By Alex Ness
September 25, 2022
THE WORLD AROUND US
Continuing mass shootings in America, War in Ukraine, Pandemic closing cities around the world, Monkeypox being spread through intimate contact around the world, Abortion losing federal support, and the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, all have made we as Americans, and I suspect the entire world aware of the absurdity of life, and difficulty of existence. If you extend the world in madness, start in 2001 and work your way up through the years, with terrorism, grave natural disasters, Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, and more. Life itself does not happen in a vacuum, however much we might prefer that. We are all confronted by the choices others make, along with our own, and rather than rise to the occasion, it seems to me we are choosing to ignore the events, continue our flawed practices, and assume if it didn't happen directly to us, then we are lucky.
I have long thought about the world I live in. Sometimes I've been told I think too much. 30 years ago when I was in grad school I was called a simple minded fool for saying America would elect a Black President in 20 years, and that there surely would be mass pandemics in 30 years, the sort that would kill many. I also suggested that the desire for gun control will lead to a reworking of the second amendment through laws and referendums. I am not a great gun advocate, per se, yet I do see the second amendment as being far more important than those suggesting it shouldn't be allowed. The US was born from revolution and war. It left the British Empire because the government treated Americans as less than equal, and utilized their homes, labor, and property for their own purposes. And perhaps the only reason they successfully left the empire was their guns and willingness to fight.
We live in an era of war and rumors of war, disaster from nature and those by our own hand, and the consequences of living in a wealthy country that has yet to address the role of racism in America, and how the legacy of slavery doesn't just pass like vapors in the wind. I also see violence as having the potential to turn our great country into an armed camp, with resolutions of issues coming at the barrel of a gun.
TO ENTER THE CTHULHU MYTHOS
H.P. Lovecraft had an outlook upon the world that was dark, cold and logical. He had views that were problematic for those in the present. But his idea that aliens of great power, difference of form, and malice, could come to earth and be perceived as gods, is enormously important and well considered. His work was made greater by sharing it with others.
I mentioned in a previous article that there were books to start reading various authors that would give the reader a better ability to assess an author, or particularly, enjoy that author's works. Those were chosen on single authors, and I suggested then that a larger subject, such as the shared universe of the Cthulhu/Lovecraft mythos would be different, if not more difficult to present. There are many reasons for this, such as being due to the number of participants, the different ideas presented, and the almost 100 years of its existence.
I absolutely love the quality of works considered, as well as the depth of ideas found in the shared universe. Some have pointed out that Lovecraft contributions were a sort of pure entry, since it came from the original mind of the universe. Others have suggested that while those entries might be good, they are no better than the additional works compiled contemporaneously and much later. That isn't to say Lovecraft sucked, it is to say that some very talented people added to the universe. A number of people have criticized the work of August Derleth, and that he changed the universe with his efforts to create a more traditional backdrop, with good and evil, physical and spiritual gods and more. But, I'd like to point out, that not only did he do that, for better or worse, he also created a publishing house that was established for the most part to collect, archive, share the works of Lovecraft. It seems to me that someone who took such steps might have had less creative talent than Lovecraft, but his acts as a publisher helped preserve and save the original works for all to read. That to me is something quite good, and perhaps even selfless. (I confess, I don't know the finances of Arkham House, for all I know it could have been a lucrative endeavor.)
There are mass collections of Lovecraft, but the Omnibus shown is perfect, and I included a collection from Lovecraft's poetry, not just because I love poetry either. His work is many faceted, and I suggest that his poetry is just as interesting and dark as his prose, and as poetry goes, it is pretty damn good. Lovecraft's work is easy to find, so, any collection might do well for the reader, but the books shown are all perfectly edited, lovely physical books.
I've included a selection of four non Lovecraft books that collect works by others. The best among them for me is Cthulhu the Mythos and Kindred Horrors by Robert E. Howard is a volume that adds to the mythos, understands it perfectly, and expands the universe by showing what can be done. The Disciples of Cthulhu is mostly great, with some lesser quality works, but there is within it an understanding that some who add to the universe are not attempted to change or alter the known world, but to "play" in it. Which is fine.
The final group is by August Derleth. He did rework some pieces by Lovecraft to add his own work, but he also wrote works that were entirely his own. And, if you like them or not, they are well written, add a different flavor and angle to the mythos and shared universe and give the reader pause to ask themselves if the works don't offer a perhaps more nuanced take on the shared universe.
