Lovecraftian Thing A Day No. 19: The Silver Key

I've harboured a desire to possess my own Silver Key since first reading Lovecraft's Randolph Carter tales. Fortunately Jason McKittrick of Cryptocurium acquired a small number of these arcane artefacts a year or two ago, and I was able to procure one. The wonders and horrors that have since haunted my dreams I will not speak of here - but if you wish to discover these things for yourself, please do check out Jason's emporium of monstrous arcana.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day: No.18: 'Mercy? You ask for mercy? I'm Chaotic Neutral!'

A good number of people I know who are into Lovecraft discovered him via the medium of roleplaying games - in particular The Call of Cthulhu rpg published by Chaosium (and now in its 7th edition). Chaosium have. indeed, been central in revitalising interest in Lovecraft since they began republishing many difficult-to-find Cthulhu mythos titles in the 1990s.

Whilst I discovered Lovecraft before I discovered rpgs, the intersection between Lovecraft and gaming has been another key interest of mine. At some point I mean to produce a series posts unearthing the eldritch genealogies of contemporary Lovecraftian gaming. But for now, I present my copy of the Deities & Demigods supplement for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, containing stats for and descriptions of various mythos entities. This was not the first gaming publication in which Lovecraft's creations appeared, but it was the first I encountered and the classic Erol Otus illustrations evoke a profound sense of nostalgia. The copy shown here was donated to me by an old school friend who I gamed with in the fantastic worlds of D&D - using this very book - over thirty years ago...

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.17: Cosmical (?) Horror.

Whilst not particularly rare, this tome is one that I haven't seen much discussion of in Lovecraft circles: The Cosmical Horror of H.P. Lovecraft: A Pictorial Anthology.

As is probably evident from previous posts, my interest in Lovecraft ephemera stretches beyond the purely literary. As well as possessing a collection of Lovecraftian art and sculpture, I also like to collect art books relating to the Cthulhu mythos, horror, and the weird more generally. Today's item is unusual in being trilingual (the text is in French, Italian and English); it is also notable in collecting art and images relating to Lovecraft's fictive universe from European and non-English sources - much of which I haven't seen outside of this book.

I first spied this in a specialist UK bookshop in the mid-1990s, and eventually picked up my own copy about 5 years ago (from a French online bookshop). Obviously, being British, It behooves me to inform my more sensitive readers that some of the content of the book is rather 'Continental' in nature - or what we in the UK might refer to as 'a bit saucy'.

Breaking News: Polar Bear Claims Ownership of Cthulhu Tiki Shocker!

A surprising controversy has erupted regarding the Lovecraftian Thing A Day No. 15: Cthulhu Tiki - ownership of which has been contested by a certain bear, who has presented the following evidence in support of said claim. Ghooric Zone central will continue to report as the story develops...

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.16: Dogging in Dunwich...

Today's entry is a Dunwich coaster from actual Dunwich. I picked this up from the local museum in Dunwich village, which I visited in (I think) 2010. On that same day my companion and I decided to take a stroll through the nearby Dunwich Forest – a notable beauty spot a short drive from the village. There is a small car parking area at the entrance to the footpath through the Forest – on arrival we found about three other cars parked there, the occupants of which appeared to be taking a marked interest in us.

Soon after entering he Forest, we noticed that someone seemed to be following us, stopping whenever we did. This struck us a a little odd, but not particularly unnerving. Soon after we returned to our car and left.

Whilst I would like to think that we had stumbled on some sort of nefarious cult activity, subsequent research indicated that Dunwich Forest is also known as Gate 44: one of Sussex’s better-known dogging/cruising sites...

Lovecaftian Thing A Day No.15: Cthulhu Tiki

This is a fun Cthulhu tiki idol which I picked up at NecronomiCon 2013. One of the few pieces of Cthulhu kitsch that I own. That  is  all for today!

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.14: Clark Ashton Smith or Bust!

This – amongst other…unusual…artefacts – arrived in the post today: another wonderful piece by my friend Joe Broers. Joe has also sculpted a statue of the dread Hyperborean sorcerer Eibon which I understand is in the process of being cast for reproduction in resin – an appropriate companion piece to this bust of Clark Ashton Smith. Joe has also hinted to me that he may be working on a similar sculpting project that I'm very excited about...

In any case, buy Joe’s stuff! Now!

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No. 13: The Trail of Cthulhu

In an earlier post I mentioned how The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction became my formal point of entry into the Cthulhu mythos; soon after (late 1978, I think) I discovered the Neville Spearman edition of Derleth’s The Trail of Cthulhu in my local library. I was so taken by the book that I eventually purchased my own copy, subsequently gave that away, then decided I needed to purchase a second copy (shown here). All  of my initial forays into the mythos were, as it happens,  through Lovecraft’s contemporaries rather than the man himself – indeed it wasn't until a good few months after reading Derleth that I was first encountered an actual Lovecraft tale. (Oddly, I can't even remember what that was, although it might have been ‘In the Vault’).

Derleth has come under quite a lot of flack in recent decades, and for good reason: his use of the Cthulhu Mythos (a term of his own devising) – and, indeed, his attempts not only to codify but trademark it - seriously diluted the philosophical magnitude of Lovecraft’s original vision. Even so, I don't consider Derleth to be bad writer, and elements of The Trail of Cthulhu resonate with a sense of genuine weirdness. I still find the figure of Professor Laban Shrewsbury to be deliciously shuddersome. Having re-read Trail recently l'm of the opinion that, moreso than any of Lovecaft’s work, it formed the conceptual foundation of The Call of Cthulhu rpg. In addition to which the quasi-abstract Futurism (I'm sure art lovers will take me to task for that description) of Stanislaw Fernandes’ cover is probably my all-time favourite mythos illustration.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.12: Not Another Lovecraft Portrait!

This is an original artwork which I acquired from Steve Lines of Rainfall Books which, as I understand it, was the same used for the cover of issue 7 of Lovecraft’s Disciples in which my tale ‘The Sparkling Darkness’ appeared. Obviously the original image was  subject to colourisation and Photoshopped to include the new title.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.11: I Am Lovecraft's Disciple!

Some shameless self-promotion as today’s offering, which represents my one – and thus far only – published piece of Lovecraftian fiction: ‘The Sparkling Darkness’. It’s really more of an attempt to ape Ligotti than Lovecraft and, whilst I think the tale contains some interesting ideas, frankly it is not very good...Even so, it is nice to have at least one piece of Lovecraftiana in my collection  my name on the front cover! For the moment, though, I'll probably stick to writing the occasional academic paper, which I'm at least passable at. There’s a companion piece to this which I'll be posting as tomorrow’s Lovecraftian Thing A Day.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.10: CSI Arkham

Nothing too exciting today other than my CSI: Arkham cap, which I wear occasionally when I want to be street, down with the kids and all Hippety-Hop. Not sure from whence or where I got this, but I think that CSI: Arkham would make a great pitch for a show. Now if you will excuse me I have to go and look all moody and pensive before putting on a pair of sunglasses....

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.9: Sounds Beyond Meaning

Today I present a recent acquisition: Sounds Beyond Meaning – a talismanic collection of essays in honour of the late Kenneth Grant. For those unfamiliar with the contemporary esoteric oeuvre, Grant was at the forefront of incorporating Lovecraft’s fictive mythology into modern occultural theory and practice - the essays in this volume certainly expound upon that very point (particularly with regard to what Grant referred to as ‘creative occultism’). Indeed, I'll be presenting a series of occult-related Lovecraftiana – and will no doubt end up pontificating at length on this controversial topic – at a later date.

The reason I’m presenting this item is because, at the very moment I'm preparing to post, I'm travelling into central London for the Kenneth Grant Day being held at Treadwells bookshop – at which some of the contributors to Sounds Beyond Meaning will be speaking.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.8: Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?

This was a papier mache mask I bought from a craft shop, then modified by adding a version of the Yellow Sign (the one typically used in the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game) before painting up in a suitable yellowish tone, and adding yellow ribbon as a tie. Unfortunately, the photo doesn't do justice to the actual colouration and painting of the mask which, even if I do say so, is quite good. I ended up wearing this at the Eldritch Ball at NecrononiCon 2015. I had been looking for a set of yellow silk pyjamas to go with it as a 'King in Yellow' costume for the event, but (surprisingly) I wasn't able to find such a garment online. Instead, I wore the mask suited and booted (along with a stylish smoking hat) - there may be images/video out there somewhere of me wearing said apparell at the Eldricth Ball whilst dancing to the Sister's 'This Corrosion'. Good times.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.7: Arkham Artefact

This is an incense holder sculpted in the shape of what looks like one of Brian Lumley’s Cthonians. I purchased it in the early 2000s (if memory serves me well) at Arkham – a now-defunct emporium of the weird located in Brighton, UK. There was a Dave Carson exhibition being held at the shop when I visited – Mr. Carson was himself also present so I had the opportunity of a quick chat; as I  recall, there was also one of his unique shoggoth sculptures on display in the shop window – I wasn't able to afford  it at the time, but managed to acquire it a few years later.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.6: The Fungi from Yuggoth

Today I present my Lovecraftian desert island disk: the updated and re-released audio recording of the Fungi from Yuggoth sonnet cycle. As a distillation of the thematic essence of Lovecraftian wordsmithery -  including a profound sense of awe and wonder as well as horror  – this approaches being one of my favourite of Lovecraft’s literary efforts. Added to which is the superbly evocative reading of the sonnets to a musical accompaniment which is in turn both eerie and sublime. Mr Jim Moon of the Hypnobobs/Hypnogoria podcast also provides an excellent essay exploring thematic and narrative continuity across the sonnet cycle in the booklet accompanying the CD set. What makes this copy rather unique is that, during a rather fanboyish moment,  I had Jim sign the cover (this occurred last September at the annual shindig organised by the Black Dog podcast – of which Jim is also a co-host).  A version of the essay can also be found at Jim’s blog.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.5: A Curious Gift

