Lovecrafts 18901937 short storiesthe most famous of which, the call of cthulhu, has led to a literary subculture and a shared mythos employed by lovecrafts successors. Gnome school views lovecraft through a modern esoteric lens, even if that means rejecting canonized interpretations of his tales. The worst part of derleths creation of a coherent, simplistic cthulhu mythos is the influence it had on other writers for year. Lovecraft and august derleth, were in fact written almost entirely by derleth. Would lovecrafts work have remained in obscurity if it hadnt been for august derleth. Though best remembered as howard phillips lovecrafts literary executor and for his own contributions to the cthulhu mythos genre of horror, derleth was a prolific writer in several genres, including historical fiction and detective fiction. I am not including his revisions of other author s works or the stories written by august derleth based upon plot germs in lovecraft s notebooks. August derleth, the cthulhu mythos, and why a whole bunch of people dont like him, apparently. Later august derleth would identify them in his own cthulhu mythos stories after lovecrafts death, i think the first one where he did this was his 1939 story the return of hastur which can be found in the book the hastur cycle in which a character concludes. The name cthulhu derives from the central creature in lovecrafts seminal. Now, more than half a century later, lovecrafts name is venerated the world over. Lovecraft contributor, james turner editor, clark ashton smith contributor, robert e.
I assume you are seeking stories that feature cthulhu specifically. In lovecrafts shadow battered silicon dispatch box. August derleth february 24 1909 july 4 1971 was an american writer and anthologist. The son of william julius derleth and his wife rose louise volk. Set in the universe of his friend the author lovecraft, howard phillips these stories all revolve around derleths vision of lovecrafts now famous cthulhu mythos.
August derleth, the cthulhu mythos, and why a whole bunch. Gnome school views lovecraft through a modern esoteric lens, even if that means rejecting canonized interpretations of. The mask of cthulhu 1958, the trail of cthulhu 1962. The actual term cthulhu mythos depending on how you define it postdates lovecraft s death, at which time h. Arkham tales youll find lots of young writers imitating derleth and very little lovecraft there at all. I am not including his revisions of other authors works or the stories written by august derleth based upon plot germs in lovecrafts notebooks. Lovecraft was a staunch atheist who saw a bleak, cold, and absolutely indifferent universe in which humanity had no special place. As thegreatcthulhu say elsewhere in this discussion, s. Frank belknap longs the spaceeaters is presented front and center of the beginning of contemporary nonlovecraft cthulhu mythos. After which, derleths subsequent mythos stories whether solo or collaborative took shape always in his mentors shadow. Quest is actually two collections published as a single book. The derleth mythos is nearly analogous with the cthulhu mythos stories, a pattern for the majority, against which lovecrafts more philosophicallyoriented stories stand out in relief.
Jan 10, 2016 would lovecraft s work have remained in obscurity if it hadnt been for august derleth. Tagged august derleth, the call of cthulhu, the cthulhu mythos. Keep in mind that the cthulhu mythos as labeled was an invention of august derleth. An endless collection of audio books and stories picked up along my search online for good audio books and stories. Haefeles book a look behind the derleth mythos came out in paperback recently. The cthulhu mythos is a shared fictional universe, originating in the works of american horror writer h. The name cthulhu derives from the central creature in lovecrafts. The actual term cthulhu mythos depending on how you define it postdates lovecrafts death, at which time h. I feel lovecraft reached his highest imaginative peak in the two novels, the shadow out of time and at the mountains of madness. Lovecraft, august derleth patterned his own eerie fiction after images and themes taken from the horror stories written by lovecraft for the pulp magazine weird tales.
August william derleth february 24, 1909 july 4, 1971 was an american writer and anthologist. Derleths insertion of a goodevil dichotomy and hokey elemental alignments for the great old ones is annoying, but easy to ignore, especially since derleth acknowledges in the afterword that the elder gods and great old ones are above conventional. August derleth reinterpreted and frankly misrepresented some key features of the universe as presented in lovecrafts original works, and even went on to write posthumous collaborations in which he took some of lovecrafts common book notes and. See more ideas about cthulhu, call of cthulhu rpg and lovecraft cthulhu. He tries to impose a system of good and evil, and of earth, air, fire and water elemental deities that are alien to lovecraft s vision of a chaotic universe where man is insignificant and his values are meaningless. The challenge, implicit every time he began a new mythos variation, must have been daunting, but over the next two decades derleth was to. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of h. Haefele s book a look behind the derleth mythos came out in paperback recently. Aug 10, 2015 the stories in the cthulhu mythos are refreshingly clear, and full of new deities and abominations entirely of his own creation. Lovecraft s work got seized and expanded on by august derleth. Should we ignore the cthulhu mythos outside of what was.
