Lovecraft/Cthulhu Reading Suggestions?

**Bugbear** · 27th February 12, 12:58 PM

I have been considering brushing up on the Lovecraft/Cthulhu mythology, seeing as how it is so prevalent on the forum; at least until the eating begins... :cthulhusmiley:

Any reading suggestions on where to begin?

**Zardoz** · 27th February 12, 01:44 PM

At the beginning, "The Call of Cthulhu" is Lovecraft's first Cthulhu story.

I'd recommend "The Call of Cthulhu" anthology from Penguin Classics. It collects the stories that lead up to and include the Cthulhu Mythos, arranged in chronological order.

**artificer** · 27th February 12, 02:03 PM

Lovecraft's complete works are available free in ebook form HERE

You can get a ebook reader (either format) free from either adobe or amazon.

If you prefer actual books, Barnes & Noble has the complete fiction of Lovecraft in a leather(ish) bound edition for under $20US. This edition has some nice notes about the history of the stories and their publication (or not).

As for where to start, I'd start small. Pickman's Model, The Tomb, The Statement of Randolph Carter are all good short stories.

For larger starter stories I might suggest- Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family, Herbert West — Reanimator, The Call of Cthulhu.

:cthulhusmiley:

**Bugbear** · 27th February 12, 02:41 PM

Thanks, wasn't sure where to start.

Just want to better understand the cryptic conversations.

**Tobus** · 27th February 12, 02:48 PM

Don't limit yourself to just the Cthulhu books. Read all of HP Lovecraft's works. Being short stories, they're pretty easy to get through without bogging down. And if you start from the beginning, you can really see how he developed his style, the more he wrote.

**Panache** · 27th February 12, 03:34 PM

H.P. Lovecraft encouraged his friends to delve and add to the fiction he created. Though he himself never used the Term "Cthulhu Mythos" (I believe he jokingly called it "Yog-sothery"). A number of important Mythos stories were written by those in the "Lovecraft Circle". The most important and best can be found in the volume "Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos" by Ballantine Books which includes "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Haunter of the Dark" by the old gentleman of providence himself. Other noteworthy tales include "The Hounds of Tindalos", "The Shadow from the Steeple", "Sticks", "Cold Print", "Notebook found in a deserted house" and "Terror from the Dephs".

If you can find it, after reading "Pickman's Model", try finding the story "Far Below" by Robert Barbour Johnson. Originally published in Weird Tales it is one that Lovecraft would have approved very much.

Cheers

Jamie

**Bugbear** · 27th February 12, 03:37 PM

Ok, thanks, Panache. The library has Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos and several other of the suggestions here.

**Nick the DSM** · 27th February 12, 09:25 PM

I'm just now getting into it, still need to read the books though.

Hey, Ted, check out some of the radio plays on Youtube. It's really entertaining if you have an hour or so. I really enjoyed the Shadow of Innsmouth by Atlanta radio.

**Bugbear** · 27th February 12, 09:55 PM

Ya, Nick the DSM, just been following the tartan threads from the beginning to the smiley creation, and sometimes I wonder about the meaning of some of the references. That's all. Not something I want to get too deep into. Sorry.

**artificer** · 28th February 12, 04:10 AM

There is a splendid silent movie version of "Call of C'thulhu" done by the HPLHS (HP Lovecraft Historical Society) that streams on netflix.

They've also just released a film noire style version of "Whisperer In the Darkness" that I'm dying to buy.

BTW: These are the ONLY film adaptations for Lovecraft that I would recommend. The rest are disappointing, to say the very least.

:cthulhusmiley: