Today is the 20th of August. It is the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft, the father of a fictional world which outer gods, unearthly horrors and disquieting implications are overall known as the Mythos. And if I know my few but dear readers, then I am not telling you, Reader in Front of the Screen, anything new here. You will as well be aware that this day and the days before have been used by me and much, much larger entities of the gaming industry to advertise products that relate to, build upon or blatantly copy said body of work. But not now, not right here.
I rather want to suggest to you to read one of the following short stories of H.P. Lovecraft today. And when I say (well, “write”) short stories, I mean it. It will not take much of your time.
The Hound: if you think that this one is about the Hounds of Tindalos, I have to disappoint you. Those are, after all, not from the feather of Lovecraft but are a work of Frank Belknap Long. Still, the focus is upon a merciless unnatural hunter as well. I suggest this little tale of terror due to its morbid elements and for the descriptions of the happening at a certain grave. I found it inspiring, as well as very atmospheric.
The Beast in the Cave is by far the one most commonly known among my selection of five that I present to you here. I recommend it due its protagonist experiencing next to all of the happening in utter darkness, without any ability to see anything. I like the descriptions, and personally think that every GM should have read this at least once.
The Doom that came to Sarnath is a wonderful fantastic tale. Within a limited format, we are told about a foreign and exotic civilization not part of our world, and get good enough a picture to actually -see- it happen when it all comes to an end. Sarnath is only mentioned once or twice in the other works of Lovecraft, but even this brief glimpse paints a impressing picture.
Cool Air is perhaps not even really part of “the Mythos”, as it is not about anything otherworldly but routed in what we would call “weird science” today. The central theme (which I don´t want to reveal here) is not remarkable creative in itself, but the take on it is one that I have not seen often.
The Moon-Bog is what I like to call “all about Lovecraft stories in a nutshell”. If you want to dive back into the dark waters only for a little while, to renew the memory of the feel of it again, read The Moon-Bog.
Gregorius21778 