Lovecraft

Today is an important date in my personal countdown to Halloween calendar: it is the birthday of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. The father of modern and of cosmic horror. I first discovered him via the role playing game Call of Cthulhu, based on his work. I will try to read him today and in the upcoming weeks, it's one of my reading rituals in the months leading to Halloween.

Les Nuits de l'Épouvante et Lovecraft

 Lors de mon retour au Québec, j'ai eu le plaisir de me retaper Les Nuits de l'Épouvante pour la première fois depuis au moins trente ans. Mon frère PJ me l'avait laissé à l'appart. J'ai été heureusement surpris de découvrir des éléments lovecraftiens explicites. Ici, Sir Leo, le héros (britannique, bien entendu) de certaines des histoires consulte le Necronomicon. Ah oui, et jolie ambiance, avec le bras reptilien que l'on voit à droite, juste parce que. Je regrette ne pas avoir pris plus de photos pour le blogue. Durant l'Halloween, c'est la bédé parfaite.

Horror on the Orient Express

Decades ago, I used to be a game master for  Call of Cthulhu,the role playing game based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft. Sadly never round Halloween time. It's a shame: it would have been perfect for the season, one more way to enjoy its spooky aspects. I always try to put a bit of Lovecraft flavouring on my Halloween. Anyway, there is one module I have always wanted to try: Horror on the Orient Express. I love trains any time of year and it's no different round Halloween. I blogged very often (and recently) how much they suit the horror genre, having modernity and technology clash with the supernatural. A classic train like the Orient Express is just the perfect horror setting, with the comfort and the cosy atmosphere disturbed by paranormal dangers. Apparently, it's an excellent game, although a highly risky one for the characters. But then again, I would expect no less. Anyway, I hope I can get my hands on it one day and find a few players. For those who enjoyed it, please leave a comment.

Cosmic Horror Day

 Today is the birthday of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft.Not a very pleasant man as a person, but the father of cosmic horror and maybe the father of modern horror, period. His work was also the primary source of inspiration for the role-playing game Call of Cthulhu, which I always loved to play this time of year, for the kick of it, but also to get myself into a Halloween mood during summertime. It is part of the countdown before the countdown, so to speak. I would love to play a game now, just for fun. I am in a spooky mood.

Playing against Cthulhu

Maybe it is because it feels like autumn is coming these days, maybe because I'm already in a pre Halloween mood, maybe it's because it will be H.P. Lovecraft's birthday soon, but I am so very much in the mood to play a game of Call of Cthulhu, the role-playing game based on his work. We mainly used to play it this time of year. Our last session dates back to something like twenty-five yars ago or so. Maybe more. But to start the officious countdown to Halloween (which is now), a game playing an investigator fighting cosmic horror would be very fitting.

Bookworm Problem (and Lovecraft)

I found this on one of the Facebook pages I follow. I thought it was funny. On a side note, it is the right time to read H.P. Lovecraft if you are in an early Halloween mode. Which of course I am.

Un Temple de Cthulhu à Paris

 La nouvelle franchouillarde et horrifique du jour: il y aurait un Temple de Chtulhu à Paris. Ou peut-être pas. C'est un mystère, mais il y a en tout cas un panneau qui indique son existence. Avez que ça donne la chair de poule. Le panneau a été ou sera enlevé et je trouve ça dommage. Bon, c'est pas comme si Paris était avare d'attractions touristiques, mais j'aime les attractions sinistres et Paris a son côté sombre (bien qu'assez peu lovecraftien). Dans tous les cas, pour les fans d'horreur littéraire comme moi, c'est le genre de nouvelles qui m'aide à patienter jusqu'à l'Halloween.

