The Vistas!
October 18, 2010 11:05 AM Subscribe
Read any good books lately? How about bad books? With Halloween around the corner, maybe we should take a moment to revisit The Necronomicon. (slyt)
*gibbers*
posted by benzenedream at 11:12 AM on October 18, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by benzenedream at 11:12 AM on October 18, 2010 [4 favorites]
Most people just read the Latin, so much better in the original Aklo.
posted by Artw at 11:16 AM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Artw at 11:16 AM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
Necronomicon is for dabblers; it's Pnakotic Manuscripts or nothing for me.
Also, this stuff is getting a little old, even for me.
posted by Mister_A at 11:21 AM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, this stuff is getting a little old, even for me.
posted by Mister_A at 11:21 AM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Right now, before anyone gets started--it's Cthulhu. Not Cthulu. Cthulhu.
Oh sure, but how do you tend to pronounce "R'lyeh"? Don't tell me, you say "Ry-leh" to avoid the darker consequences of correct pronunciation.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 11:22 AM on October 18, 2010
Oh sure, but how do you tend to pronounce "R'lyeh"? Don't tell me, you say "Ry-leh" to avoid the darker consequences of correct pronunciation.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 11:22 AM on October 18, 2010
Do not go down into any tunnels with cultists you don't know. Seriously.
posted by Artw at 11:24 AM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 11:24 AM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
It would have been less funny if I hadn't been hit up on in exactly that way by proselytizing Christians in college.
posted by immlass at 11:29 AM on October 18, 2010
posted by immlass at 11:29 AM on October 18, 2010
Also, this stuff is getting a little old, even for me.
Another one falls by the wayside.
posted by New England Cultist at 11:31 AM on October 18, 2010
Another one falls by the wayside.
posted by New England Cultist at 11:31 AM on October 18, 2010
Hey, I'm still down with chthonian horrors and gibbering madness!
posted by Mister_A at 11:32 AM on October 18, 2010
posted by Mister_A at 11:32 AM on October 18, 2010
Cthulhu - "[voiceless velar fricative] - thool - hoo."
R'lyeh - "[uvular trill] - lee - eggggggghhhhhhhhhh."
Yog-Sothoth - "Fan-shaw."
posted by Iridic at 11:50 AM on October 18, 2010 [9 favorites]
R'lyeh - "[uvular trill] - lee - eggggggghhhhhhhhhh."
Yog-Sothoth - "Fan-shaw."
posted by Iridic at 11:50 AM on October 18, 2010 [9 favorites]
Elder Sign - Star or twig?
Oh, and this should probably be where I mention that Yog Sothoth Dot Com now has a new podcast... News from Pnakotus, "a periodic podcast covering all things Lovecraftian, weird and Cthulhu-related. " - Chris Lacky of the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast co-hosts.
posted by Artw at 11:56 AM on October 18, 2010
Oh, and this should probably be where I mention that Yog Sothoth Dot Com now has a new podcast... News from Pnakotus, "a periodic podcast covering all things Lovecraftian, weird and Cthulhu-related. " - Chris Lacky of the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast co-hosts.
posted by Artw at 11:56 AM on October 18, 2010
When this goes horribly wrong, know that there is only one way to pacify the Necronomicon...
Klaatu Barada... Necktie... Nectar.... Nickel.
Noodle?
Definitely an "N" word.
posted by quin at 11:59 AM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
Klaatu Barada... Necktie... Nectar.... Nickel.
Noodle?
Definitely an "N" word.
posted by quin at 11:59 AM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
Yog-Sothoth - "Fan-shaw."
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
posted by alasdair at 12:00 PM on October 18, 2010
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
posted by alasdair at 12:00 PM on October 18, 2010
THE GOAT WITH TEN THOUSAND YOUNG WILL OVERTHINK A PLATE OF BEANS.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:05 PM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:05 PM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
Also, this stuff is getting a little old, even for me.
Christ, I know. It's got an antagonist called "The Dentist"?!? Snow Crash was good, 'tho.
posted by sebastienbailard at 12:10 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Christ, I know. It's got an antagonist called "The Dentist"?!? Snow Crash was good, 'tho.
posted by sebastienbailard at 12:10 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Not to say that Dentists aren't terrifying in their own right. (Not dentist-ist)
posted by sebastienbailard at 12:10 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by sebastienbailard at 12:10 PM on October 18, 2010
I've never read Lovecraft.
