Sunday, January 25, 2009

The Colour Out of Space

In this latest of HP Lovecraft tales in my collection, The Colour Out of Space is a yarn is weaved about a meteorite crashing into a valley and corrupting the bodies and minds of all organic life in the vicinity. Researchers from nearby Arkham (yes, that's where we get the concept of Arkham Asylum, DC fans) investigate the strange meteorite, but find it not adhering to physics of this world. Eventually the nearby farmer's family struggles with bouts of insanity...

Without giving too much away, this is a great story due to its presentation. Lovecraft employs a narration which lends to believability of these audacious events. The reader must hope he is not next...


Matt

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The Shunned House

The Shunned House is yet another short story from H.P. Lovecraft's weird tales. This story focuses on a spooky house in the middle of town that is shrouded with rumors and speculation of people living there and dying. A lot like Boo Radley's house in To Kill a Mockingbird.

The protagonist has an educated uncle who had done some research, finding that there was more than just rumors to the sudden sicklyness of the inhabitants. Upon staking out the location overnight, something was found...although difficult to discern exactly what manner of spectre availed itself, it was agreed upon to pursue the phantasm and if possible, kill it....

The remainder of the story examines this that pursual.

Like the other stories, it starts out with a lot of build-up, but the payoff is exciting! Well-worded, and Well-recommended!

Matt

Saturday, January 17, 2009

L'etranger

The Stranger: Albert Camus' quintessential existential classic. Just finished reading this, but be forewarned: it is a bit of a downer.

Camus' works convey the common theme of the absurdity of life and the meaninglessness of it all. The Stranger (L'etranger in the native French) is no exception. Here the plot is centered around a man who passes through life like a leaf in the wind. Not really caring so much if something does or does not happen nor if one event occurs in place of another. This drives the other characters mad, eventually ending up in a courtroom scene not unlike the ending to Seinfeld series, where friends and acquaintances testify as to the 'low character' of the accused.

In the end, Camus makes through the protagonist some bold assertions about how everyone dies and it matters not when or how, that people will go living either way. Insightful, and ponderous, but in small quantities, lest one becomes too enamored with his nihilism.

More excitement to come!
Matt

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Rats in the Walls

The Rats in the Walls is yet another short HP Lovecraft story. This tale begins with a lengthy chronology of a family and how they came to return to their British manor. Investigation of this dwelling in a state of refurbishment lends to marvelous and terrifying discoveries about the nature of what was once in this place.

This was really, really good.

Matt

The Music of Erich Zann

The Music of Erich Zann is a short HP Lovecraft story depicting an eccentric old man who plays wild music in the middle of the night on the top floor of an apartment dwelling, much to the chagrin and confusion of the man who lives below him. Upon further investigation, the neighbor finds out much more sinister reasons behind the very strange music.

The Outsider

The Outsider is a very brief work by HP Lovecraft. Due to its brevity, its difficult to discuss without giving away the end. Let's just say its about a guy explaining how he got to be where he is and goes through a sort of self-awakening. Well worth the payoff at the end.


Matt

Call of Cthulhu

H.P. Lovecraft wrote a number of 'weird stories' back in the 1920s. While enjoying somewhat eclectic readership, overall reviews of his work - now that he is long since gone - have been most favorable.

The holy grail of Lovecraft, at least one which shows up in countless references on the interweb is that story "Call of Cthulhu." And no, the name is as unpronounceable as is the land with non-euclidean geometry where it resides is hard to explain.




Basically, it is a story about a man who inherits some research of his uncle, an erudite professor. Finding the papers on this Cthulhu creature, he seeks out further information. As such, the story is actually a little low on intensity - just a rehashing of stories from one character to another, but it is ultimately creepy, disconcerting, and chilling all at once. This was a great story, albeit brief, and one of many Lovecraft tales I'll be reviewing in the time to come.

Until next time,
Matt

Bat Phone

Greetings again all.
To ring in the new year, I've got myself a hotline to Batman, so evildoers beware.


Thursday, January 1, 2009

Review of "The Screwtape Letters"

Greetings and salutations Andy, et al.
I know you're all excited for my next video entry, but I'm annoyed by the microphone on my webcam, so more research is needed there. I did snap a picture of me with the book cover to make things more interesting.


"The Screwtape Letters" is a book by C.S. Lewis (the fellow that brought us the Chronicles of Narnia), a fictionalized account of one demon writing to his nephew in the advice of how best to tempt the souls for which he is responsible for drawing away from God. This work differs substantially from the last Letter-based book I reviewed. Lewis noted that this book was difficult to write, as getting into this frame of mind was both easy and distasteful to him. That said, the both is full of insight.

The book reads with the design of a counterpoint - that is, Lewis writes from an opposition standpoint, so when Uncle Screwtape advises his nephew to encourage the poor soul he is tempting to do things such as become argumentative with his mother about all sorts of nonsense, Lewis is really saying we ought not to do this.

As such, there is insight in the lot of the common man, his thought processes and rationalizations in the face of Christianity. Although it may take some readers time to wrap their minds around the pretext of the work, it comes off as interesting reading.

This is very eye-awakening at the traps we sometimes fall into by our own - or what we think are our own - reasoning. I'd recommend this.

Until next time,
Matt