Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, Vol. 2

And now, the Volume 2 you've all been waiting for...Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, vol 2.

The short stories within vol. 2 are as follows:

The Shambler From the Stars by Robert Bloch: An eccentric author locates and evil book, and has his friend translate it from Latin. Evil promulgations ensue...

The Haunter in the Dark by H.P. Lovecraft: A followup story to The Shambler From the Stars, this concerns the demise of Robert Blake, an enthusiast of the dark arts who searches an abandoned church which has many evil elements within...

The Shadow from the Steeple by Robert Bloch rounds out the trilogy concerning the previous two stories. A man from Chicago investigates the deaths of Robert Blake, and his chronicler H.P. Lovecraft, blending the lines of fantasy and reality further, making this tale one of remarkable tenability and fright...

The Notebook Found in a Deserted House by Robert Bloch - This tale concerns a 12 year old who is put up at his aunt and uncle's farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Rumors of mythology and sacrificial altars in the woods beyond trouble him. Then one day Aunt and Uncle go off in the night, never to return. The child must face his fears with the postman during a thunderstorm...

Cold Print by J. Ramsey Campbell - a vagrant, who warms himself from the cold outside by visiting a bookstore, and becomes a reader of Lovecraftian stories. He encounters a menacing book dealer, who makes him an offer he cannot refuse...

The Sister City by Brian Lumley - A youth of mysterious deformities and talents comes to realize his true identity and troubles the authorities with his attempt to return to the land what which he might call "home."
Cement Surroundings by Brian Lumley - A professor returns to England after researching many mythical entities and two mysterious orbs. He becomes terrified of both the underground and seismic activity. Following an earthquake, the professor disappears, leaving his poor nephew to sort out the madness...

The Deep Ones by James Wade - A little bit longer story about a team of researchers working with dolphins off the Pacific coast. A strange man from Miskatonic University identifies one of the researchers as being from an old family in Innsmouth on the East Coast and foretells great misfortunes, to which the researchers are at once skeptical, for a time...

The Return of The Lloigor by Colin Wilson - a lengthy (as these short stories go) tale of an English professor who finds a text and interprets it to be the Necronomicon. Later he learns that Lovecraft mentioned this in his "fiction" but that these stories seem to match up with legends of Wales, where he finds the stories coming to life, but few belief the fantastical findings...

And there you have it, the last of the Cthulu Mythos stories in my two volume set. If you're up for weird tales, these are good and weird.

Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, Volume I

I was out traversing a few garage sales and I stumbled upon this gem in a free box: H.P. Lovecraft (and other): Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, vol. 1., and vol 2.

Some of you might remember a review of a collection of HP Lovecraft works a few months back. Having read that, I soon realized Lovecraft's works were in the public domain, and thus I hardly needed a hard-copy. These stories are predominantly by other authors in the tradition of H.P. Lovecraft and correlation much of Lovecraft's fantastical aberrations. Plus, for free, its hard to pass up.

The short stories within vol. 1 are as follows:

The Call of Cthulhu by HP Lovecraft: The story featuring Lovecraft's most fantastic creature.

The Return of the Sorcerer by Clark Ashton Smith: A man takes a job working for a disturbed researcher...too short for more information.

Ubbo-Sathla by Clark Ashton Smith: a mysterious crystal leads to all sorts of evil;

The Black Stone by Robert E. Howard: a black stone invokes strange visions of years and evils past...

The Hounds of Tindalos by Frank Belknap Long: a researcher invokes a drug to enable time travel, quickly goes insane fearing the Hounds of Tindalos will come at him through angles in the walls...

The Space-Eaters by Frank Belknap Long: mystery in the woods when a neighbor drops by; he's ranting about evil and there seems to be something dreadful in the wood..

The Dweller in the Darkness by August Derleth: something is out there in the woods of Northern Wisconsin, and professors from Madison search to determine what it is, possibly one of the creatures Lovecraft "factually" wrote about...

Beyond the Threshold by August Derleth: Grandfather is obsessed with finding a secret threshold in his Wisconsin home, much to the dispair of his grandsons.

The Salem Horror by Henry Kuttner: Famed author finds a secret underground room used by a former occupant in his house for witchcraft.

The Haunter of the Graveyard by J. Vernon Shea: horror film enthusiast finds a secret passageway in his house...

More to come when I read vol 2.

What happens in Western Australia, stays in Western Australia, even after untold eons...

HP Lovecraft's story, "The Shadow Out of Time" concerns the man who suffers from some sort of breakdown, then revives his former self several years later. What he finds is that he now has vivid "memories" of times very past and very future. These thoughts are instilled in his mind to such a degree that it unnerves him. As time passes, he finds an archeological dig in western Australia, the goal of which he is strangely familiar, and thereby joins that endeavor...

Well done again. This concludes my collection of Weird Tales, although many others are available online, so it may not be my last review. As with other Lovecraft tales, this starts out slow and ominous and progresses to suspense and madness.

Matt

The Shadow Over Innsmouth

H.P. Lovecraft spins this tale of horror about a man researching architecture in the greater Arkham area. Local lore indicates nearby Innsmouth has fascinating architecture, but is shrouded in suspicion and alleged nefarious activity. Acting out of curiousity, the protagonist visits this frightful village...

This short work, though not Lovecraft's finest, is certainly compelling and disconcerting.

Matt

At the Mountains of Madness

In what I can only describe as customary H.P. Lovecraft form, At the Mountains of Madness is nothing short of an accomplishment. This story, like so many other lovecraftian tales, starts with learned researchers. Unlike much of the other tales I have read, this does not take place in New England, but rather the scientists are a delegation from Miskatonic University exploring new regions of Antarctica. It is here that the scientists uncover remnants of an ancient society, the likes of which match up closely to the Great Old Ones as described in the Necromicon. Upon some study, havoc breaks out and communication is lost. Search and rescue gives way to curiosity, which in turn leads to more treachery...

What a fantastic story. Highly recommended.

Matt

The Dunwich Horror

HP Lovecraft strikes literary gold again with the tale of The Dunwich Horror. This is about a child that grows remarkably fast in a place shrouded with mystery, and probably wizards. This man-child, or rather a man who is actually aged that of a child breaks seeks an ancient text from several local universities in hopes of summoning evil creatures. After denied, there is a break-in at the local Miskatonic University, and well, you can figure the rest is exciting.

Its good stuff.

Matt

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

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

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