Tag: H.P. Lovecraft

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Author Interview with Shaun Hamill

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Welcome back to my author interview series. Many thanks to Shaun Hamill for taking some time to answer these questions. Without further ado, let’s get to the discussion.

 

 

1. What made you start writing horror?

I always read horror growing up (Stephen King was my first “big boy” author, followed shortly by Anne Rice), but I didn’t try writing it until I was in my 30s. In my teens and twenties, I saw myself as more of a Nick Hornby/John Irving kind of writer—tragic/funny/romantic stuff set in a recognizable real world.

But once I was in grad school and started reading some of the great early Weird Fiction writers (Lovecraft, Howard) something clicked in my brain and I was like, “This. I want to do this.” So, I tried to move that John Irving sensibility to the milieu of cosmic horror, and I think it worked. I felt like I’d finally found my “thing”—a mix of the literary/character-based story against a backdrop of dark wonder.

 

2. What is your favorite tool (vocabulary, commas, dialogue, flashback, etc.) in your writer’s toolbox? 

That’s a tough call, but if I had to pick one, I really love dialogue. It’s the most fun part of writing—watching the characters negotiate with one another. It feels very natural to me.

 

3. Robert E. Howard’s Conan faces off against H.R. Giger’s Alien in a ruined fortress. Can Conan win? If so, how? 

This is the best question I’ve ever been asked. Conan can win, but I think a couple of things would have to work in his favor. First, he’d need to know how fast and strong the Alien is. Second, he’d need to be aware that it bleeds acid. If he doesn’t know both of those things (or learn them very quickly after encountering the Alien for the first time), he’s screwed. But let’s assume he does know these things—either having seen the creature kill someone else, or by trying one-on-one combat before getting away.

In this case, if Conan can hide and find a vantage point over the creature, he could try to smash it with some debris (a crumbling stone or something similar). If he times it right, he can either kill the Alien outright, or trap it. If he traps it, he can either get in close to finish it off, or just get away. If I were writing the story, he wouldn’t run away, though. He’d get in close and set the Alien on fire. He wouldn’t leave until he was sure the thing was dead.

 

4. What should readers know about your most recent or upcoming work (or works) and where can they find your writing? 

I am not the most prolific writer, so tracking down my “collected works” is relatively easy. My first novel, A COSMOLOGY OF MONSTERS, it out in paperback from Vintage/Anchor. My new novel, THE DISSONANCE, hits on July 23, from Pantheon Books, in hardcover/ebook/audiobook versions. I also have a Conan the Barbarian story, “Lethal Consignment,” from Titan books, which you can get for $1.99.

There are links to all three on the Penguin Random House homepage, here:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2179151/shaun-hamill/

 

 

If you’re still jonesing for some Shaun Hamill content, you can check out my rave review of his debut novel, A Cosmology of Monsters.

 

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January is Cosmic Horror and Cthulhu Mythos Month

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The bright lights of the high holidays have turned to ash. Those of us who live in climates with winter brace for long, cold nights and dreary days. We’re all a little down. That makes January the perfect month to embrace the inherent bleakness of the season by celebrating Cosmic Horror and the Cthulhu Mythos!

Okay, hear me out. I’m someone who loves reveling in my fandoms. When I was deeply into reading H.P. Lovecraft, I trekked to Providence to visit the city that fueled his fiction. I read Michael Shea’s The Color Out of Time at a local reservoir because the story took place at a reservoir. When I play Cthulhu Mythos-themed games, I dress in 1920s finery and serve period drinks. Doing these kinds of things helps immerse me, and my friends, in whatever fandom we happen to be celebrating. Making January Cosmic Horror and Cthulhu Mythos month is just an extrapolation of that idea. Celebrating works whose fundamental goal is to make us realize our own insignificance is best done in the month where we already feel most insignificant.

If you’re still reading, I assume you’re interested in hearing how to celebrate Cosmic Horror and Cthulhu Mythos month.

Readings

Cosmic Horror and the Cthulhu Mythos were birthed in print, so that’s where our festivities must begin. This is a perfect, solitary endeavor to keep your mind occupied on bitter January nights. Review the classics beginning with The Call of Cthulhu, the tale from which the Cthulhu Mythos takes its name. Buy works from your favorite modern masters. Might I recommend John Langan, Pete Rawlik, and Lucy A. Snyder for a start? There’s also Ramsey Campbell, Laird Barron, Caitlin R. Kiernan, the Arkham Horror Files Novels, and many, many more. In the interest of time, I’m not listing them all, but you should absolutely investigate the amazing writers in this subgenre. You don’t have to stick to single author works either, there are plenty of stellar anthologies, such as New Cthulhu, Children of Lovecraft, and The Book of Cthulhu. There is even a great Cthulhu Mythos anthology wiki tracking all these. Just don’t read aloud from the Necronomicon. You’ve been warned.

