TSR Problematic Faves and Early D&D

[Paul Farquhar]

One aspect of HP Lovecraft's writing I'm uncertain whether to ditch: his notion of non-human entities having sex with humans and the resulting children being cursed by their heritage. Examples include The Shadow Over Innsmouth, The Dunwich Horror, and Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and his Family. It's very similar to fears about miscegenation and non-white ancestry. Lovecraft may also, consciously or otherwise, have been channelling his fear of hereditary syphilis.

Mr Spock says it is fine to be half alien.

The thing about Lovecraft is his racism wasn't driven by "evil", it was driven by fear. He was terrified. And his fear of "the alien" runs all the way though his writing. Had he not been afraid he would not have been able to write what he did. And he might not have killed himself.

How we choose to respond to that is up to us.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Mr Spock says it is fine to be half alien.

I rewrote my post to try to make it clear that the problem isn't intercourse between different species but the idea that the product of such a union is doomed or defiled. Mr Spock would only be analogous if he committed suicide on discovering what he considered to be shameful Vulcan heritage or devolved into madness as a result of it.

The thing about Lovecraft is his racism wasn't driven by "evil", it was driven by fear... How we choose to respond to that is up to us.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm considering. Whether to use content that seems to be a metaphor for fear of miscegenation.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I rewrote my post to try to make it clear that the problem isn't intercourse between different species but the idea that the product of such a union is doomed or defiled. Mr Spock would only be analogous if he committed suicide on discovering his shameful Vulcan heritage or devolved into madness as a result of it.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm considering. Whether to use content that seems to be a metaphor for fear of miscegenation.

There is also the idea of "rape being bad" here, which is an idea that most will support.

Star Trek has dealt with issues arising from Spock's heritage that could potentially have led to suicide or madness.

There is always a temptation to turn an idea on it's head, even in CoC.

 

[Doug McCrae]

There is also the idea of "rape being bad" here, which is an idea that most will support.

Unfortunately Lovecraft isn't saying that rape is bad. He's saying that miscegenation is bad. The sex in Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and his Family is consensual. I'm not sure about The Shadow Over Innsmouth but I think it probably is also.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's interesting to compare Lovecraft with H.G. Wells. Wells, writing earlier, is known for having more progressive views, but his Martians in War of the Worlds are described very similarly to Lovecraft. However, many commentators consider his Martians allegories of British Imperialists.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Unfortunately Lovecraft isn't saying that rape is bad. He's saying that miscegenation is bad. The sex in Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and his Family is consensual. I'm not sure about The Shadow Over Innsmouth but I think it probably is also.

This, then, is somewhere you could do things differently in your story.

The thing with allegory*, of course, is it's not there until you see it. As soon as you see that meaning it's there and you need to make changes so that the meaning is something you and your players find acceptable.

*Which is not to suggest Lovecraft was being intentionally allagorical.

 

[Doug McCrae]

And he might not have killed himself.

You might be thinking of Robert E Howard, who did commit suicide. Lovecraft died of cancer.

 

[jayoungr]

And he might not have killed himself.

That was Howard. Lovecraft died of medical causes.

EDIT: Ninja'd!

 

[MGibster]

It's very similar to fears about miscegenation and non-white ancestry. Lovecraft may also, consciously or otherwise, have been channelling his fear of hereditary syphilis.

Oh, I think you're spot on there in both cases. And while most of us aren't too worried about miscegenation these days, we still have anxieties regarding the health history of our parents and grandparents. Most of us will reach a point in our life where it's important to know whether or not high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, etc., etc. runs in our family. I am fast approaching the age at which my father died and it weighs heavily on me at times. He was not an old man.

 

[BookTenTiger]

You might be thinking of Robert E Howard, who did commit suicide. Lovecraft died of cancer.

I mean, to us mortals without the true sight it look like cancer..........