"The Island of Dagon" Chapter 5: "A Foreshadowing & an Arrival"

CHAPTER V: "A FORESHADOWING AND AN ARRIVAL"

After Edward and I had escaped the cargo hold, we met with Ward and Crawford and told them of our experience. Ward stated that he had heard those words before, but could not remember where. We decided to not continue to follow the professor any longer as the strange and horrific implications were simply to abhorrent to consider. We all knew that we were only a few days away from Ujelang and there was very little we could do.

After discussing all of our information and our suppositions regarding both the professor and the mysterious Phillips, we all agreed that something must be done to uncover whatever truth lies hidden in these events. We all felt the underlying feeling that something evil had hold of the professor and we agreed that the evil was Phillips. Whatever Phillips was, man or other, we must find out. Our plan would never come to fruition, as the Professor was ahead of us and held another fate in store.

Ward and Crawford suggested that we steal some small side arms from the servicemen right before we left the Etolin. All agreed that this was necessary, considering what Edward and I had witnessed. We discussed the possibility that Phillips was in the crate in some sort of vampyrish suspended animation and the Professor was providing him sustenance. God! How could this be in our modern age of science and reason?

Before we retired that night, the servicemen were unusually active in conversation. Our group listened intently to news that the Allied troops were beginning to amass a large force near Hawaii for some sort of offensive in or near the Marshall Islands.

I was quite keen to listen discreetly amoung the servicemen to gain information regarding the latest news from the areas where we were going. The most interesting news, which would become more horrifically pertinent later into our doomed mission, was that on July 19th an American submarine- The USS Porpoise- had battled and sank a Japanese sub, the "Mikage Maru", somewhere near the vicinity of Ujelang Island.(15) 

The next few days were met with the usual interaction between ourselves and the servicemen, without sign of the Professor.

We stayed as a group whenever possible and kept detailed notes and journals regarding our experience thus far. The closer we came to Ujelang, the greater the intensity of our feeling that something wicked was coming.

The evening of the 24th, we were told to proceed to the top deck to meet with the professor and prepare to be transferred to Ujelang Island. Upon arrival we saw the professor, pale and appearing weakened. He stated that the chartered ship had not yet arrived and the Etolin's captain had stated that they could not wait for it's arrival. He continued by stating that we were going to be unloaded ashore on the island, along with our equipment and some supplies for short-term survival in the
event that the chartered ship did not arrive. The Etolin was to loan us a skiff to reach shore and upon returning by Ujelang, would check our status by radio.

The Etolin's captain assured us that Ujelang Island was not occupied by any forces of the war and there was only one building on the island dating back to the 1880's- an old German factory, long abandoned.(16)

The Professor instructed us to go below immediately and gather our gear.

The four of us went below and began gathering our things. Three of us were able to steal side arms from our bunkmates without being discovered, but Ward was unable to. We quickly discussed these change in plans and stated that there was something amiss, we feared the professor was on to our suspicions. Hiding the firearms amoung our personal possessions, we went back to the top
deck.

To our surprise, the loading crane had already begun unloading the strange crate to the small craft from the Etolin. To further our confusion, standing in the craft alight and visible in the reflections of the sea, was the dark man.

At this point in time, I didn't care about the Japanese or the war going on near us....I feared the contents of that crate.

If Phillips was not being transported in that damned crate....then what was?

NEXT CHAPTER VI: "A SCREAM & GUNSHOTS AT MIDNIGHT"

"The Island of Dagon" Chapter 4: "The Sound in the Darkness"

CHAPTER IV: "THE SOUND IN THE DARKNESS"

The morning of the 12th, our group was allowed to go deckside. The salty sea and wind was a welcomed sensation after being below deck for two entire days. It was then that we met with the Professor. When inquired about Phillips, the Professor simply stated that he was involved in written records regarding our voyages to Ujelang and would not be joining us on deck.

He stated that he had been informed that we were due to arrive in the vicinity of Ujelang Island on the 24th, where we would be met by the chartered ship to be transferred for the remainder of our journey. To my suprise, it was Ward who spoke up and directly asked the professor about the mysteriousness of Phillips and the seemingly secretness of any particulars regarding our expedition.

