I'm sure almost everyone who has played the game knows the game is based on HP Lovecraft's work, but I was wondering how many are actually Lovecraft fans who have read his stories?

i've listened to several of the audiobook versions but never actually read.

I have read most of his works.

Which stories did you like? Which did you dislike? I tried listening to some audio of his stories, but I really didn't like the voices of the people reading the stories. Which audio versions did you listen to?

The narrator for Darkest Dungeon did a reading of The Shunned House.

(and some others, but I didn't want to just dump URLs into the thread, especially if they're all those you heard and disliked)

I've read the complete list from the S.T. Joshi annotated additions. Favorites are The Case of Charles Dexter Ward & At the Mountains of Madness. Least favorite is Dreamquest. I'd array the rest in between them.

Interesting. No "Shadow Over Innsmouth" or "Shadow Out of Time"? I haven't read any of the stories you have listed yet so I can't comment on those right now. I started with "Shadow Over Innsmouth" because I am playing "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth". Then I read "Shadow Out of Time". Again, because of "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth". After reading those I decided to read more and looked at "The Complete Works of HP Lovecraft" and "H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction". I then decided on the first because I just wanted to read actual H.P. Lovecraft stories. Since that book goes in chronological order I haven't reached the stories you mentioned yet.

"The Tomb" is the first story in the book I'm reading, and the first story Lovecraft wrote as an adult. I was surprised after reading this story because I didn't expect much, but it is definitely one of my favorite stories so far.

The Tomb *is* an awesome one. Shadow Over Innsmouth is probably in my top 10, but I just listed the top 2 above. Dark Corners of the Earth reminds me most of the story Horror at Red Hook but that is probably in the teens in my personal ranking. While he was always good, I thought his writing noticeably improved throughout his career.

"While he was always good, I thought his writing noticeably improved throughout his career."


I've read that his best work was later in his writing career, but I'm surprised "The Tomb" doesn't get more credit. Perhaps it's because Lovecraft himself belittled the story. He seemed to think that because it was his first writing after a nine year break that it was not good, but I have read approximately a third of his stories so far and I can't imagine "The Tomb" not holding up as one of his best.

I just bought this, actually:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0785834206

Am diving in tonight...;)

Am enjoying Lovecraft, but to a lesser extent, possibly, than I at first thought might be the case. Truly, I've only just cracked the book and believe that I am in some of his earlier works because while I find all of the short-stories so far to be fascinating in a sense, I also get the distinct impression that Lovecraft's attention often wandered and that maybe he had little enthusiasm for them. But as I say, it's early going yet and I will not stop until I've read them all.

I was only mildly pleased with "The Tomb," as I found what was supposed to be a surprise ending in the story to be utterly predictable...! I guessed the identity of the "slithering, padding thing" long before it was revealed in practically the last sentence of the story, IIRC. Indeed, every story I have read thus far is structured in that capacity--attempting to withhold some vital clue until the very end where the ending is revealed to the reader as a shocking surprise. Only, it really isn't "shocking" or much of a surprise by then...;)

But as I say, Lovecraft has a certain mesmerizing style which I find almost irresistible as I read. He seems in love with gigantic, massive architectures and edifices, deep holes in the ground, the decay of the death of plant, animal, and human remains alike, and the deep ocean depths--to the degree that I am tempted to think he has really visited many of these places. The fact that they all uniformly seem almost completely devoid of people or other beings--save for the odd one here and there--is another aspect of his writing that interestingly enough makes his writing more, not less, convincing, I'm glad to say! I really get the sense that these are the author's actual experiences as opposed to a cast of fictional characters strewn on a fictional foundation. The fact that Lovecraft doesn't try too much to convince the reader of his account may be exactly what makes his stories seem far more believable than they otherwise might seem, imo.

That's it for now...I may chime in again when I get further into the book! Great subject, though!

His stories seem to vary considerably as far as quality goes, and let's face it, his deliberate archaic writing style can make it hard for people to read, and I'm sure turns a lot of people off, but he has some real gems, and his influence in modern media is everywhere.

Based on what I have read, I don't think surprise endings were important to Lovecraft. His writing seems to be more about creating atmosphere and a creeping sense of dread.

Actually, speak of the devil, things have taken off in a decidedly positive direction starting with The Picture in the House...;) Then The Temple...and of course, From Beyond...;) I think that now more than ever these stories must be presented in this volume chronologically--because the quality of the writing and the stories are much, much better than the stories I commented on originally! I have to take back everything I originally said--because his writing is very entertaining in these stories! Very satisfying! I have become a huge Lovecraft fan, actually!

After reading these several stories last night, The Picture in the House, The Temple, Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and his family, From Beyond--my conscience would not let me leave my earlier words unedited! Had you not responded, I would have edited my earlier remarks! (To supply you with some perspective, this complete Lovecraft volume is 1004 pages of HP's stories--not counting references, bilbio's, etc., and I am on page 139...;))

Again, great topic! No, the prose of the day doesn't bother me--I'm a fan of many of these people, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Poe, and etc. Indeed, I feel the prose and writing still lends these stories an eloquence unmatched today, really.

Did you see the film adaptation of From Beyond?--it's one of my most favorite "creepy movies" and greatly expands on the Lovecraft story--yet weirdly remains consistent with it! Re-Animator, and the Unnamable, and even The Necromicronicron (SP--forgive me...;)) are all a lot of fun to watch...! The corniness is sublime, the acting B+, and the sheer horror is chilling to the bone--just what I love in this kind of film!

The only movie adaptation that I've liked so far is Re-animator.

I read somewhere that some of the stories with Lovecraft's name on them were not written by him. I really believe that is true because I cannot imagine how Lovecraft could have written stories like "Sweet Ermengarde". I started reading the complete fiction but then switched over to the complete works which is supposed to only contain stories written solely by Lovecraft.

So I gather you did not like the corny movie adaptation of From Beyond?...;) Well, I can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea. But I just enjoy these melodramatic romps for some reason.

I've yet to read Sweet Ermengarde and so cannot comment on it--but from what I gather, the title "complete fiction" simply denotes everything Lovecraft wrote that is fiction--since he wrote even more, I understand from the "complete fiction" introduction, that is non-fiction during his life. Of course, his fiction is what he is today celebrated for--and I imagine that his non-fiction would seem rather quaint and dreadfully dated to the modern reader...like most "scientific" non-fiction of the period would likely appear.

Anyway, have enjoyed the conversation!

EDIT: I agree that Sweet Ermengarde is certainly a departure...;)