Call Of Cthulhu In Spring
I've already commented on how pleased I am with the publication of the third volume of Cthulhu Tales in March, but now there's something that might arguably be even better: an original-text adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu. In the same manner as Dracula's use of nothing but the original text, and that of the current adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Transfuzion's Call of Cthulhu uses no words other than those of H.P. Lovecraft and narrates the tale from the multiple perspectives of that story. Transfuzion has put up several preview pages, and I've put an order in to my local shop. What makes this edition even more special is that it's introduced by surrealist H.R. Giger, probably best known for his Academy Award-winning design of things and environments in Alien, including the alien itself.
I'm obviously a huge Mythos fan, and I'm always happy to give a boost to someone who seeks to expand the Mythos in a way that I feel stays true to that narrative style and world, but this is the real deal, the source, the story that originates or incorporates a number of ideas that wormed their way into other pop culture standouts over and over again. No matter how your tastes run, if you read this site you've probably encountered the Lovecraft Mythos and particularly the story Call of Cthulhu in countless properties across many media, from Army of Darkness to The Simpsons and even the adorably creative DS game Scribblenauts. Like any good nerd obsession, Lovecraft makes a big dent in Wikipedia, including a page listing just the Mythos' representations and allusions in other works (and I'm sure it's nowhere near complete).
That said, there are things to dislike about Lovecraft's work and Call of Cthulhu in particular. The story itself is, by modern horror standards, less than shocking. It's also got some real problems when it comes to racial and ethnic depictions, religious intolerance and sexism. It's not an example of the more inclusive fiction of this day and age and it in no way presents good examples. It's a period piece, and I enjoy Lovecraft's work as such, but it does take a conscious effort sometimes. Since this version preserves the original prose, all that will be directly on display in this edition. I'm going to love it anyway, especially since the preview suggests that the art is able to straddle the line between the slightly smug self-assurance of most of Lovecraft's protagonists and the alien chaos they encounter, but it's worth keeping that in mind: this is a story of another time, and a portion of its value may be in reminding us of how far we've come since.
New "Call of Cthulhu" Graphic Novel by Michael Zigerlig [Grim Reviews]
Klarion
Posted to Preview on 2 February 2010
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Other stuff like this: Cthulhu, H.P. Lovecraft, Mythos
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