The Professor, obviously suprised himself, stated that the intentional secrecy was to prevent any knowledge to be leaked about the relics in the sea from reaching other, more sinister researchers, whom might attempt to arrive first- claiming the relics as their own. As for Phillips, the Professor simply stated that he was from Innsmouth and was quite an unusual personality when it came
to working with persons unknown to him- as he preferred reclusivity for his persistant studies. He assured us that there was no matter in which to be concerned of, except the task at hand: locating the relics and bringing them back to the United States.

He continued by stating that he would be in checking the condition of the stored equipment this evening and stated that we should do the same. He concluded that the salty air might have damaged or otherwise corrupted some of our more sensitive camera equipment.

Ward, as well as myself and the others, were not so sure of the professors explainations.

Later that night, Edward and I decided to go into the cargo hold to watch for the Professor as Crawford and Ward attempted to watch for the presence of either the Professor or Phillips. Although Edward and I placed ourselves in a perfect and concealed position to observe the Professors crate, there was never an indication of the professor.

After meeting at our bunks, Ward stated that he had, indeed spotted the professor entering into a cabin located in the upper level at or around 10pm- but he never exited. Our conversation turned in scope from this point forward. The professor had provided us with a flimsy explaination and overtly lied to us about checking the equipment. The four of us decided that night that we would find out what was really happening and decided to try again later. Our reasoning, at that time, was that if we were to risk our lives on this journey, we should have complete disclosure of all information and if it took catching the professor in a red-handed lie, then so be it. As I had said beforehand- if we had known what hellish truth was to be revealed, I would have killed the professor myself right then.

Our attempts to watch the crate were fruitless until the night of July 20th. Edward and I were almost caught off guard by the professor skillfully navigating amoung the crates and was constantly checking over his shoulder in an attempt to discover any pursuers. He held a torch in his left hand and something tucked under his right arm. Arriving at the crate, he placed his torch on the top of the crate and opened the book. I could not see what book it was, but it appeared a newer book. Holding the book in his left hand and raising his right hand into the air, he uttered:

"Ia! Ia! Cthulhu F'thagn!" (14)

After this recitation, he placed down the book and raised his right sleeve. It the dark, we could barely make out some sort of mark or possibly a wound on his wrist. Edward was beginning to shake and I placed my hands on his shoulder to quiet him.

We watched in horror as the professor slid open a small door in the top of the crate and placed his right arm into it. The professor grimaced in pain and grunted aloud. He began writhing in pain and knocked his torch off of the crate, breaking it- leaving Edward and I in the abyssmal darkness...trying not to be discovered. Our fears rose as we sat in that damned darkness and it grew to monsterous proportions as the only noise we could hear was a strange type of sucking and clicking sound coming
from the area of the crate.

 

NEXT CHAPTER V: "A Foreshadowing and an Arrival"

"The Island of Dagon" Chapter 3: "A Crate, a Departure & a Lie"

CHAPTER III: "A CRATE, A DEPARTURE AND A LIE"

 

    Our party arrived at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard early of the morning on July 10th.(12A) Edward and I spoke at length of various things, as Professor Knowles went to the central station to inquire as to where we were actually to report. We both remarked about the noted absence of Phillips, but did not question the professor.

 

    While the Professor was gone, we began to check our equipment and luggage to ensure that everything had been accounted for.

 

   We noticed the professor had quite a large compliment of luggage and one large crate of questionable content. The crate was roughly ten feet long and five feet wide and was clearly marked "Caution-Scientific Equipment". At the time, Edward and Crawford stated that it was odd. But none of us gave anymore thoughts to the matter as there were more important things to attend to. The professor soon returned and stated that we were to meet at the main gangway to meet with a crewman who would see us to our assigned places.

 

    I then asked the Professor about Mr. Phillips. The professor stated that Phillips would be arriving later and would be bunking with him while on board the Etolin. The professor then directly turned his attention to several dock personnel and provided them with very precise instructions regarding the handling of his crate. As we all gathered our carryables away and the dock workers began to move the crate- I could have sworn I heard a sloshing or slopping sound. God, that sound! (13)

 

　

    Our departure from San Francisco was exciting to say the least. The Etolin, although originally a passenger liner, was quite impressive in her recent re-fitment for military use. The Etolin was fitted with four six inch cannons, two- one pound cannons and two rather menacing machine guns placed strategically top side- manned at all times. As fascinating as this was, it was only now penetrating into my consciousness exactly how dangerous this trip may become. We were sailing directly into

areas where recent battles between American and Japanese naval forces had reached astounding proportions and frequency.

