# Any cthulhu fans?



## Abouna (Apr 24, 2009)

I just read the Call of the Cthulhu by Lovecraft.  I'm surprised it's taken me till my 40th year to get around to his stuff.  

I liked the story well enough.  It was engaging enough to make me want to read more.  I am however at a loss on where to go from here.  I'd like to keep things somewhat organized.  

Some help?


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## TheAutomaton (May 20, 2009)

Well...I think you can find the MobiSomething version of all his books in one download for only a couple bucks.
I can't remember what it's called. Just search for H. P. Lovecraft and look for it to be by something with Mobi in the title. And then you could read his other stories.

I started on "Call of" a few weeks ago, but have not yet finished it.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

I've been reading Lovecraft for more than 30 years. Here are just a few good ones. Almost all his stories are in the public domain.

The Shadow out of Time (Some critics call it his best story)
At the Mountains of Madness (Almost novel length)
The Outsider
The Rats in the Walls 
The Music of Eric Zann

and many others.


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## Silver (Dec 30, 2008)

I am also a long time Lovecraftian. "The Rats In the Walls" gave my teenaged self shivers for weeks. I recommend these collections. Although I haven't yet read (or re-read) all of the books and stories in them I did look them over, and they seem to be very nicely formatted with TOC and such. These volumes hold 93 stories, novellas, etc. Should be enough to keep most Lovecraft seekers busy for a while, and more than worth the .80/each price. As a note, the covers all look the same, but these are Volumes One, Two, Three and Four.


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## Abouna (Apr 24, 2009)

Thanks everybody.  For some reason I didn't get notifications for this thread so am just now seeing it.

What I'm really looking for is a primer or storyline chronology for reading Lovecraft, in particular the Cthulhu stuff, but not limited to that.  I hate reading things out of order from any particular author.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

Chronological Order of Stories

BTW, I made my own complete Lovecraft anthology years ago. It works on the Kindle and I'll email it anyone who wants it.


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## mwvickers (Jan 26, 2009)

Geemont said:


> Chronological Order of Stories
> 
> BTW, I made my own complete Lovecraft anthology years ago. It works on the Kindle and I'll email it anyone who wants it.


Does it differ greatly from the MobiReference version?


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## Abouna (Apr 24, 2009)

Geemont said:


> Chronological Order of Stories
> 
> BTW, I made my own complete Lovecraft anthology years ago. It works on the Kindle and I'll email it anyone who wants it.


Thanks for the link.

Is your Kindle version indexed?

Can I assume then that there is no real chronology for sotriesd that pertain to Cthulhu, i.e. there are interspersed and can be read in any order?


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

mwvickers said:


> Does it differ greatly from the MobiReference version?


I've never download the MobiRefrence version to my Kindle, but my best guess is there probably wouldn't be much difference. I used html files from an old Lovecraft library site and I doubt somebody would go to the trouble to create them from text.



Abouna said:


> Is your Kindle version indexed?


Yes, all the stories are on the table of contents with subsections. They are listed in the order they were written.

I've got nothing that you can't get elsewhere for free, but all the stories are in one book, or two, if you want his public domain collaborations with other authors.


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## ElLector (Feb 13, 2009)

Absolutely!  Big fan of H.P. Lovecraft here.  If one wants to boost his/her vocabulary, hes's the perfect source.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

Lovecraft doesn't really have a "chronological" order as his stories are not very interconnected. I guess you could read them in order of writing if you prefer, but I find that Lovecraft is like a fine wine, best sipped during special occasions, not chugged back all day long  He is taxing at best, and repeats themes often, so just ploughing through his stories may actually turn you off. So I'd recommend hitting the "highlights" as it were, such as the stories mentioned above, then fill in the gaps as you can.

Other authors have gone to great lengths to weave Lovecraft into a "coherent whole", and I prefer to think of it that way, but the stories actually read better if they are taken individually with only faint references to common arcane texts or gods.

Also, be aware that "Call of Cthulhu" is probably the most action oriented story he has done 

Robert Howard (of Conan fame) did a handful of actiony Cthulhu mythos stories that I highly recommend. Not sure if Howard is on Kindle though.


