How Cthulhu Works?

When I first saw an entry for Cthulhu on the Howstuffworks.com website, I was beyond skeptical about the quality and intent. Did this stepchild of Wikipedia really intend to unravel the mysteries of H.P. Lovecraft's most famous elder monstrosity? Fortunately, no. It aims at a much more simple task, but one that may be almost as important.

Instead, the Cthulhu entry is actually a well written summary of R'lyeh's sovereign by Jonathan Strickland that touches on other interesting Lovecraftian matters. The piece offers a picturesque tour through Cthulhu's real and fictional existence. It goes beyond mere encyclopedic article, though, by analyzing several modern features connected to Cthulhu: his place in "geek" culture, and the strange phenomena of real Lovecraftians religion like Darrick Dishaw's Cult of Cthulhu and the Simon Necronomicon.

Of course, I suspect most readers here are already very familiar with HPL and his literary output. But what about others? There's a good chance many Lovecraft fans have encountered trouble when trying to impress the significance and wonder of Lovecraft's fiction upon curious friends and family. Now, at least, the Cthulhu entry on Howstuffworks has made things easier as a gathering point for Lovecraftians-to-be.

-Grim Blogger

How Cthulhu Works?

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Newsrama: Lovecraft's Hand Still Felt Across Media

Readers interested in both comics and H.P. Lovecraft's work are hereby directed to this fine article by Newsrama.com's Kyle Duvall. It's a well written expose that offers a generalized overview of Lovecraft's significance, and then digs into his enduring influence over today's art forms--particularly comics. Duvall skillfully brings the most ubiquitous and recent uses of Lovecraft's ideas in comic form to the fore. His article also adds another set of useful observations to a growing trend recognizing the sheer depth of HPL's imprint on contemporary media.

-Grim Blogger

Newsrama: Lovecraft's Hand Still Felt Across Media

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Chris Perridas on Lovecraft's Health

Before March is out, it would be remiss not to mention this fantastic post about H.P. Lovecraft's health from Chris Perridas' blog--a speculative exercise in attempting to identify the possible roots of his early demise. Yes, another anniversary of HPL's death blurred by on March 15, the unlucky Ides of 1937 that may have been the parting shot in a long line of blows for this man.

Perridas muses on Lovecraft's infamous "nervous breakdown" in 1907, and wonders if it may have been the result of an unknown disease. If so, it would help explain the bizarre state of the Providence writer's health in the three decades he existed after that fateful year. Frequent troubles with cold, bipolar energy fluctuations, and a various digestive issues plagued him. Assuming all of these were not psycho-somatic (after all, the digestive problems proved real and fatal enough), they are well worth investigating in the effort to understand his career.

Lovecraft's life was not a happy one, as is clearly reflected in the worldview left fossilized in his fiction and voluminous letters. But could ill health have been the main cause of his bleak, cosmicist trajectory? Many would say no. They will point to the valid damage inflicted by Lovecraft's environment--most notably his strange, overbearing, and sometimes cruel mother, as well as the lifelong financial siege he weathered as the family fortune wilted.

Still, the involuntary physiological shocks that frequently gripped him may have been the most persistent reminder that he inhabited a frail body in a universe that could do little to offer him relief. The nature of these painful episodes is fairly well understood, but their causes are not. Short of exhuming the old weirdscribe's body, current technology and interest only allows speculation on the origins of Lovecraft's pivotal handicaps. Chris Perridas, however, publishes well thought speculation; ideas that may lead Lovecraft researchers to one day pinpoint his birth as writer and philosopher by demarcating the rise of his bodily downfall.

-Grim Blogger

Chris Perridas on Lovecraft's Health

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Cthulhuvian Site Abandoned in Russia?

The English Russia blog houses a strange gallery of photos taken at one of the more bizarre abandoned places in Russia, a place that seemingly teems with derelict oddities. There isn't a lot of information about the place, but glimpsing the images alone lets the imagination go crazy, maybe even more so than if there were a history present. The abundant sea symbols make it look like a makeshift base of Deep One operations. The structural crumminess and larger-than-life statues bring to mind the old Soviet optimism, perhaps hinting at a likely origin for this weird theme park.

-Grim Blogger

Cthulhuvian Site Abandoned in Russia?

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The Cimmerian: Algernon Blackwood Profile

The Cimmerian blog's Al Harron published a superb profile of Algernon Blackwood earlier this week--on the weird author's 141st birthday, no less. In it, Harron ruminates on Blackwood's literary power by looking at its effect on his psyche. Through the personalized camping trip terrors of two stories, "The Willows" and "The Wendigo," Harron identifies a critical segment of Blackwood's weirdness.