I feel like I've osmosed a lot of the salient references from many of my friends.
As for other excellent scary books: doesn't get better than reading Dracula for the first time.
He's the One, True Vampire. Edward and Lestat can just suck it.
as it were...
posted by SaharaRose at 12:10 PM on October 18, 2010
I feel like I've osmosed a lot of the salient references from many of my friends.
As for other excellent scary books: doesn't get better than reading Dracula for the first time.
He's the One, True Vampire. Edward and Lestat can just suck it.
as it were...
posted by SaharaRose at 12:10 PM on October 18, 2010
only vistas huh?
posted by ShawnString at 12:11 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by ShawnString at 12:11 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
I've never read Lovecraft.
Where to start
posted by Artw at 12:16 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Where to start
posted by Artw at 12:16 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm trying to figure out if sebastienbailard is kidding or not.
posted by Navelgazer at 12:16 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by Navelgazer at 12:16 PM on October 18, 2010
And remember, the magic words are: Klaatu barada nikto.
posted by Comrade_robot at 12:25 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by Comrade_robot at 12:25 PM on October 18, 2010
Y’AI ’NG’NGAH,
YOG-SOTHOTH
H’EE—L’GEB
F’AI THRODOG
UAAAH
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:04 PM on October 18, 2010
YOG-SOTHOTH
H’EE—L’GEB
F’AI THRODOG
UAAAH
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:04 PM on October 18, 2010
Where to start
Word on the street is that the recent three Penguin editions have the most authoritative versions of the text available. They're annotated by S.T. Joshi (and may make the Annotated H.P. Lovecraft and More Annotated H.P. Lovecraft entirely redundant -- I'm still waiting for two of the Penguins to arrive so I can compare.) I'd advise against the Barnes & Noble complete collected Lovecraft which has obvious typos (and is too big to hold) -- I'm going to be getting rid of mine. And here's Kenneth Hite's selection of which Lovecraft stories are great.
Last week I scored the three impossible-to-find-at-non-ludicrous-prices volumes of the Arkham House Selected Letters of Lovecraft on Ebay for (relatively) cheap. I was hoping a thread would come up where I could boast about that...
posted by Zed at 1:06 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Word on the street is that the recent three Penguin editions have the most authoritative versions of the text available. They're annotated by S.T. Joshi (and may make the Annotated H.P. Lovecraft and More Annotated H.P. Lovecraft entirely redundant -- I'm still waiting for two of the Penguins to arrive so I can compare.) I'd advise against the Barnes & Noble complete collected Lovecraft which has obvious typos (and is too big to hold) -- I'm going to be getting rid of mine. And here's Kenneth Hite's selection of which Lovecraft stories are great.
Last week I scored the three impossible-to-find-at-non-ludicrous-prices volumes of the Arkham House Selected Letters of Lovecraft on Ebay for (relatively) cheap. I was hoping a thread would come up where I could boast about that...
posted by Zed at 1:06 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
oooh - thanks for that. I was actually looking for that list and for some reason never managed to find it.
posted by Artw at 1:10 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by Artw at 1:10 PM on October 18, 2010
Somewhere around here I have my Miskatonic U t-shirt. Oddly enough I haven't seen it since I tried to explain the reference to my wife.
posted by JaredSeth at 1:13 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by JaredSeth at 1:13 PM on October 18, 2010
With Halloween around the corner, maybe we should take a moment to revisit The Necronomicon.
I associate it more with Christmas.
posted by homunculus at 1:17 PM on October 18, 2010
I associate it more with Christmas.
posted by homunculus at 1:17 PM on October 18, 2010
Yeah, I was rereading some Tour de Lovecraft on his blog and was happy to find he'd actually enumerated them. (I was going to buy Tour de Lovecraft but it's out of print and instantly skyrocketed to silly prices. Hite referred in passing to a second printing but I see no actual plans for such.)
posted by Zed at 1:28 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by Zed at 1:28 PM on October 18, 2010
I have a copy but until we get proper shelving in our house I'm pretty sure I'll never see it again as the piles of books have formed a non-euclidean mess.
