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The Lovecraft Necronomicon Primer: A Guide to the Cthulhu Mythos
Elder things. Ghasts. Night-gaunts. Meet the creatures of the Cthulhu Mythos, denizens of the dark but brilliant imagination of H. P. Lovecraft. The collection of occult horror and fantasy he penned during his short lifetime is a legacy that has terrified and inspired generations of fans. Lovecraft's tales reveal the horror of seeing what has been hidden from humanity for good reason. Written for those curious about Lovecraft and his work, this illustrated guide presents detailed descriptions of twenty-nine of the monsters, creatures, and gods that inhabit Lovecraft's macabre fictional universe, without any spoilers that could ruin a future read of his stories. It also includes an introduction to the man regarded as the father of American horror.
- GenresHorrorCthulhu Mythos
262 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 23, 2016
Fun and entertaining.
Unfortunately, it is a not-so-good introduction to Lovecraft's Cthulhu-mythos. (Yog-Sothothery).
Not all 'stats' and monsters' information are correct (or for that matter known, but the author openly admits this). Part of the 'joy' of Lovecraftian-horror is the unknown/unknowable aspects. This only serves to diminish H.P. Lovecraft's work.
The one area I felt this book failed at was bringing across the entire "Lovecraftian-feel". This felt more like an addendum or appendix to a RPG with a subtle seasoning of humour. Not what Lovecraft was all about. Sadly, as is all too common these days with Lovecraft, far too many 'fans' are familiar with him through the popularity of game interpreted on his works, rather than Lovecraft's literary work itself.
A Good light read. Fun and entertaining!
Unfortunately, it is a not-so-good introduction to Lovecraft's Cthulhu-mythos. (Yog-Sothothery).
Not all 'stats' and monsters' information are correct (or for that matter known, but the author openly admits this). Part of the 'joy' of Lovecraftian-horror is the unknown/unknowable aspects. This only serves to diminish H.P. Lovecraft's work.
The one area I felt this book failed at was bringing across the entire "Lovecraftian-feel". This felt more like an addendum or appendix to a RPG with a subtle seasoning of humour. Not what Lovecraft was all about. Sadly, as is all too common these days with Lovecraft, far too many 'fans' are familiar with him through the popularity of game interpreted on his works, rather than Lovecraft's literary work itself.
A Good light read. Fun and entertaining!
July 10, 2020
It was funny!
March 12, 2024
A little book that goes over the main characters of Mr. Lovecraft's stories. If you're looking for an extensive encyclopedia I would suggest The 13 Gates of the Necronomicon by Donald Tyson.
January 19, 2010
As someone that has never read any of Lovecraft's work (bad horror fan, bad), this book was a perfect fit for me. I knew about the Mythos, or I should say I knew of it. I've heard of the Necronomicon but I had no idea it was written by Lovecraft. People were afraid of it when I was growing up. I remember my friend buying it and her mom, literally, tore it up and torched it. Little did I know it was spawned from the demented mind of a solitary writer.
The only thing that irked me a little bit was the voice of the author. At times he tried to reiterate the horror that these creatures incited by using repetition to kind of drive the point home. I think that's something that would work if spoken but written, I think, it just kind of stumbles along awkwardly. And when it's done multiple times throughout the book, it just kind of annoyed me. I'm pretty sure that was the whole kitsch of the book, kind of like an older time story telling but repeating something doesn't hit home the scary for me, especially if what's being said in and of itself isn't scary. The author was prone to doing it every time he felt the need to drive a particularly horrifying point home, which was a lot. I could have lived without that. The creatures and the world spoke for themselves.
Other than that, it was a fascinating look into the world of Lovecraft. Boy was that guy demented. You know, I think everyone can have a vivid imagination but only someone with true creativity can turn a vivid imagination into a bonafide world that can scare the crap out of you. I actually started to believe some of the Mythos as it was being told to me. The connections made between the real world and this supposed imagination were eerily real and made me question that perhaps Lovecraft knew something we didn't.
I'm not a religious person so I believe that the Bible is nothing more than a long-standing story book written by a bunch of guys a couple thousand ago. They just happened to be convincing enough (or forceful enough) in their tellings that people started to take these stories as fact, as sacrosanct. As holy. L Ron Hubbard succeeded in doing the same thing with his science fiction novels. A modern day writer succeeded in telling a convincing enough story for people to believe that what he was saying was actually true. I don't see much difference between Mr. Hubbard and the authors that wrote the Bible. In that same vein, who's to say Lovecraft wasn't on to something?
What I've read in this book and how the author is so convincing in his descriptions of these creatures, on how they function, how they act, what they're planning that who's to say Cthulhu isn't waiting under the ocean with the giant squids until the alignment of 2012 to rise and kill us all? Sounds kind of ludicrous, but so does a guy walking on water and feeding a mass of people with fleshy bread.
My point is, the realism with which these creatures are talked about, how they're related to our waking and dreaming worlds, makes them that much more terrifying. Sure, as they stand alone they're pretty creepy. Who wouldn't shy away from something with a face full of tentacles? But it's not the creatures themselves that are terrifying but the horrifyingly realistic world they could live in that is. What if . . .