The strongest kind of fear labeled by H.P. Lovecraft and many others--fear of the unknown--is herded out into daylight here. This is the secret ingredient in Blackwood's potent cocktails. But, as Harron has found, knowing that this is the case does nothing to resolve or dilute the frightful powers chronicled by the British writer. The motives of his distorted, almighty Nature remain a perpetual mystery in the best of his tales, and thus retain the fullness of their horror.

Harron fleshes out his article with well selected passages from Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Blackwood himself. Though a lot more could be said about the subject than the blogger ventures, posts like this are critical to stimulating the type of thought that will help unravel the greats of weird literature, and help illuminate the trajectory of subsequent authors.

-Grim Blogger

The Cimmerian: Algernon Blackwood Profile

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Dandies Blog: Unemployment in Arthur Machen's Work

In the hubbub of other weird fiction developments, I somehow overlooked this excellent post from the Dandies and New Women blog. "Arthur Machen's Horror of Unemployment" is a thought provoking article that illuminates economic horror in the Welsh author's work. Clearly, it's also one that hits close to home in today's post-meltdown order. As blogger Marc Dipaolo notes, Machen himself experienced a grim period of austerity when he was just starting his writing career. This may have contributed to his dour portrayal of joblessness long after his literary star began to rise.

One wonders if the stricken economy will generate new lenses for weird fiction interpretations that wouldn't otherwise be available. The economic imprint on other authors' work may become clearer as the minds of scholars are unable to wrench themselves away from today's crises.

-Grim Blogger

Dandies Blog: Unemployment in Arthur Machen's Work

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S.T. Joshi's Website Reanimated

S.T. Joshi, arguably weird fiction's most famous and tireless authority, launched a revamped website several weeks ago to help chronicle his ongoing explorations of the genre. Visitors won't find the site clanging with high-tech bells and whistles, but they will find a utilitarian, easily navigable resource on Joshi's scholarship. His past writings are described and listed on several bibliographical pages. Others provide contact information and an autobiography.

Followers of Joshi's scholarship, however, are possibly more interested in what he is up to now. In what will hopefully be the first of many blogs, Mr. Joshi expounds on his forthcoming projects. Among his recent works are several edited volumes of Cthulhu Mythos fiction, an elaborate history of supernatural literature, and an updated two book biography of H.P. Lovecraft called I Am Providence.

Joshi's seemingly boundless energy has long been an asset to the field of weird literature. H.P. Lovecraft might not be treated as seriously as he is today without Joshi's critical eye and advocacy insisting on the importance of Lovecraft's works. Moreover, Joshi occupies a unique niche in the weird aesthetic, a full time position investigating the nuts and bolts of classic and contemporary writers--something rarely found in other spokesmen for the weird, who are often occupied with promoting their own literary careers. He shows no sign of letting up either, and this remodeled website is a welcome addition to his sturdy career of identifying and illuminating the weird's vast topography.

-Grim Blogger

S.T. Joshi's Website Reanimated

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Omnia Exeunt in Mysterium: LTC Rolt

The Omnia Exeunt In Mysterium blog has come out with a fascinating post on the life and writings of L.T.C. Rolt. "Who?" is likely the exclamation sputtering from the mouths of many, both in and out of the weird literary circle. As the linked blog tells us, Rolt was an engineer, transportation enthusiast, and weird fiction writer who produced a well received collection of tales in the traditional ghostly model called Sleep No More. He's also another curious link in the history of weird writers who have latched supernatural phenomena to industrial conveyances, much like Robert Aickman and Stefan Grabinski.

Rolt is worth re-exploring now, in part, because we're fast approaching his centennial. February 9, 2010, marks the birth of this elusive figure. According to blogger Kai Roberts, it will become a bit easier to read Rolt's contributions to the weird, thanks to a planned re-issue of his ghostly collection by History Press. This is scheduled for an unknown release later this year.

Rolt's jittery world of possessed industry deserves a wider readership, and perhaps things will be set in motion to that end with this anniversary of his birth. Those who can't wait for the reprint of Sleep No More can try seeking a copy of the out-of-print edition of this book by Ash-Tree press.

-Grim Blogger

Omnia Exeunt in Mysterium: LTC Rolt

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Newspaper Rock: Lovecraft and Natives

A well thought parcel of commentary on H.P. Lovecraft sprang up earlier this month over at the "Newspaper Rock" blog by Rob Schmidt, a blog focusing on portrayals of American Indians in popular culture. "Natives in H.P. Lovecraft" explores the intersection of native peoples and HPL's dark gods from several different angles. Lovecraft's fictional use of natives as related to a collision of real world mythology with the Cthulhu mythos is discussed, as well as portrayals of natives as allies of supernatural chaos arrayed against civilization. As with most articles discussing Lovecraft and ethnicity, this content is mildly controversial, and it may provoke a feistier debate in the comments over time.

