For my first post, I thought I'd share with you a writer who I am continually finding pleasure in exploring the works of. You've probably heard of him before.
This is H.P. Lovecraft.
Most famous for creating the character "Cthulhu," who has gained Internet fame through memes.
I have been listening to his public domain works one by one on audiobook. This is actually my first audiobook experience. I haven't gotten through very many--just:
The Alchemist
The Beast in the Cave
Beyond the Wall of Sleep
The Cats of Ulthar
Celephais
The Crawling Chaos
Dagon
The Doom That Came to Sarnath
And I'm in love.
So let's start with one of the elephants in the room. The guy wasn't great at social justice or race relations. That's pretty evident in "Beyond the Wall of Sleep," where he claims that some people are more human than others. He pulls stuff like that you've gotta put up with. But I'm a believer in the mentality that one can acknowledge the major flaws of artwork and still enjoy it. I think he was wrong--all humans are very human and all are valuable. But I can still love the rest of his work.
And by the gods, the majority of his work is so creative and spellbinding. He writes a lot about dreams, and reading (or listening to) one of his stories is like entering one of your best dreams. He can create a landscape of pure nightmare ("Dagon") or a city of magical proportions ("Celephais," "Sarnath"). It's an immersive experience to be sure.
Personally, I think he and I are somewhat spirit siblings. He always seems to touch upon themes that mean a lot to me. Dreams, for one. For another, "Celephais" is sort of a tragic metaphor for my life--I was always fascinated with that place "where the sea meets the sky," and used to wish that a legion of knights or suchlike would pick me up and take me to MY dream world. (Don't worry. I live in reality now.) I also dreamed of a split ocean very much like the one in "Crawling Chaos," and "Dagon" includes fish people. I am a major fan of fish people. (If I lived in a Legend of Zelda game, I would so be a Zora. There's no question.)
Maybe it's too early to sing his praises and I should wait to read more first, but right now, I really want to tout him as a great creator of immersive experiences, dreamlike imagery, and just magical storytelling.
If Ray Bradbury isn't careful, Lovecraft could usurp him as my favorite author. (I find it easier to call authors my favorites if they write short stories as opposed to novels, because that gives me a ton more to judge from, as opposed to the fact that despite my love for Harry Potter, I don't actually know if Rowling is good at writing other circumstances/characters/worlds. No, I haven't read The Casual Vacancy. Feel free to tell me if I should.)
I'd actually recommend you start with "Celephais" or "Dagon" if you're going to start Lovecraft. "Celephais" if you want dreams..."Dagon" if you want nightmares.
(So, how 'bout that epic first post, eh? Am I doing this right?)
This is H.P. Lovecraft.
Most famous for creating the character "Cthulhu," who has gained Internet fame through memes.
I have been listening to his public domain works one by one on audiobook. This is actually my first audiobook experience. I haven't gotten through very many--just:
The Alchemist
The Beast in the Cave
Beyond the Wall of Sleep
The Cats of Ulthar
Celephais
The Crawling Chaos
Dagon
The Doom That Came to Sarnath
And I'm in love.
So let's start with one of the elephants in the room. The guy wasn't great at social justice or race relations. That's pretty evident in "Beyond the Wall of Sleep," where he claims that some people are more human than others. He pulls stuff like that you've gotta put up with. But I'm a believer in the mentality that one can acknowledge the major flaws of artwork and still enjoy it. I think he was wrong--all humans are very human and all are valuable. But I can still love the rest of his work.
And by the gods, the majority of his work is so creative and spellbinding. He writes a lot about dreams, and reading (or listening to) one of his stories is like entering one of your best dreams. He can create a landscape of pure nightmare ("Dagon") or a city of magical proportions ("Celephais," "Sarnath"). It's an immersive experience to be sure.
Personally, I think he and I are somewhat spirit siblings. He always seems to touch upon themes that mean a lot to me. Dreams, for one. For another, "Celephais" is sort of a tragic metaphor for my life--I was always fascinated with that place "where the sea meets the sky," and used to wish that a legion of knights or suchlike would pick me up and take me to MY dream world. (Don't worry. I live in reality now.) I also dreamed of a split ocean very much like the one in "Crawling Chaos," and "Dagon" includes fish people. I am a major fan of fish people. (If I lived in a Legend of Zelda game, I would so be a Zora. There's no question.)
Maybe it's too early to sing his praises and I should wait to read more first, but right now, I really want to tout him as a great creator of immersive experiences, dreamlike imagery, and just magical storytelling.
If Ray Bradbury isn't careful, Lovecraft could usurp him as my favorite author. (I find it easier to call authors my favorites if they write short stories as opposed to novels, because that gives me a ton more to judge from, as opposed to the fact that despite my love for Harry Potter, I don't actually know if Rowling is good at writing other circumstances/characters/worlds. No, I haven't read The Casual Vacancy. Feel free to tell me if I should.)
I'd actually recommend you start with "Celephais" or "Dagon" if you're going to start Lovecraft. "Celephais" if you want dreams..."Dagon" if you want nightmares.
(So, how 'bout that epic first post, eh? Am I doing this right?)
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