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## J Dean (Feb 9, 2009)

Not a big Lovecraft buff personally, but I do recommend "The Dunwich Horror" although I don't know which anthology it belongs to.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

I have loved Lovecraft since my first encounters with his work ... seeing the film version of the Dunwich Horrow (starring a young and demented-looking Dean Stockwell) on late-night TV, and also the occasional Night Gallery offerings based on his stories ... Cold Air and Pickman's Model are the two that I remember the best. 

As as consequence of those very chilling stories I scoured my local library for more, but once upon a time he wasn't so easy to find! I do have the DTB reprints from DelRey, and a complete works was one of my first Kindle downloads (After a complete Sherlock Holmes, but before The Jungle Books).


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

Geemont said:


> BTW, I made my own complete Lovecraft anthology years ago. It works on the Kindle and I'll email it anyone who wants it.


I'd love it. Please check your PM. Thanks!


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## liannallama (May 29, 2009)

Love it!  Every few years (usually around Halloween) I re-read all my favorites.  The only bumper sticker I've ever considered buying is one that says "Vote for Cthulhu: Why choose the LESSER of two evils?"  Once in a while I'll see one that says "Arkham U" and it always makes me smile. 

You can be sure I will be getting these for my kindle this Halloween!


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## jrector (May 24, 2009)

Funny, but I've tried to read Lovecraft for years, and each time I've walked away bored and confused by his writing...  Then I got the Kindle and downloaded one of his collections, now I can't get enough.  I don't know if anyone else has had a similar experience while reading on the Kindle, but some things are just easier to read.  I can't explain why, but they are, and for me, Lovecraft is one of them.


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## askenase13 (Mar 1, 2009)

For you Lovecraft fans, I want to recommend two great books by Colin Wilson that feature the Cthulhu mythos.  They are "The Philosopher's Stone" and the sequel "The Mind Parasites."  (They are old books, not on a kindle, but available used from Amazon for just a few bucks each.)  They are fascinating novels which I remembered really captivated me.  Too complex (and too long ago) for me to summarize, but they were great.  He is an occult and SciFi writer, but these are different from his usual apparently.  Highly recommended and little known.  Hope you enjoy them.


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

I really have been wanting to post on this site, but was kind of askeered to. I know that the OP wanted a chronological listing of Lovecraft works, but the name of the thread is about Cthulhu. Well, I can't say that I'm a fan of Cthulhu, but I am a fan of sorts of the _Neconomicon_. As far as I can tell, there are two schools of thought. One says that the Necronomicon was written in some obscure antiquity by Arabs and the other school says that H.P. Lovecraft made it all up. I'm wondering if anyone out there has an opinion on this and if so, what is your opinion? Sincerely, Brendan.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

Brendan Carroll said:


> One says that the Necronomicon was written in some obscure antiquity by Arabs and the other school says that H.P. Lovecraft made it all up. I'm wondering if anyone out there has an opinion on this and if so, what is your opinion?


Lovecraft made it all up. It is all fiction.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Abouna said:


> I just read the Call of the Cthulhu by Lovecraft. I'm surprised it's taken me till my 40th year to get around to his stuff.
> 
> I liked the story well enough. It was engaging enough to make me want to read more. I am however at a loss on where to go from here. I'd like to keep things somewhat organized.
> 
> Some help?


I can't help, but I'm glad you started this thread. I just last week downloaded Call of the Cthulhu and a volume of Lovecraft stories from manybooks.net and saw the volumes on Amazon. I think it was called to my attention by the Amazon recommendations (computer!). I'd only heard of Lovecraft through the blogger/author Travis Prinzi. He had talked on one of his podcasts about Lovecraft connection and influence on JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. I can't remember what that connection was though. This is Travis Prinzi's blog, Hogshead.org with a page of articles that referenced Lovecraft:

http://thehogshead.org/tag/hp-lovecraft/

I see that Barnes & Noble has a complete volume of Lovecraft's work that Prinzi gave away in October.

I haven't started reading Lovecraft on my kindle yet. I do most of my reading very late at night and wonder if I should read any of this before bedtime. 

Marti


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## Elmore Hammes (Jun 23, 2009)

I just finished reading the print version of a short story collection of Lovecraft's, I checked and it is available on Kindle - The Transition of H. P. Lovecraft: The Road to Madness - containing many of his earliest works. It is a very interesting look at the progression of the man's writings.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

On Friday night I took the *Providence Ghost Tour* and H.P.Lovecraft was one of the featured ghost stories!
Then this evening, my daughter, who is a senior at Brown Un. tells me that during her freshman year her student job was working in the special collections library & it was her responsibility to review the entire collection of original books to flag those needing repairs!


