I live in Providence and can verify that he is still remembered despite the prevailing political attitudes of the city. There's at least one convention, and I see his name used around the city.
One memory which stands out in my mind: I was just about to start walking down College Hill via Angell Street, when an SUV passed. A young woman was leaning out the passenger window, practically standing upright, and waved at the graveyard as she passed, shouting "Happy birthday H. P. Lovecraft!"
I've been aware of his writing for a long time, but never got around to reading any of it (every time I go to read fiction, I find myself reaching for Tolkien). My first exposure to his works was a YouTube video in which a computer program read Dagon in the voice of Dagoth Ur, the antagonist of Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (part of a broader trend in which the latest generation appear to have reinvented the genre of various fictional characters having philosophical discussions or simply reading existing texts).
This has convinced me to give one of the stories a read. I do love a slow burn.
I don't get your point about "he is still remembered despite the prevailing political attitudes of the city. " I live in Providence too, and there is an entire niche bookstore named after him on Weybossett street. A few years ago there was a celebration of his work at the Atheneaum - which coincided with the release Jordan Peele's Lovecraft Country. Also the summer festival that celebrates his work both by scholars and non-scholars draw in mostly people who fit the prevailing political landscape of Providence.
It was just surprising to me that the same people whose discussing of historical figures typically ends at "He owned slaves", or some other Problematic thing, would be able to tolerate a man whose works seem to be built entirely on fear of the unknown and fear of the Other--and who, more directly related to the other examples, uses plenty of Problematic language ("but do you know what he named his cat?!").
Tolstoy was Wealthy, the Founding Fathers were white supremacists, but Lovecraft is okay? I don't see many get this treatment, so it must be, at least in part, a testament to the quality of his work.
Thanks for this; these are the kinds of comments that make having a blog worthwhile.
As for whether you'll really like Lovecraft or not, that's hard to say, especally given that you like Tolkein so much. I think Lovecraft appeals to a rather different kind of reader than Tolkein - not least because, even though I read Lord of the Rings over and over as a child, I can't stand most Tolkein anymore. The two authors do arguably have some similarities, but at his best, Tolkein manages to evoke an optimistic melancholy; at Lovecraft's best, he evokes grim nihilism.
A Tolkein fan might like Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, though that's unrepresentative of most of Lovecraft's work. I think you should try The Outsider.
This is why it's so important to separate the art from the artist. He may have personally be a cat person, but his works go beyond that; it's not all there was to him. I wouldn't visit his house, and I certainly wouldn't eat any food prepared in his kitchen, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate his work.
Everyone will have some differences of opinion. While this may not be why we didn't enjoy Colour out of Space as much as others, I can point out that the helplessness of the protagonists is extreme in Colour. In Dunwich Horror the protagonists are able to work together and push back the horrors, in Shadow Over Innsmouth and Whisperer in Darkness the protagonists are able to delay the horrors, but in Colour they simply succumb without any agency. I think this is what makes it feel less worth rereading than the 5-star works.
Really there's a sweet spot for human strength in supernatural horror. Robert Howard always struggled to make an effective scary story because of the opposite problem: his protagonists were always too heroic. Whether we're talking about Solomon Kane defeating demons in Footfalls Within, or Conan fighting gods in Slithering Shadow, Howardian enemies are too badly overshadowed by human agency to seem frightening. Probably the closest Howard came to Lovecraft was Pigeons from Hell, when the protagonists' powers were more limited, and the horrors were virtually too great to be defeated. Lovecraft spent *much* more time in this sweet spot, but had a tendency to dwell in pessimism and foregone conclusions, and for us, Colour feels like it's veered too far into "Rocks fall, everyone dies."
Unfortunately Lovecraft had no influence on Stranger Things. But The Call of Cthulhu and The Shadow Out of Time have plenty of what you're after. (Colour out of Space and Whisperer in Darkness were better stories, but didn't have more than a hint of telepathy.)
Aw, I loved A Reminiscence of Samuel Johnson! But, I am a huge Sam Johnson fan. It’s the only thing of Lovecraft’s I’ve read so far.
Zulawski's Possession is the best Lovercraftian film
It definitely comes well-recommended. Are you sure it's really Lovecraftian, though?