 

    Our meager expedition, with the exception of the Professor and Phillips, were provided quarters with the servicemen in general. The small beds, with whom I became familiar, were narrow, hard and stacked upon each other. I chose the uppermost bunk with Edward below, whilst Crawford and Ward were situated directly across the narrow walkway. On either side of us, servicemen were stationed and asked us about our presence on the ship. We kept our explanations brief and vague as to not encourage further delving into such related esoteric subjects.

 

    That first night, Crawford and Ward stated that it was their belief that something was definitely being withheld from us, a feeling that Edward and I shared. We spoke in hushed tones about what possible reason would the professor, a learned and esteemed university mind, be so secretive with the very people he had hand chosen to help him in this expedition?

 

   Who was this dark Phillips with whom the Professor held close and mysteriously? There seemed to be more mystery in the formulation of this expedition than in it's final destination somewhere in the Pacific. We would all learn soon enough the awful truth behind this secrecy and it's ultimate intent.

 

    The second night aboard, we began to speak more freely with our nearest servicemen bunkmates. It would seem that these men enjoyed playing cards as much as Crawford and Ward . Their pastime would take our minds off of the mysterious circumstances of our situation.

 

     One such serviceman, whose name I now cannot recall, was from Massachusetts and had, to his credit, been attending to his studies in the universities medical school. A bright and intelligent young man, he felt the call of his country and joined the service. He had not been in combat as yet, but he assured us that once the Etolin arrived near the Marshall Islands, he would be. It was conversations with him in which Edward, myself and the others would catch news of the ongoing war into which

we were proceeding.

 

We did not see nor hear from the Professor until two days later.

NEXT CHAPTER IV: "THE SOUND IN THE DARKNESS"

"The Island of Dagon"- Chapter 2: "Meeting of the Dark Man"

CHAPTER II. "MEETING OF THE DARK MAN"

 

    The evening of the 7th, we began to shuffle into the university library, shaking the light rain from our overcoats. I could see

that the Professor, Crawford and Ward were seated at the large table nearing the entrance to the rare books section. Edward

nudged me on the elbow to the rather tall, darkly dressed man standing near the Professor. His pallor was pale, wearing smoked

octagonal eyeglasses and a wide brimmed hat. Edward remarked that he did not realize the Lamont Cranston (9) would be joining the

expedition. I motioned to Edward that joking would have to be set aside, that I believed something strange, but important, was

taking place as we made our way to the large oak table. The lighting appeared intentionally dimmed.

 

    The Professor greeted us and presented us to the dark gentleman standing to the Professors side. This was Mr. Phillips. The

Professor stated that Mr. Phillips was one of the best minds in the study of ancient civilizations and religions. During the following

half hour of the Professor discussing what items we should take and the seriousness of the voyage- I took a keen look at the

dark man. I noticed that he did not speak, rather simply acknowledging the Professor with nods of his head. His skin, although pale, seemed...spongy, as if he very rarely was in the

  presence of the sun. On his right hand, he wore a type of ring that had a design that I had not seen before.

It most definitely was not Masonic, as I was a Master and would have recognized any such Masonic influences.

 

   No, this design was reminiscent of the sea- a type of spiraled design found in the anatomy of certain mollusks.

His slender, pale fingers set the ring apart and it drew my attention immediately. His clothing was of leather material, having a caped shoulder and appeared to be almost like the moist skin found on amphibious reptiles.

 

      My instincts told me to beware of this stranger and as time would tell, I would be correct.

 

    The Professor concluded the meeting and told us to rest well in the intervening days until our departure and then excused us all

from the meeting. Crawford, Ward, Edward and I met briefly on the steps of the library before ending the night. All of us

quietly spoke of the oddness of the stranger. As we all heard motion in the library, we broke up our impromptu meeting and

scattered, fearing the Professor might hear us. I looked back through the massive windows of the main doors to see the

Professor exiting the rare books section with several books, which he carefully placed on the table in front of the dark man.

I recognized immediately that the Professor had "Thule Gesellschaft"(10) opened carefully to a specific page and seemed to be speaking to the dark man.

 The book was well known by me as a book of German occultism. I saw the Professor then uncover the largest book on the table and I

shuddered as I recognized the partial copy of the Necronomicon!

