Can someone explain what Lovecraft's Cthulhu stories are about?

[Arkitech]

I've been somewhat interested in Lovecrafts stories about the Cthulhu, but I really can't find a good description about what they are and what the stories are about? Also was the artist HR Geiger influenced by Lovecraft's writings?

 

[Paddington]

I read one of them. It's a story about a man from Toledo, OH (yay, Toledo!) who goes to investigate his ancestor's roots in a small fishing village in Massachusetts. Something about the town is not right. There's an odd presence of death and decay in the air. The man learns that no one who has visited the town recently has made it back out alive. After some investigating, he learns that a race of fish-people have taken over the town. To make a long story short, he eventually learns that he is one of those fish-people. It's a pretty good for a short story, though I've probably ruined the plot for you now.

EDIT: Name of story was "Shadow over Innsmouth"

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: Paddington
I read one of them. It's a story about a man from Toledo, OH (yay, Toledo!) who goes to investigate his ancestor's roots in a small fishing village in Massachusetts. Something about the town is not right. There's an odd presence of death and decay in the air. The man learns that no one who has visited the town recently has made it back out alive. After some investigating, he learns that a race of fish-people have taken over the town. To make a long story short, he eventually learns that he is one of those fish-people. It's a pretty good for a short story, though I've probably ruined the plot for you now.

EDIT: Name of story was "Shadow over Innsmouth"

hmm sounds interesting enough for me to look for that story, thanks for the summary.

*runs to the library*

 

[K1052]

Just read them, they aren't very long.

Go to the library and find the books with his collected works in them. Sart with "The Best of H.P. Lovecraft".

 

[phisrow]

http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/index.html

Above are links to all Lovecraft's stories. He also conducted a large amount of correspondence during his life; but that isn't something you are likely to find outside of a decent library.

ia! ia! Cthulhu ftagn!

 

[BooGiMaN]

Originally posted by: Paddington
I read one of them. It's a story about a man from Toledo, OH (yay, Toledo!) who goes to investigate his ancestor's roots in a small fishing village in Massachusetts. Something about the town is not right. There's an odd presence of death and decay in the air. The man learns that no one who has visited the town recently has made it back out alive. After some investigating, he learns that a race of fish-people have taken over the town. To make a long story short, he eventually learns that he is one of those fish-people. It's a pretty good for a short story, though I've probably ruined the plot for you now.

EDIT: Name of story was "Shadow over Innsmouth"

im pretty sure i saw this story made into a movie on the scifi channel

 

[MercenaryForHire]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu

- M4H

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: phisrow
http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/index.html

Above are links to all Lovecraft's stories. He also conducted a large amount of correspondence during his life; but that isn't something you are likely to find outside of a decent library.

ia! ia! Cthulhu ftagn!

a lot of correspondence with Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan. A lot of the guys who wrote for the pulps back then kept in touch with each other and even helped each other out.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Geiger :heart:

 

[cthulhu]

Did someone just say my name? Muwahahaha.:evil:

Read Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath. It's one of my favorites.

 

[Shadowknight]

If you've seen "In the Mouth of Madness", Lovecraft's Cthulu mythos is in that vein.

 

[pontifex]

i need to read those books since he was a great friend of REH. I'm reading Edgar Rice Burroughs now (the Mars series). He was another pulp author. a lot of that older stuff is really good.

 

[Eeezee]

I thought there was only one story about Cthulhu. The rest of Lovecraft's stories are cult horror fiction that don't necessarily have anything to do with Cthulhu.

 

[djheater]

Lovecraft's enduring genius was the idea that we are all living in ignorance, and that discovery of the true nature of the universe, rather than being an enlightening experience, would drive us stark raving mad.

He invented a mythos and history for that mythos. Cthulu is one of the godsof that mythos. It's fascinating stuff... probably not horrifying by today's standards, but that's because we're so used to the ideas. I would guess that every horror and good scifi writer has read Lovecraft and included elements of his writing style into their own.

 

[Shadowknight]

I skimmed over some Lovecraft entries on Wikipedia - I know "The Thing" was a remake of "The Thing from Another World". but it seemed to be similar to "At the Mountains of Madness." Considering how he did "In the Mouth of Madness" years later, it may have been an influence when he made that movie.

 

[UNCjigga]

Please explain the "non-Euclidian" realm and what that's supposed to be like.

 

[BatmanNate]

That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange eons even death may die.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Paddington
I read one of them. It's a story about a man from Toledo, OH (yay, Toledo!) who goes to investigate his ancestor's roots in a small fishing village in Massachusetts. Something about the town is not right. There's an odd presence of death and decay in the air. The man learns that no one who has visited the town recently has made it back out alive. After some investigating, he learns that a race of fish-people have taken over the town. To make a long story short, he eventually learns that he is one of those fish-people. It's a pretty good for a short story, though I've probably ruined the plot for you now.

EDIT: Name of story was "Shadow over Innsmouth"

ooo my hometown.. gotta read it now