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

Geemont said:


> Lovecraft made it all up. It is all fiction.


Not true! I have a copy on my shelf.

It is...looking at me :O

If you are REALLY into the Cthulhu mythos the "Necronomicon" and "Alhazred" books by Tyson are decent reads. I've not read the one by Simon, but the 31st anniversary edition would look good on a shelf 

And the "Special Collections" wing of an old university is pretty much where every Lovecraft horror starts  I make it a point to NOT read any old diaries that come my way either


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

I meant that Brown U has the originals of Lovecraft's books - not just any old collection of old books. It was his books that she was working on.



CegAbq said:


> it was her responsibility to review the entire collection of original books to flag those needing repairs!


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

For the true Cthulhu fans, a parody on religious fundamentalism: Who Will Be Eaten First?


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## Keith Melton (Jul 22, 2009)

I've always loved _At the Mountains of Madness_. It has a great build in creepy atmosphere, and has the same dark, epic scale that the _Call of Cthulhu _ contains. _The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath _ was also interesting, but I don't think it was structured as tightly as _Mountains of Madness_.


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Got this one on Keith's recommendation. Great read. Don't you hate the way HP draws everything out, making you read and read and read until you get to the good part and by then, he's got you reading on, looking forward to something else? His stuff is horrible... in a good way.


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## Keith Melton (Jul 22, 2009)

Glad you liked it Brendan. It's one of my favorites, although HP must use the word "decadent" about 8 million times in the story. Still, the tale just oozes with mood and malevolent evil. 



Brendan Carroll said:


> Got this one on Keith's recommendation. Great read. Don't you hate the way HP draws everything out, making you read and read and read until you get to the good part and by then, he's got you reading on, looking forward to something else? His stuff is horrible... in a good way.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

I used to have a bunch of stickers reading

 Cthulhu Saves (in case He's hungry later)


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Now see, Miss Scarlet, that's the kind of thing that really scares me!  I already feel like I might be in storage for a late night snack. I'm up here in UFO country and I've not been visited outright, so I figure I'm on some sort of waiting list. If I'm not interesting enough to interview aboard one of the ships, I might be juicy enough for some sort of ritual feast. I'm afraid some night I'm going to be mistaken for a bovine specimen and end up mutilated in a pasture somewhere. It's strange how I always make the connection between UFO's and the Old Ones. Do you think they are connected?  



Keith Melton said:


> Glad you liked it Brendan. It's one of my favorites, although HP must use the word "decadent" about 8 million times in the story. Still, the tale just oozes with mood and malevolent evil.


I hadn't noticed the word that much (probably because I was so terrified). Funny how I always associated 'decadent' with Red Velvet Cake. Now it will mean much more...


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> Now see, Miss Scarlet, that's the kind of thing that really scares me!  I already feel like I might be in storage for a late night snack. I'm up here in UFO country and I've not been visited outright, so I figure I'm on some sort of waiting list. If I'm not interesting enough to interview aboard one of the ships, I might be juicy enough for some sort of ritual feast. I'm afraid some night I'm going to be mistaken for a bovine specimen and end up mutilated in a pasture somewhere. It's strange how I always make the connection between UFO's and the Old Ones.


Sorry Brendan.... But if you feel the urge to suddenly start stuffing yourself and fattening up, don't worry too much...

Oh, and sort of back on topic, a Lovecraftian/Sherlock Holmes spinoff I like is Neil Gaiman's A Study in Emerald.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> I'm up here in UFO country and I've not been visited outright, so I figure I'm on some sort of waiting list. If I'm not interesting enough to interview aboard one of the ships, I might be juicy enough for some sort of ritual feast. I'm afraid some night I'm going to be mistaken for a bovine specimen and end up mutilated in a pasture somewhere.


Look out, Brendan!!!

http://www.galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=31

Warning--The comic at the above link does use the word @ss in a mild and not particularly profane way.....If you are sensitive about that, you were warned!


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Look out, Brendan!!!
> 
> Warning--The comic at the above link does use the word @ss in a mild and not particularly profane way.....If you are sensitive about that, you were warned!