(I
haven't included in this a list of Brian Lumley's Cthulhu tales, but
that is solely because I included him in the Author starter sets that I
referred to above. After Robert E. Howard, Lumley is easily at least tied for my favorite
author with Clark Ashton Smith and Lord Dunsany, within the circle of Lovecraft writings and authors contributing
to the Cthulhu universe.)
FAERIES & MAGIC ITEMS
Some have asked where I got my
inspiration to write my own Faeries book. And I confess, I don't really
know the answer. While I did love Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene, that
was an allegory so the aim there was less the story of faeries as it was
Queen Elizabeth I in the guise of a perfectly beautific and wise queen
of the faeries. I enjoy the many King Arthur and similar tales, but the
more folk tale the stories get the less I tended to like them. Perhaps I
was drawn to the concept more than anything, of being so joyful in life
they dance, they are happy, even as the world around them might be in
chaos or sorrow. But there are some wonderful stories that were told that came before the
others. The Genre of Fantasy is my favorite, and three of these came
before most others, and shared a vision of that world that was magical,
and tempting.
The Magic Ring didn't use cliche or tropes. It told a new kind of story, and it was written before the common fantasy tale was established. The Magic Ring does borrow from ancient texts, literary traditions, but does so with a sense of unity of aim. It feels Germanic, calls upon the Viking/Icelandic ideals and stories, pays homage to the Arthurian tales, and even offers Gothic horror or nightmares. A knightly quest sends warriors to far corners of the known world, and magic and treasure are just a couple aims of the quest.
The Magic Goblet is the focal point of an odd but wonderful tale. A Swedish village is to have a new church built, but the daughter of the provost shatters a goblet, with an unknown arcane past, the tale is set to go into dark and unchartered territory. The architect of the new church is a local celebrity, being of high class, handsome looks, and he is a charmer. The local women flirt and angle to collect his attention, but the realm is shaken to learn, not all that is beautiful to view, is good at its core. The goblet and the human interaction make for a complex tour of human emotions, magic, and dark motives.
I included Undine by the author of the Magic Ring, not due to its mastery and excellence, but because it shows how myth and lore can be reimagined and repurposed for new tales. In the story a knight named Huldebrand marries a water spirit named Undine. The love story is tragic and perfectly written. It is a fairy tale, one like those it pays homage toward, and to those tales later inspired by it.
SPIES, COUP ATTEMPTS, & ASSASSINS
So, my movie watching has evolved from watching documentaries and cooking shows, into watching movies featuring similar themes. Watching one area often leads to watching others, many being complex in outlook, and perhaps even related in terms of cast or director, theme or subject matter. Youtube and archive.org offer movies that are out of the public eye, or forgotten or simply not available elsewhere, which means I am very grateful for their existence.
Recently, I've been digging into the Cold War. The Manchurian Candidate is the result of such a war, and the paranoia that grew due to the conflict. I love Frank Sinatra, and appreciated well the dialogue and riddle of what was going on. I don't think it was the greatest movie I've seen, but it did qualify in my mind as great.
Seven Days in May was similarly about Cold War fears and paranoia leading to a possible coup. Since few such events happen in a vacuum, the trail of lesser names are followed and deconstructed until the major player has been outed as the villain. This was a great movie, in most every way I watch movies to experience.
Day of the Jackal was about an assassination attempt upon French President Charles de Gaulle by a secretive underground political terror group. The group initially tries and fails to kill de Gaulle. So they decide that this assignment requires an expert. The one they bring in to do the job is called "The Jackal" and nothing much is known about him. The movie tells a story that is engrossing, and is quite dark. It speaks of the life of a political leader, and what unknown forces exist to kill him or her.
The Spy Who Came in from The Cold stars Richard Burton, who I am a fan of. A spy has come to the end of his run, being exhausted, and tired from his life in espionage. The Cold War has a cost, and those who fight are not the soldiers in this war, but the spies. The idea of one last mission, performed by a tired weary man, has potential to be tragic. We've all heard of the guy on the front line with one week before he goes home, getting killed. This is similar. The acting by every single member of this cast is perfect. Watching it was the sort of edge of your seat viewing that only rarely happens in film. The lingering effect of Cold War fear and paranoia and the final mission of a truly first class spy, make for a great film.
About Getting Reviews from Me
I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that. It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.
MY LINKS:
My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com
Published Work AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html
Amazon Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess
Cthulhu Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com
Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com
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