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Phi230 posted:So like a total neckbeard I just bought the Necronomicon. I've never read Lovecraft before, so where should I start since this is a collection of all his poo poo. I've heard that his writing is incredibly bloated with description of things like houses and other kind stuff like that but what really sparked my interest is how he built up a horror for pages where the payoff is just a black person. Herbert West - Reanimator is a pretty nice one I think.
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Feb 27, 2016 15:19
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GannerOne posted:Herbert West - Reanimator is a pretty nice one I think. I'd agree it's a good story, but it may not be the greatest introduction to Lovecraft. It reads as much more tongue-in-cheek than most of Lovecraft's stuff, though I can't remember if he wrote it to be funny or not. In any case it doesn't try to be serious or intense like a lot of the rest of his work. Maybe that's an argument for it, I suppose, but I feel like maybe one of the shorter Mythos stories would be a better starting place, given it's what people are most familiar with anyway. Dunwich Horror might be a good first option? I hesitate to say Call of Cthulhu because even though it's probably one of the better known stories it's pretty ponderous to read now. That said, if "funny tongue-in-cheek Lovecraft" sounds appealing Herbert West - Reanimator is a good option.
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Feb 27, 2016 19:56
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Maybe 'The Rats in the Walls' or 'The Temple'.
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Feb 27, 2016 22:45
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My holy triad is; Shadow over Innsmouth, Call of Cthulhu and The Dunwich Horror, but they may be a hard to start with?
GannerOne fucked around with this message at 14:44 on Feb 28, 2016 |
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Feb 28, 2016 14:12
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I'd go with The Color Out Of Space, still think it's his single most disturbing story. It doesn't really fit into the rest of the mythos, though.
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Feb 28, 2016 14:16
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MockingQuantum posted:I'm sure you'd get multiple different answers on what is or is not worth reading in the Lovecraft bibliography. I personally think most of his stuff is pretty dated or really just not that great, and you can especially skip pretty much everything he wrote before 1923, with a couple of exceptions. (The Outsider & The Music of Erich Zann). Besides that, all of the mythos stories are pretty decent. I would recommend not starting with any of the longer novellas or with Call of Cthulhu. Why not with The Call of Cthulhu?
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Feb 28, 2016 16:56
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As some have mentioned, I personally think that the Colour Out of Space is peak Lovecraft. Call of Cthulhu is also his most famous for a reason. Whisperer in the Darkness is another one that I really really liked, although that's a bit heavy on callbacks to other works (not really missing out on much aside from a few "ooh, I know that name" moments though). He also wrote a very short story - I actually refer to it as a prose piece a lot just cause it's that quick - called "Nyarlathotep" which is one of my favorites. I find the idea of Nyarlathotep very fascinating, and even though he's not as well known as Cthulhu or Azathoth he's still a very influential character - Stephen King wrote Randall Flagg as a reference to him, even might've referred to him by name in the Dark Tower. Anyhow, my own question - anyone have any suggestions for a cosmic horror type story that gives similar vibes to Twin Peaks? It's my favorite show ever and it's particularly unique atmosphere seems like it would translate well to text.
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Feb 29, 2016 00:45
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Jedit posted:Why not with The Call of Cthulhu? I agree it's a bit too ponderous if it is your first exposure.
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Feb 29, 2016 02:55
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Jedit posted:Why not with The Call of Cthulhu? Ehh maybe it's my own preference coloring my response. I just felt like it feels pretty dated now, and the whole frame-story-within-a-frame-story wasn't always thrilling to read. Maybe for me it was that I was so into cosmic horror and the writers influenced by HPL (and had seen Cthulhu in hundreds of other bits of media) that Call of Cthulhu felt very underwhelming when I finally read it. It's not a bad story, I just think if it were the first HPL somebody ever read it might put someone off given that Cthulhu is so played out nowadays.
