Poll: Do YOU know who H.P.Lovecraft is?

[Commissar Sae]

I know of, Have read his work and I loved it.
I have "The Cthulhu Mythos" book with him and a bunch of other writers in it (Some being close friend to him when he was alive)
Need to get my hands on the other books with his work in it.

There are some pretty good stories by other writers in that collection. The Hounds of Tindalos being one of my favorites.

That said I'm a big fan of Lovecraft. So far I've only gotten a few of my friends to read it (both of whom are now addicted) but most of the others at least have an idea who he was. The evenings spent playing Arkham Horror have helped that somewhat.

Have to say my favorite story by him has to be: 'At the Mountains of Madness'. The way it builds up is pretty damn enthralling to read.

 

[Commissar Sae]

Nyarlathotep> Cthulu. Just sayin'

Azathoth > Nyalarthotep, I do declare it to be 'on' fair sir.

 

[Flight]

I don't really like his writing style. I like a couple of his stories, but for the most part, it just isn't my thing. That, and his racism shows quite a bit in some of his works. I understand that people thought differently back then, but it still influences my general dislike of his work.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

The Shadow over Innsmouth is definately one of my all time favourite short stories. Yes, I've read most of his published works.

 

[Lexodus]

EDIT: I'm well aware the all-important "heard but not read" option is missing, this is a strange problem to be sure

2nd EDIT: carry on as you were...

Just got back from a Father's Day meal with Dad.

Between courses, looking for something to entertain myself with, I put my hand over my mouth to imitate tendrils and said "Guess Who?"

"Who?" says my dad

"Cuthooloo!" (Cthulu). He was confused, and moreso when I explained that it was one of Lovecraft's stories. Turns out none of my family have ever heard of the Necrocommunicon writer.

I've NEVER read a single Lovecraft, but I at least KNOW who he is (enough to know that Cthulhu's incantation has "P'htaang" in it)

Just to be sure, have you ever read any Lovecraft? Which one(s)? Did you like them?

Necrocommunicon? You mean the Necronomicon?

I read it, loved it. Especially the Music of Erich Zahn. Still kinda creeps me out to this day

 

[ThaBenMan]

I've read a fair amount of Lovecraft, good stuff. My favorite work of his is probably the novella The Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath, which seems to be one of his more unpopular stories. It might be because it's more of a blend and horror and fantasy than his other stuff, but I think it's great. Clark Ashton Smith was a contemporary of Lovecraft and wrote very similar material - he's definitely worth checking out, too.

 

[monkyvirus]

never heard of him but I guess this is where the whole Cthulu thing came from? I was really confused one year there was no mention of Cthulu and then everywhere even vaguely nerdy I looked there was a squid thing and yells of CTHULUUUUUUU!!!

wait I just did a wiki.... he wrote it in 1926? then why has it only become a major craze now...

 

[jeejvebe]

Like most people here I've never read anything by him, but I know a bit about him and his works.

 

[atalanta]

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

I'm partial to The Shadow Over Innsmouth and The Colour out of Space

Lovecraft himself was pretty fascinating, too. He was immensely, deeply weird.

 

[Commissar Sae]

never heard of him but I guess this is where the whole Cthulu thing came from? I was really confused one year there was no mention of Cthulu and then everywhere even vaguely nerdy I looked there was a squid thing and yells of CTHULUUUUUUU!!!

wait I just did a wiki.... he wrote it in 1926? then why has it only become a major craze now...

It's actually been part of a strong subculture since the 30's. The internet just spread it further. Cthulhu showed up in the first edition of dungeons and dragons for example. Like all subcultures the internet age has facilitated mass dispersal of ideas.

 

[Kris015]

I read one of his books awhile ago after listening to Metallica - The Thing That Should Not Be. I thought it would be quite interesting since I love reading lyrics and stuff.

 

[ARatherHandsomeGent]

I remember hearing it mentioned somewhere but not knowing anything about it, so I'm a ''who''.

 

[CK76]

Stuff is free to read online, and many short stories take an hour at most to read. So, work out folks.

For me, I grew up reading Lovecraft from about age 12, use of language is really fun and rarely a happy story for the protagonist.

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

I read his works often. My favorite's "The Outsider."

 

[SonOfIkaros]

I've read pretty much all of his stuff, from his early ones to his very last, though there are a few that I haven't read yet. I've read everything in the Cthulhu-cycle, and almost everything in the Poe-cycle, but I've skipped out on much of the Dunsany-cycle (my least favorite of the three; the style just doesn't suit Lovecraft if you ask me).

He's one of my favorite authors of all time, and is something of an idol for me (I have aspirations of becoming a writer myself one day, though I'm horrible at it and I'll probably never get anywhere). I have a mixed relationship with his texts; most of the time I like them, but his style gets very dry and monotonous at times, but as a writer I admire him immensely.

The Cthulhu Mythos is such a fantastic idea, and Lovecraft executed it brilliantly. I'm always saddened to see that it's pretty much degenerated into a stupid internet meme these days... Pretty much everyone knows Cthulhu and most of the more recognizable quotes, but none of them really know Lovecraft. If you say things like, "In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming," most people will instantly respond, but name characters like Asenath Waite, Herbest West, Professor Henry Armitage, Wilbur Whateley, etc. and they'll just scratch their heads.
And it's a shame, really, because there's so much more to the Mythos and Lovecraft in general than just Cthulhu and that stupid internet meme.

I'm glad to see so many people in this thread really know him and have read his stories. It's great to see there's still people keeping the old Mythos alive.

Aaaaaanyway, sorry, as you can see I get pretty carried away when I talk about Lovecraft. As for my favorite stories, those would probably be Pickman's Model, The Call of Cthulhu, The Thing on the Doorstep (easily one of his best), Under the Pyramids, The Colour Out of Space, and probably a few others I've forgotten.

Sorry for the long post, guys.

I preferred colour out of space myself. My favourite one though, I can't remember its name. Its the one with the escape artist underneath the pyramids.

That would be Under the Pyramids, and it's one of my own favorites too! It's such an underrated story, I think it's really really good but most people I know pass it off as rather mediocre. Oh well, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

 

[katsabas]

Heard, not red. He is the guy that wrote the necronomicon right? Heard a joke about it in YUGIOH Abridged.

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

I preferred colour out of space myself. My favourite one though, I can't remember its name. Its the one with the escape artist underneath the pyramids.

That would be Under the Pyramids, and it's one of my own favorites too! It's such an underrated story, I think it's really really good but most people I know pass it off as rather mediocre. Oh well, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Looking at the contents page in my necronomicon, i feel rather stupid for not finding that earlier.

 

[reg42]

I've heard of him, but I haven't read anything by him. Someone told me he only wrote novellas so that kind of dulled my interest.

 

[Call4Duty]

There's No "Read but indifferent option" either... which is me. They didn't blow my mind but I can't say I hated it.

 

[Poofs]

i know Lovecraft and Cthulhu
only read War of the Worlds though