Cthulhu Mythos Appreciation Thread

[Gatomon41]

Ah, Cthulhu, were would we be without you. Books, movies, video games have been saturated with references and in-jokes to the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Filled with eldertich horrors and cosmic dangers, his works are still influential decades after they were written.

So I was wondering, does anyone else on Toonzone read Lovecraft, or any other writers associated with the Mythos? What do you guys think about it? Any questions that you want to be answered?

[Bloody Marquis]

I once read a Sherlock/Lovecraft crossover fic written by Neil Gaiman. I thought it was pretty good and captured the strengths of both works.

Haven't read any stuff from the man himself though.

[Chaos Yoshi Mage]

I started reading his stuff last year, and while I've only read a bit of his stuff, I've liked what I've read. So far one of my favorites is the story where a spiteful scientist breeds a deadly breed of fly to kill a colleague.

[Aquadementia]

I’ve read a little of his stuff and always meant to read more. But you know, that was before Amazon.com existed and it was hard to find him in book stores unless you made a special order.
I had a book of short stories by other authors building on his mythos that was pretty good. But I only got half way through before it had to go back to the library. I thought I would read more by the man himself before going back to finish it.

Anyhow, I love how he presents challenging new perspectives.
He can pull off a certain frantic delirium in his writing that puts him up there with Edgar Allen Poe.
I found him inspiring.

Any questions that you want to be answered?

Hey, hey, hey. Just watch it, buddy.
Asking questions is how people get into trouble in his stories.
If you get even the slightest inkling of how the universe really is, you’ll hide under a blanket and hope you haven’t already gone insane.
Yet man’s greatest gift is his curiosity, so I guess we’re doomed.

[King_of_doom]

When i started to watch the movies i started to read the stories and wow many are amazing yet terrifying,

I remember watching Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown and that's where i was reading his stories all over again.

[Hanshotfirst113]

Even though I once made a thread about him, worship Guillermo del Toro, and own a book of his stories, I, being the slow reader that I am, have never read any Lovecraft.

I hang my head in shame.

[Yojimbo]

I've got one burning question/issue that I've had for some time:

I've had this issue with identifying an Old One from an episode of The Real Ghostbusters, "Russian About."

After some research, I'm 99% it was Hastur because:

1) In the scenes preceding the Old One's summoning, the Ghostbusters encounter guardians that, to me, resemble Byakhee known servants of Hastur.

2) Hastur's description is a "vast, vaguely octopoid being" that matches with this Old One.

3) Another interesting bit was that two of its epithets are "The Unspeakable" and "He Who is Not to be Named" and in the episode, he is summoned by the Nameless Book.

4) Hastur also has a description of "with tentacles tipped with razor-sharp talons that can pierce a victim's skull and siphon out the brain" which kind of match the tentacles tipped with chompers of the Old One in this episode.

5) A bit of a tertiary reason, but Derleth also developed Hastur into the half-brother of Cthulhu so it'd be interesting if the Ghostbusters fought Cathulhu/Cthulhu's bro in the episode.

A) I previously thought it was Cyaegha was because it's background of summoning people to climb a mountain to summon it is similar to how the Old One was raised in the episode but his appearance is a giant eyeball with tentacles.

B) I thought it was Cthugha, too, but it turns out to look like a giant fireball.

Anyone?

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

I love Lovecraft and have several books collecting his stories. With all due respect and admiration for Poe, I would have to say that Lovecraft is actually the greatest horror writer who ever lived.

Coincidentally, I recently rented the documentary Lovecraft: Fear of The Unknown from Netflix and I highly recommend seeing it if you are a fan of his work.

[Gatomon41]

I've got one burning question/issue that I've had for some time:

I've had this issue with identifying an Old One from an episode of The Real Ghostbusters, "Russian About."

After some research, I'm 99% it was Hastur because (abridged)

Anyone?

I never did get to see that episode of Real Ghostbusters, but I wish I had. Considering it was written by J. Michael Straczynski (who also wrote "Collect Call of Cathulhu"), its no doubt a reference to the Mythos.

And from the data, I would have to agree with you. The Old One does bear a similarity to Hastur, and "the Nameless book" is clearly a shout out. Good analysis.

That's the nice thing about the Mythos, its so referenced in Pop Culture it sort of a little game to spot the in-jokes.

[Tobias]

I just watched 'The Collect Call of Cthulu' on Tuesday. One of the serie's best episodes.

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

I never did get to see that episode of Real Ghostbusters, but I wish I had. Considering it was written by J. Michael Straczynski (who also wrote "Collect Call of Cathulhu"), its no doubt a reference to the Mythos.

If Straczynski wrote it, then most likely it is definitely inspired by Lovecraft since Straczynski is a huge fan of the writer. Straczynski's own Babylon 5 is greatly influenced by Lovecraft's Cthulu Mythos with the battle between the Vorlons and the Shadows and them being analogues for The Elder Gods and The Great Old Ones and with humanity and other younger civilizations being manipulated pawns.

[Yojimbo]

I never did get to see that episode of Real Ghostbusters, but I wish I had. Considering it was written by J. Michael Straczynski (who also wrote "Collect Call of Cathulhu"), its no doubt a reference to the Mythos.

And from the data, I would have to agree with you. The Old One does bear a similarity to Hastur, and "the Nameless book" is clearly a shout out. Good analysis.

That's the nice thing about the Mythos, its so referenced in Pop Culture it sort of a little game to spot the in-jokes.

It a bit sillier than and not as good as "The Collect Call of Cathulhu" but still worth watching for the references.

Thanks, I do good every now and then.

I just watched "The Collect Call of Cathulhu" on Tuesday. One of the series' best episodes.

Agreed. A lot of cool references and homages. My favorite quotes were "Cathulhu makes Gozer look like Little Mary Sunshine."and "Anything that looks like Godzilla wearing an octopus hat shouldn't be hard to find."