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Courting Cthulhu:
Recommended Modern Anthologies of Cthulhu Mythos Fiction
by William P Simmons
 
 
There is no arguing the literary influence that Lovecraft exerted over
supernatural, horror, and dark science fiction. Combining symbols of
archetypal terror (embodiments of mythic, religious, and cross-cultural
societal significance) with scientific extrapolations, materialistic
concerns, a cynical intellect, and themes invested with philosophical
speculation, he sought escape from the natural world in which he so
devoutly believed -- and a glimpse of an unknown existence that he longed
for -- in his fiction, often refuting reality from within, making the
cosmically weird believable by situating his explorations of it just
outside the limits of possibility. Fiction was an emotional and intellectual
tool of momentary escape from natural laws, where Lovecraft imagined
that which he couldn't believe.
Lovecraft's unique themes and distinct approach to the outré
remains influential, far surpassing the importance of his earlier Dunsanian
and more traditional supernaturalism. His universal motifs and themes,
which favored overt cosmicism over the traditional static horrors of
the supernaturally-based Gothic tradition, were brought to forceful
and convincing life by his nihilistic, uncompromisingly bleak vision
of an ignorant species fumbling around in an unknowable cosmos. A universe
void of empathy, at best simply unconcerned with humanity, at worst
capable of unimaginable destruction, was his canvas. The cosmos according
to Lovecraft lacked the conservative moral postering of "good"
vs. "evil" once emphasized by the proper Gothic or the Victorian
ghost story. There is no moral significance in Lovecraft's fiction,
and rather than hampering the emotional effects of his visions, this
lack of moral postering makes them more disturbing.
Changing the face of fantasy in the Twentieth century by emphasizing
the terrors and awe of the sublime unknown, Lovecraft and a select few
of his circle brought fantasy to an unsurpassed level of maturity, particularly
by his insistence on employing devices of modern scientific thought
and mechanicalism as means to help achieve the horrid, using such as
components of a dark aesthetic rather than depending on the supernatural
to refute materialistic thought. Lovecraft may be longest remembered
for his fragmented creation of the Cthulhu Mythos, that body of belief
-- and aesthetic approach -- which he emphasized when courting the unknown.
Both a primal sense of outré awe and a more surface representation
of certain Gods, myth-cyles, and corresponding symbols, the Mythos suggested
a chaotic unknowable truth hidden behind our fragmented exterior sense
of "reality." A reality that our feeble minds were unable
to perceive. Interrelated gods, alien beings/civilizations, locales,
books, and folklore were invented bit by bit by Lovecraft (and not always
in order or in a clearly connected fashion) for the purpose of imbuing
his work with disturbing believability, using purposely fragmented glimpses
and traces of lore and supposition to suggest a greater universal mystery/order
in the universe. The Cthulhu Mythos may refer to the superficial external
appearances and properties of Gods or, more importantly, signify an
internal feeling -- an artistic approach -- to the infinite than only
the wisest writers of his time (and those later, such as Fritz Leiber
and Ramsey Campbell) sought to include in their continuation of Lovecraft's
basic ideals.
Lovecraft encouraged his protégés and friends to borrow,
expand upon, and alter his basic principles and characters to fit their
own fictions, while he himself occasionally borrowed and fit into this
growing pantheon, such as Tsathoggua" the toad-god, which he lifted
from Clark Ashton Smith. Whereas such authors as Robert E. Howard, Frank
Belknap Long, Henry Kuttner, and Smith used/invented elements of Mythos
elements to lend resonance and a mysterious sense of connectedness and
Mythos to their original work, intending them primarily to stand alone,
as it grew and aged, the Mythos, under diverse hands, became a more
rigidly defined tapestry of figures/conventions, losing something of
its principle cosmic flair in the process. Whereas a writer like Robert
E. Howard may have employed a characteristic of the Mythos for his own
purpose, later Mythos authors approached the Mythos as a fixed set of
conventions/rules to which they could contribute an element rather than
a smorgasbord of ideas from which they could pick from to add spice
to their own concoctions.
