The Lovecraft Geek

"The Temple" by H.P. Lovecraft Read by Robert M. Price

"Dagon" by H.P. Lovecraft Read by Robert M. Price

Might the success of “The Colour out of Space” both as one of my favorite stories and as one of the most popular could be due to its relative independence from the other stories, which it barely references, unburdened by the whole mythos? Do you feel that the horror genre is too formulaic? Or does this help the audience play along and enjoy it more? Please tell us about the first time you read the Dream Quest stories and what your initial thoughts were. Would you mind discussing your...

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is also one of my favorite tales, but I am confused about its ending. While exploring Curwen’s underground laboratory, Dr. Willet inadvertently calls up a being that was in jar 118. Who or what was that? Also, he makes a discovery in Charles’ room, and then calls for wood for a fire. My guess is that he found Charles’ body, and then cremated it to obtain its ‘essential saltes.’ He then raised it to find out how to defeat Curwen. Is this correct? Also, Willet...

In Weird Realism: Lovecraft and Philosophy, Graham Harman argues that Lovecraft's description of the Elder Things is intended to be nearly impossible to visualize. But hasn’t it been done by various artists? Do you know if H.P. ever said something explicit about Poe's influence on him? Perhaps a "Nodens Cycle" book is impossible due to the lack of material, but I wondered if you could help me flesh out his development as a Mythos entity and as a product of Lovecraft's thought-process. Of all...

Considering the current political climate, have you ever experienced a professional backlash for not being political correct enough? Where in Lovecraft’s letters does he mention “the Black Seal of Iraan”? Did Lovecraft struggle with depression or anxiety? Was HPL insane? If so, did it affect his writing? In first part of The Lurker at the Threshold, Ambrose Dewart visits the round tower and notes that there is one entrance, which has been bricked shut. He returns later and walks right in!...

Do you think that Lovecraft might have returned to straight science writing had he lived longer? Do you think a story can have a strong dose of humor in it and still be Lovecraftian? Wasn’t HPL’s grandfather quite wealthy? How did Lovecraft wind up dying of malnutrition because he couldn't afford the basic necessities of life? I'm contemplating writing an dramatic staged musical adaptation of The Call of Cthulhu. What aspects of the story do you think most ought to be explored, especially...

If we consider the progression of Lovecraft's work over time, how do you think his writing would have evolved? Is the elder sign’s resemblance to a masonic cross purely coincidence? What is your personal Lovecraft action figure wishlist? What are your thoughts on “The Dunwich Horror” radio adaptation from the Suspense radio program in 1945? Do you think John Dixon Carr had anything to do with the production? What was your experience with the “Trap Door Spiders” literary society like? What is...

Suppose that a Foundation type civilization encounters some non-Euclidean geometry from which enter Lovecraft's monstrous pantheon. Would such an advanced civilization be affected on the same basic level of sanity as one of Lovecraft's 1920-era protagonists? Do you feel that the excuse that Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" essentially tackled the same style of story is a sufficient reason not to make Del Toro's "Mountains of Madness" adaptation? Iâ??m curious if you are aware of a Mexican 1959...

What would you say the most underrated Lovecraft story is? What is your opinion of the "unmentionables" where it seems Lovecraft keeps things intentionally vague? What do you think finally happened to the Rue d-Auseil and to Erich Zann himself! Do you feel that Lovecraft's work is in a renaissance of sorts? What is your favorite way to consume Lovecraft's works? A leather chair by the fireplace during a crisp New England fall air? How prevalent, in your opinion, should a magical element be...

What was HPLâ??s opinion of Great Britain and its culture? Of the Empire? Or World War 1? Was he an advocate of America joining the war against Germany, or was he of a more isolationist tendency? Any comments on Stephen Kingâ??s very Lovecraftian story â??Nâ??? What did Lovecraft himself regard as his best works of fiction, and his worst? Arenâ??t there enough parallels between the Cthulhu Mythos and Godzilla films to consider the latter a species of the former? Check out the short films on...

Do you think that the Necronomicon, a holy book known as the "Dead Name Image," is meant to be an homage/parody of Jesus as â??the Wordâ?? who bears the â??Nameâ?? that is above every name? Is the racist name of Delaporeâ??s black cat perhaps intended to hint at the manâ??s slave-holding heritage from Virginia and before that Exham Priory? Could you direct me to scholarly works discussing the possible origins of HPLâ??s creations? Could you recommend other lexicons, dictionaries, timeline...

Why is â??Herbert West Re-animatorâ?? held in such low esteem? Should I feel guilty for enjoying Lovecraftâ??s fiction, since he was a racist? How come Lovecraft seems to have such a big following in Spain? Possible Hebrew roots of the name â??Shub-Niggurath.â?? Octavia E. Butler is now the face of the World Fantasy Award in place of that of the Rotten Old Racist from Providence. But sheâ??s not a fantasy writer! Rather SF. The Lovecraft influence in Andrea Pearsonâ??s novels.

Iâ??ve heard you mention that you've spent some time visiting different parts of Lovecraft's New England and was wondering what kind of experiences or comments you had relating to the settings.. What are some of the things you can gain, or miss out on, by experiencing HPL through audiobooks? Am I the only person who has noticed that L. Sprague de Camp's Al Azif is 4 pages of Syriac text, turned upside down, and repeated? I haven't tried to identify the text, but the New Testament seems a...

Is there any way to get ahold of your old Crypt of Cthulhu stuff, and/or has any of it been reproduced elsewhere? Have you considered self-publishing your annotated Lovecraft set? Zadok Allen seems to be a known drunk and babbler. The folks at innsmouth appear to have no trouble scaring out or killing any other outsider or insider that threatens their dangerous game. Why would they bother to let him live? I'd be interested to hear some of your thoughts on Lovecraft in comics, maybe broken...

What is the mysterious Sign of Koth? Regarding the recently found Lovecraft text "The Cancer of Superstition," is the manuscript for public consumption, or because it was never published the collector has no obligation to disclose the tale? With the new troves of Lovecraftian writers joining the scene in the past decade, are there also new critics on the scene who review Lovecraftâ??s works in a new light? Besides Lovecraftâ??s parody of the Nativity in â??The Dunwich Horror,â?? are there...

"How do you understand 'blasphemies' in a Lovecraftian context?"

What you think is the most satisfying Lovecraftian crossover work with an established franchise character? Is there any link to or mention in Lovecraft to Arthur Conan Doyle's work? What about with Burroughs or Howard? What is your opinion of the Sherlock Holmes stories? If one were to pick one of the ancient Christian-offshoot cults to use as the basis for a Cthulhu Mythos cult, which cult would you pick and why? What entity would the cult be dedicated to? I recently watched John...

Episode 23 - Murder House