A Lovecraft Retrospective: Artists Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft

Advantages: dark, eerie settings, very dark (so dark that I mentioned it twice!)
Disadvantages: limited characterisation, the ends are often obvious

...HPL ACTION? I'm not sure if it's still possible to get hold of any of the original magazines that HPL's stuff appeared in, but they'd probably be obscenely expensive. Fortunately for us, many of his best stories have been collected into three anthologies - H.P. Lovecraft Omnibus 1,2 and 3, which retail for £6.99 a pop. Other than that, there is a wide array of collections which feature some of his stories, although you could easily find yourself having to buy numerous repeat copies of the best known stories in order to get collections containing some of the rarer ones. In addition, if you're a fan of the Cthulhu Mythos you're in luck! HPL has inspired many authors, from the great and famous to the deservingly unknown (in which bracket I include myself!), to make their own contributions to the mythos. Consequently, there is always more... Read review

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Advantages: Dreamy, Whimsical, completely out of this world, very atmospheric
Disadvantages: Writing quite archaic, predictable

...in a library just lying about, its all quite contrived in places, but this is minor gripe as although it sticks out in the mind it doesn't really detract from story. Though what he throws at you is a more subtle fear, a gnawing tendril of paranoia that eats away at you as you read. It's not hard to dismiss what Lovecraft is rambling on about, his nattering on Shoggoths, Azarath or Cthulhu left me the reader none too impressed (Though WHAT a name Shoggoth is, Hah, I love it), sure there nice enough ideas, nothing terribly shocking or horrific to my eye. But in saying that when you take it in the context of the time it becomes a revelation, an awe inspiring gut wrenching revelation. Turn of the century writers were writing earth shattering and frighteningly mythical tales. Where on earth did they dredge up these macabre whimsies? Something... Read review

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Advantages: A wonderful blend of themes from two of my favourite authors
Disadvantages: None worth mentioning

...I originally started reading Brian Lumley's work because at the time I was reading stuff by H.P. Lovecraft and Lumley's stuff tended to occupy the whole next shelf in the horror section of Waterstones. So, imagine my joy when some Lovecraftian themes popped up in the fourth instalment of my favourite series of novels - Necroscope IV: Deadspeak. PLOT SUMMARY NECROSCOPE I - III Harry Keogh is a necroscope, indeed THE necroscope, which means he can talk to the dead! In the first instalment Harry was recruited by INTESP, the psychic branch of the British intelligence service. Also in the first novel, Harry came up against Boris Dragosani, a necromancer, a man who could interrogate the dead by means of making them feel the pain of the torture he was inflicting on their corpse. Dragosani learned this skill from Thibor Ferenczy, a buried... Read review

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