The Mythos as a defined set of conventions was further cemented by
August Derleth, whose protectiveness and misreading of Lovecraft's purpose/ideology
altered forever the course that the Mythos would take as it grew. Whereas
Lovecraft found no meaning in the universe, and had little use for humankind,
Derleth's conservative Christian mind-frame perceived the chaotic old
gods and aliens of Lovecraft's Mythos as representative of clearly defined
Good and Bad, fighting for a cosmic order/balance, and wrote his own
homages to Lovecraft in suit. Inviting selected authors to treat the
Mythos in similar fashion, Derleth erred by instilling his own personal
prejudices into Lovecraft's framework. By inviting authors to concentrate
more on the superficial elements of the Mythos rather than the true
spirit of the cosmic unknown which lends Lovecraft's work such primal
awe, he, in fact, created two branches/schools of Mythos fiction,
one devoted primarily to Lovecraft's undefined principle of cosmic awe,
the other working from Derleth's reading/organization of key elements.
Arkham House co-founder August Derleth actually coined the term The
Cthulhu Mythos, and while guilty of the above, it should be remembered
that he's also responsible for keeping Lovecraft in the cultural eye.
This mingling of myth, science, and antiquity with celestial decadence
is surly one of the most burrowed, stolen, and influential themes of
modern weird fiction, continued by writers whose works attempt to capture
or expand upon Lovecraft's initial dark cosmic philosophies (or in some
cases to simply ape them). Used to instil greater tradition, realism,
and interwoven consistency into like-minded creations, the Mythos as
such wasn't recognized as we know it today until after Lovecraft's death
when, with the help of Derleth, those writing in a Lovecraftian milieu
were granted a thematic and stylistic umbrella beneath which to create.
While demonized and reviled of late by scholars, critics, and fans
eager to hop on the bandwagon, August Derleth did more in his personal
life and writing -- not to mention his publishing and editing enterprises
-- to preserve Lovecraft's writings than anyone then or since. While
S. T. Joshi runs a close second (and certainly foremost in scholarship
of Lovecraft, not to mention the correction of Lovecraft's texts), it
must be remembered that Derleth himself preserved the materials used
by audiences/professionals for study. It was Arkham House that first
sparked and kept burning the interest in Lovecraft as an author and
man. As such, Derleth has long been a convenient figure for attack.
While there is no doubt that he took liberties as an editor and publisher,
using his power and influence to shape Lovecraft's Mythos a certain
way, and while his so-called collaborative works were more often personal
revisions of Lovecraft's ideas with little of the latter's work in them,
he in turn also created an aesthetic springboard from which the Mythos
could grow.
While this oversimplifies (and
taints the original) Mythos, and brings to it an earthiness that Lovecraft
would have disapproved of, Derleth's responsibilities as a researcher,
publisher, and editor demanded an easier method to catalogue the diverse
aspects of Lovecraft's imaginings. Choosing to simplify a complex system,
Derleth mingled some deities together into single figures, and, worse
yet (to the minds of purists), created a simplified 'good vs. evil' symbolic
system of opposites similar to the lethargic traditions of Christianity
to represent Lovecraft's aliens! He also grouped together the works of
several authors using references from the Mythos into Lovecraft's literary
web. This, as well as the fine writing and imaginative scope of the Mythos
itself, revised and reworked by generations of authors, has weathered
criticism and the passing of time. The Mythos, be it perceived from Lovecraft's
initial exploration of the cosmic unknown, or the more regulated territory
of Derleth's establishment of stricter conventions, is still a potent
literary force -- a fact easily discernible in the depth of feeling and
creativity exposed in the many anthologies and collections still finding
issue from specialty and major publishing house.