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Feb 29, 2016 03:02
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 Booty Call of Cthulhu by Dalia Daudelin (Paranormal, Tentacles, Dubious Consent Erotica) Joanne Lagrasse is a newly graduated college student living the life. Well, if the life is sitting in your apartment all day trying to research monsters for a novel. When she decides to not heed her professor's warning and reads a chant out loud, she finds herself faced with a giant monster and its lewd tentacles, each one eager to fill her holes. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19557898-booty-call-of-cthulhu
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Feb 29, 2016 04:25
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What do you guys think of the Illuminatus trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson? I'm listening to the audio book to kill time at work and it's got some mythos included in the plot and is pretty funny too. It reminds me of the Cities of the Red Night trilogy by Burroughs.
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Feb 29, 2016 06:17
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Lil Mama Im Sorry posted:What do you guys think of the Illuminatus trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson? I'm listening to the audio book to kill time at work and it's got some mythos included in the plot and is pretty funny too. It reminds me of the Cities of the Red Night trilogy by Burroughs. One of the funniest parts of that book is just how much of it is a parody of Atlas Shrugged.
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Feb 29, 2016 07:14
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Pope Guilty posted:One of the funniest parts of that book is just how much of it is a parody of Atlas Shrugged. Guh now I'll need to reread it since I read it so early in high school I didn't really get enough out of it. Took forever for me to realize the multiple time lines between chapters.
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Feb 29, 2016 17:35
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Lil Mama Im Sorry posted:What do you guys think of the Illuminatus trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson? I'm listening to the audio book to kill time at work and it's got some mythos included in the plot and is pretty funny too. It reminds me of the Cities of the Red Night trilogy by Burroughs. Convoluted as all hell, and requires a decent understanding of conspiracy theory and 60s politics (including student and fringe stuff), but if you happen to have that, it's an overwhelming kind of fun. Just try describing it to your friends sometime and watch their eyes simultaneously bulge and glaze over: "Okay, so then he fucks the giant apple, but it's a girl inside, and then they chase after Atlantis, because they're on a sub built by John Galt, and they have to get there before the Illuminati does, but they're guided by psychic intelligent dolphins, and in the meantime the undead SS battalion at the bottom of a lake is getting close to waking up in Bavaria at Euro-Woodstock..."
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Mar 1, 2016 00:57
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Been reading through the thread and I need some recommendations. Based on some of the stuff I've seen in the thread I've read and liked: Library at Mount Char, and The Southern Reach books. I read and absolutely hated The Deep, it felt so formulaic that I nearly didn't finish it. Can anyone recommend me some novels that will hit the Library at Mount Char or Southern Reach itch?
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Mar 5, 2016 01:11
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Phi230 posted:So like a total neckbeard I just bought the Necronomicon. I've never read Lovecraft before, so where should I start since this is a collection of all his poo poo. I've heard that his writing is incredibly bloated with description of things like houses and other kind stuff like that but what really sparked my interest is how he built up a horror for pages where the payoff is just a black person. If you want really typical Lovecraft (as in, a good feel for what his work is generally like), try The Shadow over Innsmouth or Call of Cthulhu. If you want genuinely great (but less typical) Lovecraft, The Color out of Space is your best bet. Really, though, if that's the collection I'm thinking of (the one with the black and gold cover, right?), you can just make your own way through it without requesting a guide, because it's mostly bite-sized short stories with the odd longer work thrown in. Not that much time investment if you come across a dud. I will say that The Shadow out of Time was a big letdown, though. The big reveal was way too telegraphed and underwhelming. So you might wanna skip that one, seeing as it's pretty long.