Feb 18, 2020 an endless collection of audio books and stories picked up along my search online for good audio books and stories. In all, lovecraft wrote nearly 400 letters to derleth, but only about 40 of derleths letters to lovecraft survive. This is about as far from what lovecraft was trying to do as is imaginable. Shadow ove innsmouth,r th e neares lovecraft camt e to writin ag suspense story, stone carves witd h magic sign ars e said to be able to protec humant s. If you just want general lovecraft reading advice, there are other quora threads for that.
Aug 05, 2015 august derleth, the cthulhu mythos, and why a whole bunch of people dont like him, apparently. Lovecraft himself called his budding mythology yogsothothery because yogsothoth features or is mentioned in many more stories than cthulhu. Most writers continuing the cthulhu mythos in fiction or documenting it in scholarly articles are merely perpetuating the misconceptions begun by derleth. The cthulhu mythos stories of he is a pianist and composer from minas gerais, brazil. Quest for cthulhu is a collection of short stories written between the years 1939 and 1957 by august derleth. Derleth himself surreptitiously submitted lovecrafts the shadow over innsmouth and the dreams in the witch house to weird tales. August derleth and the cthulhu mythos lovecraft ezine. August derleth, the cthulhu mythos, and why a whole bunch of. After which, derleth s subsequent mythos stories whether solo or collaborative took shape always in his mentor s shadow.
The cthulhu mythos encompasses the shared elements, characters, settings, and themes found in the works of h. Oct 04, 2015 the derleth mythos is nearly analogous with the cthulhu mythos stories, a pattern for the majority, against which lovecrafts more philosophicallyoriented stories stand out in relief. Mar 31, 2010 derleth has been criticized by lovecraft purists for drastically altering the philosophical underpinning of lovecraft s original stories into a more balanced, even christianized, cosmic whole. Posted in lovecrafts contemporaries, lovecrafts original works. None of the stories are horrible, but none of them equal lovecrafts cthulhu mythos stories. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the cthulhu mythos and the cosmic horror genre, as well as his founding of the publisher arkham house which did much to bring. There are some wellknown problems with the cthulhu mythos writings of august derleth. August derleth lovecraft encyclopedia lovecraft stories. Each post maps a new story from lovecraft s oeuvre, diving deep into classical world mythologies, tarot, and the cthulhu mythos woven into each tale. The cthulhu mythos stories of august derleth august derleth, stephen e. Lovecraft legacy alive when it threatened to disappear into pulp obscurity. If you pick up any of chaosium s original collections e. Joshi 1999 in weird tales, summer 1999, reprinted in. The derleth cthulhu mythos stories excluding the lovecraft collaborations in order of publication notes august derleth finished an incomplete reh draft.
In essence, derleth began by parroting lovecraft, but ultimately he wrote to the point where his own tonecurious, detailoriented, and wrybegan to shine through. The worst part of derleth s creation of a coherent, simplistic cthulhu mythos is the influence it had on other writers for year. Together, they form the mythos that authors writing in the lovecraftian milieu have used and continue to use to craft their stories. August william derleth february 24 1909 july 4 1971 was an american writer and anthologist. The term itself was coined by the writer august derleth. The term was coined by august derleth, a contemporary correspondent and protege of lovecraft, to identify the settings, tropes, and lore that were employed by lovecraft and his literary successors. Each post maps a new story from lovecrafts oeuvre, diving deep into classical world mythologies, tarot, and the cthulhu mythos woven into each tale. Howard contributor, frank belknap long contributor, august derleth contributor rating. In most cases, the stories were based on one or more ideas noted in lovecrafts commonplace book. Though best remembered as howard phillips lovecrafts literary executor and for his own contributions to the cthulhu mythos genre of horror, derleth was a. The stories in the cthulhu mythos are refreshingly clear, and full of new deities and abominations entirely of his own creation. In all, lovecraft wrote nearly 400 letters to derleth, but only about 40. August derleth, founder of arkham house publishers, kept the h. We got a follow from a nightclub using the proper, original lovecraftian elder sign, not that bs august derleth one.