What better mid-wife to eldritch horrors and a continuation of nameless
fears than Arkham House, one of the oldest (and finest) publishers of
Cthulhu Mythos material and supernatural/science fiction in general?
Lovecraft's power, infleunce, and scathing originality can best be seen
-- outside his own work, of course -- in the lasting seeds he planted,
and which continue to be harvested, by disciples of his initial
disciples! Arkham House bulges with a hoary wealth of weirdness by authors
old and new drawn not only to his eldritch terrors of space, time, and
the unknown but, even more importantly to his ethic of courting the
primal power of the unknown. A good thing, when you consider the wonderful
tomes we'll explore below, books which range from the loving depth of
pastiche to the vibrancy of true invention.
After Derleth's death Mythos fiction became increasingly cliché,
focusing on catalogues of characters and place-names instead of evoking
the awe and wonder that only the alien can truly inspire. The very novelty
of Lovecraft's initial concepts -- and the dreadful larger universe
that they suggest -- as well as our own unsure, insignificant place
in it, were swallowed by a lazy emphasis on minute elements of text,
until, for a long while now, 'Mythos' has signified anything but great
storytelling. This was particularly troubling when new generations of
writers began to homage not only Lovecraft and his primary circle of
associates but the later efforts of still younger -- and further removed
-- authors. Now the field was crowded with homages of
homages, even further removed from Lovecraft's cosmicism. Thankfully,
through the efforts of editors like Jim Thompson, Stephen Jones, and
the powerful influence of Arkham House, this lacklustre menage of clichés
copying off of even older clichés has been replaced by an inspiring
trend of authentic artistry. Storytellers in the later part of last
century (and in the early part of the 21st) have begun to explore the
Mythos as a powerful thematic and stylistic means for evoking terror
and wonder and cosmic awe, focusing more on Lovecraft's basic tenet
of the unknown rather than the simplistic (and tiring) rehashing of
Beings and motifs which he did better.
Occasionally called "the Lovecraft Mythos" by purists, and
despite the fact Lovecraft referred to his figures/pantheon as Yog Sothery
when he referred to it at all (often he mentioned it with disdain!),
the Cthulhu reference has stuck. While claimed by some, such as scholar
S. T. Joshi, to have moved far beyond its initial thematic scope and
principle aesthetic effect, the Mythos continues to exert a lively power
over the imaginations of our brightest fantasists. And while much of
this specialized sub-genre is hack-work disguised as homage,
having lost much of its originality and wonder -- the very principles
and emotions which Lovecraft reached for -- continuations of the master's
characters, motifs, and principle symbols of outré mystery and
awe still have a worthwhile place in the language of the unspeakable.
 Tales
of the Cthulhu Mythos (Arkham House, 1990; 529 pgs; $24.95; 0-87054-159-5)
is perhaps one of the leading volumes of Dereleth-inspired Cthulhu literature,
its original publication serving to both identify and preserve editor
Derleth's conception of the Mythos while likewise encouraging a wave
of follow-up efforts. Having the honor of being one of the foremost
collections to gather gather the thematically linked works of Lovecraft,
Kuttner, Long, Howard, and Smith, this original collection of dark miracles
has found a new, revised incarnation assembled by editor Jim Turner.
Tales
of the Cthulhu Mythos is something of a mixed bag in selection. A
few titles from the historical original have been dropped to make way
for newer, in some cases less interesting pieces. Gone are "The
Haunter of the Graveyard," by J. Vernon Shea, "The Deep Ones,"
by James Wade, "Cement Surroundings," and "The Sister City,"
by Brian Lumley. Included are fresher interpretations of terrifying realities
hidden within our construct of false-logic and dependability, including
"The Terror from the Depths," by Fritz Leiber, "Rising
with Surtsey," by Brian Lumley, "Stickes," by Karl Edward
Wagner, "The Freshman," by Philip Jose Farmer, "Jeruslamen's
Lot," by Stephen King, and "Discovery
of the Ghooric Zone," by Richard A. Lupoff. While you may not
approve of these substitutions, and the exclusion of the original pieces
for updates casts the former into undeserving oblivion, you can hardly
argue with the diversity, quality, and sheer quantity of the material,
nor with the intriguing manner in with which each scribe approaches such
themes as hidden revelations, space-and-time bends, and celestial terror.
