Things Week | Marital Woes | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

"The Thing on the Doorstep" is a horror short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft, part of the Cthulhu Mythos universe. It was written in August 1933, and first published in the January 1937 issue of Weird Tales.

THE THING ON THE DOORSTEP by H.P. Lovecraft begins with a man confessing to having killed his best friend. The narrator, Upton, then goes on to explain the unusual change in his friend's behavior after Derby marries a woman named Asenath. Derby eventually confesses to Upton he believes his wife has been performing a ritual on him.

I thought this would be a zombie tale, but the turn of events is so much worse than an undead transformation. After reading this short story, I still can't believe Lovecraft's name continues to carry so much weight in the horror genre, and yet his storytelling leaves something to be desired.

I recommend reading modern stories inspired by Lovecraft instead of his poorly crafted tales.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Lovecraft Being Racist

THE TERRIBLE OLD MAN by H.P. Lovecraft, set in the fishing village of Kingsport, isn't much of a story as it is a set-up...shadow without the substance. The author has a talent for creating, but not story-telling. His pieces are intriguing, but how he moves them lacks skill.

I'm amazed at how much of an influence Lovecraft has over present-day authors, many of which write far better stories. I also noticed his racism showing in this one.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Influencing Horror

In H.P. Lovecraft's, "The Dunwich Horror", we are recounted to the narrative of Wilbur Whateley, the child of a disfigured pale skinned person mother and an obscure dad (insinuated in going by the distraught Old Whateley as "Yog-Sothoth"), and the unusual occasions encompassing his introduction to the world and gifted improvement. Wilbur develops at a strange rate, achieving masculinity inside 10 years. At the same time, his magician granddad teaches him into certain dim customs and the investigation of black magic.

Many of the stories I've read this year have been Lovecraftian, to one degree or another. Since so many authors appear to be influenced by this famous author, I thought I would revisit one of his classics, THE DUNWICH HORROR. Laying down the setting, Lovecraft emphasizes the disturbing history of Dunwich, and the mysterious nature of the wrongness of the place.

The story picks up the pace with the birth of Wilbur Whateley, with suggestions of his mother having a tryst with something unnatural. Wilber's growth and appearance are from anything resembling normal, and his behavior becomes more peculiar and frightening as he ages. The turn of events is so shocking, I had to reread the part with the dog more than once.

Dunwich soon finds itself plunged into a hellish nightmare, with something indescribable making its way through the nearby countryside,slaughtering cattle and families alike. Three professors (Armitage, Morgan, and Rice) attempt to battle the creature with some ancient magic. The revelation about the entity's origin is one final smack in the face.

No matter how many Lovecraft stories I read, my opinion remains unchanged: I'm more impressed with stories influenced by the author, rather than the stories he wrote himself. I'm tempted to read some of the stories which influenced Lovecraft.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Missing More Than Pages

"The Book" is an unfinished short story by American horror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft, believed to have been written in late 1933. It was first published in the journal Leaves in 1938, after Lovecraft's death.

In the story fragment, the narrator is given an ancient book by a strange bookseller, and when he takes it home and examines it, weird and sinister events ensue.

The Book by H.P. Lovecraft should be approached as a flash fiction piece. The narrator describes losing himself within something he read, soul and all. Even though the book is missing pages, what remains is enough to twist his perception of space and time. This story could very well serve as the precursor to the original Evil Dead movie: a guy saying and doing things he shouldn't have, incomplete as it were.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Never Stray

The Beast In The Cave by H. P. Lovecraft is something I decided to read just to take a break from modern horror. Just being lost in an underground cave would be enough to terrify me, but the narrator is soon surrounded in darkness, seemingly hunted by something. The ending is almost a relief, until one realizes that Lovecraft ended the story before the situation is truly resolved.

It's not always about Cthulhu and friends...

As always,
AstraDaemon