a recommendation.
There is a short Clive Barker novel that is superb. The Hellbound Heart. It is my favorite of Clive Barker's books.
They made a good movie and several bad movie sequels, all of which you have to ignore for the moment. The novel The Hellbound Heart is superb. Compelling, scary of course, but having a consistent oookie feel. What we know of the universe is not all of what there is, and perhaps its better to not pursue that knowledge. It is not a Stephen King have-to-turn-the-page kind of book, its just a lot of fun to be in Clive Barker's universe, and also you feel relieved when you put it down and return to your living room couch.
Clive Barkers books are often about unperceived realities co-existent with our own, and what goes in and what goes out and how, and how changed by the visit.
So, not as good as Lovecraft, Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart may give you something of a rush on its own.
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Post by ChewsUrOwnAdventure on Nov 12, 2018 11:46:20 GMT -5
They made a good movie and several bad movie sequels, all of which you have to ignore for the moment. I always liked the idea of those movies more than the execution. The mythology it built up was pretty interesting. Haven't hit the book yet, though. |
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Post by jeffd on Nov 12, 2018 13:31:08 GMT -5
They made a good movie and several bad movie sequels, all of which you have to ignore for the moment. I always liked the idea of those movies more than the execution. The mythology it built up was pretty interesting. Haven't hit the book yet, though. The first movie was pretty good, though it added a few extraneous things and did not (IMO) leave much to the imagination. The rest of the movies, IMO, were really hit or miss. But the book. Ahhh the book. I think you will find the book really does what even the first movie couldn't. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 15:32:21 GMT -5
Books based on HPL stories are notoriously terrible when you compare them to the books. If you don't they can be pretty enjoyable. Jeffrey Coombs is fun to watch in just about anything, and the older ones like Dunwich Horror have a certain cheesy charm.
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Post by ChewsUrOwnAdventure on Nov 12, 2018 15:39:06 GMT -5
Books based on HPL stories are notoriously terrible when you compare them to the books. If you don't they can be pretty enjoyable. Jeffrey Coombs is fun to watch in just about anything, and the older ones like Dunwich Horror have a certain cheesy charm. You mean movies based on HPL stories, yeah? I agree, mostly, but there have been a few productions that acknowledge the general inadequacy of the film industry. Ever check out the films made by the Lovecraft Historical Society? They're a bit cheesy and amusingly self-aware of that. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 15:57:40 GMT -5
Books based on HPL stories are notoriously terrible when you compare them to the books. If you don't they can be pretty enjoyable. Jeffrey Coombs is fun to watch in just about anything, and the older ones like Dunwich Horror have a certain cheesy charm. You mean movies based on HPL stories, yeah? I agree, mostly, but there have been a few productions that acknowledge the general inadequacy of the film industry. Ever check out the films made by the Lovecraft Historical Society? They're a bit cheesy and amusingly self-aware of that. Yeah, I meant movies - oops. I have watched a bit of those Historical Soc ones - nice idea, but I don't have much patience for the amateurish aspects of them. Not sure why when I can happily watch a Roger Corman movie, but there you go! |
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Post by LSUTigersFan on Nov 12, 2018 16:00:34 GMT -5
Books based on HPL stories are notoriously terrible when you compare them to the books. If you don't they can be pretty enjoyable. Jeffrey Coombs is fun to watch in just about anything, and the older ones like Dunwich Horror have a certain cheesy charm. You mean movies based on HPL stories, yeah? I agree, mostly, but there have been a few productions that acknowledge the general inadequacy of the film industry. Ever check out the films made by the Lovecraft Historical Society? They're a bit cheesy and amusingly self-aware of that. I have them, and they're pretty fun. They are by no means classics, but they are fun to watch and think about what could be with a full studio behind them. |
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Post by jeffd on Nov 12, 2018 16:31:01 GMT -5
But luckily the books exist! I myself have always preferred the books. Somehow, in the genre of horror fiction, the image of the monster in your head but not completely described, or the blasphemy about to happen but not explained, have always caused me more fear than the movie just showing it. I think it is because what we are the only ones who can personally imagine exactly what are afraid of or revolted by. Many is the time I have physically blocked the facing page so as to avoid reading ahead. Many is the time I have gone to work late because I could not put the book down the night before. This is kind of solved with e-readers. This is true with other genres too, of course. Not just horror fiction. And hey, you can't smoke in a movie theater.  "You see them? You see the things that float and flop about you and through you ever moment of your life? You see the creatures that form what men call the pure air and the blue sky? Have I not succeeded in breaking down the barrier; have I not shown you worlds that no other living men have seen?" ...Lovecraft "He had made a mistake opening Lemarchand's box. A very terrible mistake." ...Barker "I must not dwell upon the fearful repast which immediately ensued. Such things may be imagined, but words have no power to impress the mind with the exquisite horror of their reality." ...Poe |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 17:48:01 GMT -5
But luckily the books exist! I myself have always preferred the books. Somehow, in the genre of horror fiction, the image of the monster in your head but not completely described, or the blasphemy about to happen but not explained, have always caused me more fear than the movie just showing it. I think it is because what we are the only ones who can personally imagine exactly what are afraid of or revolted by. Many is the time I have physically blocked the facing page so as to avoid reading ahead. Many is the time I have gone to work late because I could not put the book down the night before. This is kind of solved with e-readers. This is true with other genres too, of course. Not just horror fiction. And hey, you can't smoke in a movie theater. "You see them? You see the things that float and flop about you and through you ever moment of your life? You see the creatures that form what men call the pure air and the blue sky? Have I not succeeded in breaking down the barrier; have I not shown you worlds that no other living men have seen?" ...Lovecraft "He had made a mistake opening Lemarchand's box. A very terrible mistake." ...Barker "I must not dwell upon the fearful repast which immediately ensued. Such things may be imagined, but words have no power to impress the mind with the exquisite horror of their reality." ...Poe All true. Most of you probably already know all this, but newer Lovecraft fans might also like to explore his influences - Poe as well as Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, E.F. Benson, M.R. James, Lord Dunsany etc. He wrote a really useful essay called Supernatural Horror in Literature, and there was an anthology published a while back that collects many of his favorite stories. |
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Post by gav on Nov 14, 2018 20:39:57 GMT -5
Stranger Things on Netflix is very Lovecraft influenced is a pretty fun ride.
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Post by acefour on Nov 24, 2018 14:06:34 GMT -5
One book any Lovecraft follower should read is The King in Yellow by Robert Williams Chambers. I believe Lovecraft's style came from this author of short stories. Also this is where the reference "The Yellow King" came from for the True Detective first season. Chambers captures madness and fear very well.
You also might want to try Kraken by China Miéville. Somewhat in the same vein as Lovecraft.
I've been a big Lovecraft fan for a long time.
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