Combining commonly shared symbols with distinct personalities and emotional
histories, these stories cease to become homage and establish their
own identity. The individual revision of shared elements helps create
a literary web of symbols, settings, and beliefs that lend already pleasing
fictions an organic, united quality approaching life. This collection
is nothing less than a celebration of the awe and mystery inherent in
the best examples of the Cthulhu (kuh-tool-ew) Mythos. A mere glimpse
of true nature/reality -- of the universe -- stripped of its illusions,
inspires madness in several of these frightening fables. Featuring 22
pieces, this generous volume begins with Lovecraft's torrid tale and
follows the horrors of oceanic madness with the dizzying excess poetic
jewels of Clark Ashton Smith, the action pot-boiling heroics of Robert
E. Howard (Conan), Arkham's co-founder August Derleth, and the
pulpy perversions Robert "Psycho" Bloch.
Representing both long-dead and contemporary word-smiths, newer visions
of terror are represented by Lovecraft detractor Colin Wilson, Richard
Lupoff, Karl Edward Wagner, Ramsey Campbell, Fritz Leiber and Stephen
King. Bound more by attitude than well worn convention, these stories,
as discussed in an illuminative introduction by editor Jim Turner, are
more concerned with cosmic uncertainty and the truly visionary than
with the deadly dullness of pastiche. As such, the terrors are original
while honoring their thematic debt to a cherished dark past. Originally
published as a celebration of the golden anniversary of Arkham House,
this morbid mingling of the 1969 past and present is a delectable feast
of foul invention indeed!
"The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Haunter of the Dark,"
by H.P. Lovecraft, are the best tales, followed by the weird excellence
of such staples as "The Return of the Sorcerer" and "Ubbo-Sathla"
by Clark Ashton Smith. While the first piece is lacklustre when compared
to other selections the editor could have made considering the versatility
of Smith's literary cannon, the latter piece more than makes up for
it. The marvelously outré "The Hounds of Tindalos"
and "The Space-Eaters," by the criminally under-appreciated
Frank Belknap Long, evoke fear and wonder even thought the language
is horribly purple and truly entrenched in the pulp sensibility of the
time. August Derleth is himself represented by "The Dwellers in
Darkness" and "Beyond the Threshold," emphasizing his
penchant for instilling his own moral sensibilities into his late-friend's
larger cosmic frameworks. Robert Bloch, Lovecraft's young protégé,
is served well by the hoary homages "The Shambler from the Stars,"
"The Shadow from the Steeple," and "Notebook Found in
a Deserted House." Rare macabre masterpieces include "The
Salem Horror," by Henry Kuttner, "The Terror from the Depths,"
by Fritz Leiber, the wickedly entertaining "Rising with Surtsey,"
by Brian Lumley," and "Cold Print," by ghost-story specialist
Ramsey Campbell. Less satisfying are "The Return of the Lloigor,"
by Colin Wilson, "My Boat," by Joanna Russ and "The Freshman,"
by Philip Jose Farmer. "Sticks," by Karl Edward Wagner, stands
out as one of the pinnacles of the volume, while "Jerusalem s Lot,"
a wonderful story by Stephen King, at first glance may have little in
common with Mythos fiction but whose mood, atmosphere, and fine writing
evoke precisely that reach for dark aeons which Lovecraft himself so
favored. "Discovery of the Ghooric Zone" is a fun imaginative
dive into dark lore by Richard A. Lupoff, bravely interweaving sexuality
with Yog-sothory.