 

Movie Viewings

This is a great way for you to gather friends to join together for the dreadful festivities of January. Simply pick your favorite Cosmic Horror and Cthulhu Mythos films and watch them with your chosen acolytes in the order of your choosing. The Lovecraft eZine has a great list of movies to choose from here. If you need a little more structure, here’s my personal schedule for your use.

  • January 9th to 13th
    • Stuart Gordon Week! – Viewings of From Beyond, Dagon, and Dreams in the Witch House.
  • January 16th to 20th
    • Monsters and Madness Week! – Viewings of Alien, Necronomicon, The Mist, and The Lighthouse.
  • January 23rd to 27th
    • John Carpenter Week! – Viewings of The Thing, Prince of Darkness, In the Mouth of Madness, and Cigarette Burns.

 

Podcasts

Just search Cosmic Horror or the Cthulhu Mythos on your audio platform of choice and listen to the horrors you find. I highly recommend lending your ears to The Lovecraft eZine, a fine program discussing Cosmic Horror, Cthulhu, and modern horror books of all kinds. You should also seek out the many fantastic productions of Dark Adventure Radio Theatre (DART). DART adapts Lovecraft’s works into radio dramas. Listening is a good activity to fit into car rides, mindless times at work, or whenever else you aren’t consumed by Cosmic Horror and the Cthulhu Mythos.

 

Themed Snacks

Calamari is an obvious snack for most Cthulhu Mythos themed celebrations. I think sushi is an equally solid food that fits the month’s themes. You could also focus on 1920s era cocktails, spirits, or desserts. Pictured below is a delicious “human sacrifice” my wife made out of a blondie, fruit, and gummy worms. If you’re struggling with inspiration, check out this article for ideas. No matter what you decide on, don’t forget to keep some “cheese crackers” handy, like the protagonist from The Shadow over Innsmouth.

 

Games

There is a wealth of options to choose from here. My Cthulhu Mythos game of choice is Mansions of Madness, but I love the Call of Cthulhu Role Playing Game, Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror, etc. While I prefer games that put me around a table with friends, you don’t have to be bound to the physical realm. There are also a wide variety of Cthulhu Mythos themed or inspired video games to choose from.

 

Those are my ideas for celebrating Cosmic Horror and Cthulhu Mythos month, but I’d love to read any ideas you have in the comments below or on social media. You can find me most easily on Twitter, @JeremiahCook1. And don’t forget, Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl!

 

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The John Langan Mythos

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While I was on paternity leave, I accomplished very little aside from bonding with my newborn daughter. I’m not complaining. It was great. One of the few things I did accomplish was reading John Langan’s two newest releases. Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters is a 2022 reprint of Langan’s debut collection from 2008, while Corpsemouth and Other Autobiographies is his newest collection. After finishing these two works, I wanted to celebrate the fact that I’ve now read all Langan’s released novels and collections. I’ve previously reviewed The Wide Carnivorous Sky, The Fisherman, House of Windows, and Sefira, but I didn’t want to do another five-paragraph review. Instead, I decided to categorize his work according to my own observations. I felt that Langan’s work deserved this kind of analysis, and I hope others will be inclined to expand on what I’ve started here. If you’re reading this and wondering if I’m a crazy person for doing this, I am, but why don’t you judge me after you’ve reviewed what I’ve written below.

 

Note: If you’re confused by my categories, I define them at the end of this post. Additionally, some of my notes and categories may contain spoilers. Lastly, John Langan’s Story Notes in the back of his collections contain far more information than what I listed below, so I recommend checking those out if you like this post.

 

Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters 2008 (2022 Reprint)

On Skua Island – Scottish Myth/Ancestry/Setting

      • Note: This story is about a mummy.

Mr. Gaunt – Scottish Myth/Ancestry/Setting + Fatherhood

      • Mythos Note: The character of George Farage is an occultist who reappears in Langan’s short story, “The Supplement.” The protagonist, Henry Farage, is also heavily implied to appear in “The Supplement” as George’s new assistant.