So that's where I went wrong. Lost in translation!!  Still trying to figure out the phonics of @. 



scarlet said:


> Sorry Brendan.... But if you feel the urge to suddenly start stuffing yourself and fattening up, don't worry too much...
> Oh, and sort of back on topic, a Lovecraftian/Sherlock Holmes spinoff I like is Neil Gaiman's A Study in Emerald.


And I thought it was because I'm a turkey at heart! I'll check out the Book. I'm a sucker for anything with Emeral in the title.


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## SimonWood (Nov 13, 2009)

jrector said:


> Funny, but I've tried to read Lovecraft for years, and each time I've walked away bored and confused by his writing... Then I got the Kindle and downloaded one of his collections, now I can't get enough. I don't know if anyone else has had a similar experience while reading on the Kindle, but some things are just easier to read. I can't explain why, but they are, and for me, Lovecraft is one of them.


I have similar feelings. I find the style very difficult for me--which is a shame...


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

SimonWood said:


> I have similar feelings. I find the style very difficult for me--which is a shame...


I read some of his stuff years ago and of course, I researched the Necronomicon for use in some of my writing and even have some of my characters debating whether or not HP made it up or not. It's a weird debate and I've found nothing conclusive so far, but yeah, I find his stuff easier to read on the Kindle. That's kind of weird, too. But then, Lovecraft's stuff is not exactly mainstream, is it?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Every few years I get the urge to read some HP Lovecraft.  I then read some, and after a few stories I remember why I chose not to read it for several years!  Wash, rinse, repeat....I haven't read it in awhile (can't remember the last time) so I'll probably pick up something of his soon.


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Isn't it weird how we (who have read) keep hearing _the Call _ even when we have decided that we can't read his stuff, it doesn't make sense and we really don't_ want _ to read it?  Just weird. Just sayin'.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> Isn't it weird how we (who have read) keep hearing _the Call _ even when we have decided that we can't read his stuff, it doesn't make sense and we really don't_ want _ to read it?  Just weird. Just sayin'.


No, not weird at all (insert evil grin here).


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## SimonWood (Nov 13, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> I read some of his stuff years ago and of course, I researched the Necronomicon for use in some of my writing and even have some of my characters debating whether or not HP made it up or not. It's a weird debate and I've found nothing conclusive so far, but yeah, I find his stuff easier to read on the Kindle. That's kind of weird, too. But then, Lovecraft's stuff is not exactly mainstream, is it?


For me, it's the language of HP's stories that is tough. It's seems old-fashioned and very much a product of its time. Oddly though, I was reading The Maltese Falcon recently and I was surprised how clipped and modern the prose were in the book which time wise HP's and Hammett's weren't that far apart in publication.


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

SimonWood said:


> For me, it's the language of HP's stories that is tough. It's seems old-fashioned and very much a product of its time. Oddly though, I was reading The Maltese Falcon recently and I was surprised how clipped and modern the prose were in the book which time wise HP's and Hammett's weren't that far apart in publication.


My own quirk, I suppose, but I love reading stuff with old usage, I even read Chaucer... hmmmm, don't tell anyone. I like reading Shakespeare, but you have to read it aloud to understand it. I thought that perhaps Lovecraft was from England or somewhere with English a bit different from our American usage, but then he mentioned getting back to New England... of course that was the character in the book speaking and I haven't had time to look up biographical info on him. I listen to tapes made in the forties and fifties by a certain speaker and she is from New York, but her usage is just different enough to make your brain twist a little when uses words and phrases that have been phased out of the language. Again, to use my favorite word for describing Lovecraft... weird.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

Brendan Carroll said:


> I thought that perhaps Lovecraft was from England or somewhere with English a bit different from our American usage, but then he mentioned getting back to New England.


Lovecraft was an unabashed Anglophile and consciously attempted to sound more British than American, but he lived in New England his whole life except for a stint in New York city.


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Very interesting, especially since I love all things Scottish... of course, I do have Scottish roots though it doesn't show in my writing... LOL


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> Very interesting, especially since I love all things Scottish... of course, I do have Scottish roots though it doesn't show in my writing... LOL


HA!


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Tor.com is doing some sort of cthulhu thing all month. They also put a bunch of related titles on sale 30 percent off:

http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=58389

If that link doesn't work, go to www.tor.com and you'll see all the cthulhu posts!!!

