New Edition of The "Simon" Necronomicon Released

Ibis Press has recently re-printed a pricey and elegant edition of the controversial Necronomicon by a figure known as Simon to celebrate the book's 31st anniversary. The new hardback book retails for nearly $100 and presents little new material to compel anyone but the most avid collectors to pick it up. If it seems I'm bashing this Necronomicon, it's because it has stirred a tremendous amount of controversy in Lovecraftian circles and beyond ever since it appeared in the 1970s and purported to be a "true" version of the nefarious work. The introduction by Simon also made outrageous claims. Alleged connections between H.P. Lovecraft and Aleister Crowley, and assertions that Lovecraft himself drew upon Babylonian mythology to invent his fictional Necronomicon and his pantheon of gods are just a few of the fancies you'll find in Simon's Necronomicon.

The rest of the book purports to be guidelines for studying and summoning inter-dimensional gods. Vague references to the Cthulhu Mythos deities and real life Babylonian gods comprise the rituals and descriptions of the occult text itself. As a result of its author's claims that it's a translated version of a real life Necronomicon, it has garnered careful scrutiny from Lovecraftian scholars like Dan Harms in recent decades. Of course, it's no surprise that the near unanimous conclusion is that the Simon book is a hoax and an invention of the author's own mind. This verdict is based on Lovecraft's repeated and detailed descriptions of the Necronomicon's origins and upon examinations of the faux Necronomicon's contents.

The worst part in all of this is that the appearance of this anniversary edition will fool a new generation of gullible readers and youth--hearing thinly investigated rumors about the infamous book online--into believing this work is the real article. If you've got the money to spare and want a nice prop for a Role Playing Game or a conversation piece, then by all means, pick up this 31st anniversary edition. If you're looking for a serious look at the Necronomicon or for a mystical tome of awesome power, then seek elsewhere. And in either case, never let yourself fall into believing Simon's edition contains anything but fiction. As for myself, I'll be happily sticking with the $5.00 paperback copy that I acquired from a local occult bookstore a few years ago.

-Grim Blogger