The Whisperer in Darkness

For today's (first?) countdown to Halloween post, a reading suggestion. For horror fans like myself, it can never be fully Halloween without a dose of H.P. Lovecraft. I haven't read his whole work as of yet (too many horror writers to discover and rediscover), but do consider myself a fan and I enjoy a lot of them. Lovecraft helped me make my enjoyment of Halloween reach adulthood, when I got too old for trick or treat, but still loved the dark and scary atmosphere of the holiday. Reading him became a classic. I have a few favourite Lovecratian stories, including The Whisperer in Darkness, which I recommend today. It is a story between science-fiction and supernatural, like many Lovecraft stories. I generally prefer "pure" supernatural horror, but this one stands out merely for the perfectly paranoid atmosphere. On a cold, dark October night, it is a perfect read. Heck, the title alone should give you shivers. If you haven't read it yet, you can do it online here, among other places. Enjoy. If you have read it, please leave a comment telling me what you thought of it.

Time for Cosmic Horror

 I mention it every year on this blog, or at least I try to, but anyway, here it is: today is the birthday of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. Not only is he an unavoidable writer for whoever loves horror stories (whether cosmic horror is your thing or not), but his work also inspired the role-playing game Call of Cthulhu, also a favourite of mine. This time of year, a few decades ago, being a game master at Call of Cthulhu was one of my greatest source of fun and it constantly fuelled my imagination. I consider Lovecraft's birthday one of major the milestones of the countdown to Halloween. And I have been wanting to play a game of Call of Cthulhu again since I last did.

A Time to Harvest

 Earlier this year, searching for topics for my posts for the countdown to Halloween, I stumbled upon an image for a campaign of the role-playing game Call of Cthulhu. Based on the horror stories of H.P. Lovecraft. It was aptly called A Time to Harvest and it has such a cool cover. I haven't played Call of Cthulhu in more than twenty years, but I have always wanted to play a Halloween-centered campaign, on top of my other rituals (mostly binge reading and binge watching horror). I know nothing about this campaign, apart from its title and the image, but it struck me that it would be perfect to play in the weeks leading to Halloween. Mainly because the holiday is closely associated with harvest. In any case, I think it would be fun role play in our own horror story in October.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (Discovering Lovecraft)

For today's (first?) countdown to Halloween post, a trip down nostalgia lane and a bit of a reading suggestion. You know that I like reading H.P. Lovecraft. His stories are often part of my spooky reads for the months leading to Halloween. I first discovered it when I was a teenager, learning about the role-playing game Call of Cthulhu. But before I started playing it, I wanted to discover the source material as inspiration, so I borrowed in the library The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. The very version you see here, with the psychedelic cover. The same way I discovered other great horror stories, come to think of it. I thought Lovecraft was a lesser writer than Stoker or Stevenson, but I enjoyed the story and the atmosphere tremendously. I haven't reread it in years, but I might revisit it one day during one of the countdowns to Halloween. You can find it online for free here. It has a Jekyll and Hyde feel to it, even the title is a call back, but in spite of the influences it is very much its own thing, with notions of a vast arcane conspiracy of necromancers that can threaten human civilisation. This is horror on a grand scale. So if you haven't read it, I suggest you make time in the coming weeks.

Monstrum on the Cthulhu Mytho

They are a little bit behind, but I thought I needed to share this video from Monstrum at some point. As you know, it was the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft a week ago. So Monstrum made a video on him three days after, showing why his work is important. They even mentioned the RPG. Well, we can't get enough Lovecraft in the months and weeks leading to Halloween, so here it is:

Tarte cthulienne

Mon frère PJ a fait hier une tarte aux bleuets en l'honneur de l'anniversaire d'H.P. Lovecraft. La tarte aux bleuets était le dessert préféré de l'auteur. C'est donc une tarte aux bleuets cthulienne. Pouvez-vous reconnaître le Grand Ancien?

Cosmic Horror Mood

 Today is the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft. The father of cosmic horror, a whole sub-genre of horror I used to be very fond of when I was a teenager. I prefer smaller scale horror now, but I always loved Lovecraft nevertheless and still enjoy his universe, whether I read his original stories or the one of his continuators. But how I truly enjoyed Lovecraft some more than twenty years ago is via the role-playing game Call of Cthulhu, based on his work. I had read fairly little of him when I bought the game around 1994. You can see here the cover of the French translation of the 5th edition. I only have good memories of it. As Halloween is slowly approaching, I wish I could play a few games to get myself in the right mood. I think Halloween always needs a bit of Lovecraft.