I would check local games and comic stores - I'm pretty sure I've seen a few copies at Gary's Games in Seattle at non-stupid prices for example. The prices you are seeing on the internets are the results of idiots, scalpers and scanbots, and I;m pretty cure than no real person has ever paid them.
posted by Artw at 1:31 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I would check local games and comic stores - I'm pretty sure I've seen a few copies at Gary's Games in Seattle at non-stupid prices for example. The prices you are seeing on the internets are the results of idiots, scalpers and scanbots, and I;m pretty cure than no real person has ever paid them.
posted by Artw at 1:31 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I would check local games and comic stores
Good idea.
The prices you are seeing on the internets are the results of idiots, scalpers and scanbots, and I;m pretty cure than no real person has ever paid them.
Yeah, I suspect it's the phenomenon not that girl referred to here.
posted by Zed at 1:37 PM on October 18, 2010
Good idea.
The prices you are seeing on the internets are the results of idiots, scalpers and scanbots, and I;m pretty cure than no real person has ever paid them.
Yeah, I suspect it's the phenomenon not that girl referred to here.
posted by Zed at 1:37 PM on October 18, 2010
I'm reticent to trade in my worn-out Del Rey paperbacks, but I think I might need to get the Penguin editions. Good call-out...
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 1:46 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 1:46 PM on October 18, 2010
Yeah, I suspect it's the phenomenon not that girl referred to here.
It pretty much kills anyones chances to get Delta Green materials at decent prices, which is something I'm sad about.
posted by Artw at 1:48 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
It pretty much kills anyones chances to get Delta Green materials at decent prices, which is something I'm sad about.
posted by Artw at 1:48 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
So much for my plans to make a sytcom called "Life of R'lyeh."
posted by Eideteker at 1:56 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by Eideteker at 1:56 PM on October 18, 2010
Thanks too Alan Moore I may never be able to read the words "three lobed burning eye" again without a very different set of associations.
posted by Artw at 1:59 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by Artw at 1:59 PM on October 18, 2010
I feel like I've osmosed a lot of the salient references from many of my friends.
Well, too often, Lovecraft joke-references could mislead one to believe that his work's about "things with tentacles want to eat you." But the real horror in Lovecraft lies not in the existence of powerful entities with malice toward humans, but that for the really powerful entities, we're entirely beneath contempt or notice. If we get underfoot, we'll be stepped on; if we don't, we won't. And, either way, we'll never understand why, which we should count as a blessed relief, because before we could understand how the universe works, we'd go crazy in the attempt.
I find it reassuring.
posted by Zed at 2:09 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Well, too often, Lovecraft joke-references could mislead one to believe that his work's about "things with tentacles want to eat you." But the real horror in Lovecraft lies not in the existence of powerful entities with malice toward humans, but that for the really powerful entities, we're entirely beneath contempt or notice. If we get underfoot, we'll be stepped on; if we don't, we won't. And, either way, we'll never understand why, which we should count as a blessed relief, because before we could understand how the universe works, we'd go crazy in the attempt.
I find it reassuring.
posted by Zed at 2:09 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
De Vermis Mysteriis is a pretty good read too. Cultes des Goules is over-rated and the English translation I have always tries to keep the same metre in English as the original French which makes the English so horribly stilted. I think the Toronto Public Library system still has a copy of Parchments of Pnom if you know which librarian to ask and if you have an Elder Sign to protect you. Unaussprechlichen Kulten is more practically oriented than the Necronomicon.
Anyone want to have a meetup to put on a performance of The King in Yellow?
posted by GuyZero at 2:11 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Anyone want to have a meetup to put on a performance of The King in Yellow?
posted by GuyZero at 2:11 PM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Do not go down into any tunnels with cultists you don't know. Seriously.
I did that once and inadvertently made "The Yellow Sign." It did not work as I had been told it would.
posted by GuyZero at 2:15 PM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
I did that once and inadvertently made "The Yellow Sign." It did not work as I had been told it would.
posted by GuyZero at 2:15 PM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
I can vouch for the Penguin Classics editions. The quality of the texts is excellent, and Joshi provides copious endnotes, thorough bibliographies, and insightful commentary.
