Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

I have read the majority of HPL's fiction, but I have read very little of the mythos stories inspired by his work. Since I am pretty sure that most of you are more informed than I am on this subject, I was wondering if you could recommend some of the better stories in this area.

Re: Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

Ben, a few of my favorites:

Clark Ashtom Smith:
The Testament of Athammaus
Ubbo-Sathla
Vulthoom
The Holiness of Azédarac
The Light from the Pole
The Coming of the White Worm
The Colossus of Ylourgne

(all are viewable on THIS site: http://www.eldritchdark.com/wri/short/index.html )

Robert E Howard:
Pigeons from Hell
The Fire of Asshurbanipal
The Worms of the Earth

Henry Kuttner:
Graveyard Rats
The Return of the Witch

Robert Bloch:
The Shambler from the Stars
The Shadow from the Steeple
Notebook found in a Deserted House (Excellent!)

Frank Belknap Long:
The Hounds of Tindalos
The Space-Eaters

That should get you started, but is by no means a comprehensive list.
Look for Chaosium Publishing's MYTHOS cycle books, as they collect many out of print and obscure stories.

Happy Hunting!
-Aether

(oh, yeah. There's always August Derleth, whose Mythos stuff should be read, but has much silliness about it. Don't forget to look for HPL's volume of supposed "collaborations", The Horror From the Musuem. It oft gets overlooked, but has some great stuff in it that should NOT be missed. )

Re: Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

As for modern Mythos:

-I'm sure you've heard of T.E.D. Klein.
"Black Man with a Horn", "Children of the Kingdom"

-Ramsey Campbell's early work is worthwhile. Grotesquery at its best.
"The Moon-Lens", "Before the Storm", "Insects from Shaggai", "The Stone on the Island"

-Richard L. Tierney is supposed to be great. Plus, he knows his stuff.
"Seed of the Star-God", House of the Toad

-And Robert M. Price's collections are more often than not superb (in my opinion), and he can write pretty well.

Re: Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

Oh, yes, Smith's "Vulthoom" is marvelous.

Re: Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

I must concur with most of the works mentioned above. My personal experience with Cthulhu Mythos obsession is storied elsewhere among these Forum topics.

Essentials and/or good places to start:

Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos edited by August Derleth (Reprinted by Ballantine in two volumes years and years ago and much cheaper than Arkham House fare.)

Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos edited by James Turner (Revised contents from the previous book. Mine's an Arkham House.)

New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos edited by Ramsey Campbell (This is the one that gave us T.E.D. Klein's "Black Man with a Horn." I have the 1980 Arkham House edition. Coveted.)

Fedogan & Bremer have published a few Robert M. Price anthologies which have reprinted very rare stories. Some of these were first reprinted in Crypt of Cthulhu special issues for the first time in decades!

Real sure bets are any of the "themed" Chaosium anthologies. The Hastur Cycle, The Innsmouth Cycle, The Dunwich Cycle, The Shub-Niggurath Cycle, etc. Each assembles precursors, core stories, and subsequent works, with commentary and analysis. Money well spent!

A trio: Cthulhu 2000 edited by Jim Turner, Eternal Lovecraft edited by Jim Turner, and Shadows over Innsmouth edited by Stephen Jones. These three are not long on Mythos content, but are quite Lovecraftian. Some of our beloved are here.

Enjoy, bendk.

Avoiding Flesh-covered Tomes,
Phil

Re: Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

Thanks for all the story and book suggestions everyone. I recognize some of those titles from reading about Lovecraft. I know that I have at least a few of them in some anthologies. I have even read two of the Robert E. Howard stories. I have "Worms of the Earth" in comic form also. Adapted by Roy Thomas, with art by Barry Windsor-Smith and Tim Conrad. Great comic.

Re: Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

Hi Everyone,

Just my two cents -

I love two short stories by A.A. Attanasio: Glimpses and The Star Pools.
Both are grim and pessimistic - good Post-Viet-Nam Cthulhu Mythos stories.

I know one of them is in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos. The other is in another Arkham House anthology. Sorry I can'tremember the name.

A.A.A. isone of those guys who I wish would write more (sound like anyone we know?)

Cheers!

Waff's

Re: Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

I must second Waffles on the Attanasio stories. Both are well worth the read, and as he and th eothers have pointed out "Tales" and "New Tales" are good sources for many of these stories.

A few more to look for:
"The Horror from the Hills" Frank Long (introduces Chaugnar Faugn)
"The Seven Geases" CAS
"The River of Night's Dreaming" & "Sticks" Karl Edward Wagner

Silent mentioned Ramsey Campbell, which I also must second. His early Mythos work may be found in the Arkham House volume "The Inhabitant of the Lake and Less Welcome Tenants" or the collection "Cold Print". Lots of enjoyable tales there.

Aether Out

Re: Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

And I second Aetherwing on Karl Edward Wagner. "Sticks" is justifiably a classic of modern horror, but "The River of Night's Dreaming" is an even greater achievement, at least for me, and is one of my favorite stories of all time.

Re: Cthulhu Mythos Stories
 

"The River of Night's Dreaming" by Karl Edward Wagner unsettled me greatly when I read it quite a while back. The play "The King in Yellow" is central in this one. (KingPest, take note.) It was reprinted in The Hastur Cycle: Tales That Created Dread Hastur, the King in Yellow, Nighted Yuggoth, and Dire Carcosa edited by Robert M. Price and published by Chaosium. It presents the logical progression of Bierce to Chambers to Lovecraft and Derleth and beyond. This anthology is highly recommended.

"Sticks" is a great story by Wagner. The story was apparently inspired by something weird encountered by artist Lee Brown Coye. Coye later incorporated the sticks into his artwork. See the cover illustration of the 1970 Arkham House edition of Clark Ashton Smith's Other Dimensions. Nothing but sticks. Very strange. The cheapass halfass birdhouses in The Blair Witch crapola don't cut it. Coye saw the real thing.

Wagner, it is said, drank himself to death. (G.S. Carnivals, take note.)