 

 Our copy was incomplete and was never, ever out of the glass

 encasement within the rare books section! I knew enough about the book

to know that there was only one complete copy in the world located on the east coast in Miskatonic University's rare books and

that they refused any request to see or obtain copies or reproductions of any kind. (11) Not looking back, I made haste back to my room. Whatever the Professor and the dark man were

 discussing, I hoped that it had nothing to do with our upcoming journey, but I knew I was wrong.

 

    That night in my room, I thought continuously of what meanings my observations could possibly have in connection to our

destination. Were the Professor and Phillips simply discussing a matter unrelated or was it directly related and if so, how?

    No, it was something else- the Professor, above everyone else, knew that the Book of the Dead was never to be unlocked and handled.

 Until later, I thought the book was secured because of its construction and age. (12) By the end of my experience, I would know

too well why that damned book was locked away. I know now it should be destroyed! I will do what I must to destroy everything

in that damned library...and more!

 

 

NEXT CHAPTER III: "A Crate, A Departure and a Lie"



"The Island of Dagon" - Chapter 1: "An Offer and a Warning"

"THE ISLAND OF DAGON"

By: J. Nash

 

           'Dedicated to the enduring memory of H.P. Lovecraft'

 

                     CHAPTER I. "AN OFFER AND A WARNING"

 

    On occasion, it is those explorers into the strange and unknown to actually find what it is they seek and what they learn can be their undoing. Such is the story that will unfold before you, if I can finish this manuscript before I, myself, succumb to the very forces of which I write. I have already destroyed the remaining notes, papers, photographs and maps made by myself and the others in our party in the hopes that this will be the sole evidence of our discovery. There should be no others to follow our damnable path into that abyss. It is for no man to learn this cosmic horror firsthand, only to be warned of it in tales and hinted at in abhorrent and encrusted manuscripts of antiquity only found in dank and forgotten esoteric libraries. (1)

 

    As a student in University, I was fascinated in the strange and ancient religions of aeons past. Those strange and mystic, idolic

cultures such as the Sumerians, Babylonians and African sub-cultured polyistic mythologies. I, myself, believed in a singular God, but
had a fascination with those religions with whom I held in an archaic and typically barbaric view. I had obtained a small
internship within the rare books department of the extensive university library (1A), where I could examine and research at will
the ancient texts of even the remotest and rarest cults and religions. There are ancient books that men are not meant to see- as
I have learned after my brush with the crawling chaos. With God's help, I will burn the library to the ground once I have sealed this
account for future generations as a warning to a possible fate of the human race.

    Even now, after all I have seen and witnessed- I still know that there is but one Creator. Unfortunately, I also know that those

ancient religions of devil-gods had their basis in reality. How I wish I had never set out on this journey.

 

   The summer of 1943 was to be the last time I would attend classes, although I did not realize it at that time. I had begun work on a paper into my research into the ancient and lost
continent of Lemuria (2), when Professor Raymond Knowles (3) approached me with a once in a lifetime proposition.
He had obtained money for a rudimentary expedition to the South Pacific islands and requested that I go.

 It was explained that other classmates would also be going on this perilous trek, but he knew of my acute knowledge of ancient and mythic civilizations would be of great benefit to the group.

I, of course, accepted. The professor stated that the  University
had agreed to fund one half of the costs and the other half was being provided by 'an unknown sponsor' of which he had no knowledge.

 

        The professor explained in great detail that recently a freighter out of Hawaii had reported some mysterious and quite
large rocky formations emerging from the sea whereas on previous passages, there had been none. After numerous inquiries,
the professor obtained a single photograph taken by one of the crewmen which, although from quite a long distance away, seemed
to depict some type of heiroglyphical writing on the surface of one obelisk protruding from the sea. The professor further explained
that the dangers of travelling by ship during this time of war would be particularly dangerous, as the Japanese were an aggressive
and unsavory lot. (4)

   As both result of budgetary limitations and the extreme danger involved, our trip would be on the government acquisition ship

USAT Etolin- a converted steam liner. It was explained that it made regular trips from San Francisco to the Australian continent and
surrounding areas, supplying United States troops with ammunition and supplies (5). It had been arranged that the Etolin would drop
our team on the small atoll island of Ujelang (6), where we would be met by a chartered ship by pre-arrangement to deliver us to
the discovery site.

 

    The professor stated that we would be leaving port on July 10th and we had roughly four days to prepare any necessary gear and

reference material for the expedition. (7) My first excitement was to notify my friend and fellow student, Edward Carter.

