Which of these six is the best H.P. Lovecraft story?

[Ryujin]

It doesn't bug me; I love it! English is a big, unwieldy beast and I wouldn't haven't it any other way. Also, many if not most of the weird spellings in English result not from other languages being spelled more or less phonetically but from the evolution of English itself. Spoken English changed drastically between the late medieval and early modern periods as it lost a lot of its more Germanic pronunciations. So most of our silent letters when we spell a word were once pronounced. The classic example is knight/night, which were not originally homophones: knight was pronounced k-nic-h-t (the c-h is a Germanic sound where the two consonant sounds sort of ellide together; they are not exactly full syllables but it is hard to explain; it is distinct from the modern soft ch sound and you know it when you hear it), while night was nic-h-t (oh, and in both the i is pronounced as in "bit").

Edit: and knife was k-niff-eh (unless the subsequent word started with a vowel, in which case the final "eh" became silent).

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
--James D. Nicoll

 

[Bedrockgames]

As a West Coaster I want to make fun of Bostonian's overuse of "wicked," except we use "totally" in almost exactly the same way, but even more so. Though generally a modifier, totally can indeed stand on its own. Totally. (Though you couldn't say "that party was totally." That would be confusing.)

I spent five years in California as a kid and the dividing line on accents and slang between the two coasts was perilous

I would enjoy reading a version of Lovecraft's stories where the characters speak in modern Bostonian accents. I think that would be wicked awesome!

This could easily be done. It is definitely a cool idea

 

[Clint_L]

He told very good stories very badly, a trait that he shares with Charles Dickens and to a lesser extent J.R.R.Tolkien

Agree on Tolkien. Not so much on Dickens.

 

[Clint_L]

I asked ChatGPT to rewrite a passage from "Call of Cthulhu" in a modern Boston accent and it gave me this:

"The most wicked merciful thing in the world, I think, is how our freakin' brains can't piece together all the stuff we know. We're chillin' on a wicked placid island of ignorance, smack-dab in the middle of black seas of infinity. It wasn't meant for us to voyage too far, ya know? The sciences have been doin' their own thing for a while now, and they ain't hurt us much yet. But someday, when we start piecin' together all the dissociated knowledge, we're gonna see some wicked terrifying stuff, some freakin' insane reality, and we're either gonna lose our freakin' minds or run away from the deadly light into a wicked peaceful and safe new dark age."

 

[Ryujin]

I asked ChatGPT to rewrite a passage from "Call of Cthulhu" in a modern Boston accent and it gave me this:

"The most wicked merciful thing in the world, I think, is how our freakin' brains can't piece together all the stuff we know. We're chillin' on a wicked placid island of ignorance, smack-dab in the middle of black seas of infinity. It wasn't meant for us to voyage too far, ya know? The sciences have been doin' their own thing for a while now, and they ain't hurt us much yet. But someday, when we start piecin' together all the dissociated knowledge, we're gonna see some wicked terrifying stuff, some freakin' insane reality, and we're either gonna lose our freakin' minds or run away from the deadly light into a wicked peaceful and safe new dark age."

Wicked awesome.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yet...basically invents cosmic horror.

I maintain H. G. Wells got there first.

No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. It is possible that the infusoria under the microscope do the same. No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable. It is curious to recall some of the mental habits of those departed days. At most terrestrial men fancied there might be other men upon Mars, perhaps inferior to themselves and ready to welcome a missionary enterprise. Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.

 

[Tonguez]

Query: Dnd adventure based on The Dreams in the Witch House

ChatGPT: Sure! Here's an idea for a D&D adventure based on "The Dreams in the Witch House" by H.P. Lovecraft:

Adventure Hook: The players are hired by a wealthy scholar named Walter Gilman to investigate the strange occurrences in the Witch House, an infamous dwelling in the town of Arkham. Gilman believes that the house holds the key to unlocking ancient and forbidden knowledge, but he is too afraid to enter it himself. He offers a generous reward for the players' services.