Tutorial – Art/Writing Reflection

Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the Pack in the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers – Apocalyptic + Parenthood

      • Mythos Note: It’s possible that Langan’s apocalyptic stories are connected and occurring during the same apocalypse. Other stories Langan has written on apocalypses are “The Shallows,” and “Inundation.”
      • Easter Egg: One of the protagonist’s names is Wayne, and he wears a Batman t-shirt.

Laocoon, or The Singularity – Art/Writing Reflection + Horrible Transformation + Fatherhood

      • Mythos Note: This story contains some thematic similarities with “The Communion of Saints.”

Tethered – Ghost Story

      • Note: Original to 2022 Reprint

 

House of Windows 2009 – Ghost Story + Fatherhood + Occult

      • Mythos Note: Papers belonging to the protagonist of this book reappear in “The Supplement.”

 

The Wide Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies 2013

Kids – Teaching + Zombie

How the Day Runs Down – Apocalyptic + Zombie

Technicolor – Teaching + Occult

      • Note: This story fictionalizes elements of the life of Edgar Allan Poe.

The Wide, Carnivorous Sky – Vampire + Military

City of the Dog – Lovecraftian

      • Note: This story features Lovecraft’s ghouls from “Pickman’s Model.”

The Shallows – Lovecraftian + Fatherhood

      • Mythos Note: It’s possible that Langan’s apocalyptic stories are connected and occurring during the same apocalypse. Other stories Langan has written on apocalypses are “Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the Pack in the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers,” and “Inundation.”

The Revel – Monster + Experimental

      • Note: This story examines the tropes associated with werewolf fiction.

June, 1987. Hitchhiking. Mr. Norris. – Laird Barron + Occult

      • Note: The protagonist of this story is the author Laird Barron.

Mother of Stone – Exorcism

      • Mythos Note: The statue at the heart of Mother of Stone reappears briefly in The Fisherman. It’s implied that the titular Fisherman was responsible for the stone’s appearance in upstate New York.

 

The Fisherman 2016 – Occult + Lovecraftian + Fatherhood

      • Mythos Note: The characters of Rainer and Wilhelm Vanderwort venture to a magic city on a black ocean patrolled by bird-like figures. This city and its inhabitants reappear in “Outside the House, Watching for the Crows,” and “Shadow and Thirst.”
      • Mythos Note: Late in the novel, the protagonist, Abe, encounters the statue from “Mother of Stone.”

 

Sefira and Other Betrayals 2019

Sefira – Monster + Occult

      • Mythos Note: The character of Madame Sosostris reappears in “Natalya, Queen of the Hungry Dogs,” found in Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories edited by Ellen Datlow.
      • Mythos Note: The character of George Farange is referenced by Madame Sosostris.
      • Note: This story is about a Succubus.

In Paris, In the Mouth of Kronos – Military + Monster

The Third Always Beside You – Parents + Ghost Story

The Unbearable Proximity of Mr. Dunn’s Balloons – Victorian Era + Occult + Monster

Bloom – Horrible Transformation

Renfrew’s Course – Scottish Myth/Ancestry/Setting + Occult

Bor Urus – Monster + Mid-Life Crisis + Fatherhood

      • Mythos Note: Protagonist visits the shore of the Black Ocean from The Fisherman.

At Home in the House of the Devil – Occult + Monster

      • Note: As the name implies this story concerns the devil.

 

Children of the Fang and Other Genealogies 2020

Sweetums – King in Yellow

Hyphae – Fatherhood + Horrible Transformation

Muse – Meta

      • Note: This story is a fictional letter to Paul Tremblay about Stephen Graham Jones. Laird Barron is mentioned.

Zombies in Marysville – Zombie + Meta + Fatherhood

With Max Barry in the Nearer Precincts – Afterlife

Into the Darkness Fearlessly – Vengeance + Art/Writing Reflection

Children of the Fang – Lovecraftian

      • Note: This story features the lizard creatures from H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Nameless City.”
      • Mythos Note: Detective Calasso appears (also appears in City of the Dog and Communion of Saints).

Episode Three: On the Great Plains, In the Snow – Ghost Story

Tragoidia – Rebirth + Occult

Ymir – Military + Monster + Laird Barron

      • Note: This story takes place in Laird Barron’s Old Leech Mythos.

Irezumi – Cyberpunk

The Horn of the World’s Ending – Lovecraftian + Scottish Myth/Setting/Ancestry

      • Note: This story features the Black Goat of the Wood’s Dark Young from H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos.

