The Mythos

[Shadeydm]

In an effort not to derail Wraith Forms thread I thought I would start a new one to ask this question.

Besides Lovecraft's work (which to the best of my knowledge I have read it all) what do you consider the next best thing as far as novels dealing with the Mythos are concerned? Is there a specific author who you would say was carte blanc the next best thing to Lovecraft or is there a smattering of books by various authors which come the closest?

My apologies to the Mods if this seems like the wrong place for this question but there seems to be a decent amount of Mythos fans reading this forum. I am looking for additional inspiration for my game and there was some stuff the Wraith Form's thread which grabbed my attention.

 

[Klaus]

Shadow over Baker Street (iirc), a collection of short stories that mix Sherlock Holmes and the Mythos. One of them, "A Study in Emerald", is by Neil Gaiman, of Sandman fame.

 

[Professor Phobos]

This question begins and ends in one place: Thomas Ligotti.

There are many others, but his work is the alpha and the omega.

 

[Wraith Form]

Shadow over Baker Street (iirc), a collection of short stories that mix Sherlock Holmes and the Mythos. One of them, "A Study in Emerald", is by Neil Gaiman, of Sandman fame.

Oh god, totally. Essential reading--the whole book.

Visit the thread mentioned above:
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=196039

 

[PrinceXaxor]

Ramsey Campbell is quite good. As for my favourite, I think it would be Robert Bloch. "Notebook Found in a Deserted House" rocks.

 

[Klaus]

Oh god, totally. Essential reading--the whole book.

Visit the thread mentioned above:
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=196039

Yeah, I think "Shadow over Baker Street" has an advantage (as far as RPG campaigns go) in that the heroes (Holmes and Watson) are pretty competent (an understatement when it comes to Holmes), unlike the disposable heroes in Lovecraft's stories.

 

[Exquisite Dead Guy]

Robert E. Howard has some real good Mythos fiction. Get the Chaosium collection Nameless Cults if you can find a copy.

I have to echo Ligotti, and would add T.E.D. Klein.

Multi-author Mythos collections can be very hit and miss. I would recommend steering clear of anything edited by John Pelan, as I don't find the majority his choices to have even the slightest hint of Mythos influence.

 

[Shemeska]

Clark Ashton Smith

And I'll chip in a 3rd voice for Ligotti

 

[teitan]

Brian Lumley has some good Cthulhu type fiction and I will give another nod to master Ramsey Campbell, one of my favourite authors along with Clive Barker.

I think saying Lovecraft's "heroes" are inept and Holmes is competent is missing the point. The characters of Lovecraft's stories are often very competent individuals, professors and scientists usually. It is the focus of the stories rather than the characters themselves.

 

[jdrakeh]

Ramsey Campbell. His Cold Print anthology is brilliant!