Time for Lovecraft

I mention it on this blog every year: today is the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft. Maybe THE most important horror writer of the last century. For me, his birthday marks one important date in the countdown to the countdown to Halloween. I try to read at least one of his stories before my favourite holiday, generally around his birthday. Lovecraft also wrote great horror to read during summertime, not sure why but this is how I feel reading it. This year, I am not sure if I will read one of his original stories, but I am currently reading Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff. Which I bought at £6.66.When I have finished this book, I will hopefully find time to watch the whole TV series adaptation, maybe even in time for Halloween. But I digress. One good thing about Lovecraft is that, in spite of his many flaws, among them his gross racism, antisemitism and homophobia, he nevertheless influenced a lot of writers, some of them capable of writing great horror based on the mythos he created.

I bought Lovecraft Country for £6.66

The title says it all and I kid you not: I bought Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff for the precise sum of £6.66. Actually, I do kid you, but only a little: it got cheaper than that, that said at some point it was reduced to the number of the beast and it struck me that I would have bought it at 666. I am sure it was intentional. I can't wait to read it. I started watching the TV series last year, but had to stop due to a lack of time.Anyway, I love the horror stories of H.P. Lovecraft, in spite of his racism and his antisemitism. Now I will be able to enjoy it in a work that also addresses Lovecraft's most deplorable traits. I always make sure I read some of Lovecraft's mythos, either his direct work or the work of his continuators, in my countdown to Halloween reads which I start in August. As it's going to be Walpurgis Night very soon, the countdown to the countdown to Halloween, I might start reading the novel then. Surely it is allowed to be in a spooky mood already.

The Horrors of H.P. Lovecraft

Last year I got it wrong by one day and I wanted to make sure I got it right this year: today is the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft. For horror fans,Lovecraft is THE father of modern horror. And, although I read him more during summertime, he is also an essential part of my countdown to Halloween reading program. As we are slowly getting closer and closer to the season, now would be the right time to read and reread his work. I would also love to play a game of Call of Cthulhu, the role-playing game based on Lovecraft's work. I must confess that I probably spent more time playing the game than reading his work, and it was often to find inspiration for the game that I read him. Be that as it may, now is a good time to read, play and... watch Lovecraft, as there is also a brand new TV series adapted from his work, which I intend to discover as well.

What October Brings

For today's countdown to Halloween post, another reading suggestion, because for me Halloween is celebrated through scary literature. So I recently purchased What October Brings, subtitled: "A Lovecraftian celebration of Halloween". Which is of course a book of Halloween stories inspired directly or indirectly by the work of H.P. Lovecraft. This is the anthology book I'm reading at the moment. So far, so great. I do not find Lovecraft the perfect horror writer for Halloween, maybe because I find him a tad too modern. That said, I don't think my literary Halloween is quite conpleted without reading at least one of his stories, or one story influenced by him. So I always read something Lovecraftian around this time of year. And, on a side note, what cover it has! Maybe the best cover I have owned for a Halloween book. Just perfect.

"C'est fête aujourd'hui..."

"C'est fête aujourd'hui
Pour tous les amis
Qui ont répondu
À l'appel de Cthulhu"

Comme j'ai gaffé hier avec la date de sa fête, j'ai voulu au moins fêter l'anniversaire de naissance de Lovecraft avec cette chanson parodique sur laquelle j'ai déjà blogué. Je l'ai eue en tête toute la journée, sans rire. Enfin oui, en riant.

Celebrating Cosmic Horror

Let's get this out of the way now: today is the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft. Every year, I try to commemorate it on this blog. This is a fitting time to celebrate the inventor of cosmic horror as we have been having quite a few gloomy days recently, often cloudy, cool and rainy. The ideal kind of day for playing the role-playing game Call of Cthulhu, based on Lovecraft's work. Back in my late teenage and early twenties, this is what my brothers, my friends and I used to do on such days, around this time of year. As we are slowly getting closer to Halloween, I wish playing the game was part of my countdown's ritual. But I still have the horror stories of Lovecraft.