-Grim Blogger

Newspaper Rock: Lovecraft and Natives

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If Lovecraft Wrote C

Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie appear to be two techies who have clothed a vast knowledge of techno-occult workings in Lovecraftian terms. "The C Programming Language" is an elaborate "Shadow Over Innsmouth" pastiche that runs with the amusing idea of Lovecraft as software programmer. Surely, this is a new role for the Providence writer in the world of Lovecraftian humor. But, with Cutethulhu type jokes running rampant online in "geek" subcultures, perhaps it was only a matter of time. And thankfully, it has finally happened, if only to show that madness like this can raise its bloated head up on the stage of weird comedy. Who else could visually encode the language of the Old Ones in modern terms?

void Rlyeh
    (int mene[], int wgah, int nagl) {
    int Ia, fhtagn;
    if (wgah>=nagl) return;
    swap (mene,wgah,(wgah+nagl)/2);
    fhtagn = wgah;
    for (Ia=wgah+1; Ia<=nagl; Ia++)      if (mene[Ia]

Check out the link above for a laugh from the black labs of experimental eldritch humor.

-Grim Blogger

If Lovecraft Wrote C

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The Heavy Stuff: 2009 Fortean Links

The Heavy Stuff blog recently carted out an autopsy of strangeness from last year. This post on 2009's most Fortean news stories contains a modest gallery of oddities, rarities, and inexplicable phenomena that will force you to take a self-guided tour through the real (or at least potentially real) weird. Set aside at least an hour or two. Stigmata, telepathic abilities, eerie animals (like the albino alligator above), and other strangeness awaits in their list of foreboding links. This is a fitting exhumation of 2009's more obscure creepiness.

-Grim Blogger

The Heavy Stuff: 2009 Fortean Links

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A Lovecraft Pastiche Blog: Stygian Darkness Across the Potomac

The Stygian Darkness Across the Potomac blog is a new project intertwining Lovecraft pastiche, the local history of Washington D.C., and odd conspiratorial lore. theProtagonist, a shadowy entity behind this endeavor, effectively melds pictures from his chosen city along with Lovecraftian rumors. Antiquarian booksellers, masonic lodges, and unusual happenings teetering on the edge of documented reality melt into an online cocktail that will leave readers wondering how much fact or fiction lurks in each occurrence.

Though Stygian Darkness currently has a handful of postings, chances are that the blog will pick up steam in the months to come. This is certainly an imaginative collision between Lovecraftiana and city history. Washington D.C.'s lengthy history of odd backroom deals and allegedly mystical architecture is an almost natural target for visitations by the Cthulhu Mythos. The delivery of these episodes comes through an imitation of a familiar voice. But fortunately, theProtagonist's nominally Lovecraftian writing style adds charm rather than cheap thrills to the project.

-Grim Blogger

A Lovecraft Pastiche Blog: Stygian Darkness Across the Potomac

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Hypnogoria on the Christmas Ghost Story

The fascinating Hypnogoria blog has done an exhaustive overview on the traditional Christmas ghost story and its media adaptations, especially on television. Particular attention is rendered to the haunting and wintry works of two weird fiction masters: M.R. James and Sheridan Le Fanu. "Ghost Stories for Christmas" is a veritable exhumation of the weird's public face, seasonally appropriate even as this year's prime holidays are being buried.


It is almost equally as thought provoking when considering what the article doesn't say. The migration of the purely spectral weird onto television is the main place it continues to flourish, securing James and other artists a sort of immortality. This comes well after the classic ghost story peaked under James, then blurred into stranger territory, New Weird motifs, and psychological horror with Robert Aickman and his successors. Today, Reggie Oliver is one of the sole literary exceptions who continues to produce tales resembling the classic ghostly model.

In any case, Hypnogoria's post is a stimulating catalog that touches on weird literature and its expansion into new mediums. A real gem amid the rich and growing community of online scholarship on the outre.

-Grim Blogger

Hypnogoria on the Christmas Ghost Story

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Massive Lovecraft Art Thread from Tor.com

An article on Tor.com and the comments users made has become one of the largest online art galleries of Lovecraftiana. Irene Gallo's "Show Us Your Tentacles: A Lovecraft Art Meme" highlights artwork and commentary from about a dozen of the best Lovecraftian artists. Article users also contributed images below the main article, forcibly evolving the page into a thread of eldritch horrors. Check it out for your viewing pleasure, or contribute your own Lovecraft art.

-Grim Blogger

Massive Lovecraft Art Thread from Tor.com

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Dan O'Bannon RIP and Alien as Lovecraftian Film

Screenwriter Dan O'Bannon passed away this past December 17. This is a notable name in the memory hole of fledgling H.P. Lovecraft inspired cinema. O'Bannon was, after all, a noteworthy cog in the great production machines that drove movies like The Resurrected, Bleeders, and, most famously, Alien. All of these sci-fi and horror extravaganzas owe a debt to HPL's dark fiction for their hideous monsters and cosmic themes. Twitchfilm.net has the full scoop on O'Bannon's lengthy and involved career in film making.