 Progressing
from a celebration of the old to an aesthetically chilling look at the
new, The New Lovecraft Circle, edited by Robert M. Price (Fedogan
& Bremer, 1996; 389 pgs; $27.00; 1-878252-16-x) is a shoggoth's
brew of supernatural implications and scientific possibility, interweaving
traditional approaches to Lovecraft's aesthetic principles with daring
(and at times more satisfying) innovation. Edited by long-time editor/author/Mythos
champion Robert Price, the stories comprising this volume prove the
diversity in approach and subject that Lovecraft's initial aesthetic
direction can be taken in by writers willing to instil cosmic subjects
with a personal, intimate approach. Better yet, Thomas Ligotti, Richard
Lupoff, and Ramsey Campbell illustrate how pleasurable Mythos fiction
can be when it resists copying elements of Lovecraft's concepts and
develops their own vistas of timeless time and un-measurable space.
These stories are connected by mood just as much as by subject.
A symbiotic mingling of Lovecraft's thematic interests, these
twenty-five tales offer new heights of maturity. Veering from homage
to brazen new interpretation, such authors as Lin Carter (superior editor
if somewhat cliché writer) and Peter Cannon stand comfortably
beside the surprising quality of contributions from James Wade and David
Sutton. J. Vernon Shea injects a different perspective into hoary horror,
while writers like Mark Rainey and Richard L. Tierney inject fresh enthusiasm
into Lovecraft's legendary explorations of supernatural menace with
stories as much their own as they are worthwhile continuations of tradition.
This collection highlights such themes as the interconnectedness of
other realms with our own, the problems of perception, and, of course
the barriers of space, time, and expectation which are broke by the
mingling of ancient mythological learning and folklore with pure imagination
and a distinct leaning towards scientific horror.
The best pieces in this collection are those that filter paranoia in
unexpected ways: "The Horror on the Beach," by Alan Dean Foster,
for example, transplants his eldritch monsters to a sunny coast. "The
Stone on the Island" by Ramsey Campbell, is a masterpiece of understatement,
all the more terrifying for its low-key, economical prose. "The
Kiss of Bugg-Shash" by Brian Lumley, is more in the classic Lovecraftian
vein of disgusting, slimy, implacable enemies, and satisfyingly chilling
for all of that! Less successful are entries that ape Lovecraft's dated,
somewhat obscure writing style, or that stick too closely to his original
concepts and geographical settings, offering slavish re-writes without
any of the spirit of Grandpa. Nevertheless, as a whole this collection
offers plenty of revolting revelation, appealing to our love of mysteries
old while ushering us into new shadowlands where past and present, realism
and fantasy, science and superstition overlap and question our faith
in preconceived depths of logic and faith.
Acolytes of Cthulhu, edited by Robert M. Price (Fedogan
& Bremer, 2001; 390 pgs; $32.00; 1-878252-47-x.), is yet another
intelligent, exciting example of Cthulhu creativity, mingling the archetypal
with a bleak, existential modernity that makes the stories both timely
and timeless. Like a chilling wave of ice from a darkened shore, these
stories, with few exceptions, frighten and provoke philosophical inquiry
in equal measure. Such literary artists as Gustav Meyrink and Jorges
Luis Borges -- names you wouldn't usually connect with Mythos fiction
-- are joined by the creative fruits of Peter Cannon and Dirk W. Mosig.
Macabre masters Edmond Hailton, Manly Wade Wellman, and Joseph Payne
Brennan instil a breathless life of a never-ending cosmos into story-constructs
that reflect and lend credibility to the more fantastical elements of
their dreaming. Again we explore the existence of an ancient, evil race
of beings outside the logically defined dimensions of space and time,
hinting at a reality lurking beneath our own good fabric representation
of such, waiting until time, tide, or the ignorance of humankind makes
it possible to reclaim their dominance.