I live in Providence and can verify that he is still remembered despite the prevailing political attitudes of the city. There's at least one convention, and I see his name used around the city.
One memory which stands out in my mind: I was just about to start walking down College Hill via Angell Street, when an SUV passed. A young woman was leaning out the passenger window, practically standing upright, and waved at the graveyard as she passed, shouting "Happy birthday H. P. Lovecraft!"
I've been aware of his writing for a long time, but never got around to reading any of it (every time I go to read fiction, I find myself reaching for Tolkien). My first exposure to his works was a YouTube video in which a computer program read Dagon in the voice of Dagoth Ur, the antagonist of Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (part of a broader trend in which the latest generation appear to have reinvented the genre of various fictional characters having philosophical discussions or simply reading existing texts).
This has convinced me to give one of the stories a read. I do love a slow burn.
I don't get your point about "he is still remembered despite the prevailing political attitudes of the city. " I live in Providence too, and there is an entire niche bookstore named after him on Weybossett street. A few years ago there was a celebration of his work at the Atheneaum - which coincided with the release Jordan Peele's Lovecraft Country. Also the summer festival that celebrates his work both by scholars and non-scholars draw in mostly people who fit the prevailing political landscape of Providence.
It was just surprising to me that the same people whose discussing of historical figures typically ends at "He owned slaves", or some other Problematic thing, would be able to tolerate a man whose works seem to be built entirely on fear of the unknown and fear of the Other--and who, more directly related to the other examples, uses plenty of Problematic language ("but do you know what he named his cat?!").
Tolstoy was Wealthy, the Founding Fathers were white supremacists, but Lovecraft is okay? I don't see many get this treatment, so it must be, at least in part, a testament to the quality of his work.
Thanks for this; these are the kinds of comments that make having a blog worthwhile.
As for whether you'll really like Lovecraft or not, that's hard to say, especally given that you like Tolkein so much. I think Lovecraft appeals to a rather different kind of reader than Tolkein - not least because, even though I read Lord of the Rings over and over as a child, I can't stand most Tolkein anymore. The two authors do arguably have some similarities, but at his best, Tolkein manages to evoke an optimistic melancholy; at Lovecraft's best, he evokes grim nihilism.
A Tolkein fan might like Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, though that's unrepresentative of most of Lovecraft's work. I think you should try The Outsider.
https://youtu.be/BQlYP3eLy3U
The video, if you're curious. Not the best example of the technology, which at any rate has improved dramatically in the interim.
I think it is important to note that Lovecraft was a Cat Person.
This is why it's so important to separate the art from the artist. He may have personally be a cat person, but his works go beyond that; it's not all there was to him. I wouldn't visit his house, and I certainly wouldn't eat any food prepared in his kitchen, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate his work.
OG cat person, definitely
Overall solid list, my only quibble is that I’d put The Colour out of Space at the very top of the 5-star list
Everyone will have some differences of opinion. While this may not be why we didn't enjoy Colour out of Space as much as others, I can point out that the helplessness of the protagonists is extreme in Colour. In Dunwich Horror the protagonists are able to work together and push back the horrors, in Shadow Over Innsmouth and Whisperer in Darkness the protagonists are able to delay the horrors, but in Colour they simply succumb without any agency. I think this is what makes it feel less worth rereading than the 5-star works.
Really there's a sweet spot for human strength in supernatural horror. Robert Howard always struggled to make an effective scary story because of the opposite problem: his protagonists were always too heroic. Whether we're talking about Solomon Kane defeating demons in Footfalls Within, or Conan fighting gods in Slithering Shadow, Howardian enemies are too badly overshadowed by human agency to seem frightening. Probably the closest Howard came to Lovecraft was Pigeons from Hell, when the protagonists' powers were more limited, and the horrors were virtually too great to be defeated. Lovecraft spent *much* more time in this sweet spot, but had a tendency to dwell in pessimism and foregone conclusions, and for us, Colour feels like it's veered too far into "Rocks fall, everyone dies."
I prefer horror to stories involving telepathy or telekinesis.
This is not saying much.
Unfortunately Lovecraft had no influence on Stranger Things. But The Call of Cthulhu and The Shadow Out of Time have plenty of what you're after. (Colour out of Space and Whisperer in Darkness were better stories, but didn't have more than a hint of telepathy.)