This time we look at a trio of items related to H.P. Lovecraft and his stories, especially the Cthulhu mythos. Two are books, and the third is a map.
So the books are both from U.K. publisher PS Publishing. They can be obtained on Amazon, though I got my copies from the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (HPLHS). They are put forth as being auction catalogs of items.
The first is The Starry Wisdom Library (2014), which purports to be an auction catalog of occult books recovered from the Church of Starry Wisdom that appeared in “The Haunter in the Dark.”
The second is The Dagon Collection (2024), which is an auction catalog of various items and artwork (with pictures) recovered from the Esoteric Order of Dagon after the federal raid on Innsmouth, as shown in The Shadow Over Innsmouth.
Both are in hardback and edited by Nate Pedersen. They have contributions from a large number of authors, many of whom have worked in Lovecraftian fiction, including Scott David Aniolowski, Ramsey Campbell, S.T. Joshi, Robert M. Price, Joseph S. Pulver, Darrell Schweitzer, and F. Paul Wilson.
These two books aren’t for everyone. I think those who are into Lovecraftian gaming should find them fun, as well as those interested in more esoteric kinds of works. Or someone wanting to write Lovecraftian fiction could use these as inspiration or elements to include.
The third item is a map called Facts Concerning H.P. Lovecraft and His Environs. It’s from Herb Lester Associates, who do similar maps of various cities. It was written by Gary Lachman, with art by Grey Haas. Again, you can get this from Amazon, though I also got this from the HPLHS.
The map, once unfolded, actually gives us three maps. One is of Lovecraft’s Providence, R.I, one is of Lovecraft’s New York, and the third shows his travels around the eastern U.S. Yes, Lovecraft did travel outside of New England, including trips to Florida, New Orleans, Virginia, Washington, D.C., South Carolina, and Tennessee. He even went to Canada a few times.
The maps have various locations noted. There are 17 locations in Providence, many showing where he lived at different times. A dozen locations in New York related to him are shown. Then all the places he traveled to, including details, are given. There is a timeline of Lovecraft’s life, as well as an examination of the real-life towns that inspired Lovecraft’s fictional ones, such as Innsmouth, Arkham, Dunwich, et al.
I found the map and its contents to be a nice addition to my collection of miscellaneous Lovecraft items.
As noted, these items may not be for everyone, but I found them all enjoyable in their own right.
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