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Mar 5, 2016 02:49
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Since this is the closet thing to a lively horror thread I'll just post it here, but I'd like to plug a blog that I was turned on to a year ago that has been amazing and got me into authors like Kathe Koja etc. http://toomuchhorrorfiction.blogspot.com/ It's filled with concise reviews and articles about the genre in general and does a great job illuminating many lesser known works. Covers mostly horror texts from the 60's into the early 90's seemingly with an eye for trimming the overtly pulpy fat, which is especially useful when dredging horror from the 80's post Stephen King and his popularity inducing a trashy run on the genre. I would also like to say the best HP Lovecraft collection is the hardcover Library of America edition because of awesome paperstock and classically minimalist binding. And built in bookmark tassel! Shaquin fucked around with this message at 06:08 on Mar 5, 2016 |
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Mar 5, 2016 06:06
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Reason posted:Been reading through the thread and I need some recommendations. Based on some of the stuff I've seen in the thread I've read and liked: Library at Mount Char, and The Southern Reach books. I read and absolutely hated The Deep, it felt so formulaic that I nearly didn't finish it. Try Brian Evenson's work, or Robert Aickman, or Michael Cisco.
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Mar 5, 2016 10:01
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Phi230 posted:So like a total neckbeard I just bought the Necronomicon. I've never read Lovecraft before, so where should I start since this is a collection of all his poo poo. I've heard that hiswriting is incredibly bloated with description of things like houses and other kind stuff like that but what really sparked my interest is how he built up a horror for pages where the payoff is just a black person. My personal favorite Lovecraft story is probably The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, because it reads almost like an epic poem or old-style fantasy novel, before it was all orcs and dwarves and elves. There's just a strange lyricism to that one, which reminds me of reading 1001 Arabian Nights and old mythology books as a kid. There's also a pronounced lack of fish-people or tentacles. Ornamented Death posted:I'm not sure about the name, though I suspect it is his real name, but the eye patch and dogs are absolutely not props. Dude lost his eye when he was a kid, and he spent a lot of his teenage and young(er) adult days racing dog sleds. I am particularly fond of the one where Barron lugged a big-rear end chair out into a meadow then reclined on it with his dogs flanking him. Salvatore in particular has outgrown that phase either because he put on weight and grew up a little, or maybe someone made fun of him for it.. Now all his photos are just a plain ol' schlub in a polo shirt with a boring haircut, but I almost wish I'd kept those old Forgotten Realms drizzt books where he looked absolutely absurd.
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Mar 5, 2016 18:13
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coyo7e posted:My personal favorite Lovecraft story is probably The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, because it reads almost like an epic poem or old-style fantasy novel, before it was all orcs and dwarves and elves. There's just a strange lyricism to that one, which reminds me of reading 1001 Arabian Nights and old mythology books as a kid. There's also a pronounced lack of fish-people or tentacles. Kadath has its own unique draw and charm, but if you're looking for a good staring place for Lovecraft's work overall I think it may be a bad option. I found it way too long and ponderous to get through and if it had been the first Lovecraft I'd read I would have been completely turned off from reading anything else.
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Mar 5, 2016 20:15
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coyo7e posted:I've read at least 90-95% of Lovecraft's work and I can only think of one story where the payoff was "it was just a black person," that was a very short story about a dude in a cave who gets attacked by a morlock or something, and it's just a black person. If you're thinking of The Beast in the Cave this isn't really accurate, the degenerated man is never mentioned to be black and is described as having bleached white hair and flesh. I thought it was a nice little creepy story, reminiscent of the film The Descent. Lovecraft was also only 14 when he wrote it. Dave Angel fucked around with this message at 21:34 on Mar 5, 2016 |
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Mar 5, 2016 21:32
