Nuketown

Reason: Cthulhu and You, Perfect Together

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Tue, 10/17/2006 - 12:14pm

One of the reasons I love Reason's Hit and Run blog -- aside from the libertarian content -- is its occasional forays into outright geekery. This time around Tim Cavanaugh talks about retrospectives on H.P. Lovecraft, and rightly points out ... if Lovecraft is such a hack writer, then why are his creations (particularly Cthulhu himself) so memorable decades after his death?

Yog-Scott said,

Wed, 10/18/2006 - 10:40pm

Great point... though as someone who goes by "Yog-Scott" you can tell I obviously am not objective about this!

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Kenneth Newquist said,

Thu, 10/19/2006 - 8:18am

ugh. I really need to proofread this stuff more. I forgot to include the link in the original post and mangled a few words. Anyway, the link is now there, which makes the whole post a lot more useful.

Anyway, on to Cthulhu: while many of the criticisms of Lovecraft are valid, I think the reason why he remains a force in modern horror is the world he built. His New England may not mesh with reality, but then again, that's the point, isn't it? It rattles. It creaks. It yaws alarmingly toward the Abyss, and it feels ... haunted. His naming conventions, from his characters to his cosmic horrors, evoke an alien and distant mindscape in a way that few others have achieved.

Another aspect of the longevity of the Mythos is its lack of popular mainstream appeal. That may seem like a contradiction, but I think it makes the entire Mythos, from Lovecraft's work through to his successors, seem like a strange and wonderful find when you discover it. It's not just more pop-culture, Saturday-night slasher crap. It's something else ... and it's something weird. And that builds in this level of sidestream appeal among the geeks and freaks who in turn keep the entire thing going.

I don't embrace Lovecraft's philosophy of humanity being better off alone and ignorant, but it does make for some great horror stories.

Now where's my "Cthulhu for President 2008" bumper sticker?

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Yog-Scott said,

Thu, 10/19/2006 - 10:53pm

I agree. Many of the criticisms are, in fact, valid. I love his works, somewhat inspite of themselves. And I definitely agree with your "popular because it isn't" theory. The fact the mythos is so ... odd... is one of the things that I find compelling about it.

I'm not a fan of Lovecraft's personal philosophies myself. I've found I can often appreciate art without embracing the political or philisophical beliefs of the creators, even when they are a component of the work. I know that means Ayn Rand would hate me, but I can live with that...

"Cthulhu for President - Why choose the lesser evil?" Truly one of the great campaign slogans!

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