I don't know whether to be excited or miffed. It would be awesome to see Lovecraft done justice, but that never seems to happen.
I don't know whether to be excited or miffed. It would be awesome to see Lovecraft done justice, but that never seems to happen.
I found the audiobooks. The first one I happened to click on is apparently "The Outsider" [изгой, izgoy, I assume in the sense of "outcast"], an old favorite of mine. If there is a reading of the translated "Fungi from Yuggoth and other poems," that would probably be a pretty fun one.
Not that I can understand more than the occasional word, but this is the sort of thing that will (gradually) help change that.
THIS IS THE BEST IDEA I'VE EVER HAD.
I wasn't going to do Fandom Snowflake, but I'm enjoying the stuff everyone is choosing for Day 7, so naturally I wanted in on this one:
Day 7
In your own space, share a favorite piece of original canon (a TV episode, a song, a favorite interview, a book, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
Instead of a Tolkien thing, I'ma go ahead and share a Lovecraft thing (probably not too surprising at this point).
This is a passage from The Whisperer in Darkness, one of Lovecraft's later novellas. The narrator, Wilmarth, presents the transcript of a record made by his correspondent, Akeley. The latter, dragging a phonograph around (as one does when one suspects aliens are living in the hills out back one's farm), has recorded part of an overheard, unseen ritual:
Aside from name-dropping half of Lovecraft's major pantheon, this scene is very interesting to me because of the glimpses it gives us of the Mi-go (the alien visitors in question). The Mi-go are my favorites for many reasons, one being that, even while they are given actual voices and demsytified somewhat more than most of Lovecraft's antagonistic forces, the information we are given is just enough to exponentially increase the number of questions I have about them and their motives. For instance, I'm curious about their relationship to Nyarlathotep et al.--they are clearly implied to serve the Outer Gods, but the Mi-go don't strike me as slavishly worshipful types (more, as incurably curious folk who know a good collaborative opportunity when they see one). Their "buzzing voice" is described as terrible to hear, and one later learns that they do surgery on themselves in order to be able to produce semblances of human sounds. They are fucking clever and unnerving and I just love them to bits.
Non-canon stuff:
- This is my fanon Mi-go theme music ("my fanon" bears repeating; I'm sure this innocent theremin composer had nothing of the like in his mind).
- This is my favorite Mi-go fanart [image is slightly gory/body horror and may be disturbing to some].
Why did I not hear about this earlier?
Jan. 2nd, 2012 08:16 pmSir, did you just encapsulate in a single snarky and succinct phrase part of the reason I might be drawn to Lovecraft's work? I think you did..
Not strictly true. One of my favorite stories, 'The Outsider,' does not at any rate have what I'd call an 'unhappy' ending...
Monstrous Monopolies
Sep. 22nd, 2011 11:31 am'The Curse of California.'
I recently showed the picture to the group and asked them if they've read any Lovecraft, and proceeded to extol Innsmouth and Cthulhu very briefly. One of them asked something about whether Lovecraft had written a particular economic treatise. Bless them, they stay on topic even when my inner geek makes a bold attempt to usurp the situation.
Evidently the sea monster<-->railroad monopoly device was popular.