Do you Cthulhu much!?

[carebear]

A board game!

Tabletop horror for 1-8 players.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/15987

Has expansions too.

 

[mrswheats]

cthulhu fhtagn!

A board game! Tabletop horror for 1-8 players.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/15987
Has expansions too.

My hubby and I own this game (haven't played it yet, though, still waiting for a brave enough group )--he's a huge Lovecraft fan, and got me into the Cthulu mythos. He bought me a stuffed Cthulhu made out of Spongebob Squarepants fabric that sits proudly in my sewing room.

For the PC gamers out there, "Dark Corners of the Earth" came out last year, and its supposed to be awesome. We own it, but the computer needs an upgrade before it will run.

 

[Dr Doran]

My hubby and I own this game (haven't played it yet, though, still waiting for a brave enough group )--he's a huge Lovecraft fan, and got me into the Cthulu mythos. He bought me a stuffed Cthulhu made out of Spongebob Squarepants fabric that sits proudly in my sewing room.

For the PC gamers out there, "Dark Corners of the Earth" came out last year, and its supposed to be awesome. We own it, but the computer needs an upgrade before it will run.

Welcome to the Lounge, Swingtime Gal. I am delighted and a bit shocked to see that so many vintage folks love Cthulhu.

Here is a question. Have any of you played a live action format Cthulhu game? There is a group who does it in Chicago, I think, and people actually dress up and drive places .... sounds just amazing.

 

[mrswheats]

Thanks Doran! I'm having a ball being a part of the vintage community

I know there's a group the plays live action Vampire the Masquerade in the Chicago area (we have a buddy that plays), so I'm not suprised to hear that there's for for CoC. And dressing up and playing 1930's detective does sound like a whole lotta fun!

Speaking for myself, the allure of Lovecraft is part a love of classic horror/scifi, and part that you feel immersed in the past. Lovecraft wrote such vivid descriptions of people and places, and especially the technology and scientific beliefs of the time, so it's hard NOT to feel a part of the past when you read his stories.

 

[Dr Doran]

Thanks Doran! I'm having a ball being a part of the vintage community

I know there's a group the plays live action Vampire the Masquerade in the Chicago area (we have a buddy that plays), so I'm not suprised to hear that there's for for CoC. And dressing up and playing 1930's detective does sound like a whole lotta fun!

Speaking for myself, the allure of Lovecraft is part a love of classic horror/scifi, and part that you feel immersed in the past. Lovecraft wrote such vivid descriptions of people and places, and especially the technology and scientific beliefs of the time, so it's hard NOT to feel a part of the past when you read his stories.

I think one of the strongest attractions for me, besides the fine elements you mention supra, was the existential bleakness he portrayed: in his world there is no benevolent helmsman in the universe. We are alone except for things so inimical to human life and human civilization that to properly understand them would drive you insane (unless you were not of the opinion that there is, or should be, a benevolent god in the first place). Our civilization is but a sixteenth of an inch on an immense measuring tape of Time, and our accomplishments are nothing. His imagination and his ability to convey this huge dread impressed and scared me greatly.

 

[Miss 1929]

Great bumper sticker I spotted yesterday:

"Cuthulu '08! Don't settle for the lesser evil!"

 

[TM]

Great analysis Doran! You've really captured the essence of Lovecraft.

Tony

 

[Dr Doran]

Great analysis Doran! You've really captured the essence of Lovecraft.

Tony

Thanks, amigo ... or should I say Mi-Go ...

 

[jenny_dreadful]

I've played Arkham Horror! It's a lot of fun, but it takes a while to learn the rules because they're so complicated.

 

[ghostdog]

I still have Arkham Horror sitting on my shelf, waiting for a group of cthulhu loving friends to play with. I've solitaired it a few times... kinda fun. I haven't played the CoC RPG before, but I bought the new edition rulebook anyway coz there are so many fun cthulhu-facts in it

Awfully hard to find cthulhu loving folks in my corner of the planet, so that's why I haven't had the chance to boardgame or RPG it. But I do love the books though...

 

[Lulu-in-Ny]

Speaking of Lovecraft, I have this entire Innsmouth themed research kit which I never sold but would be a brilliant present for that Lovecraft nut in your life:

http://www.darkestendeavors.blogspot.com/

Wow, and I was all impressed with myself for having Cthulhu slippers...

 

[flat-top]

I'm in the dark about Cthulhu! I'd love to get a friend the new silent movie and a book as a gift, but which book? Is there a singular original Lovecraft Cthulu book?
Searching on Amazon has not helped me.