To my further excitement, he informed me that he was selected as a member of the expedition also. He stated that Professor  Knowles

had chosen him because of his intense studies of ancient Japanese history and culture. Edward also informed me that he knew of at
least three others included in this journey- Alexander Crawford, Thomas Ward and George Phillips. (8) It struck me
that I knew both Crawford and Ward as we had several classes together, but Phillips was not known to myself or to Edward.

 

    The Professor had advised Edward that the entire team were to meet in the university library the evening of the 7th for a more

detailed briefing of the expedition. After the Professor had left, Edward and I discussed at great length about this adventure and
what discoveries that might be made. Our fanciful thoughts regarding some ancient pacific island civilization were indeed
quite colorful...if only we had known what lie in wait for us.

Next Chapter: “Meeting of the Dark Man”

 

Note: The numbers are annotations that will be attached following the last chapter.

The Horror Beyond: The Works of H.P Lovecraft

The Horror Beyond: The Works of H.P Lovecraft

By: Joe Nash

 

 

“Like no other writers dead or alive, Lovecraft can infuse a reader with pure mind-numbing terror. His philosophy is simple: Man is lucky to be ignorant, because if he knew the truth of it would either destroy him or drive him mad. Once you read Lovecraft, you will never be the same again.”

-          Stuart Gordon, Director

 

            Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island on August 20^th, 1890 and died on March 15^th, 1937. During his short life, Lovecraft dedicated much of his time and talents to writing. The works in which he is most known for would be, what scholars would come to commonly refer to as, “The C’thulhu Mythos” – a collection of stories and novellas regarding ancient ‘Elder Gods’ or ‘Great Old Ones’ and their horrific interactions with mankind.

            Lovecraft also wrote for monetary income for such publications as The New Yorker, Collier’s, The Saturday Evening Post & The Atlantic Monthly to name but a few. He even ghostwrote a story for Harry Houdini at one point. Although writing mainstream for money was a necessity for Lovecraft, his passion was for writing ‘weird fiction’ as it was called at the time. He had written many of his notable works for such pulp magazines as “Weird Tales”, “Not At Night” and other such fantasy publications.

            Lovecraft had created something, even to this day, as horrifying and incredible as to make one think that the man was either a madman or a genius. Actually, he was neither- upon his own admission in one of the thousands of correspondence letters between himself and a circle of other writers, notably Robert Bloch (‘Psycho’), August Derleth and Donald Wandrei. He was a writer with immense imagination and creativity regarding the esoteric.

            His creations, some now over a century old, still amaze & astonish readers; influence film makers and inspire writers in their own works. Lovecraft has finally achieved a level of recognition that places him alongside such other great genre authors as Edgar Allen Poe (The Black Cat), H.G Wells (War of the Worlds), Mary Shelley (Frankenstein), Robert Louis Stevenson (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde) & Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Homes)…and rightfully so.

Mr. Lovecraft, I thank you for providing me years of entertainment and allowing me to play in your universe.

THE MYTHOS

            He had an affinity for colonial New England and held fears regarding its decadence, which feelings found their way into his fiction. The ancient seaports of Kingsport and Innsmouth; Arkham is an old city steeped in the traditions of witchcraft and now the site of the fictional “Miskatonic University”. It is within these fictional settings that generally reside the sensitive scholars, scientists and curious men who serve as narrators or protagonists of Lovecraft’s stories. At “Miskatonic University” some of them find access to one of the six known remaining copies of the “Necronomicon” – a strange and ancient book containing the secrets of a race older than mankind- the ‘Great Old Ones’. These creatures, invaders from other dimensions and other worlds, who once ruled the Earth but were vanquished, expelled by other strange cosmic forces and are constantly attempting to awaken, re-enter, or otherwise influence mankind into opening a doorway for them to return to exact revenge upon mankind. In some cases, these ‘Old Ones’ were merely imprisoned, as was the case with ‘Great C’thulhu’ in the sunken city of R’lyeh.(“The Call of C’thulhu”) Some were banished to depths beneath the Earth in regions of desert or under the polar caps (“At the Mountains of Madness”). These beings are still secretly worshipped by certain primitive peoples and signs of their presence can be found over the globe.