The Underground Economy – Occult + Strip Club Setting

The Communion of Saints – Occult

      • Mythos Note: Detective Calasso reappears.
      • Note: This story contains some thematic similarities with “Laocoon, or The Singularity.”

Aphanisis – Sword and Sorcery + Experimental

      • Note: The story concerns killing off different versions of yourself, and this subject reappears in “Shadow and Thirst.”

Gripped – Strip Club Setting + King in Yellow

      • Note: The protagonist of this story is author Joe Pulver. Pulver is also the protagonist in Langan’s uncollected short story “Helioforge.”

Inundation – Apocalyptic + Monster

      • Mythos Note: It’s possible that Langan’s apocalyptic stories are connected and occurring during the same apocalypse. Other stories Langan has written on apocalypses are “The Shallows,” and “Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the Pack in the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers.”

To See, To Be Seen – Occult

      • Mythos Note: An occult group called The Friends of Borges appear. They also appear in “What is Lost, What is Given Away.”

What You, Do Not Bring Forth – Art/Writing Reflection + Dreams

Vista – Art/Writing Reflection + Experimental

Slippage – Laird Barron + Art/Writing Reflection + Meta

      • Note: This story is a fictional account of a drive Langan took with Laird Barron. This story ending this collection mirrors Laird’s story “More Dark” (also a Meta fictionalized tale about writers) ending Barron’s short story collection The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All.

 

Corpsemouth and Other Autobiographies 2022

Kore – Halloween

Homemade Monsters – Childhood Reflection + Monster

The Open Mouth of Charybdis – Lovecraftian + Childhood Reflection

      • Note: This story is connected to H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Shadow over Innsmouth.”

Shadow and Thirst – Vampire + Fatherhood

      • Mythos Note: The creature in this story is a banished member of the bird-like figures who are mentioned in The Fisherman and who appear in “Outside the House, Watching for the Crows.”
      • Note: The story concerns killing off different versions of yourself, and this subject reappears in “Aphanisis.”

Corpsemouth – Afterlife + Fatherhood + Monster + Scottish Myth/Setting/Ancestry

Anchor – Laird Barron + Monster + Writing/Art Reflection + Fatherhood

Outside the House, Watching for the Crows – Childhood Reflection + Monster

      • Mythos Note: The bird-like figures in this story are mentioned in The Fisherman and a banished member of their group appears in “Shadow and Thirst.”

What is Lost, What is Given Away – Childhood Reflection + Occult

      • Mythos Note: An occult group called The Friends of Borges appear. They also appear in “To See, To Be Seen.”

The Supplement – Occult

      • Mythos Note: George Farage originally appears in “Mr. Gaunt.” George Farage’s assistant is heavily implied to be the protagonist of “Mr. Gaunt.” Papers mentioned in this story belong to Roger Croydon from House of Windows.

Mirror Fishing – Occult + Lovecraftian

Caoineadh – Monster + Scottish Myth/Setting/Ancestry

 

Definition of Terms:

Apocalyptic: This story occurs during the end of the world.

Childhood Reflection: This story had a character reflecting on their childhood.

Exorcism: This story is about an exorcism.

Experimental: This story plays with the form of telling a story in a novel way.

Fatherhood: The story deals with fatherhood as a central theme.

Ghost Story: This story is about ghosts. Boo.

Halloween: This story concerns the spooky high holiday.

Horrible Transformation: This story contains a character going through a horrible bodily transformation.

King in Yellow: Have you seen the Yellow Sign?

Laird Barron: This story contains elements from Laird Barron’s works or refers to Laird Barron.

Lovecraftian: This story concerns elements derived from Lovecraft’s fiction or a sense of cosmic horror.

Meta: Fiction about real life authors.

Monster: This story contains a supernatural creature. While I was tempted to create a new category for every monster I could identify, I decided to only do it for those who appear in multiple tales.

Occult: This story contains elements of occult magic, grimoires, cultists, or some combination of those elements.

Parenthood: This story deals with parenthood, not just being a father, as a central theme.

Scottish Myth/Ancestry/Setting: The story either deals with Scottish Myth, Scottish Ancestry, or has a Scottish Setting.

Strip Club Setting: This story takes place at a Strip Club.

Teaching: This story is about the profession of being a teacher.

Vampire: This story is about vampires or creatures that can be perceived as vampiric.

Vengeance: This story concerns getting vengeance.

Victorian Era: This story occurs during the Victorian Era.

Writing/Art Reflection: The story focuses on the creation of art or art’s impact on viewers and readers.

Zombie: This story has zombies in it.