Where to start with Lovecraft?

[Desdichado]

Personally, he is one of my favorite authors, not because of the structure of his stories but because of his ability with prose. Read Call of Cthulu, when he is describing the inspector Legrasse creeping through the swamp and hearing the ominous drumming of the natives drifting through the night like "a pestilential tempest from the gulfs of hell."

When he's good, he's pretty good. But as often as not, his "ability with prose" is really overblown stuff that is borderline hack-level purple. He clearly admired the much more talented Clark Ashton Smith and Lord Dunsany, and rather transparently aped their styles at different points in his career.

Still, he's got some good stuff, but I've never really understood the near worship of his work that a lot of gamers do. He's good, but not that good.

 

[Awakened]

Ok, I think we get the point JD So you're not a big Lovecraft fan, and you aren't scared by his atmospheric horror. Ok. But you say he's mimicking Smith and Dunsany? I believe 'inspired' is a better way of putting it. Lovecraft's stories may not be frightening to you, but his brand of atmospheric terror is purely original, as well as his concept of cosmicism. Actually, If I had to choose one author who was the least like any of his peers, I'd choose HP- he mingled with a group of true hacks and bad writers and was scarred by none of them and truly did some great work.
More importantly, however, is the fact that this discussion is off-topic. I recommend the Shadow over Innsmouth, Cats of Ulthar, Cold Air, and my favorite, less acknowledged tales: Beyond the Wall of Sleep and Celephais. Both are very memorable and highly recommended to anyone who is into his dreamlike prose. Also, The Quest of Iranon is powerful and depressing. Man, I want to roll up a dissatisfied Iranonesque Bard right now.

 

[Joshua Randall]

There is quite a nice book by Willis Conover called Lovecraft at Last that's also worth reading, once you have read all the short stories we've recommended. Lovecraft wrote thousands upon thousands of letters, and Conover's book is about how he started up a correspondence with HPL.

Also, I'm not sure who coined the phrase (S.T. Joshi?), but Lovecraft's worldview has been called "cosmic indifferentism". Which can be quite attractive when you are an angst-ridden teenager....

 

[Awakened]

Also, I'm not sure who coined the phrase (S.T. Joshi?), but Lovecraft's worldview has been called "cosmic indifferentism". Which can be quite attractive when you are an angst-ridden teenager....

Hehe... I second that opinion, being an angst-ridden teenager myself

 

[Desdichado]

Ok, I think we get the point JD So you're not a big Lovecraft fan, and you aren't scared by his atmospheric horror. Ok.

Actually, I think you missed the point. I do enjoy a fair amount of Lovecraft. I don't understand a fair amount of people who rave about him, though. The introduction to the RPG kinda had me scratching my head.

But you say he's mimicking Smith and Dunsany? I believe 'inspired' is a better way of putting it. Lovecraft's stories may not be frightening to you, but his brand of atmospheric terror is purely original, as well as his concept of cosmicism. Actually, If I had to choose one author who was the least like any of his peers, I'd choose HP- he mingled with a group of true hacks and bad writers and was scarred by none of them and truly did some great work.

No, mimicking is exactly what he did, at one point of Dunsany, the culmination of which was The Dream-Quest and of CAS in general, particularly in terms of writing style. Both of whom were true geniuses. Lovecraft in many ways was a hack himself -- a hack inspired occasionally by moments of brilliance, and who had a kinda unique (at least in print up to that point) idea in terms of the "cosmic indifference." Although I hesitate to say that "cosmic indifference" has truly been a remarkable and influential movement, philosophy or concept in any way, really.

So no, inspired doesn't really fit the bill -- he flat out imitated the two of them, with his own twist thrown in. Granted, The DreamQuest is my favorite Lovecraft story, and one of my favorite stories at all, for that matter, but give credit where credit's due -- that story in particular is the most Dunsanian thing he wrote.