Other banished creatures such as “Dagon”, “Yog-Sothoth”, “Nyarlathotep”, “Pht’thya-l’y” among others also lie in wait alongside C’thulhu. Sometimes the “Great Old Ones” are water creatures referred to as “The Deep Ones”, such as “Dagon” , “C’thulhu” &“Pht’thya-l’y”, while others are entombed in great stone carved cities under artic ice like “S’gg’ha” & “Shoggoths”. Some are interdimensional and some, even more frighteningly, are incestuously created through the ages by certain interactions between humans and “The Old Ones” themselves (The Shadow Over Innsmouth). Nasty.

“When the stars are right” the “Great Old Ones” could return or awaken from their peculiar “dead, but dreaming” incarceration to wreak chaos upon our world. The blasphemous book, the “Necronomicon” contained incantations that could either aid their return or banish them back into the nameless, unfathomable abysses from whence they came.

 

THE NECRONOMICON

            In my opinion, one of the greatest and certainly most interesting creations of Lovecraft would be the abhorrent book of evil, the Necronomicon .The Necronomicon was of such nature that the few copies that remained had to be kept under lock & key at various locations around the world. Several of Lovecrafts stories describe that various copies of the book were kept in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris and the Miskatonic University Library in the Rare Books Section among other such sites of academe.

            Lovecraft stated that the original version was written by “the mad Arab” Abdul Alhazred in Damascus under the title “Al Azif” – an Arabic word referring to the strange sounds of the desert at night. From there, he states that various translations were made to Latin, Greek, German, and English – but most were destroyed, banned or mysteriously vanished, leaving just six copies existing today.

            Lovecraft never delved into the book in any specificity, except on a couple of occasions within his short stories. Below is the longest ‘quote’ from Lovecrafts Necronomicon:

“Nor is it to be thought that man is either the oldest or the last of earth’s masters, or that the common bulk of life and substances walks alone. The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be. They walk serene and primal, undimensioned and to us unseen. Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate.

Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke through of old, and where They shall break through again. He knows where They have trod earth’s fields, and where They

still tread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread. By Their smell can men sometimes know them near, but of Their semblance can no man know, saving only in the features of those They have begotten on mankind; and of those are there many sorts, differing in likeness from man’s truest eidolon to that shape without sight or substance which is Them. They walk unseen and foul in lonely places where the Words have been spoken and the Rites howled through at their Seasons. The wind gibbers with Their voices, and the earth mutters with Their consciousness. They bend the forest and crush the city, yet may not forest or city behold the hand that smites. Kadath in the cold waste hath known Them, and what man knows Kadath? The ice desert of the South and the sunken isles of Ocean hold stones where Their seal is engraven, but who hath seen the deep frozen city or the sealed tower long garlanded with seaweed and barnacles? Great C’thulhu is Their cousin, yet can he spy Them only dimly.

 Iä! Shub-Niggurath! As foulness shall ye know Them. Their hand is at your throats, yet ye see Them not; and Their habitation is even one with your guarded threshold. Yog-Sothoth is the key to the gate, whereby the spheres meet. Man rules now where They ruled once; They shall soon rule where man rules now. After summer is winter, and after winter summer. They wait patientand potent, for here shall They reign again.”

The best known quote and my personal favorite is:

"That is not dead which can eternal lie,

And with strange aeons even death may die."

The “Necronomicon” was an invention of Lovecraft. It never existed except in his stories. Despite many publishers, websites, and impersonators there is no real Necronomicon. This fact, however, doesn’t stop the claims of its existence in real life! Lovecraft himself readily admitted it’s a construct of his imagination and happily encouraged other writers to expand upon its mythology – along with other characters and places he had created. When asked in written correspondence about the books authenticity, Lovecraft responded with a small “History of the Necronomicon” short story – which some have taken as a genuine record of the infamously evil book! The book (in some form) has found its way into movies (Evil Dead series, Jason Goes to Hell, Necronomicon, and The Dunwich Horror), TV series and just about every kind of media that exists.

 

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT UNPRONOUNCABLE NAMES

 

One thing about Lovecrafts writings is that he had a mastery of the English language, but that didn’t stop him! In his Mythos, as you have just read in the preceding paragraphs, there are some pretty strange and almost unpronounceable names & words in many of his imaginings. As a matter of fact, there has been many debates about how the hell do you say “C’thulhu”?!

Well, luckily you have me here to try and provide you with a primer on how to pronounce such unpronounceable words from the Lovecraft Mythos. Below is a simple phonetic pronunciation/description guide to a few of the recurring words. As always, these are my opinions as to their pronunciation – the debate will rage on.