Speaking of Alien, an excellent article on the movie and its elegant Lovecraftian facets appeared on the Grognardia blog last week. James Maliszewski traces the shadow of Lovecraft in what remains, arguably, science fiction's dreariest film to date. The failure of science, the indifference of the creatures (and by extension the universe itself) to mankind, and the stark realism previously mirrored in stories like "At the Mountains of Madness" are identified by Maliszewski with precision. Although, somewhat curiously, no mention is made of the blatantly Lovecraftian artist H.R. Giger, who was heavily involved with design for the first film. Check out this post for an updated look at what may have been HPL's biggest cinematic transmission to date.

-Grim Blogger

Dan O'Bannon RIP and Alien as Lovecraftian Film

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Cinerati on Bierce's "The Damned Thing"

Cinerati's Christian Lindke has posted an insightful piece analyzing Ambrose Bierce's classic weird tale, "The Damned Thing," and its potential influence on Lovecraft. Lindke's article breaks down the surface content and deeper themes of Bierce's story to a level rarely seen outside outside formal (and scant) journals of weird fiction. Later, Lindke looks at how "The Damned Thing" may have influenced H.P. Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space," a noteworthy connection when considering how both writers' chief monstrosities in these tales are malevolent beings barely detectable to human senses.

This post is well worth a read for churning questions on two weird writers who are often not placed under the lens simultaneously.

-Grim Blogger

Cinerati on Bierce's "The Damned Thing"

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Make Your Own Cthulhuvian Specimen

Tor.com's Jason Henninger is offering up instructions on how to make your own jar bound tentacled horror. Anyone who remembers the aged, grotesque specimens of college biology may find this project an appropriate diversion to pass the time. Fortunately, unlike the shriveled flesh and formaldehyde of real specimens, this one is only made of polymer clay, distilled water, and a few other ingredients.

So, why not build a new idol, or a hideous paperweight to rival Miskatonic's science storeroom?

-Grim Blogger

Make Your Own Cthulhuvian Specimen

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The Drummer's Revenge on Lovecraft's Battle with Elsa Gidlow

The Drummer's Revenge blog has an informative article about English-Canadian writer Elsa Gidlow, which mentions an obscure battle between her and H.P. Lovecraft. It occurred in the heyday of Lovecraft's involvement with the amateur press, during a time when the original United Amateur Press Association of America split into rival groups. As President of one faction, Lovecraft fired some uncharacteristically bitter bullets at his rival Gidlow.

This is an unusual incident in the biography of Lovecraft that hasn't garnered much attention from scholars. Some might wonder if this is because it presents Lovecraft in a bad light. Whether this is the case or not, it does show that he occasionally broke from the gentlemanly air he was later acclaimed for, especially on the battlefield of the intellect.

-Grim Blogger

The Drummer's Revenge on Lovecraft's Battle with Elsa Gidlow

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Isebrand on Weird Fiction and Machen

The liberal politics and culture blog Isebrand.com offers a perspective on weird fiction's foundation and influence on contemporary media that differs from the one usually echoed by commentators within the genre. In fact, the author prefers lurching away from the supernatural characterizing much of weird fiction. It may come as no surprise, then, that he focuses upon Machen's war stories like "The Bowmen" and vanguard artists of the new weird such as China Mieville as favorable representatives of the weird. The post also does a fine job of narrowing the definition of weird literature for unfamiliar readers--clearly distinguishing it from the fantasies of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Though one wonders how the author would feel about the place Lord Dunsany often occupies, blurring the realm of fantasy and the weird?

-Grim Blogger

Isebrand on Weird Fiction and Machen

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Lovecraftian Beer Wisdom

Some vicious (and thirsty) little gremlin has decided to tie H.P. Lovecraft to liquor as of late. A rebuke from beyond the grave of his lifelong sobriety? Someone trying to hint that Lovecraft has been reincarnated as a bar tender (a different variant of Mark Samuels' story "A Gentleman From Mexico," where HPL resurrects as a Mexican writer)? Maybe. In any case, John Schuff of Brewcast.net has developed four principles for determining excellent barleywines from Lovecraft's fiction. These are:

1. Some Things are Best Left Sleeping.

2. Cold Can Take the Life Out of Things.

3. Strength Without Finesse is a Monster.

4. Strength With Finesse is Even Scarier Than a Monster.

For a fuller explanation of what each of these entails, check out the article link above. Perhaps the most eldritch wisdom of Lovecraft's lore is that applied to the more mundane corners of existence.

-Grim Blogger

Lovecraftian Beer Wisdom

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