(Although I can't say I really go for his analysis of At The Mountains of Madness.)
posted by magnificent frigatebird at 4:13 PM on October 18, 2010
(Although I can't say I really go for his analysis of At The Mountains of Madness.)
posted by magnificent frigatebird at 4:13 PM on October 18, 2010
Ooh, you guys just reminded me that I DLed The Complete Lovecraft on my Nook like a week ago (for two bucks!). Time to go read.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:30 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:30 PM on October 18, 2010
This shouldn't be a SL post. The companion Elder Sign commercial is an equally great parody of another set of commercial conventions.
(h/t to the Gangrene Film Festival, where I saw both in September)
posted by weston at 6:32 PM on October 18, 2010
(h/t to the Gangrene Film Festival, where I saw both in September)
posted by weston at 6:32 PM on October 18, 2010
sorry weston, I watched that one as well and considered pairing them up for the post
posted by mannequito at 7:34 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by mannequito at 7:34 PM on October 18, 2010
Scooby Doo Vs (thinly veiled) Lovecraft - with Harlan Ellison!
posted by Artw at 10:57 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by Artw at 10:57 PM on October 18, 2010
Zoinks!
Does Harlan grab Velma's tits at any point?
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:23 AM on October 19, 2010
Does Harlan grab Velma's tits at any point?
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:23 AM on October 19, 2010
But the real horror in Lovecraft lies not in the existence of powerful entities with malice toward humans, but that for the really powerful entities, we're entirely beneath contempt or notice.
This is an excellent point. August Derleth, Lovecraft's friend and publisher is one of the main culprits in this, as he consistently tried to recast HPL's main themes of cosmic horror, fear of the unthinkable and insanity into a traditional good-vs-evil narrative, inventing several Elder Pokemon along the way.
posted by Dr Dracator at 4:45 AM on October 19, 2010
This is an excellent point. August Derleth, Lovecraft's friend and publisher is one of the main culprits in this, as he consistently tried to recast HPL's main themes of cosmic horror, fear of the unthinkable and insanity into a traditional good-vs-evil narrative, inventing several Elder Pokemon along the way.
posted by Dr Dracator at 4:45 AM on October 19, 2010
You can keep you Necronomican. I prefer Funk Phenonmenon
posted by stormpooper at 6:27 AM on October 19, 2010
posted by stormpooper at 6:27 AM on October 19, 2010
Last night I finally watched the linked video and the Elder Sign commercial. Good stuff -- is the Necronomican one spoofing a specific bible commercial?
posted by Zed at 9:57 AM on October 19, 2010
posted by Zed at 9:57 AM on October 19, 2010
Does Harlan grab Velma's tits at any point?
They didn't water Ellison down at all. He told Velma "jinkies" wasn't a real word & ripped Shaggy a new one for using "like" as a pause.
posted by Artw at 10:47 AM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
They didn't water Ellison down at all. He told Velma "jinkies" wasn't a real word & ripped Shaggy a new one for using "like" as a pause.
posted by Artw at 10:47 AM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is this serious or meant to be a spoof? I was wondering throughout when the canned laughter might ring out, but I guess it's a genuine ad?!?
posted by groggi42 at 11:16 AM on October 19, 2010
posted by groggi42 at 11:16 AM on October 19, 2010
Sometimes things are made more funny by playing it completely straight and not telling the audience "you should be laughing, just like this..."
posted by quin at 11:41 AM on October 19, 2010
posted by quin at 11:41 AM on October 19, 2010
may make the Annotated H.P. Lovecraft and More Annotated H.P. Lovecraft entirely redundant
I checked the notes in Penguin's "Call of Cthulhu" against the ones in More Annotated Lovecraft. The text of the notes is different and generally a little shorter in the Penguin. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Joshi can go on. The Penguin's notes omitted (or maybe just put in a place I haven't found yet) a good story about how "Call of Cthulhu" was originally rejected by Weird Tales. Another writer, during a meeting with the editor (knowing of the rejection), casually brought up how he'd read Lovecraft's latest story, and how great it was. And Lovecraft had been talking about sending it to venues other than Weird Tales; the writer could only but assume Lovecraft was intent on expanding his audience. It worked, and the editor bought it.