Whereas much dark and fantastic fiction does little more than shock
with effect while reaffirming a pre-planned framework of conservative
religious and moral values, this collection avoids such matters almost
completely, suggesting instead awesome alien powers, unknown vistas
of space and time, and broken scientific myths whose cold sense of a
bleak unexplainable existence becomes in itself a new mythology. Imbuing
the weird tale with stark visions of cosmic alienation, these pieces
focus on 'the outsider' motif both metaphorically and literally. Structured
by the editor to focus more on "feeling" than a simplistic
obeisance to Lovecraft's subjects or specific textual elements of the
Mythos, this bold collection invites admirable new perspectives to the
genre's most complex and well-worn mythology, resisting cliché
(for the most part) with thematic revisions of ancient impulses. The
book as a whole captures the resonance of cosmicism and the delicate
emotion of awe, allowing the award-winning authors to explore fresh
pockets of darkness alongside newer voices.
Several of the texts honor Lovecraft's motifs, from the terror and
dangers of cultural degeneracy through inbreeding to the horror of mating
with alien creatures: science is a gateway to magic just as thought
is a doorway to dreams. Outsiders are emphasized as characters and/or
anti-heroes -- isolated and wise if withdrawn and morally bankrupt professors,
professional men, and assorted wandering loners -- alienated from their
society and the normally held laws of space and time. When confronted
by Ancient Ones and their own fears/ inadequacies, mankind is depicted
as an insignificant insect in the black cosmic waters of infinity, unable
to comprehend let alone defy alien gods and beings from other realities.
Going even further,these authors suggest that we are unable to even
properly perceive ourselves let alone a mysterious ungovernable ultimate
reality.
 Cthulhu
2000 (Arkham House, 1995; 413 pgs; $24.95; 0-87054-169-2), edited
by Jim Turner, is a refreshing update on ancient themes and primal impulses
reprinting 18 entries ranging the gauntlet from unapologetic pastiche
to fiercely original, unapologetically revisionist nightmares that find
new moves for old tentacles. Rooting a majority of their horrors in
the seeming banality of the everyday, these stories contradict the tenets
of realism from within. Far more than a tribute to Lovecraft's mythically
inspired creatures or subversive concepts, the stories herein share
the master fantasist's emphasis on the unearthly and universally impossible
while draping such terror in the 'good fabric' of the everyday.
In an introduction as intriguing as it is informative, whetting your
appetite for the slithering things to come, editor Turner tells us that
Lovecraft considered himself outside and beyond the common scope of
the average man, often referring to the species as "another collection
of molecules." Wedding his disdain for the human race and his realization
of the insignificance of the species in general (in the cosmic order
of things) with forces and moments of space and time reaching beyond
the influence or provability of the everyday, he, in effect, transcended
natural order -- a phenomenon practised in turn by the authors assembled
between these covers.
From T.E.D. Klein's "Black Man with a Horn," which honors Lovecraft's
belief in the unnamable horrors of beings/events kept hidden, only partially
revealed by letting slip horrid glimpses of shadowy flipper-beings and
obscure glimpses of black men with horns to Poppy Z. Brite's "His
Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood," set in New Orleans, and something of
a satire on Anne Rice, from F. Paul Wilson's "The Barrens," wherein
a monster writhes as horribly as basic tenets of decency that are slaughtered,
to terrors of no known origin and devious goals only hinted at, this
volume delivers the fright and philosophical inquiry its assemblage
of respected names and presentation promises. Unlike so much Lovecraft/Cthulhu-inspired
fiction, the editor focuses on stories that describe neither a wholly
good nor evil universe, but, in fact, one in which there is neither
good nor evil, only an unknown vista -- a cold universe which knows
or cares little for humanity. While horror fiction, it is horror fiction
with a difference, operating on a principle of frail humankind destroyed
either mentally, physically, or spiritually by facing the unknown as
symbolized by space, time, or science without parameters.