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MockingQuantum posted:Kadath has its own unique draw and charm, but if you're looking for a good staring place for Lovecraft's work overall I think it may be a bad option. I found it way too long and ponderous to get through and if it had been the first Lovecraft I'd read I would have been completely turned off from reading anything else. It was my understanding that the version of Kadath published was a work in progress rough draft that Lovecraft never got around to finishing. coyo7e posted:I never claimed they were fake or anything however, there is a certain kind of author who sets up really contrived photo shoots for themselves, and it ends up being a pretty big turn-off for me. I mention Salvatore because he used to take pictures of himself dressed all in black, holding a sword, and half-obscured in shadow. It's a cry for attention, and has nothing to do with their literary chops however, if you've got a desire to make yourself look like one of your own characters in your bio-blurb photo, you're probably trying too hard in my opinion.. Remember, most author photos are set up and commissioned by themselves, not their publisher/etc. Jim Butcher's headshots where he has super long hair and is resting his chin on his fist are eyerollingly absurd. Helical Nightmares posted:Blitz recommendations Finished Children of the Old Leech Highly recommend Tenebrionidae by Scott Nicolay and Jesse James Douthit-Nicolay. What happens when a hobo riding the rails in southern ghost towns runs into Barron's carnivorous cosmos. There are parts of this that remind me of Ligotti's descriptions of supernatural places. Of a Thousand Cuts by Cody Goodfellow is good. He draws a connecting line between Barron's The Light is the Darkness (which I didn't like) and Procession of the Black Sloth (which I did) and it works really well. Yimir by John Langan suffers from overexplaining the world to the detriment of the story's mystery and thus horror. Jumps off where Hallucigenia ended. Speaking of Barron the Man with No Name: A Nanashi Novella ($3 Kindle) is coming out on March 16. http://www.amazon.com/Man-No-Name-Nanashi-Novella-ebook/dp/B01ATOL62M/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457220613&sr=1-5&keywords=laird+barron quote:Nanashi was born into a life of violence. Delivered from the mean streets by the Heron Clan, he mastered the way of the gun and knife and swiftly ascended through yakuza ranks to become a dreaded enforcer. His latest task? He and an entourage of expert killers are commanded to kidnap Muzaki, a retired world-renowned wrestler under protection of the rival Dragon Syndicate. I'm expecting another crap pulp book like X's for Eyes and The Light is the Darkness. Will buy it and report back though. Helical Nightmares fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Mar 6, 2016 |
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Mar 6, 2016 00:35
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coyo7e posted:My personal favorite Lovecraft story is probably The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, because it reads almost like an epic poem or old-style fantasy novel, before it was all orcs and dwarves and elves. There's just a strange lyricism to that one, which reminds me of reading 1001 Arabian Nights and old mythology books as a kid. There's also a pronounced lack of fish-people or tentacles. The White Ship is similar. I always preferred his dreamier works.
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Mar 6, 2016 00:45
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coyo7e posted:I am particularly fond of the one where Barron lugged a big-rear end chair out into a meadow then reclined on it with his dogs flanking him. I'm pretty sure you're talking about John Gwynne. The only picture with a dog that Laird Barron has used as an author photo just shows him kneeling down in front of a fence with his pitbull. I'm really not even sure how you confused the two, to be honest.
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Mar 6, 2016 18:52
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itt: Goon thinks Alaska/dogs/disabilities shouldn't exist.
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Mar 6, 2016 18:55
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ravenkult posted:itt: Goon thinks Alaska/dogs/disabilities shouldn't exist. i don't think you're talking about me but agreed
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Mar 6, 2016 19:42
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Ornamented Death posted:I'm pretty sure you're talking about John Gwynne. The only picture with a dog that Laird Barron has used as an author photo just shows him kneeling down in front of a fence with his pitbull. Oh myyy. 
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Mar 6, 2016 20:29
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John Gwynne is awesome.
