The Mythos

[iron-spyder]

Clark Ashton Smith

In my opinion the best Mythos writer and one of the very best fantasy writers ever. Lovecraft alludes a lot, REH is all action with superhuman heroes, CAS had the human angle and a vocabulary that was amazing.

With few epic personas (notable exceptions like Satampra Zeiros, Eibon and Malygris) and worlds populated with everyday people with usual failings and interesting twists that often lead to unhappy endings the worlds are handy for gaming inspiration. I am surprised that nobody has ever made an official rpg of his works. It was mentioned on the Eldritch Dark that apparently there was an attempt once that went sour which is too bad. I am cobbling a version of the various cycles together for my own use and hopefully the players will enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it.

 

[Wraith Form]

I am surprised that nobody has ever made an official rpg of his works. It was mentioned on the Eldritch Dark that apparently there was an attempt once that went sour which is too bad. I am cobbling a version of the various cycles together for my own use and hopefully the players will enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it.

I'm quite sure people on these boards would welcome any notes or documentation you might make on this, if you're willing to share....(wink wink, nudge nudge)

 

[Megatron]

Thank god no one said Derleth... Having to punch someone over tcp/ip might be a bit straining...

 

[Quartz]

Thank god no one said Derleth... Having to punch someone over tcp/ip might be a bit straining...

He might not be good, but he's useful if you want to recast the Mythos as Evil Elemental Forces.

And I wouldn't count Lumley as particularly good.

 

[s.j. bagley]

novels are a tricky bet, outside of campbell, wilson, klein's 'the ceremonies,' and william browning spencer.
short fiction works better and i reccomend any clark ashton smith, r.e. howard, jeffrey thomas, caitlin r. keirnan, and ligotti.
avoid the chaosium collections like the plague.
as the the previously mentioned 'shadows over baker street,' it does have some good pieces in it, but it also contains some of john pelan's worst buys as an editor.

 

[PrinceXaxor]

Well, I was going to say Derleth...





As one of the worst authors.

 

[s.j. bagley]

to say derleth was 'one of the worst' is both unfair and arguably false.
derleth was never a 'bad' writer, he just brought moralism into the mix which muddled it completely.
his solar pons stuff, and his ghostly fiction, is where his strengths lay, but his lovecraft pastiche was never really noteworthy.

 

[WayneLigon]

The Delta Green novels are excellent works.

 

[iron-spyder]

Klein's 'Black Man with a horn' from Dark Gods is also an excellent Mythos tale.

 

[PrinceXaxor]

I dunno, Derleth's Mythos work just seemed like rip-offs when I read them last. Maybe I was a bit hasty in saying "worst," but there are plenty of better works.

Also, I wouldn't say the Chaosium collections are all that bad, considering there is The Complete Pegana and Nameless Cults. Not all of the selections are perfect, but there are plenty of good stories here and there.