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His use of language is indomitable, as exemplified by this description of the Cthulhu idol:Ībove these apparent hieroglyphics was a figure of evidently pictorial intent, though its impressionistic execution forbade a very clear idea of its nature.
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Even many of the major revelations about Cthulhu, because Thurston isn’t the one directly experiencing them, doesn’t hit as hard as it could have. However, because of the various perspective shifts (he reads an article at one point), he drifts into the background in most cases. Again, though, that’s because of the modern exposure that Cthulhu has had in pop culture.Īs a character, Thurston takes the initiative to investigate most of the story. Already knowing who or what Cthulhu is, the mystery rang a bit hollow to me. The investigation is at the center of the story, and the plot revolves around these mysteries. Once the name Cthulhu is explored, there’s a mystery about what it is. There’s an overall mystery involved, specifically starting with what the idol represents, then moving into the various cults surrounding the idol. The first section is about a disgusting clay idol he finds, the second concerns a voodoo cult, and the third describes a creature observed in the ocean. The story concerns the investigation by Francis Thurston into his late uncle’s work. In Lovecraft’s work, these things cause insanity and are grotesque monstrosities alien to human intelligence. There are dark things, ancient things, in the distant reaches of space. Getting into the actual text, Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos changed horror forever, and solidified the idea of “cosmic horror”. Howard or Clark Ashton Smith (and he was friendly with both), and I find the stories of any of these authors to stand on their own even today. His work and stories are comparable to Robert E. They’re remembered fondly and elevated above the work of other pulp authors from that golden age, but I suspect it’s more so to do with Lovecraft’s incredible vocabulary. The works Lovecraft published are solidly in the “weird” genre of early pulp stories, specifically they have elements of both horror and science fiction. Besides, ancient aliens that are far more powerful than “civilized man” doesn’t seem to fit that idea. As mentioned before, I won’t be directly addressing Lovecraft’s personal beliefs of race or immigration I don’t think they’re really pertinent aside from a possible xenophobic bend to his mindset. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu” is a short story published in Weird Tales in 1928.