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Lovecraft.

obsidian

obsidian

glass jaw
He may be a little old school for most members here, but I think his work still holds up. If there are any fans here:

1) What do you like/dislike about his work?

2) What are your favorite/least-favorite stories?
 
All of them.

I'm particularly interested in those 'clips' I have, the unfinished stories. You can get some of the meaning behind what say, Nyarlathotep is supposed to represent, how he/it operates, etc.
 
Did you ever read the S.T. Joshi biography? It has quite a bit to say on those. One big regret (of mine) is that he never fleshed out his idea for the novel he was going to write, "Azathoth".
 
Never read that one. Was his idea any different than the standard 'nuclear chaos' we read about here and there?
 
IIRC, there was a notion that it was some sort of "intelligent design" that went insane but didn't lose it's place at the heart of creation --and that this insanity explains the state of the universe (kind of reminds me of that Tom Waits line "...don't you know there ain't no Devil; there's just God when he's drunk"). I'd have to go dig it up... But if you're into him, you should definitely order the book. It's exhaustive & dense, but fascinating all the same.
 
Not a single flick based on his work was worth a shit (Rod Serling's "Night Gallery" doesn't count) but that's not to say his work was no good. In fact, most of it was pretty good.

Faves include "The Outsider", "Cool Air" and "The Silver Key".
 
obsidian said:
BTW, which ones are you talking about?
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I have 4 softcovers which are compilations of his. One of them are compilations of works based on his mythos, most of which suck.

The short stories I refer to are blatantly unfinished. I believe one is called Nyarlathotep, and another Azathoth. Others have a strong Dreamquest of Kadath feel to them, when he speaks of valleys and djinns inhabiting them, etc (Memory, that might have been what it was called).

The intelligent design gone horribly wrong is a good idea but it doesn't seem to mesh well with what seemed to be Lovecraft's hardcore atheism. Not that it wouldn't fit in with the mythos, though.
 
LittleBoyLost said:
Not a single flick based on his work was worth a shit...
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This is true, unfortunately (although there was a nifty little pseudo-period-piece done last year of "Call of Cthulhu" that, far as I know, was only released on video, but very cool, in it's way). It could be argued that his influence is now so widespread that it'd be almost impossible to do a reasonably faithful adaptation that seemed original. I keep the faith though; in spite of the awful '70's version of "Dunwich Horror", I think that story could be terrifying if done right --it's probably the most cinematic of his tales).

LittleBoyLost said:
Faves include "The Outsider", "Cool Air" and "The Silver Key".
Click to expand...

"The Silver Key" is one of the most beautiful things I've ever read.
 
Anyone ever see the film 'The Resurrected' ? I saw it once, so long ago that I can't remember it too well. It's based on the 'Case of Charles Dexter Ward' tale but I haven't been able to find a copy anywhere.

Edit: Nifty site

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105242/

I saw this film before I even heard of Lovecraft.
 
I'm afraid I use to play Call of the Cthulhu when I was 15 / 16 role playing. D & D never interested me, but I did enjoy CoC. My acne has gone now.

I enjoyed a lot of his short stories, but read them about 20 years ago, so am struggling to remember them.
 
Messenger said:
I have 4 softcovers which are compilations of his. One of them are compilations of works based on his mythos, most of which suck.
Click to expand...

I've seen those around (the Del Rey editions?) but haven't gotten to them. And yeah, I usually hate it when anyone else attempts to 'do Lovecraft'; Not only because few can match his style, but almost no one can convey his Indifferentism and most writers really butcher his whole outlook or --worse-- try to shoehorn it into their own belief systems (Derleth, for example, was famous for separating the different factions like the Old Ones & the Cthulhu spawn into "good guys" & "bad guys").

Messenger said:
The short stories I refer to are blatantly unfinished. I believe one is called Nyarlathotep, and another Azathoth. Others have a strong Dreamquest of Kadath feel to them, when he speaks of valleys and djinns inhabiting them, etc (Memory, that might have been what it was called).

The intelligent design gone horribly wrong is a good idea but it doesn't seem to mesh well with what seemed to be Lovecraft's hardcore atheism. Not that it wouldn't fit in with the mythos, though.
Click to expand...

You're right. Plus I just referenced the Joshi bio and I now realize 'intelligent design' may have been the wrong term to use; there's nothing about Azathoth creating the universe, only being at the center of it. It's supposed to be a chaotic, insane (the latter is usually stressed over the former) ultimate entity ruling over all --but is he only insane to our extremely limited perceptions? Anyway I haven't read "Nyarlathotep" but I'm sure I have it somewhere... As for Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath, I'd have to say that's my least favorite of his works, but only because I vastly prefer his later, more cosmic stories than the fantasy stuff from his Dunsanian period.
 
Messenger said:
Anyone ever see the film 'The Resurrected' ? I saw it once, so long ago that I can't remember it too well. It's based on the 'Case of Charles Dexter Ward' tale but I haven't been able to find a copy anywhere.

Edit: Nifty site

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105242/

I saw this film before I even heard of Lovecraft.
Click to expand...

Damn...I thought I'd scanned thoroughly for Lovecraft adaptations a while ago; how did THIS get under my radar?!

Halfway decent cast, too...now I have to find it & check it out. Fuck.
 
Cthulhu.

Two strikes: It looks like it has very little to do with the story and his has Tori Spelling in the cast.

That being said, it's not a bad trailer!
 
Messenger said:
...

We'll see.
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If that. I'd be surprised if it got any kind of theatrical release.

Note: How do you market a film with a title no one can pronounce? (Just about everyone I know who's familiar with it says "Kuh Thoo Loo" which, from what I've read, is dead wrong; but whaddyagonnado?)
 
My Favorite Lovecraft creation is Shub-Niggorath, the suckling goat.
webshub.jpg
 
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