"The Last Feast of the Harlequin," by Thomas Ligotti, features
an anthropological researcher who specializes in studying clown folklore,
traveling to the town of Mirocaw during the Winter Solstice said to
feature an unusual performance by a clown. Perhaps the most unique expression
of outré terror and dismay in the collection, this piece also
summons the universal mystery of Lovecraft. This book is filled with
similar odious odes and malicious mementoes. From the obviously pulpy
to the poetically painful, such texts as "The Shadow on the Doorstep,"
by James P. Blaylock, which depicts an author's encounters with aquarium
shops in various shadowy places and a terrible evil on his doorstep,
mirror the horror of the cosmic inflicted upon a domestic sense of 'reality'
not worth an ounce of beans. At best, these stories examine the insignificance
of a meagre human species defenseless against the amoral, unknowable
powers of an existence which we had very little knowledge of.
There is no God in Lovecraft's universe, nor is there purpose
to our sufferings, struggles, and petty triumphs. Lovecraft's primary
themes (as well as the beliefs informing them) crafted/discovered poetic
borderlands between the past and the future -- such matters that these
authors continue to mine with sensitivity, timeliness, and wonder. The
present is often the center of our attention in these tales, albeit
a present formed by the eldritch malignity of the past (often pasts
outside of human conceptions of time or space), emphasizing issues which
are themselves un-measurable or timeless, belonging to entities or celestial
forces outside of man's finite understanding/ability to comprehend.
Weird fiction as both a literary genre and an emotional response to
basic driving needs allowed Lovecraft -- and likewise allows his followers
-- to better study and understand the natural world, a world of cause-and-effect
in which we may believe but choose to look beyond in our art, refuting
the laws of physics by grounding horrors not in complete contradiction
of natural law but just outside the believable boundaries of
time and space. This penchant for interweaving the realistic with the
outré in such a close proximity, and in settings both believable
and supportive of Lovecraft's atmospheric needs, is one of the major
reasons why the long short story "The Shadows Over Innsmouth"
is so very effective, inviting belief, awe, and terror not so much by
contradicting reality so much as by inviting readers to envision those
circumstances/settings where the truth could be stretched. In similar
fashion, this device allows writers like Basil Copper, D. F. Lewis,
and David Langford to add  authenticity
and emotional fervor to ideas which in less skilled hands would seem
outlandish in Shadows Over Innsmouth (Fedogan & Bremer,
1994; 339 pgs; $27.00; 1-878252-18-6), edited by world-fantasy award
winning Stephen Jones.
Innsmouth is a setting that invites ingenuity and literary friction.
Favoring an overt cosmicism over the traditional static horrors of the
Gothic tradition, which themselves depended on outdated religious values
and symbols representative of a medievalistic faith in the supernatural,
these stories honor Lovecraft's penchant for finding more terror in
the stars and the limitless gulfs of space than in British supernaturalism.
Just as his emotional stance and intellectual training provoked him
to concern himself more with events and phenomena rather than people,
these stories are lent convincing life by a nihilistic, uncompromisingly
bleak vision of an unknowable cosmos, revolving around haunted "Innsmouth"
-- itself both a physical location and state of mind. A provoking conflict
occurs between science and the occult, mystery and awe, in practically
every narrative line. Starting off the anthology with lovecrfaft's seminal
piece, editor Jones follows Lovecraft's seminal title story with continuations
of deviant thinking and ancestry as disturbing as they are challenging
to concepts of good and evil, natural and the outré. Undeniably
enjoyable, this anthology is likewise a refutation to the suggestion
that Mythos inspired fiction is all derivative or losing its sickly
splendor. These selections prove otherwise, offering fresh interpretations
of Lovecraft's time-crushing perspective. Stories by Ramsey Campbell
and Basil Copper are particularly chill-inducing, and moments of undeniable
awe, terror, and transmutation are reached by Michael Marshall Smith,
Guy N. Smith, and Neil Gaiman, whose sense of bitter-sweet humor in
"Only the End of the World Again" proves an effective accompaniment
to more devastating traumas.