“C’thulhu” : (Kuh-thool-hoo) One of the chief “Old Ones”.

“Iä!” : (ee-ya) Elder language exclamation word of some kind.

“Fhtagen” (fot-tog-in) An Elder language for the word “dreaming”.

“Shoggoth” : (shog-goth) An ancient shape shifting blob-thing.

“Y’ha-nthlei” : (ya-hant-tha-lay) A city of the “Old Ones”.

“R’lyeh” : (re-lie) Sunken stone city, tomb of C’thulhu.

“Shub-Niggurath” : (Sh-ub-nig-your-ath) referred to as "the Black Goat in the Woods with

                                                                         a thousand young". Gross, huh?

“Azathoth": (Az-zat-hoth)-  Very ancient "Elder God";

                   Other names: "Nuclear Chaos"; "Daemon Sultan"; "Blind Idiot God"
                         Children: Nyarlahotep (son)
                                         Nameless Mist (offspring)
                                         Darkness (offspring)

                        Relatives: Yog-Sothoth (grandson)
                                         Shub-Niggurath (grand daughter)
                                         Nug (great-grandchild)
                                         Yeb (great-grandchild)
                                         Wilbur Whately (great-grandson; product of human/Old Ones)
                                         C'thulhu (great-great-grandson)
                                         Tsathogga (great-great-grandson)

 

“Yog-Shothoth” : (yog-sha-thoth) An “Old One”, featured in "The Dunwich Horror".

“Umr At-Tawil” : (umm-are-at-tah-will) “Old One”, Guardian of the Gate.

 

 

MY FAVORITE LOVECRAFT STORIES

 

“The Call of Cthulhu” (1926)

            An incredible tale of how the cosmic truth was pieced together by a man and his encounter with the abhorrent creature called C’thulhu. Sunken, ancient cities rising up in the Pacific, inbred cultists in the Louisiana swamps and a glimpse into Hell.

“The Whisperer in Darkness” (1930)

            Indescribable creatures, monsters, and an investigation into the strange speech machine that leads the narrator down the path to chaos & madness.

“The Shadow Over Innsmouth” (1931)

            This is a tale of a seaside town with an ancient & terrible secret. It’s a place where people are changing into something else, something that can live underwater with the “Deep Ones”. 

“The Dreams in the Witch-House” (1932)

            Ancient witchcraft brings time & space together for an boarder in a house. Space/time

“Herbert West-Reanimator” (1921)

            A scientist creates a serum that can bring life back to the dead or is it something else? Grave robbing, science & zombies- what’s not to love? Yes, zombies, as it has been shown that if this story is not the first, its one of the first stories regarding zombies as reanimated corpses.

 

“The Lurking Fear” (1922)

            Inbred cannibals living under an old mansion are discovered on Tempest Mountain. One guy gets his face chewed off…how’s that for 1922?!

 “The Unnameable” (1923)

            Two friends, sitting in a graveyard, are attacked by an indescribable horrific creature. Creepy, man, Why sit in a cemetery talking about monsters and not expect to get it?!

“Cool Air” (1926)

            A shut-in renter discovers that pure will can sustain you after bodily death…all you need is a little cold air to keep you fresh. What happens when the fridge goes out?

“At the Mountains of Madness” (1931)

            An expedition from Miskatonic finds more than they bargained for in Antarctica!

“From Beyond” (1934)

            A scientist creates a “resonator” device that penetrates the mind and allows all within its sphere of influence to see & interact in another chaotic dimension, with disasterous results!

“The Statement of Randolph Carter” (1919)

Poor Carter, he appears in a lot of Lovecrafts stories and is always being subjected to unimaginable horrors.

“Pickmans Model” (1926)

            A painter whose strange images seem so disturbing, they might be too real!

 

In all honesty, there’s not one single story that he’s written that I have not enjoyed. His writing style, even for its day, is unique and the subject matter is as fantastic as his descriptions of it! I would suggest reading Lovecraft to anyone interested in the horror/fantasy genres.

I was enthralled with Lovecrafts work upon my first exposure to it in 1984 and its been a great journey discovering more about him as I grow older. My understanding and comprehension of his work has increased as I've gotten older as well.

It is my sincere hope that a new, younger generation of readers, movie-makers, artisans of any kind will carry his work into the future to be preserved.

