Cthulhu Corners the Market on Book-Induced Madness

[Logan Westbrook]

Cthulhu Corners the Market on Book-Induced Madness

You haven't really gone crazy until you've gone Cthulhu crazy.

In HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos stories, tomes of ancient and eldritch knowledge like the Necronomicon are highly sought after by those willing to trade their sanity for power. As the Mythos has continued to grow - sprouting more stories, a few table top role-playing games, and at least one first person shooter - cultists and sorcerers with heads full of unholy secrets gleaned from grimoires threatened the world on a fairly regular basis. In Issue 300 of The Escapist, Adam Gauntlett looks at the almost Faustian bargain that such books represent, and how the concept evolved over time.

Lovecraft used the Necronomicon as a means of conveying information. In his short story The Hound ... the book is doing double duty, allowing the author to give a description of the thing without going into excessive detail, and hinting at a long and awful backstory, without overwhelming the reader with that backstory.

Later, Lovecraft would use the Necronomicon less as a framing device for monsters and more as a hint of the antagonists' true nature. Merely owning the book is enough to show that the owner is up to something seriously dodgy, and wanting to read it, as Wilbur Whateley did in The Dunwich Horror, is proof of guilt; a literary equivalent of the smoking gun.

Call and Trail of Cthulhu are investigative games. The characters, often with no prior knowledge or interest in the occult, are thrust into a situation that they did not wish for and then must solve the mystery ... In this narrative, the grimoires ... have several roles. They're a source of general information and spells that boosts the character's knowledge base, allowing them to at least make an informed guess as to the opposition's strengths and weaknesses, as well as giving them a means by which they can retaliate. This gives the players a certain amount of control over their own destiny, while at the same time reinforcing the very real nature of the threat they face.

Lovecraft's tomes are the living embodiment of two old sayings: knowledge is power, and power corrupts. You can read about the dread Necronomicon and the rest of Lovecraft's arcane library in Gauntlett's article, "Pages of Power [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_300/8763-Pages-of-Power]."


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[ANImaniac89]

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.


it had to be said.

 

[gigastar]

Meh, my brains already been thoroughly exposed to the Marvel Universe.

[HEADING=3]Do. Your. Worst.[/HEADING]

 

[FalloutJack]

Meh, my brains already been thoroughly exposed to the Marvel Universe.

[HEADING=3]Do. Your. Worst.[/HEADING]

Deadpool starts reading the Necronomicon.
Deadpool goes SANE.

Anything's possible, folks!

Still, I like this. I just recommended this series to a group of adults who were at an anime convention. Who knew it'd gotten THIS popular? Of course, Howard probably hates himself royally now, but critical acclaim is all his.

 

[impcnrd]

curious to know how many people have actually read The Call of Cthlulhu, who laugh at the meme, or understood at all the South Park Episodes about it

 

[beema]

curious to know how many people have actually read The Call of Cthlulhu, who laugh at the meme, or understood at all the South Park Episodes about it

I'm curious about that too. I've read it (and love it), but I get the feeling that you are right in that it is referenced in pop culture a lot but most people probably have not read any cthulhu mythos.

Also, this is an escapes article about an escapes article? I guess that's one way to call attention to something. Seems redundant.

Ps: "cthulhu" is now part of my Androids custom dictionary!

 

[Jay Lenehan]

It always was. You just didnt realize it yet

I personally loce the Cthulhu mythos, and i think its more nowadays that the refrences themselves have made it into pop culture

 

[OutforEC]

curious to know how many people have actually read The Call of Cthlulhu, who laugh at the meme, or understood at all the South Park Episodes about it

Never read, but played the tabletop game and to this day I can still count it among my favorites.

 

[gigastar]

Meh, my brains already been thoroughly exposed to the Marvel Universe.

[HEADING=3]Do. Your. Worst.[/HEADING]

Deadpool starts reading the Necronomicon.
Deadpool goes SANE.

Anything's possible, folks!

According to this [http://marvel.wikia.com/Deadpool_%28Wade_Wilson%29], Deadpool's insanity is more of a physical issue than mental one.

Its a bit of a read, but then what isnt.

 

[Mullahgrrl]

Hey look, Its a face-book!

 

[FalloutJack]

Meh, my brains already been thoroughly exposed to the Marvel Universe.

[HEADING=3]Do. Your. Worst.[/HEADING]

Deadpool starts reading the Necronomicon.
Deadpool goes SANE.

Anything's possible, folks!

According to this [http://marvel.wikia.com/Deadpool_%28Wade_Wilson%29], Deadpool's insanity is more of a physical issue than mental one.

Its a bit of a read, but then what isnt.

Many are the powers of the Necronomicon!

 

[Joe Byron]

Hastur, Hastur, Hastur.

See, nothing hap

 

[GaryH]

curious to know how many people have actually read The Call of Cthlulhu, who laugh at the meme, or understood at all the South Park Episodes about it

While I haven't read CoC yet, I am working my way slowly through a collection of H. P. Lovecraft's stories. The man was an absolute genius at writing reams of evocative, descriptive text without actually giving any concrete details whatsoever. Brilliant.

 

[Mats Holm]

Guess this picture needs to be spread around a bit more then: http://420.thrashbarg.net/mcnaughton-fine-art-one-nation-under-god-parody-jesus-cthulhu-blood-monsters.jpg

It perfectly sums up the Mythos for those not initiated.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Spoiler: Awhhh Yeahhh

That's all I really have to say on that point... one day I'll finish all my books, only about 430 to go...

 

[HanselGreta]

"That is not dead which can eternal lie. And with strange aeons even death may die."
My motto since i'm on the escapist. Long live to the Mythos.