The Lovecraft Thread

[TheMonolith]

If they make the shittiest Lovecraft movie of all time, it would all be worth it just to use that as a poster.
Truly remarkable.

[OmegaZilla]

Waaaa-aaaaaa-aaaaaaaa-aaaaoooohhhhh.

Cthulhu rfrw y-zhroo.

Resumed:

[DoomRulz]

http://davepalumbo.deviantart.com/

Love it.

Wow. That is all kinds of eerie.

[KiramidHead]

Has anyone else read the collection Shadows Over Baker Street? It's a mash up of Cthulhu Mythos and Sherlock Holmes, including a story by Neil Gaiman. I've also played a PC game called Sherlock Holmes:The Awakened, that touches on the mythos. It was pretty good, even if it did have a "who the hell is this guy?" moment when the big bad showed up at the end.

[Cvalda]

The question I submitted for the Ridley Scott Q&A next Saturday was:
"The work of H.P. Lovecraft figured heavily into the original ALIEN. Did his name come up as inspiration at all during the writing process for PROMETHEUS, especially as the new film concerns "alien gods" and the remains of their civilization, where some very nasty stuff happens?"

Lovecraft is perhaps my favorite writer, after James Tiptree, Jr.--at least when it comes to genre fiction. For my birthday next week I got myself the second revised edition of this gorgeous tome:


Bear in mind that I adore Lovecraft so much that this is my third copy--the first copy I got was B&N's original "Essential Writers" edition, with lots of typos. Then I went in for the first edition of the above version for my birthday last year, still with all the typos, and then left that in London. Now I'm getting the 2nd revised edition, which has all the typos (well, aside from two) fixed and is pretty much the complete, definitive text. The third edition comes out this fall, with the last two typos slated for correction. I'll probably get that too

[TheMonolith]

I'll be wanting a copy myself. My anthonoly is a paper back. Has sone nice Giger-Esque artwork on the cover, but I would love a nice hardcover copy that will last longer.

[DoomRulz]

Holy crap, that's a freaking Bible. How much is that monstrosity?

[Cvalda]

Holy crap, that's a freaking Bible. How much is that monstrosity?

Only $20. Seriously.
H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction (Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics Series)

I came across Lovecraft when I decided to move to New York City on a whim after graduating high school and with only something like $500 in my pocket. Before hopping on an overnight Greyhound, I went through a bookstore to find some reading material to take on the rather scary journey I knew was before me--I found a "Best of Lovecraft" anthology. I had heard of Call of Cthulhu, so that's what I read first. Loved it.

My first few weeks in New York were spent in a sublet, and when I wasn't running around trying to find a job and getting increasingly worried for my future, I was holed up late at night reading Lovecraft. I'm a very tough scare, so none of it really got to me, per se (aside from his ludicrously OTT racism, which is so laughably ridiculous that it goes beyond being offensive and just ends up being too silly to take seriously)...until I read The Whisperer in Darkness. The opening few pages alone started giving me chills. Nothing scares me quite like dark, sinister forests in the middle of nowhere, with hints of inhuman evil lurking therein It's still my favorite Lovecraft story (pity the recent film was rather a let down). The Colour out of Space can almost match it for chill-inducing dread. I've been a Lovecraft addict ever since.

[AvatarIII]

I have that book too, but not really to read, I have a set of annotated (by ST Joshi) paperbacks for reading.

[Cvalda]

The ultimate Cthulhu interpretation, at least to my mind:

[RagingDragon]

Too modern for me to be the best pic in my mind, but amazing for sure!  I especially love the lighting.  Thanks for posting.

