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Eternal Lovecraft: The Persistence of Hpl in Popular Culture

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While I was at a meeting in St. Louis I came across this collection by Golden Gryphon Press. Publication date was 1998. It was expensive but $17.93 is very reasonable for high quality hardcover.

First, the production values are high quality with a nice hardcover binding. The dustjacket has a wonderful painting by Nicholas Jainschigg, that depicts a glowing eye stranger walking away as some entity, perhaps Yog Sothoth, enters our dimension in the clouds. It is perhaps a little flimsy, already getting a few small tears in the edges, but then I was carrying it everywhere. The interior has some photographs of HPL. I hadn't seen them before, but maybe they are famous ones.

The editor was Jim Turner. Yes, the Jim Turner. No, I don't know who the heck he is either. At any rate, his introduction is a nice scholarly essay mainly about The Shadow Out of Time. At the end he describes the 3 sections he divided the stories into, ones in HPL settings or where HPL appears, ones where there is a more or less overt influence by Lovecraft, and ones that may imply a Lovecraftian cosmic view. The last is similar to the more recent excellent anthology Horrors Beyond. Yeah yeah (I thought as I was reading) let's get to the stories. This was a compilation of previously published stories, and as such there is overlap with other anthologies (grumble). By and large, Mr. Turner has selected very high quality stories and I am sorry to write that he stated that this would be his last Lovecraftian collection.

On to the contents, is alphabetical order, not necessarily as they appear in the book:

***There may be some spoilers below***

Weird Tales by Fred Chappell: Actually a subsubgenre I find incredibly tedious is one where HPL makes an appearance. It does less for me even than stories where the characters talk about HPL's works that supposedly depict fiction. At any rate, this one did not do much for me.

The Land of the Reflected Ones by Nancy A. Collins: I could swear I had read this before but I don't know where. Not to worry, it is a finely crafted and creepy story about the dangers involved in casting spells from a musty tome when you don't really know what you are doing. Very enjoyable and made me wish Ms. Collins has written more mythos stuff for me to discover.

Sensible City by Harlan Ellison: Nice, creepy, ghoulish, but no definite Lovecraftian allusions that I can recall. Nonetheless it reads well and does not sit out of place in such a collection.

Ralph Wollstonecraft Hedge: A Memoir by Ron Goulart: Lame attempt at humor. A low point.

Crouch End by Stephen King: Whatever anyone says, Mr. King deserves his accolades. This is a terrific tale, moody, atmospheric, tensions mounting beautifully and plain scarey. It concerns a couple who wander into a neighborhood in London that ends up being very far away from where they thought they were going. A masterpiece.

The Events at Poroth Farm by T. E. D. Klein: This is only the second story by TED Klein that I have read. You can argue whether it is truely mythos or not, with no overt appearance by any of our familiar entities/creatures, but you cannot argue that it is another finely wrought story. Very creepy and tense. A professor whiles away a summer in a small farmstead and encounters an unnatural and unwelcome visitor.

A Bit of the Dark World by Fritz Leiber: This did not have specific Lovecraftian connotations, but it did have an appropriately Lovecraftian feel, as the darkness becomes an entity, or conceals one, in an isolated California house in the mountains. Like some others in the book, it did not feel out of place in a mythos collection, although it could have been included in a general science fiction or modern horror collection. It was nice to read a story by Leiber, who was a true artist.

The Shadow at the Bottom of the World by Thomas Ligotti: Creepy and effective, not overtly Lovecraftian by name, but certainly not out of place. I guess on several of these stories you could say they felt like a mythos/Lovecraft indebted story while not making outright mention of mythos specific trappings. I was glad to read it.

The Turret by Richard A. Lupoff: Hmph! I already have Made in Goatswood! I guess all editors should consult me to see if their contents will overlap my library! Anyway, an excellent Severn Valley story.

The Golden Keeper by Ian R. MacLeod: This was quite a find. A very good mythos novella set in the 3rd century AD, as a Roman official looks for golden treasure in a remote part of Egypt. Does he find riches? You decide...

Her Misbegotten Son by Alan Rodgers: Double hmph!! I have the collection Miskatonic University, although I haven't read it yet. This story is well written and has some very creepy moments. However the ending was atypically (for goings on at Arkham) happy, and one does not nromally expect Nyarlathotep to be banished by holy water.

The Ocean and all Its Devices by William Browning Spencer: A very mood moody story of the sea and some of its less pleasant inhabitants.

Daoine Domhain by Peter Tremayne: Triple hmph!!! I think this story is in Shadows Over Innsmouth, but I don't have my copy handy. Moving on, this story is a highly polished jewel, an absolutely wonderful story of the Deep Ones. The writing is very moody, setting the atmosphere beautifully. I loved it. I hope Mr. Tremayne has written, or plans to write more mythos.

Black as the Pit, from Pole to Pole by Steven Utley and Howard Waldrop: It is a well written story about Frankenstein's monster finding worlds inside the earth, following the events in Mary Shelley's classic novel. The only reason it belongs in a Lovecraft collection is because of his encounter with The Great Race. The story didn't interest me too much, although it was well done.

