H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos (Starmont Studies in Literary Criticism) - Softcover
Excerpt from the Introduction: Perhaps like most of his fans, I came under the spell of H.P. Lovecraft during my adolescent years, 14 I believe. That is probably the best time to discover the Old Gent, since one is likely to be enough of a literary novice for the stories really to be able to frighten. As the years pass, the initial frights become a cherished childhood memory, but one begins to appreciate new aspects of Lovecraft's stories, and for the true acolyte, they remain no less captivating. And if one is academically inclined, one may find new, academic, ways to enjoy Lovecraft by studying him as well as reading him. In my case that form of enjoyment led to my writing articles for Lovecraft Studies and Nyctalops, eventually having to being my own small press magazine, Crypt of Cthulhu, just to have some place to publish them all. The present volume collects the most substantial of these writings.
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- PublisherBorgo Pr
- Publication date1990
- ISBN 10 1557421528
- ISBN 13 9781557421524
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number1
- Number of pages170
- Rating
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H P Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos / Starmont Studies in Literary Criticism # 33
Published by
Mercer Island, WA: Starmont Books, 1990, 1st Edition, First Printing, Mercer Island, Washington
(1990)
ISBN 10: 1557421528
ISBN 13: 9781557421524
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Soft Cover
First Edition
Quantity: 1
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Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: Near Fine (see description). Uncredited Cover Art (illustrator). First Edition. ------------( 1st printing of the First Edition ) ---trade paperback, about 5.25 x 8 inches, a Near Fine unread copy, light rubbing, small sticker remnant on front panel, 170 pages, From the Introduction: I have never been a literary critic in the true sense. This no doubt has much to do with the fact that by profession I am a Bible scholar and theologian, with literary interests only a hobby. Few of these studies attempt to expound Lovecraft s literary techniques. The reader will readily see that my focus is on the underlying concepts of Lovecraft s fiction. In but one article have I sought to set forth Lovecraft s philosophy of existence and how his fiction is a parabolic, almost didactic, depiction of it. This vitally important aspect of his thought has been thoroughly and enlighteningly covered by Dirk W. Mosig, S. T. Joshi, and Donald R. Burleson. Rather, my concern has been, first, with currents of religious, philosophical, and occult thought that Lovecraft used as raw material for fictional purposes. We may better enjoy stories which employ these concepts if we better understand what Lovecraft had in mind. Second, I have been interested in fine points of exegesis, to research specific intriguing allusions in Lovecraft s fiction, many of which have religious roots. Third, I have been most fascinated with what Lovecraft called his pseudomythology of Cthulhu and Yog-Sothoth. This is what we call the -Cthulhu Mythos- (though this terminology has been hotly debated for some years now since some feel it has been irreparably tainted by the association with distortions of Lovecraft s original concepts). --HPL attacked the task of developing this mythology with all the ingenuity a genuine hoax would require, so as to make it all truly convincing to a reader whose disbelief the author hoped to suspend. He did such an exemplary job of it that the resulting body of pseudomythical lore has attracted the efforts of others to explicate, systematize, and debate as if it were a genuine sectarian theology. I am one of those. Real theology and mythology are my business; Lovecraft s pseudo-religion -Yog-Sothothery- is my hobby. The present essays, then, principally attempt to trace out the contours of Lovecraft s thought as it underlies whole stories, large groups of stories, or very pointed details mentioned in passing. Some attention is given to his own life, sometimes as reflected in his fiction, sometimes not , ---contents are: Introduction ; Ideas and Influences ---Lovecraft s Concept of Blasphemy (Crypt of Cthulhu 1); Lovecraft s Use of Theosophy (5); Reincarnation in Lovecraft s Fiction (5) ; Jung and Lovecraft on Prehuman Artifacts ( 5) ; Lovecraft as a Character in Lovecraftian Fiction (52) ; Did Lovecraft Have Syphilis? (53) -----Individual Stories --- Homosexual Panic in The Outsider (8) ; The Humor at Red Hook (28) ; Apocalyptic Expectation in The Call of Cthulhu (9) ; New Clues to Lovecraft s Role in Out of the Eons and The Crawling Chaos (17) ; A New Lovecraft Tale (17) ; Lost Revisions (17)-----Exegetical Notes --- What was the Corpse-Eating Cult of Leng? (2) ; Who Were the Boupa Priests? (11) ; Saint Toad s Church (9) ; Is Abdul Alhazred Still Alive? (7) -----The Cthulhu Mythos --- Demythologizing Cthulhu (Lovecraft Studies 8) ; H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos (35) ; The Lovecraft-Derleth Connection (6) ; The Revision Mythos (11) ; Mythos Names and How to Say Them (9); Lovecraft s Cosmic History (37) ; A Lovecraftian Taxonomy (2) ; Cthulhu Elsewhere in Lovecraft (9) -----Forbidden Books --- Genres in the Lovecraftian Library (3) ; Lovecraft s Necronomicon: An Introduction (23) ; Some Notes on the Eltdown Shards (23) ; The Pnakotic Manuscripts: A Study (23) -----Appendix -Wilbur Whateley Waiting (Revelations from Yuggoth), any image directly beside this listing is the actual book and not a generic photo ///NOT SIGNED ---GUARANTEED to be AVAILABLE/// ---sizes are approximate (generally within 1/8 inch)--- Size: 5.25w x 8h Inches. Not Signed. Seller Inventory # 168644
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H P Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos / Starmont Studies in Literary Criticism # 33
Published by
Starmont House, Inc., Mercer Island, WA
(1990)
ISBN 10: 1557421528
ISBN 13: 9781557421524
Used
Trade Paperback
First Edition
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Trade Paperback. Condition: Fine. First Edition. Starmont House, Mercer Island, WA, 1990. First Edition Trade Paperback, light gray & blue cover with black print, 170 pp. Lovecraft scholar Price focuses on underlying concepts and philosophy of HPL's fiction. A treasure chest of detailed & unusual info for HPL fans and students. This copy is in fine condition; no marks, square, tight, unread. Seller Inventory # 001623
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