[OmegaZilla]

Cvalda, at this point I don't know how you can be more awesome. You just need to tell me you like The Fifth Element, Jurassic Park, Godzilla, Men in Black, DragonHeartand Tremors (among others) and we're practically super-bros. Hahaha.
Interesting to see The Whisperer in the Darkness gave you the creeps. It's one of my favourite stories. So unnerving. Same for The Color out of Space, that one actually had me rattling whilst turning a page, when the protagonist goes on the first floor of the house of his friend and finds what remains of the friend's wife. Brrr.
I agree some of his stories are influenced by his racism. Glaring example is Medusa. The final word is obviously supposed to be a twist, but it does nothing for me. I recall something about him having bad experiences as a child or something, I should check. Nothing warranting though.
That complete anthology is looking delicious. I actually plan to buy an english one, I have one that's translated in italian. All good stuff though, there's a lot of interesting facts and trivia here and here. It has some of Lovecraft's letters and essays. His 'comedies' are even featured! I love his Cthulhu cycle tales but the man doesn't exactly know how to make you laugh haha.
I really like that painting you posted BTW, it's in my DA favourites if I recall correctly.
I'd just say old Cthulhu needs some vitamins though. He was a 'mountain [that] stumbled or moved' after all haha. Otherwise I love the atmosphere. Very cool to have the light of the lighthouse on the creature. Reminds me of The Beast from 20.000 Fathoms. My favourite interpretation of the character, however, has to be this one:

Gets so many things right. The head for one, I love it.

[Cvalda]

Cvalda, at this point I don't know how you can be more awesome. You just need to tell me you like The Fifth Element, Jurassic Park, Godzilla, Men in Black and Tremors (among others) and we're practically super-bros. Hahaha.

Ha--well, I enjoy Tremors, The Fifth Element and the Godzilla series as guilty pleasures (although I unabashedly love Gojira '54). Love the original Jurassic Park film, though I have reservations about its typical lapses of Spielbergian Stupidity. As for Men in Black, I am a fan of where the term was originally popularized: the work of John A. Keel The movie and comics series I am rather ambivalent toward.

I agree some of his stories are influenced by his racism. Glaring example is Medusa. The final word is obviously supposed to be a twist, but it does nothing for me.

I LOL'd at that "twist". Unintentionally hilarious. Lovecraft's racism is so stupid you just have to laugh at it and move on. His racism was not at "normal" levels even for his time, and I can even understand it in context--he was an irrationally phobic man, and his hatred of other races was not based on his just being a jerkass, but because he was outright terrified of them, the way people are terrified and hateful of snakes. It's also largely due to his massive, probably willful, ignorance on the subject. So sad that a man who was so forward thinking in other areas was a totally backward hermit. Oh well.

I really like that painting you posted BTW, it's in my DA favourites if I recall correctly.
I'd just say old Cthulhu needs some vitamins though. He was a 'mountain [that] stumbled or moved' after all haha.

Not a literal mountain--after all, he got rammed in the head with a boat I love the interpretation I posted because it is so inhuman compared to the way most artists interpret him, as basically some giant, green, winged bodybuilder with some unfortunate protuberances around the mouth

Here's Lovecraft's own sketch of Cthulhu, or at least one of the idols depicting him. Love the spider eyes:

[OmegaZilla]

Oh yes, I always interpreted it that not the whole head was involved with the impact. Always thought the Alert was the equivalent of a needle or an ant for Cthulhu. After all a drop of a very small amount of whatever he's made of would appear enormous to us.

And I agree, I don't understand why some Cthulhu interpretations are so ripped. He's scaly and gelatinous, yes, but not Mr. Universe ahahaha. When I draw him I try to make the muscle structure gelatinous and deformed. I can however see why most of them are humanoid. The idol is described as bearing traits of an octopus, a dragon and a human caricature.

[Cvalda]

I made this to try and re-acquaint myself with Photoshop after years of non-use.
Limited Edition "Cthulhu Bust" Statuette
1,000 Copies



Piss poor Photoshopping, but eh
Face modeled after Lovecraft's sketch of the beastie.
Bonus points if you can guess what the cranium and shoulders were modeled on!
(And no, the bust isn't real. It's just made to look like a catalog ad.)