The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Paula Volsky: Sherlock Holmes meets the mythos. The story was a fair read, put in the shade by the many high quality stories included. I haven't yet read Shadows Over Baker Street so I don't know if this story is in there.

To Mars and Providence by Don Webb: Like I said, I don't care for stories where HPL is a protagonist.

The Perseids by Robert Charles Wilson: You can argue whether this belongs in a LOvecraftian collection. It was well written and had some creepy overtones, but could easily have been left out.

The Other Dead Man by Gene Wolfe: Science fiction horror that easily fits into a Lovecraft collection and easily can be excluded, like Leiber's story. Wolfe is a great writer so it's a fun read, but there are no specific mythos references.

So my final thought is that there are some magnificent mythos stories here, ones that I was previously unfamiliar with. Based on this I hgihly recommend Eternal Lovecraft. The overlap with other collections is minimal. A fair number of stories had appropriate feel, even without specific overtones, and a number could have been left out. There were only a few dogs, always a risk with a mythos collection.

I am happy to have it in my library.

Fans of Lovecraft will have a good time with this book. It's par for the course as these sorts of collections go, nothing groundbreaking, but a nice way to spend a weekend. I found only maybe 1 or 2 stories not worth the trouble, and for the most part all the authors did a workmanlike job.

Interesting anthology of Lovecraft-derived and Lovecraft-inspired works. The book is divided into three sections:

1) "Lovecraft Country" includes stories most strongly connected to Lovecraft or his mythos, featuring "Her Misbegotten Son," a rather good sort-of-sequel to Lovecraft's "Dreams in the Witch-House"; "Daoine Domhain," an excellent story also available in SHADOWS OVER INNSMOUTH; and "To Mars and Providence," an interesting Lovecraftian take on the War of the Worlds originally in WAR OF THE WORLDS: GLOBAL DISPATCHES.

2) "Eldritch Influences" is the largest section of the book, including stories that allude to rather than feature the Cthulhu Mythos- the stories in this section are mainly reprints, yet some of my personal favorites, including "The Land of the Reflected Ones" by Nancy A. Collins, the nightmarish "Crouch End" by Stephen King, the cosmic "The Turret" by Richard Lupoff, "The Giant Rat of Sumatra" (a Sherlock Holmes story with Mythos aspects) by Paula Volsky, and "Black as the Pit, from Pole to Pole" featuring a certain Mrs. Shelley's famous monster.

3) The last section, "Cosmic Realms," contains stories only thematically related to Lovecraft's concepts of cosmic horror; I particularly enjoyed the creepy "Events at Poroth Farm" by T.E.D. Klein and the intriguing "A Bit of the Dark World" by Fritz Leiber.

Those I have mentioned above are my favorites, but I can say I liked every story in this anthology to some degree. Wold-Newton fans may get a kick out of "To Mars," "Giant Rat" and "Black as the Pit," Mythos fans should enjoy most of the other stories, and anyone with a taste for fine horror should find this a good read.

While browsing through the stacks of the local branch library, I stumbled upon this book. Between being a fan of the Lovecraft Mythos and wanting to read some short stories, I checked and out and began to read the book.

The introduction was an interesting analysis of Lovecraft's fight against time and the evolution of the story "The Shadow Out of Time." Turner takes aspects of Lovecraft's life and applies it to the evolution of his work. Insightful and an intriguing read.

I have broken down my review by short story, since each has its own flavor and stands well on their own. Together, they are a good representation of Lovecraftian fiction.

**There may be spoilers below. Beware**

I. Lovecraft Country

"Her Misbegotten Son" by Alan Rodgers - The story definitely has a Lovecraftian feel to it. Set in Arkham and telling the story of a boy since we has given to county services, the story meanders yet has a creepy feel to it. The antagonists are threatening, but in the end, they are ultimately thwarted. At a great expense, but the story is actually more up beat than I may expect from this vein.

"Daoine Domhain" by Peter Tremayne - Though this story is still set in New England, it also takes place in Ireland and gives it more of an isolated mystique to it. My favorite of the stories in the first section, the story is excellently told and helps display the inevitability of a Lovecraftian tale. Portents and legends have a life here you cannot stop.

"To Mars and Providence" by Don Webb - My least favorite of the first set, I was immediately set off by H.P. Lovecraft as the main character of this story. Described as an awkward boy with an unhinged aunt, he finds himself in the middle of a Martian invasion and empathizing with the Martians. He is believed to be one of them, and they try to restore him to his rightful form.

The story did not draw me in, and I did not feel particularly awed of horrified by it. They story did have an interesting twist, and it was just enough to pull me through the story. Do not despair and quit reading the book though. There is much more good stuff further on.

II. Eldritch Influences

"Weird Tales" by Fred Chappell - A mock biography of the visionary poet, Hart Crane, this story does involve H.P. Lovecraft as well. However, he is a peripheral character to help establish the possible reality of the story. Quirky and off, they story approaches the nature of space and time, and the characters are lead into oblivion. Nice piece.

