Your Favorite Cthulhu Mythos Story

[hopfrog]

Yes, ye "es" was supposed to be "esq". I thought of having ye master correct it, but then I thought, screw that, it stands as symbol of my utter hopelessness. & then I thought, whut could it mean, this mysterious "es"; and I found my answer in ye title S. T. gave to ye correspondence of HPL/Derleth: Essential Solitude!

[Odalisque]

I wonder whether anyone here has seen and recalls a story of mine published in Crypt of Cthulhu 88. It was entitled Princess of the Black Asteroid. (Des should have a copy, at least -- he had a story in the same issue.) My tale is not a mythos story, but a story about the future of the mythos.

Here's a bit of it:

The book had not only lost its spine, but the entire cover. Subsequently, I was to find that my first impressions were correct. It had once been a paperback, and those discoloured crumbly pages dated to Derleth's lifetime. The half title was crumpled over the title page, covering the author's name. Smoothing it back, disappointingly, that of H. P. Lovecraft was revealed.

I had, of course, studied Lovecraft in subby -- as part of the literature section of my deka -- he's one of the compulsory authors. This is not to say that I'd actually read his stuff. Like everyone else in the class, I used Coombes' Notes. Once, in the library, I'd paused before Lovecraft's Collected Letters -- whole shelves full of it. I took down a volume in the eighties -- volume 87, or was it 84? No matter, opening it at random, I looked at one of the letters. The thing was addressed to a woman with a funny name -- Taldredge, or something like that -- and thanked him for sending her some press clippings. The impression given by Coombes' Notes confirmed, I snapped the book shut and returned it to the gap on the shelves. That was the closest I'd come to reading Lovecraft.

Deciding to repeat my method of checking Lovecraft's work, I opened the tattered paperback at random. It flipped open to pages 48-49, where I was astonished to see the words "CTHULHU CULT" in block capitals. Turning back a page, I found that this was part of a story called "The Call of Cthulhu". Who would have imagined that H. P. Lovecraft, of all people, had contributed to August Derleth's Cthulhu mythos? Yet here was the evidence in my hand.

I can't be bothered to copy much more but, subsequently, the narrator writes a mythos story called "Hasturoid" and submits it to Cthulhu Chills magazine. She received this rejection letter:

Nice try Cthulhu cub! But not quite nice enough. We like the Cthulhu in space bit, but you haven't developed the romantic interest sufficiently. Of course, the same is true of old August Derleth's stories -- but that's exactly why he doesn't often crop up amongst our "Cthulhu Classics". You need to look at the stories we publish more closely. But -- hey Cthulhu cub -- don't be down hearted! Try again -- beefing up the love stuff. OK?

I think that I was trying both to indicate where I thought the mythos might be heading, and where Joshi's academic approach to Lovecraft might lead.

[hopfrog]

My favorite Mythos story was, perhaps still is "The Colour Out of Space," but lately I'm leaning toward "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" -- wait a sec, neither of those tales can really be classify'd as "Mythos" -- I must therefore name them as my favourite Lovecraft story. My favorite Mythos not by Lovecraft. Perhaps "Sticks," or "The Terror from the Depths." But it is a thing of ever-shifting flow, this naming of a favorite tale. Because now I stop and think that my favourite "Mythos" story by HPL is "The Haunter of the Dark," especially now that I've visted Providence.
Now I must log out and get to work revising a Mythos story of my own, "Thy Cryptic Power," for ye revised/expanded edition of Dreams of Lovecraftian Horror that I am writing for Mythos books; & then I want to begin tentative work on "She Who Sees the Dawn," a story inspir'd by Phil's Wilde quote and which portrays the fate of a blind woman named "Gloria S Carnivals"..........................

Quote Originally Posted by wilum hopfrog pugmire, es

I now have to get offline and hunt for my copy of BNH #19, if I actually have it. If not, I'll purchase it at University Bookstore and then post my critique (be afraid; be very afraid);)

Crikey! I'll look forward to that, Wilum.

Be gentle! Be gentle! I have a particular affection for this child o' mine

Mark S.

I see that I haven't mentioned my favourite mythos tale:

By Lovecraft, "The Whisperer in Darkness" (my favourite Lovecraft story is actually "The Colour Out of Space" but I don't see it as a mythos tale, in that it doesn't draw at all on that body of lore, as I recall).

Not by Lovecraft, "Black Man with A Horn" by TED Klein ("Cold Print" by Ramsey Campbell running a close second).

Mark S.

[Nemonymous]

Quote Originally Posted by Odalisque

I wonder whether anyone here has seen and recalls a story of mine published in Crypt of Cthulhu 88. It was entitled Princess of the Black Asteroid. (Des should have a copy, at least -- he had a story in the same issue.) My tale is not a mythos story, but a story about the future of the mythos.

[Odalisque]

Thank you, Des! I just read the whole story from your scan, to check that it was legible -- and it had me laughing out loud.

I hope the Cthulhu cutsies on the TLO will hang on to their socks! ;)

I notice, though, that in spite of being set in the future it refers to watching a film on video. DVD has already killed the video star!

	TLO THOMAS LIGOTTI ONLINE

[G. S. Carnivals]

Quote Originally Posted by wilum hopfrog pugmire, es

Now I must log out and get to work revising a Mythos story of my own, "Thy Cryptic Power," for ye revised/expanded edition of Dreams of Lovecraftian Horror that I am writing for Mythos books; & then I want to begin tentative work on "She Who Sees the Dawn," a story inspir'd by Phil's Wilde quote and which portrays the fate of a blind woman named "Gloria S Carnivals"..........................

Thank you, wilum. I am greatly flattered. ;)

[Nemonymous]

Quote Originally Posted by Odalisque

I hope the Cthulhu cutsies on the TLO will hang on to their socks!

Me, too!

But I recall telling you all those years ago when I first read this story that 'cutsies' should be 'cutesies' !!
But you never changed it, :-(

[Nemonymous]

Quote Originally Posted by G. S. Carnivals

Quote Originally Posted by wilum hopfrog pugmire, es a blind woman named "Gloria S Carnivals".......................... Thank you, wilum. I am greatly flattered. ;)

Is her middle name 'Station'?