Maria


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

I never realized that December was Cthulhu month.  I'll have to remember that from now on.  I'm going to look for something on Kindle right now that will keep me up nights (since I work nights anyway and need to stay awake).  Thanks for the link, Miss Maria.


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## PD Allen (Dec 9, 2009)

This isn't really kindle, but I hear Barnes and Nobles have the complete works of Lovecraft in one volume for $12.95. You can't beat that.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> I never realized that December was Cthulhu month. I'll have to remember that from now on.


But of course, Brendan. Haven't you ever gone out on a cold night to sing Cthulhu Carols?


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## PD Allen (Dec 9, 2009)

Love it.



The Hooded Claw said:


> But of course, Brendan. Haven't you ever gone out on a cold night to sing Cthulhu Carols?


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## svsilentsun (Nov 24, 2009)

I'm just reading it for the first time too - and I'm 40!. But could someone _please_ tell me how 'cthulhu' is pronounced? I don't know about you but I 'hear' words in my head when I'm reading and this one's killing me. Or is that part of the mystery?


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

svsilentsun said:


> I'm just reading it for the first time too - and I'm 40!. But could someone _please_ tell me how 'cthulhu' is pronounced? I don't know about you but I 'hear' words in my head when I'm reading and this one's killing me. Or is that part of the mystery?


don't know the "official" pronuciation, but I've always heard it as K-thu-loo


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

This song is merely "okay", but it pronounces Cthulhu the same way I do, and you can hear it for yourself. But I've only heard it by myself and a couple of weird friends, not anyone "official" whatever that is.


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## svsilentsun (Nov 24, 2009)

Awesome! I had far too many consonants in my version!


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

OK, Mr. Claw, those were really scary videos.  My favorite was the knock off of "Hey, there..." because I really like that little tune.  I, too, am hoping to be eaten first.  In fact, I'll volunteer, for sure and I'm glad that it's only 1:07 PM and not 1:07 AM right now where I am.


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## scottder (Jun 26, 2009)

I live in the land of Lovecraft, and went on a fun walking tour of Providence seeing the sites that inspired him.  I have actually seen the 'Shunned House' 

Scott


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Can you please expound a bit on the 'shunned house'?


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## scottder (Jun 26, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> Can you please expound a bit on the 'shunned house'?


Don't know if you are familiar with the story, but the title give you an idea of what the story was about. It was based on an actual house near where Lovecraft lived, during that time it was abandoned, but today is on the hip trendy side of Providence, I always wondered if the current owners knew.

Scott


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Has anyone here heard of the musical "A Shoggoth on the Roof"? My brother gave me the sound track a few years ago. 
I have it on my iPod.


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## scottder (Jun 26, 2009)

R. Reed said:


> Has anyone here heard of the musical "A Shoggoth on the Roof"? My brother gave me the sound track a few years ago.
> I have it on my iPod.


No, but I do have "Cthulhu Strikes Back" by Darkest of Hillside Thickets


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## Guest (Dec 22, 2009)

This Cthulhumas, don't forget the little cultists in your house!


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## scottder (Jun 26, 2009)

I picked up the 4 volumes of this series, can't beat the price!


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## PD Allen (Dec 9, 2009)

I just saw the movie Tales of Cthulu. Made in 2005, it is a tribute to 1920s silent movies while being very faithful to the Lovecraft story. Stylistically done, it is definitely worth watching.


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## scottder (Jun 26, 2009)

While not available on the Kindle, there is an excellent biography of Lovecraft by Necronomicon Press:

_

"The basic facts of H.P. Lovecraft's life have long been known, but before this book the only account of his life worth having was L. Sprague de Camp's 1975 biography, which was lively but sketchy, giving a fragmented view of Lovecraft's life and work. S.T. Joshi has delivered the goods. This is not only the finest and most definitive biography of Lovecraft, it is likely to remain so for many decades into the future. While at nearly 700 pages, it's not necessarily a book every Lovecraft fan will sit down and read cover to cover, it's almost as compulsively readable as it is compulsively detailed. Joshi is sympathetic toward his subject but doesn't pull any punches: he includes Lovecraft's less flattering qualities, such as his "contemptible" racism and his "shabby" treatment of his wife. Best of all, perhaps, for fans of Lovecraft's fiction, are the accounts of how the stories came to be written, concise plot summaries, and well-chosen historical-critical remarks."_


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