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Mar 6, 2016 20:44
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TheWhiteNightmare posted:The White Ship is similar. I always preferred his dreamier works. Me too, and I think they're among his most self-reflective works. Also, I would say The White Ship and The Quest of Iranon might even be called Lovecraft's "moral tales" in spite of their dreaminess. Both are sort of "fantasy used to indict fantasy," a subject I really like. -- The White Ship reminded me of a Buddhist story (related in Julius Evola's very interesting The Doctrine of Awakening) where the Buddha is exhorted to prostrate before the Lord of Creation and refuses, but this seemingly diabolical act is vindicated since Maya/illusion governs the manifested world. What seemed like mere pride was really triumphal, supermundane indifference. The White Ship has a darker ending though, more cautionary. One of its last paragraphs is about the main character sailing too far, being dissatisfied with various paradises, and getting struck down for hubris: "Then did the bearded man say to me, with tears on his cheek, "We have rejected the beautiful Land of Sona-Nyl, which we may never behold again. The Gods are greater than men, and they have conquered." And I closed my eyes before the crash that I knew would come, shutting out the sight of the celestial bird which flapped its mocking blue wings over the brink of the torrent." Compare to Celephais' ending: "And Kuranes reigned thereafter over Ooth-Nargai and all the neighboring regions of dream, and held his court alternately in Celephais and in the cloud-fashioned Serannian. He reigns there still, and will reign happily for ever, though below the cliffs at Innsmouth the channel tides played mockingly with the body of a tramp who had stumbled through the half-deserted village at dawn; played mockingly, and cast it upon the rocks by ivy-covered Trevor Towers, where a notably fat and especially offensive millionaire brewer enjoys the purchased atmosphere of extinct nobility." -- The Quest of Iranon is also about being too idealistic, or about how unsupported beauty can't survive reality. Racial purity or anti-miscegenation aren't the only ways HPL was obsessed with purity, I think. Iranon is always restless and dissatisfied, but it's not until he learns about his true heritage that he's suicidal. However, he also very specifically refuses to do useful labor to support himself in the city of granite, and relies entirely on his (false) sense of heritable worth. His identity is basically "Royalty whose vocation is Art," and both the royal aspect and the artist have to be unalloyed, unconnected with such mundane things as "literal truth" or "useful labor."
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Mar 7, 2016 06:29
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All those stories are just him trying to be Dunsany
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Mar 7, 2016 06:30
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Black Mountain Side (2013 release, not 2016) may be of interest to you folks. Think a remake of The Thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2JmjCioya4
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Mar 7, 2016 07:49
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Ornamented Death posted:John Gwynne is awesome. fat dogs 
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Mar 7, 2016 10:11
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Darth Walrus posted:I will say that The Shadow out of Time was a big letdown, though. The big reveal was way too telegraphed and underwhelming. So you might wanna skip that one, seeing as it's pretty long. Shadow Out Of Time is worth it just for the scientific tour the monsters give the narrator. Just Lovecraft coming up with amazing eye-popping ideas off the top of his head for a few paragraphs, it's great.
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Mar 7, 2016 18:12
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Neurosis posted:fat dogs They were old and didn't exercise much. Both died not long after that photo was taken .
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Mar 7, 2016 18:35
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Fire Safety Doug posted:Oh myyy. I don't know anything about John Gwynne but now I want to.
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Mar 7, 2016 20:35
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Iranon is practically an autobiography.
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Mar 7, 2016 20:48
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Does anyone have any kind of news as to what's up with Weird Tales magazine? I mentioned here a while back that I got a subscription, and I received the current issue and nothing more since then (and their website is still advertising that issue a year later as the "current" issue). Any signs/reports that it's going under yet again? I'm trying to figure out why the new owner would be so eager to acquire it a short while ago if they weren't able to actually afford to run it.
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Mar 8, 2016 18:31
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I feel I asked this before. I had a recommendation for a weird tale. Radio telescope finds souls traveling after death to another planet where they are trapped in aliens bodies that drive them crazy due to their sense of id. Really want to reread it.
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Mar 9, 2016 06:11
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Hughlander posted:I feel I asked this before. I had a recommendation for a weird tale. Radio telescope finds souls traveling after death to another planet where they are trapped in aliens bodies that drive them crazy due to their sense of id. Really want to reread it. You're asking which one this is, and also recommending it, or you recommended it a while ago and can't remember? I mean, could someone with archives find you posting about it by name?
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Mar 9, 2016 16:48
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Skyscraper posted:You're asking which one this is, and also recommending it, or you recommended it a while ago and can't remember? I mean, could someone with archives find you posting about it by name? Sorry phone posting. I asked about it before either here or in the tell me the name of this story thread. However I also found out about it on these forums maybe this thread so I'm hoping someone recognizes it.
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Mar 9, 2016 17:17
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