Customer Reviews

Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors

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This is a misleadingly named but excellent introduction to Robert E. Howard's non-heroic fantasy tales (no Conan, Kull or Solomon Kane stories here). Edited by David Drake and bargain priced, it includes some of Howard's most compelling stories, especially "Pigeons from Hell" and "Worms of the Earth" (I'd rank them both among the best of Howard's stories). Most of these yarns have very little indeed to do with the made-up term "Cthulhu Mythos," probably used here to lure the unsuspecting fan of Lovecraftian role playing games. Only about half the 13 items in the book have anything even remotely to do with this H.P. Lovecraft-inspired sub-genre, usually just a couple of names or passing reference. Howard's main contribution to the "Mythos" was Von Junzt's 1839 "Nameless Cults" which first apperared in the enjoyable but hardly special "The Black Stone," published in "Weird Tales" in 1931. For me this book's greatest value is as a graphic illustration of what a born talented storyteller Howard was. I first read them a quarter century ago and I still relish re-reading them. I can't say the same about most of the contents of the NYT "bestsellers list" of 25 years ago or of today.

Although the book claims to be about the Cthulhu Mythos, it is really a collection of stories by Robert E. Howard, one of Lovecraft's peers and the creator of Conan. These stories are excellent once you realize that with the exception of a little name dropping, the Great Old Ones are not to be found. Consider it the Howard Mythos.

Robert E. Howard is not the name you think of when thinking of Cthulhu, but he does have a short story or two about the Mythos. Howard and Lovecraft were contemporaries. The majority of the stories in this collection are just weird tales, but well-written and gripping. I give it full marks.

Nothing to do with Lovecraft's Cthulhu, but great reading anyway. Neccessary reading for any Howard fan.