H. P. Lovecraft

On this day, 79 years ago, Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 - March 15, 1937) died. Followers of this blog know that I think it's more significant to honor death anniversaries because it's only at someone's death that you acknowledge the full significance of their life- in Lovecraft's case you have to acknowledge the good and the bad.

H.P. Lovecraft, is greatly admired by many of the writers that I admire. There are many, many  seriously devoted Lovecraft followers and I won't even attempt to jump into the issues modern-readers have with Lovecraft's racist beliefs.  But, in full disclosure, I've tried reading Lovecraft at various times and he never really stuck with me. I want to be part of the cult that knows how to pronounce Cthulhu though, so I haven't given up. Fortunately, I think I've found a website to rejuvenate my interest. It's called the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society.

The HPLHS (for short) promotes a live-action roleplaying game called Cthulhu Lives! Sorry, that's not the part that interests me (though knock yourself out it you're into that.) What caught my interest at HPLHS is their online store.  You can purchase a CD of dramatizations of Lovecraft's stories as they might have been read on the radio during Lovecraft's lifetime. It's called the Dark Adventure Radio Theatre. I love this idea! Maybe if I heard the stories read aloud I would fall in love with them too. It's worth a shot, right?

Dark Adventure Radio Theatre

There are boxed sets and individual stories to purchase. I think this could keep my busy for awhile.

If you're a visual person, they also have several movies! Yes, they have made films using a process they call Mythoscope which mixes vintage and modern techniques to recreate Lovecraft's stories. There are five different films to choose from and I think I need to check these out too.

H.P. Lovecraft Movies

The store also carries t-shirts, jewelry, and accessories that honor Lovecraft. You should take a look at all of it. 

If you're a t-shirt wearing person who loves Lovecraft, I suggest you head over to RedBubble. I swear they always have the best t-shirt designs. The Cthulhu/Kool-Aid reference one is hysterical.