 

[Jack Scorpion]

I think one of the strongest attractions for me, besides the fine elements you mention supra, was the existential bleakness he portrayed: in his world there is no benevolent helmsman in the universe. We are alone except for things so inimical to human life and human civilization that to properly understand them would drive you insane (unless you were not of the opinion that there is, or should be, a benevolent god in the first place). Our civilization is but a sixteenth of an inch on an immense measuring tape of Time, and our accomplishments are nothing. His imagination and his ability to convey this huge dread impressed and scared me greatly.

I miss your like-mind nihilism, Doran, or at least your appreciation thereof.

I'm pretty new to Lovecraft myself. I just finished reading his story The Dreams in the Witch House, which I enjoyed to a degree. (Reminds me, in a good way, of Dostoevsky, and I do love psychological horror - But I also love writer who can set a good scene and Lovecraft never did that in TDITWH.)

I read it because I am involved in the production of a stage adaption of Lovecraft's story, complete with blacklight and laser effects. If you're in the San Diego area, check it out this October: http://www.dreamsinthewitchhouse.net (I made the web site!)

 

[Jack Scorpion]

I'm in the dark about Cthulhu! I'd love to get a friend the new silent movie and a book as a gift, but which book? Is there a singular original Lovecraft Cthulu book?
Searching on Amazon has not helped me.

Any short story collection that includes "The Call of Cthulhu" is my best guess, but I'm sure any comprehensive short story collection will do.

I don't know much about it, though.

 

[Story]

I'm in the dark about Cthulhu! I'd love to get a friend the new silent movie and a book as a gift, but which book? Is there a singular original Lovecraft Cthulu book?
Searching on Amazon has not helped me.

To answer a question with a question, what works of Lovecraft are already in your friend's collection?

 

[flat-top]

To answer a question with a question, what works of Lovecraft are already in your friend's collection?

None that I'm aware of. I really think he'll appreciate the style of that movie, so I just want to add something that compliments.

 

[Panache]

Lovecraft Collections

I'm in the dark about Cthulhu! I'd love to get a friend the new silent movie and a book as a gift, but which book? Is there a singular original Lovecraft Cthulu book?
Searching on Amazon has not helped me.

flat-top,

As a Lovecraft fan may I offer a suggestion?

Del Rey offers a whole line of paperback Lovecraft collections

For your friend I would get "The Best of H.P. Lovecraft:Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre"

It contains the stories "The Call of Cthulhu", "Dreams in the Witch House", "Rats in the Walls", "The Outsider", "The Shadow over Innsmouth", "The Dunwich Horror", "Pickman's Model", "The Haunter of the Dark" , "The Color out of Space", and several other tales. These stories represent the heart of the "Cthulhu Mythos" and the best of Lovecraft's writing.

A wonderful companion volume (also by Del Rey) is "Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos".

It contains the Lovecraft stories "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Haunter of the Dark" with the rest of the tales in the volume being written by other authors that were either part of the "Lovcecraft circle" or highly influenced by Lovecraft.

"Notebook found in a Deserted House" by Robert Bloch, "Sticks" by Karl Wagner, "The Hounds of Tindalos" by Frank Bellcamp Long, and "Cold Print" by Ramsey Campbell are all creepily wonderful and capture the magic of Lovecraft. Most of the others are pretty good as well.

(Unfortunately I have yet to come across in a collection the non Lovecraft tale "Down Below" that was published in Weird Tales that is a perfect bookend to the story "Pickman's model". )

Hope this was of help

Cheers

Jamie



Worth checking out and most big booksellers (Borders, Barnes and Noble) should have them.

 

[flat-top]

Thanks guys! Panache, I think I'll go for The Best of H.P. Lovecraft.
Some Amazon reviews say that Lovecraft is a difficult read. What do you guys think?

 

[dr greg]

Still waiting........

http://www.deltorofilms.com/ProjectPage.php?projectid=9
and I found a copy of this the other day too...still holds its own.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113409/

 

[Panache]

Thanks guys! Panache, I think I'll go for The Best of H.P. Lovecraft.
Some Amazon reviews say that Lovecraft is a difficult read. What do you guys think?

Lovecraft has a deliberately antiquated style and a tendency to use a rather antiquated vocabulary. (Pop Quiz everyone! Define the word "Eldrich" )

So you might need a pocket dictionary handy for the first few stories to get into the swing of reading Lovecraft. This isn't a really big deal. If you take the time to allow yourself to be drawn into his tales your efforts will be rewarded.

Lovecraft was a master of the "Cosmic Horror" story, those that give a sense to how man and his efforts are virtually insignificant to the Universe-at-large.

There are shudders to be had aplenty in his stoires.

One thing I should note, if you are expecting a lot of gory details, that many of more recent movie adaptations on his dwelt on, you will be disappointed. He tends to give you just enough for you to let your own imagination run wild.

Report back after you have given the gift and what the reaction was


Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!


Cheers

Jamie