So (based on comparing just some of the notes in just one story), I think I'll be keeping my Annotated Lovecraft volumes, but if I didn't already have them, I wouldn't feel a great need to seek them out to supplement the Penguins.
posted by Zed at 9:36 AM on October 20, 2010
I checked the notes in Penguin's "Call of Cthulhu" against the ones in More Annotated Lovecraft. The text of the notes is different and generally a little shorter in the Penguin. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Joshi can go on. The Penguin's notes omitted (or maybe just put in a place I haven't found yet) a good story about how "Call of Cthulhu" was originally rejected by Weird Tales. Another writer, during a meeting with the editor (knowing of the rejection), casually brought up how he'd read Lovecraft's latest story, and how great it was. And Lovecraft had been talking about sending it to venues other than Weird Tales; the writer could only but assume Lovecraft was intent on expanding his audience. It worked, and the editor bought it.
So (based on comparing just some of the notes in just one story), I think I'll be keeping my Annotated Lovecraft volumes, but if I didn't already have them, I wouldn't feel a great need to seek them out to supplement the Penguins.
posted by Zed at 9:36 AM on October 20, 2010
Well, you know, you're going want to want your Tour De Lovecraft and your HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast to go with that as well...
posted by Artw at 9:38 AM on October 20, 2010
posted by Artw at 9:38 AM on October 20, 2010
I've downloaded all the HPLLPs and plan to listen along as I reread the HPL, and to reread the Tour on Hite's blog. But I'll be hoping for a second printing. (Downtown Berkeley's game stores didn't have the Tour, but Games of Berkeley did have Where the Deep Ones Are and The Antarctic Express, which look adorable.)
posted by Zed at 9:47 AM on October 20, 2010
posted by Zed at 9:47 AM on October 20, 2010
To be honest, I'm not sure the print version has that much over the web one other than convenience, better formatting and a nice introduction, so I wouldn't sweat it too much.
posted by Artw at 9:51 AM on October 20, 2010
posted by Artw at 9:51 AM on October 20, 2010
(That said, it's always nice to give back a little when someone has done a good job on something, and buying the thing would be a good way of doing that, if it were available)
posted by Artw at 9:52 AM on October 20, 2010
posted by Artw at 9:52 AM on October 20, 2010
And with Halloween approaching, let me point everyone toward "The Great Old Pumpkin" (audio recording) by Mefi's own Sauce Trough (previously recommended here four years ago by people who weren't even me.)
posted by Zed at 9:53 AM on October 20, 2010
posted by Zed at 9:53 AM on October 20, 2010
To be honest, I'm not sure the print version has that much over the web one other than convenience, better formatting and a nice introduction, so I wouldn't sweat it too much.
I've heard that Elder Signs made on the Kindle work OK but they don't work at all on the iPad. I think it's the contrast ratio.
posted by GuyZero at 10:19 AM on October 20, 2010
I've heard that Elder Signs made on the Kindle work OK but they don't work at all on the iPad. I think it's the contrast ratio.
posted by GuyZero at 10:19 AM on October 20, 2010
Well, you lot all use the fucking star version, which is wrong and won't work properly anyway.
posted by Artw at 10:25 AM on October 20, 2010
posted by Artw at 10:25 AM on October 20, 2010
Whoever made signs for Wikipedia appears to have thrown every 90s style photoshop filter they have at them, god knows what effect that would have. Ia! Ia! Kai's Powertools!
posted by Artw at 10:27 AM on October 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 10:27 AM on October 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Disco!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:49 AM on October 20, 2010
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:49 AM on October 20, 2010
I can vouch for the Penguin Classics editions.
Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!
posted by benzenedream at 12:04 PM on October 20, 2010
Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!
posted by benzenedream at 12:04 PM on October 20, 2010
Some day I need to make these bigger. And fix that apostrophe.
posted by Artw at 3:19 PM on October 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 3:19 PM on October 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
A couple of years back I went as Ash from Evil Dead II for Halloween. I made my own Necronomicon prop by painting with acrylics on a hardcover notebook I bought (it's my profile pic). I also hacked open one of those "record your voice" greeting cards, and recorded the "I'LL SWALLOW YOUR SOUL" line from the movie on it, and rigged it so when you open the Necronomicon it starts screaming at you. That was awesome, and you shoulda seen my chainsaw hand! I'm entirely too into Halloween. And Evil Dead II.
posted by Hoopo at 11:25 AM on October 26, 2010
posted by Hoopo at 11:25 AM on October 26, 2010
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posted by MrMoonPie at 11:10 AM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]