Cthulu

[KingVoyeur]

Ok, even though it has Tori Spelling in it, this looks pretty interesting.

Cthulu (http://www.cthulhu-themovie.com/video.html)

Some of the imagery looks like it could be really cool. I wonder when and where this thing will open?

[Jakester]

Looks cool, but man...that dude should realize that evil happens to ghey dudes and just deal. Ebil SINNAR!

[Metuzalem]

The whole Cthulu thing is something I'm developing a growing interest in. I like words like "cult" and "mythos". Is there a series of books that have this theme running through it or is the Cthulu thing HP Lovecraft's MacGuffin?

[TrekSucksHard]

Lovecraft created Cthulhu in "Call of Cthulhu" and featured that monster as a sort of background character for his other stories. After his death other authors began to add their own stories- most of these stories did not feature Cthulhu itself but some other monster connected with it.

[Jakester]

It's the Cthulu dance!

[KingVoyeur]

The whole Cthulu thing is something I'm developing a growing interest in. I like words like "cult" and "mythos". Is there a series of books that have this theme running through it or is the Cthulu thing HP Lovecraft's MacGuffin?

For the most comprehensive book of Loveccraft, go to a library or a bookstore and get a book called "Lovecraft: Tales". The tales were selected by Peter Straub, who also wrote notes for the volume. It's an un-assuming little black book with Lovecraft's picture on the cover, and has most of his Cthulu mythos stories in it. I have it constantly checked out from the library, and I'll buy it at the store the next time I've got a free $35 to throw down. You could also check out a book called "Lovecraft: the Dream Cycle" (or something like that) that collects his dream cycle stories, which for the most part are a lot trippier than the Cthulu stuff.

[Jakester]

Wow. Who knew you were such a Lovecraft nut, KV? :D

Did you ever play Infocom's The Lurking Horror?

[KingVoyeur]

I haven't played that one, although I do have the "Arkham Horror" board game, which is complicated but pretty fun.

[Jakester]

The details of it are hazy in my memory, but I do know that it took place up in Mass. @ Miskatonic U.

God, I loved the Infocom games!

[Metuzalem]

Thanks for that KV (and happy birthday too :) ). I have added this to my amazon wish list. Is there some sort of order I should be reading the stories in? I mean I don't want to start taking them out of context.

[KingVoyeur]

Nope, you can pretty much read the stories in any order. Every once in a while someone might mention an "incident" that happened nearby or in the past, but that's just because most of the stories take place in the same general area. You don't really need to know the background.

Some of my favorites are "The Statement of Randolph Carter," "The Music of Erich Zann," "The Lurking Fear," "The Call of Cthulu," (check out the awesome silent film made a few years ago based on this story), "The Color Out of Space," "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," (what the films "Dagon" and I'm guessing the film trailer for "Cthulu" in this thread are based on), and "At the Mountains of Madness". I love all of them, but those are just a few faves.

They're such fantastic horror stories because they all deal with the unknown, as in none of the horrors are ever really described, at least to the reader. All you get are the reaction of the characters, which are usually utter fear teetering on madness. Also, the early 20th-century settings really give the stories that creepy gothic-horror atmosphere.

[mckracken]

or john Carpenter's in the Mouth of Madness was really creepy too

...or FROM BEYOND too