"The Land of the Reflected Ones" by Nancy A. Collins - A common joke among Lovecraft's readers is it is safer not to read any of the books in his Mythos. In this story, the lesson is once again enforced when a greedy man seeking the power of a long forgotten book is trapped in what he desires. A good twist for the end.

"The Shadow at the Bottom of the World" by Thomas Ligotti - Though suspenseful, the story fell flat for me near the end. Set in a rural town, they find that something has invaded their town making the seasons go out of wack. They keep to themselves about it, and in the end, it ends with the death of the person that accepted it the easiest. The story is still unexplained and leaves you wondering they why of it (also why it ended as well). Not a bad story. Just not well concluded.

"Sensible City" by Harlan Ellison - How do I describe this story? You have two public officials who torture people, are tried for their crimes and go on the lamb. While they are running, they run into a town that moves about and devours people. Though creepy and definitely an appropriate fate for the characters, it is also very much out of left field for the setting (if not the for the book I was reading, it would more of a surprise). The characters are well done. They story well executed. The end just does not join as well with the beginning as I would have liked.

"The Golden Keeper" by Ian R. MacLeod - I was surprised to find a story set in Roman Egypt in this anthology, but the narration kept me engaged and drew me in. Lucius Fabius has inherited his family estate only discover that his family was severely in debt. He manages to have the Empire send him to Egypt where he hopes to find some relic to deal with the creditors he left in Rome. In the process, he discovers ancient mysteries that predate the Egyptians. Through the course of the story, he becomes much like his father - corrupted and nihilistic.

"Ralph Wollstonecraft Hedge: A Memoir" by Ron Goulart - A mock biography about a writer named Ralph Wollstonecraft Hedge, also referred to as RWH, I had the distinct feeling I was reading a parody biography of H.P. Lovecraft. It is definitely amusing and a nice change from the series notions of the other stories. Beware of the squirrels.

"Crouch End" by Stephen King- Now, I have never read any Stephen King. Yeah, I know kind of strange nowadays, but I never felt the compulsion. However, I was not disappointed with this story. I was drawn into the setting and the characters. He was able to evoke empathy with a variety of characters and make you feel that there was definitely something wrong.

"The Turret" by Richard A. Lupoff - I was immediately drawn in by this tale. The narrator is rather conversational, it is obvious that something is going on and is wrong with the area he is visiting. I was disappointed with the ending though. Yeah, it is common for characters to die at the end of these tales, but there were hooks left that left me wanting to know more about what was going on. Otherwise, the story was very engaging.

"The Giant Rat of Sumatra" by Paula Volsky - A Sherlock Holmes tale, Volsky does a good job at maintaining the feeling of Holmes' deductive style and Dr. Watson's narrative style. The story is left at a reasonable conclusion, and it maintains enough suspense to keep one guessing. It is a nice addition to the anthology.

"Black as the Pit, From Pole to Pole" by Steven Utley and Howard Waldrop -My usual tastes would have me dislike this story, but I found myself drawn into the it and following it closely throughout. Organized into ten parts, it starts each section citing incidents that are both fictional and real, blending the two together to make one hard to distinguish from the other. The second part follows the course of Frankenstein's monster after Victor Frankenstein dies. The piece combines facets of Lovecraft, Doyle and Verne into a seamless work. Well done!

"The Other Dead Man" by Gene Wolfe - This story takes place in deep space, providing a much more science fiction feel to the story, which makes me think of HAL in 2001. However, it follows through well and keeps the reader involved. The end has a good twist to it as well. Though not my favorite story, it is strong in its own right.

III. Cosmic Realms

"The Events at Poroth Farm" by T. E. D. Klein -The story does well to capture many of the usual conventions of Lovecraftian fiction. The main character is an academic who is trying to retire to the countryside for the summer to devote himself to his reading. Through the course of the summer, an other possesses first the cat and then his hosts. The story is disturbing at points and helps promote an atmosphere of suspense. Definitely a good read.

"The Ocean and All Its Devices" by William Browning Spencer - With a strong voice, the story tells of a hotel owner and the yearly visitations of the Franklins at their establishment. You are drawn into the story quickly, and you wonder what is up with the sea. The story examines how far you will go for those you love, and it does it rather well. A strong story all the way through.

"A Bit of the Dark World" by Fritz Leiber - Though not a bad story, the long dialogues did not hold my attention as well in this story. There was a lot of discussion about the nature of reality and perception. The end was not very satisfying either. Though I understand someone dying at the end, I wonder why everyone did not die.

"The Perseid" by Robert Charles Wilson - The story has a definite sense of Other to it, but I felt that the story diverged more from the Lovecraftian feel than the other stories. However, I am not saying it was a bad story. It is excellent wrought with well through out characters that develop with the story. The exploration of the theme is well done. It is an excellent story.

Overall, I would recommend the Eternal Lovecraft to anyone interested in reading stories about the strange and otherworldly entities. There are many excellent stories in this anthology. Well done!