If anything, aside from making me sleep a little lighter, the book's made me want to read Lovecraft like an addict seeking heroin. He's always been on my radar as a horror writer. I've just never actually gotten to him. And I want to start with The Dunwich Horror. The author wouldn't even talk about what that was. As if that would keep me away from finding out about it! I started watching the TV movie version on Syfy but that didn't amount to much more than Gouda. I want the real thing. I want the horror story.
So, if you're a Lovecraft virgin and are interested in finding out just what he's all about before diving headfirst into his terrifying world, then be sure to pick up this book. It's an excellent sampling of his creatures. Just enough to equally entice and scare you, but not enough to keep you away from reading them. Just read with with the light on. Most of Lovecraft's creatures are dark dwellers and I wouldn't want you to accidentally conjure one or anything. That wouldn't be good.
The only thing that irked me a little bit was the voice of the author. At times he tried to reiterate the horror that these creatures incited by using repetition to kind of drive the point home. I think that's something that would work if spoken but written, I think, it just kind of stumbles along awkwardly. And when it's done multiple times throughout the book, it just kind of annoyed me. I'm pretty sure that was the whole kitsch of the book, kind of like an older time story telling but repeating something doesn't hit home the scary for me, especially if what's being said in and of itself isn't scary. The author was prone to doing it every time he felt the need to drive a particularly horrifying point home, which was a lot. I could have lived without that. The creatures and the world spoke for themselves.
Other than that, it was a fascinating look into the world of Lovecraft. Boy was that guy demented. You know, I think everyone can have a vivid imagination but only someone with true creativity can turn a vivid imagination into a bonafide world that can scare the crap out of you. I actually started to believe some of the Mythos as it was being told to me. The connections made between the real world and this supposed imagination were eerily real and made me question that perhaps Lovecraft knew something we didn't.
I'm not a religious person so I believe that the Bible is nothing more than a long-standing story book written by a bunch of guys a couple thousand ago. They just happened to be convincing enough (or forceful enough) in their tellings that people started to take these stories as fact, as sacrosanct. As holy. L Ron Hubbard succeeded in doing the same thing with his science fiction novels. A modern day writer succeeded in telling a convincing enough story for people to believe that what he was saying was actually true. I don't see much difference between Mr. Hubbard and the authors that wrote the Bible. In that same vein, who's to say Lovecraft wasn't on to something?
What I've read in this book and how the author is so convincing in his descriptions of these creatures, on how they function, how they act, what they're planning that who's to say Cthulhu isn't waiting under the ocean with the giant squids until the alignment of 2012 to rise and kill us all? Sounds kind of ludicrous, but so does a guy walking on water and feeding a mass of people with fleshy bread.
My point is, the realism with which these creatures are talked about, how they're related to our waking and dreaming worlds, makes them that much more terrifying. Sure, as they stand alone they're pretty creepy. Who wouldn't shy away from something with a face full of tentacles? But it's not the creatures themselves that are terrifying but the horrifyingly realistic world they could live in that is. What if . . .
If anything, aside from making me sleep a little lighter, the book's made me want to read Lovecraft like an addict seeking heroin. He's always been on my radar as a horror writer. I've just never actually gotten to him. And I want to start with The Dunwich Horror. The author wouldn't even talk about what that was. As if that would keep me away from finding out about it! I started watching the TV movie version on Syfy but that didn't amount to much more than Gouda. I want the real thing. I want the horror story.
So, if you're a Lovecraft virgin and are interested in finding out just what he's all about before diving headfirst into his terrifying world, then be sure to pick up this book. It's an excellent sampling of his creatures. Just enough to equally entice and scare you, but not enough to keep you away from reading them. Just read with with the light on. Most of Lovecraft's creatures are dark dwellers and I wouldn't want you to accidentally conjure one or anything. That wouldn't be good.
January 8, 2013
This was a nifty little book compiled by the guy who edited all of Donald Tyson's books related to the Necronomicon/Cthulhu Mythos for Llewellyn publishing. In the beginning, the author plays it a little too "cutesy" with the whole *Trust me, I'm sane* deal; but he quickly shakes himself out of it and starts to create an interesting bestiary derived from the fiction of Lovecraft and others.
This, being a primer, is meant for people unfamiliar with the Mythos. As such, it is definitely not intended for everyone. I would recommend this for people too lazy to read Lovecraft who still want to be in the know; or for huge fans (like myself) who would read it purely for entertainment.
This, being a primer, is meant for people unfamiliar with the Mythos. As such, it is definitely not intended for everyone. I would recommend this for people too lazy to read Lovecraft who still want to be in the know; or for huge fans (like myself) who would read it purely for entertainment.
October 18, 2014
It is what it is, no more, no less. A sort of bestiary for Lovecraftian monsters. Good as a reference, but not exactly a horror read on its own.
March 8, 2013
I liked the cute way it was written in as if by a Lovecraft character going insane from knowing too much about the monsters he is describing.
September 5, 2014
An entertaining beginner's guide to the creatures of HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. Good fun and well researched.
March 8, 2015
Fun guide, felt like it was written by R.L. Stine. Did a good job of explaining the creatures.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews