Re: Cthulhu Dawn - Open to Everyone
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2003 10:43 pm
What is the Cthulhu Mythos?
The Cthulhu Mythos comprises a "shared world" in which various authors set works of horror, with some overlap with the fields of fantasy, science fiction, and mainstream fiction thrown in. A reader might well compare this to Star Trek or Star Wars, but the Cthulhu Mythos is not controlled by some central authority which commissions books, maintains continuity, and so forth. Rather, authors use elements from each others' tales in ways which complement (and sometimes conflict) with other's stories. All of these authors, in one way or another, are paying homage to H. P. Lovecraft.
Some have objected to the term "Cthulhu Mythos", as it was not coined by Lovecraft himself, but by August Derleth. These people point out that "Cthulhu" is hardly the most important creature in the Mythos universe, and have proposed an astonishing array of names to describe the same pantheon. Still, "Cthulhu Mythos" is used by most fans, and it will continue to be used here.
Who is Cthulhu?
Cthulhu is a large green being which resembles a human with the head of a squid, huge bat-wings, and long talons (true, that doesn't really resemble a human, but bear with me here). According to H. P. Lovecraft's story "The Call of Cthulhu", Cthulhu rests in a tomb in the city of R'lyeh, which sank beneath the Pacific Ocean aeons ago. Cthulhu is dead but not truly dead, as he and his fellow inhabitants of R'lyeh sleep the aeons away. (Cthulhu is generally thought of as a "he" for some reason.) From time to time R'lyeh comes to the surface, and Cthulhu's dreams influence sensitive individuals across the globe to depict his image, slay, and found cults dedicated to him. In the past, R'lyeh has sunk after a short time, but the day will soon come when it rises to the surface permanently and great Cthulhu strides across a world thrown into chaos and anarchy from his telepathic sendings.
The Cthulhu Mythos comprises a "shared world" in which various authors set works of horror, with some overlap with the fields of fantasy, science fiction, and mainstream fiction thrown in. A reader might well compare this to Star Trek or Star Wars, but the Cthulhu Mythos is not controlled by some central authority which commissions books, maintains continuity, and so forth. Rather, authors use elements from each others' tales in ways which complement (and sometimes conflict) with other's stories. All of these authors, in one way or another, are paying homage to H. P. Lovecraft.
Some have objected to the term "Cthulhu Mythos", as it was not coined by Lovecraft himself, but by August Derleth. These people point out that "Cthulhu" is hardly the most important creature in the Mythos universe, and have proposed an astonishing array of names to describe the same pantheon. Still, "Cthulhu Mythos" is used by most fans, and it will continue to be used here.
Who is Cthulhu?
Cthulhu is a large green being which resembles a human with the head of a squid, huge bat-wings, and long talons (true, that doesn't really resemble a human, but bear with me here). According to H. P. Lovecraft's story "The Call of Cthulhu", Cthulhu rests in a tomb in the city of R'lyeh, which sank beneath the Pacific Ocean aeons ago. Cthulhu is dead but not truly dead, as he and his fellow inhabitants of R'lyeh sleep the aeons away. (Cthulhu is generally thought of as a "he" for some reason.) From time to time R'lyeh comes to the surface, and Cthulhu's dreams influence sensitive individuals across the globe to depict his image, slay, and found cults dedicated to him. In the past, R'lyeh has sunk after a short time, but the day will soon come when it rises to the surface permanently and great Cthulhu strides across a world thrown into chaos and anarchy from his telepathic sendings.