The best and worst of the Cthulhu Mythos

[Genus Unknown]

I've got both Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (Del Rey, presumably an updated edition of the old Arkham House collection compiled by August Derleth) and Tales of the Lovecraft Mythos (edited by Robert M. Price) on Kindle, two volumes which are supposed to collect some of the more notable (dare I say "classic") Cthulhu Mythos stories. Both volumes are notable for the sheer variety in quality of the stories collected. Some are quite good, even great. Others... holy God, what absolute dreck. The Cthulhu Mythos is, quite clearly, one hell of a mixed bag.

In the interest of sorting through the crap to get to the gold, here's a thread for discussing the best and worst of the Cthulhu Mythos, as it pertains to Lovecraft's friends, admirers, protégés, and copycats. I'd like to leave the Old Gent himself out of this, if only because there are plenty of other threads around here for discussing Lovecraft.

Some initial judgments:

Best:
Clark Ashton Smith - "The Seven Geases"
Robert Bloch - "Notebook Found in a Deserted House"
Robert E. Howard - "The Black Stone" and "The Thing on the Roof"
T.E.D. Klein - "Black Man With a Horn"

Worst:
Henry Kuttner - "The Invaders" and "The Salem Horror," two of the worst horror stories I've ever read
Frank Belknap Long - "The Space-Eaters" (it grieves me to put Long on this list, as I'm a big fan of "The Hounds of Tindalos")
Colin Wilson - "The Return of the Lloigor"

Add your own. Come on, it'll be fun!

[Bob Lovecraft]

Wow, I'm going to have to research this one. I only have two books of non-Lovecraft Lovecraftian books, and I am only one story into the second one. So now I have to go home and get that book and see what the hell is what. I can rembember a few, however.

Liked:
"Notebook Found in an Abandoned House" (I bought the entire Robert Bloch book just to get that one story)

Hated:
"Dicovery of the Ghoric Zone" also by Robert Bloch

Bob

[Genus Unknown]

Hated:
"Dicovery of the Ghoric Zone" also by Robert Bloch

My copy gives the author as Richard A. Lupoff. Bloch is better than that.

[Bob Lovecraft]

Hated:
"Dicovery of the Ghoric Zone" also by Robert Bloch

My copy gives the author as Richard A. Lupoff. Bloch is better than that.

Is that it? Then yeah, lets go with Lupoff. That story sucked. Titanium vagainas, really?

Bob

[Genus Unknown]

Yeah, the editor of my edition of Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos really raves about "The Discovery of the Ghooric Zone," but I just don't see it.

Speaking of that particular volume, I've been reading "The Dweller in Darkness" by August Derleth, and was struck by this line, after our protagonists have heard some crazy sounds in the woods:

But there was not another manifestation of any kind throughout the remainder of that night!

I've never seen a more badly-placed exclamation mark.

[Bob Lovecraft]

Yeah, the editor of my edition of Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos really raves about "The Discovery of the Ghooric Zone," but I just don't see it.

Speaking of that particular volume, I've been reading "The Dweller in Darkness" by August Derleth, and was struck by this line, after our protagonists have heard some crazy sounds in the woods:

But there was not another manifestation of any kind throughout the remainder of that night!

I've never seen a more badly-placed exclamation mark.

Then you need to read some early X-Men comics. I think Stan Lee put either a question mark or exclamation at the end of every sentence he wrote, up to and including things like: "I should really get something to eat!"

Bob

[Genus Unknown]

Even that works better. "I should really get something to eat" could be an exclamation if you're really hungry, or otherwise excited about getting something to eat. But that Derleth line is literally shouting "and nothing else interesting happened!"

[Bob Lovecraft]

Even that works better. "I should really get something to eat" could be an exclamation if you're really hungry, or otherwise excited about getting something to eat. But that Derleth line is literally shouting "and nothing else interesting happened!"

LOL, well maybe that WAS the exciting part. If you are constantly bombarded with outer horror, it may well be noteworthy to have a dull day. Either that or he is just a shitty writer.

Bob

[Genus Unknown]

Crap, I misused "literally." Just want to publicly acknowledge that. 

As for Derleth being a shitty writer, I don't think that's the case. I think he's a shitty Mythos writer. He wrote some quite good horror stories, just not in the Cthulhu Mythos. "The Lonesome Place" is one that I really enjoyed. There were others that I have trouble remembering, because I read them in random (non-Mythos) compilations years ago. I seem to remember one about some strange events at a pagan altar (to Pan, maybe?) that was quite enjoyable.

[Graf von Altenberg Ehrenstein]

It may be premature judging since I haven `t read that much mythos stuff jet, but my favourite so far would be "Jerusalem` s Lot". Great tale, great setting. I listened to the audiobook for about a dozen times and it still has that grim fascination.

Worst would be "The Black Stone" by (is it Robert?) E. Howard, because it `s so cheap and cheesy. It reads to me like those silly John Sinclair booklets my grandfather used to read. And I just can `t help thinking how Lovecraft would have worked his way round the gory parts. 

[BookGwen]

Add another heart/like/thumbs up/best for Robert Bloch's "Notebook Found in an Abandoned House". It's a must read. Especially if you're in a little cabin deep in the woods waiting for your parents to meet you. And did I mention it's late at night and you really don't want to get up to put another log in the wood stove? True story that.

Given my response to the threat about what introduced you to Lovecraft, the next bit might be surprising. But as an adult I cringe at Jerusalem's Lot. Ask the 12 year old BookGwen and she would reply "ZOMG BEST STORY EVER". But the 12 year old BookGwen also thought she was going to marry David Bowie or Neil Tennant or 3/5 of Duran Duran. As an adult my taste has evolved (thank deity of your choice) and now I just want James Boon to hurry up and get get GET Charles Boone already.

[Genus Unknown]

Worst would be "The Black Stone" by (is it Robert?) E. Howard, because it `s so cheap and cheesy. It reads to me like those silly John Sinclair booklets my grandfather used to read. And I just can `t help thinking how Lovecraft would have worked his way round the gory parts.  

*gasp* Blasphemer!

HPL evidently thought enough of it to reference the Nameless Cults (a.k.a. Unaussprechlichen Kulten) in his own stories, so...  

[Bob Lovecraft]

Worst would be "The Black Stone" by (is it Robert?) E. Howard, because it `s so cheap and cheesy. It reads to me like those silly John Sinclair booklets my grandfather used to read. And I just can `t help thinking how Lovecraft would have worked his way round the gory parts.  

*gasp* Blasphemer!

HPL evidently thought enough of it to reference the Nameless Cults (a.k.a. Unaussprechlichen Kulten) in his own stories, so...  

Hey now, we're all about blasphemy here, remember Genus? besides, Lovecraft mentions a lot of stuff that isn't particularly good or interesting. Case in point, the serpent men of Robert E. Howard's Conan stuff.

Bob

[Genus Unknown]

Wait, are you saying that Conan isn't particularly good or interesting? Madness (which we're also fans of around here)!

[JulieH]

Wait - "our house - in the middle of our street - our house - there's SOMETHING IN THE ATTIC!!!!"

Madness.  Right.