Another art piece for today’s entry. This was gifted to me at the conclusion of a talk I gave on Lovecraft by a mysterious individual dressed, appropriately,  in the style of an 18th Century gentleman –  a true story, by the way. I would like to think, perhaps, that it was the revenant of some sorcerer, resurrected from ‘essential saltes’ found in a lead  urn buried in a hidden corner of some forgotten burying ground...But I digress. This is a really unusual piece painted on a circular wooden board in the style of a religious icon. The cracked effect applied to the paint really adds character.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.4: Portrait of Lovecraft

Something a little more personal today. I only managed to scrape a ‘D’ grade on completing my  A level in art. That, however, hasn't stopped me from occasionally committing (and I  use the term in the criminal sense) certain visual doggerel to paper. This pen drawing of H.P.Lovecraft isn't, perhaps, too bad (although I'm sure I ‘borrowed’ the idea of depicting HPL in such a stark chiaroscuro manner from someone else). The frame, at least, is quite nice.

Lovecaftian Thing A Day No.3: Shoggoth Embryo

Today’s post presents a recent addition to the Ghooric Zone’s collection of Lovecraftian artefacts: a shoggoth embryo procured from Dr Lake of Miskatonic University by Gage  Prentiss of the  Rumtucket Trading Company. A wonderful display piece, it also works well as a paperweight and in a pinch can be used as a blunt instrument for ridding oneself of unwanted guests when those occult experiments inevitably go wrong - remember kids: do not call up that which you cannot put down!

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.2: Swan Point Cemetery Map

Yesterday’s post dealt with beginnings; today I turn to the more dour Lovecraftian theme of the fragility of human existence. Thus I present a map of Swan Point Cemetery and the circumstances surrounding its acquisition. The map itself I received from an  officer of the Providence Cemetery Police (yes, that is a thing – or at least it was) during my first visit to Lovecraft’s headstone. That, sadly, occurred on a now notoriously historic date which made my pilgrimage all the more memorable - but for all the wrong reasons: September 11th 2001. The very same morning I had boarded a bus in New York and was fortunate to get out of the city - in the shadow of a vast pillar of smoke, dust and debris - before it was locked down.

The monotony of the bus journey was, rather traumatically, punctuated with (mostly garbled) radio reports regarding the events of that morning. These consisted of sensationalised and apocalyptic claims by almost-gleeful reporters that planes were dropping out of the sky left, right and centre - pretty much a Christian fundamentalist’s wet dream…one woman on the bus was frantically trying to contact her husband, who worked at the World Trade Centre. I'd visited the towers a couple of days earlier, and recall wondering whether the lift attendant I chatted with had survived.

Standing at Lovecraft’s headstone later that day, I was also aware that whilst all this had been going on, strange rites in honour of the Old Ones were being performed a continent away at the edge of the sea near a little village called Dunwich. The shade of Alhazred, having been evoked, was ushering in a truly terrible new aeon of Lovecraftian modernity.

Lovecraftian Thing A Day No.1: First Encounters with Lovecraft - The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

The start of a new year often brings with it a slew of good intentions. Despite the gradual sloughing-off of humanity presaged by our-almost daily interactions with monstrous cosmic realities, we at the Ghooric Zone retain a penchant for occasionally indulging the remnants of our human foibles - particularly during periods of hominid ritualised festivity. To this end, I have decided to instigate a year-long micro-blogging project: daily, I mean to present a short (a couple of sentences, or a paragraph at most) summary, review or reflection upon an element of my personal collection of Lovecraftiana.

Over the last year or so I have been trying to map/construct something akin to a genealogy of my engagement with weird fiction. Even though Lovecraft did not inaugurate my obsession with the weird, his vision has cast a ponderous shadow over my own life and attitudes - so much so that I have become rather obsessed with recalling the historic when-and-how of my initial encounters with the Old Gent. However, whilst providing a seemingly coherent and continuous narrative of (arguably illusory) personal identity, memory is a fragile thing - and I have never been much of a diarist. To this end I am faced with the onerous task of dredging up, in the face of the hideous obfuscations of time and age, long-buried reminiscences of the mid-to-late 1970s...

With regard to which (and also because we are dealing with beginnings), today's offering is both salient and unusual: in the latter case, because it is not an overtly Lovecraftian tome; in the former because it is (one) of the genealogical threads leading back to Lovecraft's early influence on my interest in weird fiction. Sadly, I've yet to recall exactly when or where I first heard of Lovecraft - although I'm almost certain that I stumbled across allusions to his work prior to reading today's showcased volume. I was certainly familar with Lovecraft prior to my involvement in roleplaying games (which is where, it seems, many Lovecraftians of my generation had their first brush with the Cthulhu mythos). In any case, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction - edited by Robert Holdstock and published by Cathay Books in the UK in 1978 - was where I first read anything close to an overview of who this Lovecraft fellow was, and what his Cthulhu mythos was all about. Importantly, the book also provided me with the titles of some of Lovecraft's key mythos tales. This in and of itself was paramount - by way of the highly evocative and suggestive nature of said titles - in stimulating a desire to read and find out more about HPL.