Using as its principle theme and orginizational pattern Lovecraft's
seminal novella, editor Jones invited writers to expand/build upon the
latter's cursed inhabitants, unsuspecting visitors, and malevolent setting
(both physical and emotional, the later of which is just as crucial
to the successful friction of fear evoked herein as the physical decay
wrapping around characters like great, wet tentacles). While many pieces
do dwell overmuch on the infiltration of Innsmouth by such outside
agencies as the government and military, seeming to draw primary inspiration
from mention of the sweeping investigation of Innsmouth mentioned in
the original novella, and its little surprise when several characters
find to their surprise (if not our own) that they share Lovecraft's
narrator's fate, than these less than original approaches are more than
made up for in the care of structure and honesty of voice apparent in
just about every story. Of special interest is the inclusion of one
of Lovecraft's earlier drafts of the novella. This unfinished fragment,
found on the back of a manuscript, sets the mood for the foul fishy
revelations within. A welcome return to one of genre fiction's most
compelling, decadent realms, Shadows Over Innsmouth breaths new,
horrible life into one of Lovecraft's most enduring literary legacies,
and does so with wit, a sense of adventure, and obvious craftsmanship.
Innsmouth as a physically and spiritually moldering seaport setting
is clearly a character unto itself. Its presence is both the defining
spirit and inner pulse of these stories, all of which surprisingly add
to Lovecraft's initial perception of fishy chaos without overburdening
it. Of course characterization plays a stronger part in the works of
Adrian Cole and David Sutton than they did in Lovecraft, who himself
admitted his disinterest and disdain in humanity. What's more important
is the fresh perspective brough to bare on such a cliché subject.
While the Deep Ones, sexually perverse matings between fish-like deities
and degenerate humanity, abound in these works, authenticity is exhibited
in the plots and approaches taken by a wealth of diverse approaches
and POV. In a sub-genre where one can easily fall prey to the temptation
to imitate rather than create, Shadows is thankfully absent of
imitation.
The stories in these collections are both artifacts and continuations
of a literary and aesthetic tradition. As such they are both literature
and cultural history. At the very least, they make damn fun reading,
taking us away to uncharted vistas of possibility and inner reality,
making possible thoughts and feelings that so-called realistic fictions
lack either the tools or willingness to explore. These anthologies offer,
at their best, ways of looking deeper into alternative realities of
imagination, psyche, and possibility, all granted strength by the power
of the written word. A fresh sense of aesthetic vastness, mystery, terror
and awe are to be found in modern additions and celebrations of Lovecraft's
themes and approaches. Whether the Cthulhu Mythos of Lovecraft or August
Derleth, these denizens of the deep and the thrilling mystery and potential
madness that they represent continue to arouse and terrify, welcome
and transfigure all those who come in touch with them. Surely this is
something we may be as thankful to Derleth and Arkham House for as Lovecraft,
for without each other both would have been less poignant than they
are, and a generation of elegant nightmares wouldn't exist.
availability
Order online using these links and infinity
plus will benefit:
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos: Golden Anniversary
Anthology by HP Lovecraft et al (Arkham House, February 1990;
ISBN: 0870541595) ...
from Amazon.com / from
Amazon.co.uk
The New Lovecraft Circle by Robert M Price
(Del Rey, March 2004; ISBN: 034544406X) ...
from Amazon.com / from
Amazon.co.uk
Acolytes of Cthulhu by Robert M Price (Fedogan
& Bremer, April 2001; ISBN: 187825247X) ...
from Amazon.com / from
Amazon.co.uk
Shadows over Innsmouth by Stephen Jones
(editor) (Del Rey, August 2001; ISBN: 0345444078) ...
from Amazon.com / from
Amazon.co.uk
Cthulhu 2000 (Del Rey, May 1999; ISBN: 0345422031)
...
from Amazon.com / from
Amazon.co.uk
Back
to infinity plus introduces...
© William P Simmons 2006
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