H P Lovecraft

[iago]

I've been reading a lot of stories by Lovecraft lately, as well as a lot ABOUT Lovecraft, and I thought I'd make a post addressing some of it. 

Lovecraft was NOT insane, clinically.  Whoever told me that was mistaken.  His dad died a very violent death in an asylum when he was young, but he was never told about that.  He did suffer a nervous breakdown as well as deep depression throughout his life, but none of that makes him insane.  He was very, very smart; a genius.  His books contain philosophical and historical symbols, and a lot of the books have more profound meanings than you get from a cursory reading of them. 

He was born in 1890.  His father died when he was around 10, and due to mismanagement of his family's money, he lost the house he was born in.  He was brought up by his mother until she died, then his aunts.  He was married briefly, but it didn't last long. 

He ended up dying from malnutrition, among other things, in 1937 or so. 

Many of his stories are freely available, although there is a dispute about who owns them.  Anything before 1922 is free, by law, but the stuff he wrote afterwards may or may not be. 

In any case, I highly recommend his works.

My favorite short-story: The Tomb
Another good short-story: The Picture in the House
My favorite longer-story: The Whisperer in the Darkness
His most defining stories: Call of Cthulhu and The Shadow Over Innsmouth
The stories that explain the most about his worlds: The Shadow out of Time and The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

I have read every one of those stories recently, and I enjoy them very much.  I highly recommend reading, at the very lead, The Tomb. 

[Sidoh]

I was talking to someone earlier about HP Lovecraft.  It came up as sort of a side issue (he was really dumb in my opinion).  I asked if he believed in destiny after a fairly long religious discussion (he believes in weird sumarian texts or something like that) and his long, stupid answer was "yes," because HP Lovecraft novels that humanity will bring doom upon itself.  Though that is an ultimate destiny, it is not fate in the context I was using.  Every minute detail of life and the universe is predetermined and ultimately unchangeable.

[iago]

......his long, stupid answer was "yes," because HP Lovecraft novels that humanity will bring doom upon itself. .........

Lovecraft never indicated that.  Glimpses into the future in his world shows a world filled with "yellow" people.  Lovecraft is quoted as saying something along the lines of, "if we don't keep them in the East, Asians will surely run the world some day". 

[Joe]

Newby, deport your friend.

[iago]

Newby, deport your friend.

Huh?

Normally I'd just delete that post, but since we can't delete posts anymore maybe I'll get an explanation...

[Sidoh]

Lovecraft never indicated that.  Glimpses into the future in his world shows a world filled with "yellow" people.  Lovecraft is quoted as saying something along the lines of, "if we don't keep them in the East, Asians will surely run the world some day". 

Haha, I was taking his word for it.  I've not read much more than a few little blurbs of Lovecraft.  Perhaps I'll check some of his books out, though.  I simply haven't had the time or motivation to do so in the past. :)

[iago]

It's not like his stories are long, so there's no excuse!  It typically takes me less than 30 minutes to read one of his shorter stories, and that's with a lot of pausing and re-reading.  My favorite one, The Tomb, is only about 4000 words.  That's nothing!

I looked up the proper quote about the future of Earth, "Orientals must be kept in their native East till the fall of the white race.  Sooner or later a great Japanese war will take place . . . The more numerous Chinese are a menace of the still more distant future.  They will probably be the exterminators of Caucasian civilisation"

I'm not sure what the context was, so that could very well be quoted badly, but it really makes you think.... :)

[Super_X]

Newby, deport your friend.

iago, Newby's friend "BigAzndaddy" or who ever is what joe was talking about. The "keep the chinks in the east" is what I think he was trying to make a joke about.

[Joe]

See, even stupid little Tim got it. <3 Super_X. =p

[TeHFoOoL]

Newby, deport your friend.

iago, Newby's friend "BigAzndaddy" or who ever is what joe was talking about. The "keep the chinks in the east" is what I think he was trying to make a joke about.

He's not the typical Yellow Person, we shall say.

But I just read "The Tomb", and there were a lot of aspects I liked about it. I like how he tells a story through several complex situations. Also, he's able to give a homely feeling to inanimate objects (the wooden hollow he chilled in), or on the contrary, a grim state as well (the tomb before he braved it).

[iago]

Newby, deport your friend.

iago, Newby's friend "BigAzndaddy" or who ever is what joe was talking about. The "keep the chinks in the east" is what I think he was trying to make a joke about.

He's not the typical Yellow Person, we shall say.

But I just read "The Tomb", and there were a lot of aspects I liked about it. I like how he tells a story through several complex situations. Also, he's able to give a homely feeling to inanimate objects (the wooden hollow he chilled in), or on the contrary, a grim state as well (the tomb before he braved it).

Agreed. 

My favorite part about his style, in that story and many others (but not all), is how they are told as a story by the person.  In ones where they aren't (The Haunter In The Dark), it's a person talking about the main character's diary.  On one hand, you're removed more from the story, but it gives it a much more personal angle which greatly improves the mood.