 The button below will take you to the H.P. Lovecraft Archive, an invaluable resource regarding HPL; his writings, life, correspondences, a bestiary, etc. I highly recommend you to explore HPL!!

 

 

 

 

           

Works in progress, TWD Update & More.

Hi Everyone!

Just thought I'd throw out some news and thoughts to see where it took me tonight! So here we go...


I'm concurrently working on  filmographies for Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), John Carpenter (The Thing), and John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) to be posted here sometime in the next couple of weeks.

I'm planning out filmographies for Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Brain Damage), Peter Jackson (Bad Taste, Dead Alive) and Lucio Fulci (Zombi)!

Also, I'm working on an essay featuring the  works of famed author, H.P Lovecraft (Dagon, The Call of C'thulhu)  as well!

WALKING DEAD STUFF

OK, as of today (5/6/13), production has begun on Season 4 of The Walking Dead at Raleigh Studios in Senoia, Georgia. Sunday evening, the infamous "D" signs were placed out- all directing themselves to the studio itself. (These are yellow signs placed on the roads to allow workers, cast & crew to find locations, etc.) More than likely, they'll begin filming interior sequences for a little bit. How long, I do not know.

However, I can tell you that Norman Reedus stated a couple of days ago in Senoia that they'd be filming about 16 days in Senoia (Woodbury). Further, I know that the studio must notify all the shop owners in Senoia 5 days in advance before they can film there, so we'll have a 'heads-up' about the times.

People ask me all the time things regarding the filming and I thought I would take a moment to put down a short "faq" about the most-asked questions.

Deadite Joe's Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Walking Dead

Q: Can you tell me when & where they'll be filming during the week of (insert any date you want here) because I'm planning a trip down to Senoia?
A: I don't know. I'm a fan and I just look out for the signs, friends call me & let me know they saw them filming at such-and-such place. That's when I go & watch to see who's on set that day.

Q: When will Norman Reedus be in Senoia?
A: I don't know, but my guess is "when he gets there".

Q: When will Andrew Lincoln be in Senoia?
A: I don't know, but I guess about the same time as Reedus (see above answer).

Q: Who will be on the set on (insert any date here)?
A: I have no idea who's on set until I see them myself! It's a crap shoot.

Q: Do the actors provide their own pictures for autographs? If so, how much does it cost?
A: No, they do not. It will cost you whatever you put out for buying a picture to bring with you for them to sign.

Q: How can I be a 'walker' on the show?
A: I have no idea, but I can tell you who does: follow @thewalkercouple on Twitter!

Q: Where is the Prison? I can't seem to find it on the internet.
A: It's not a real prison. It's a set attached to the back of Raleigh Studios & closed to the public.

Q: I want to tour the locations. Where is (insert which ever location you want here)?
A: I could tell you, but it's much easier to visit www.walkingdeadlocations.com & more comprehensive!

Q: How much do they charge to let you on the set?
A: This ain't Six Flags & the general public isn't allowed on the set.

Q: How do you meet the cast & crew?
A: I patiently & respectfully wait at the closest place that security will allow the public to wait & watch. Almost every time, if an actor sees you waiting & they are NOT busy- they will come to you!

Q: Can you please get me (insert actor name here) autograph?
A: I owe 2 people autographs (they know who they are!) after that, the answer is "no", sorry!

Q: Can you tell (insert actors name here) something for me?
A: No.

Q: Can you give (insert actors name here) something from me?
A: No.

Q: Can you tell me where (insert actors name here) they live at while in Georgia?
A: No.

Q: If I come to the set during filming, can I hang with you guys?
A: Hell, yes!

Q: If I come to the set, what should I bring?
A: A chair, something to drink, something for the actors to sign, a Sharpie marker, your cellphone or camera and PLENTY of patience.

ADVICE:
1. If you do get to come down and visit, be mindful that these actors/crew are doing their job.

2. Be respectful & courteous to them AND OTHER FANS who might be there.

3. Don't be loud & don't go "all ape shit" when you spot your favorite actor for the first time & start yelling at them. They won't come over for sure if you act a fool.

4. Follow all requests by studio security officers & production assistants. Don't be an arse-hole or you'll ruin it for everyone.

5. Always wash your hands after using the restroom.


I gotta run, folks, rest assured I will be posting about TWD, etc as I get new information, pics, videos! See ya on the flip side, pimps!

-Deadite Joe