I know there are threads every other week on him but still I really like his stories and I was thinking about how he made his name in the Pulp magazine Weird Fiction and how there aren't really any such publications nowadays and that that might have a negative effect on modern authors. Because the literary community isn't perfect just look at what the Underground Literary Alliance have uncovered.

What are your thoughts?

Lovecraft is great, but I was slightly disappointed by him the first time I read. Something about the way he writes...it's very dull, but his stories are overall very likable.


As for the state of underground literature, I think it depends on where you are. I live in a College town, and I could probably publish anything I wanted to in one of several lit zines that float around. I'm sure big cities have plenty of underground lit magazines too.

I just don't think as many people write seriously now a days. It's been a while since I've been impressed a great deal by something a peer has written, and I tend to hang around with lots of the literature types. I think the underlying problem is that people don't read anymore. TV+Videogames+Myspace+eating 5 meals a day+going to funerals=not much time for reading. Not too long ago plenty of not that intelligent people still loved to read, but now there is lots of effortless entertainment mediums to distract people from how pathetic their lives are.

Weird Tales is still chugging along, in one form or another, with their latest issue . If you look around that general area of a newsstand you'll find a few similar fantasy/horror/scifi literary mags. I don't remember any of their titles off-hand, as they're all watered down, censored shit, but meh, they are there if you want them. Personally, I miss all of the splatterpunk mags that sprouted in the late 80s up to the mid 90s, as well as classic mags like Gauntlet: Exploring the Limits of Expression.

As for lack of suitable publications having a negative effect on aspiring writers: fuck 'em (the publishers). Put your shit online (check out sites like www.corpsefuck.com, for example) or publish it yourself (commandeer a printer or copier at a library near you and churn that shit out). Writers can and do thrive without publishers, whilst publishers, on the other hand, will shrivel up and die without writers; the sooner the better.

But particularly with regard to Lovecraft, he will never be replaced. I keep hoping that someone's going to be digging around some long-forgotten bone yard in Providence and stumble upon an unmarked grave containing untold tomes of Lovecraft's unpublished work . There have been plenty of imitations though, for instance the Cthulhu Cycle books put out by the RPG publisher Chaosium (don't let the RPG part put you off); and dead Cthulhu continues to dream in a variety of other modern-day tomes as well.

Oh, and btw, which Great Old One are you?

I've always thought HP Lovecraft was something of a joke. People don't really take his stuff seriously thse days do they?? I mean, I know stupid gothic kids in high school do, but they don't really count.

So could someone describe me what the appeal is to real people these days? Thanks!!

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"Women and rhythm section first!" - sambob@gmail.com

Haha, I'm not a stupid gothic kid in high school.. to be honest I'm not sure what it is about his stories that I like so much, I like Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle and Frankenstein and Dracula as well so I guess I just like that kind of period.

I am Nyarlathotep!

Well i was just going by my experiences with every single person I've ever met who mentions Lovecraft. I'm glad you're not an idiot though.

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"Women and rhythm section first!" - sambob@gmail.com

Haha, There is something about your reply that implies I am an idiot :P

Namely, that if all of your personal experience of HP Lovecraft fans is that they are idiots and that the only thing to say I am not an idiot is my word then I am likely to be an idiot.

It reminds me of that thing about the truly insane man always believes he is sane.

Well no, I believe you.

__________________
"Women and rhythm section first!" - sambob@gmail.com

__ftw

It seems that I am Azathoth, the Blind Idiot God. Not a very flattering title, but the description is rather kewl.