Spoiler

Objective: The players must explore the Witch House and uncover its dark secrets, including its connection to the witch Keziah Mason and the otherworldly entities that she worshipped. Along the way, they must navigate the dangerous and otherworldly dimensions that exist within the house and confront the horrors that lurk within.

Encounters:

The players encounter strange and unsettling creatures that seem to be made of shadow and mist. These creatures are the servants of Keziah Mason and will attack the players on sight.
The players discover a hidden chamber that contains a strange altar and a book made of human skin. The book contains forbidden knowledge about the nature of reality and the true nature of the universe.
The players must solve a series of puzzles and riddles in order to unlock secret passageways and chambers within the Witch House.
The players encounter the ghostly apparition of Keziah Mason herself, who seeks to punish them for meddling in her affairs. She can only be defeated by finding and destroying her physical remains, which are hidden somewhere within the Witch House.
The players must confront a powerful otherworldly entity that is summoned by the cultists who worship Keziah Mason. This entity is capable of warping reality and can only be defeated by using the knowledge and artifacts that the players have collected throughout their journey.
Reward: The players are able to uncover the ancient and forbidden knowledge that Walter Gilman was seeking, allowing them to gain access to powerful spells and abilities that were previously unknown to them. However, they must also contend with the dangerous knowledge that they have gained, which could lead them down a path of madness and destruction.

Here's a possible "Room Key" for a dungeon or adventure based on "The Dreams in the Witch House" by H.P. Lovecraft:

Spoiler: 10 Rooms

1. Foyer - A dusty and cobweb-filled entranceway to the Witch House. A portrait of the witch Keziah Mason hangs on the wall, staring ominously at the players.
2. Parlor - A room filled with antique furniture and strange objects. A crystal ball sits on a table, and a bookshelf holds a number of arcane tomes.
3. Study - A cluttered room with a large desk covered in papers and books. A map of Arkham and the surrounding area hangs on the wall, marked with strange symbols.
4. Bedroom - A room with a large four-poster bed and a chest at the foot. A wardrobe contains a set of old-fashioned clothing and a piece of jewelry with an unknown symbol.
5. Bathroom - A room with a large claw-foot tub and a sink. The mirror above the sink occasionally shows glimpses of otherworldly landscapes.
6. Kitchen - A room with a large hearth and a collection of pots and pans. A cabinet holds a small collection of preserved herbs and a jar of mysterious green liquid.
7. Basement - A dark and musty space with stone walls. A spiral staircase leads down to a hidden chamber.
8. Hidden Chamber - A secret room containing a strange altar and a book made of human skin. The book contains forbidden knowledge about the nature of reality and the true nature of the universe.
9. Attic - A cramped and dusty space with low ceilings. A chest holds a collection of old letters and journals, including some written by Keziah Mason herself.
10. Otherworldly Dimension - A space that exists outside of normal reality, accessed through a portal in the Witch House. This dimension is inhabited by strange and unsettling creatures made of shadow and mist, who serve as the minions of Keziah Mason and other otherworldly entities.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I asked ChatGPT to rewrite a passage from "Call of Cthulhu" in a modern Boston accent and it gave me this:

"The most wicked merciful thing in the world, I think, is how our freakin' brains can't piece together all the stuff we know. We're chillin' on a wicked placid island of ignorance, smack-dab in the middle of black seas of infinity. It wasn't meant for us to voyage too far, ya know? The sciences have been doin' their own thing for a while now, and they ain't hurt us much yet. But someday, when we start piecin' together all the dissociated knowledge, we're gonna see some wicked terrifying stuff, some freakin' insane reality, and we're either gonna lose our freakin' minds or run away from the deadly light into a wicked peaceful and safe new dark age."

Someone call Matt Damon. I think we have his next project.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Someone call Matt Damon. I think we have his next project.

It will be the best Boston movie since the friends of Eddie Coyle!

 

[Bohandas]

The ending is pronounced -itz. So the T isn't silent (not sure why it is doubled though)

I've always heard it said as -ses