The Call of Cthulhu and At the Mountains of Madness, seminal exemplars of the Cthulhu mythos, are two of the most foundational and influential texts in the history of all speculative fiction. However, many have yet to discover the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, or so they think.

Lovecraft’s themes, pantheon, cosmology, and mythos of “cyclopean” scope have influenced countless writers, artists, and filmmakers. Some see this tradition as a loving homage, and unfortunately some appropriate Lovecraft’s essence without giving credit to the master. In any case, very few people have not been mesmerized and terrorized by a spawn of the inimitable mind of H.P. Lovecraft.

The Call of Cthulhu is a tale told by the grand-nephew of a deceased professor at Brown University. This innocuous narrator reveals what he discovers in his grand-uncle’s legacy. A carving of a creature with a “pulpy, tentacled head that surmounted a grotesque and scaly body with rudimentary wings.” A manuscript entitled “Cthulhu Cult.” The document is comprised of two sections, one penned by H.A. Wilcox of Providence and a second by Inspector Legrasse of New Orleans. These journals reveal an astounding story of a dangerous cult that worships sleeping gods who had “long since withdrawn before the tide of advancing humanity.” Through the narrator’s dangerous journey of discovery, readers learn of the old ones who sleep hidden in their mythical city of R’lyeh, dreaming, perhaps sharing their dreams with mortals. Only the power of the mighty Cthulhu can call for the resurrection of the gods when the stars achieve a specific astrological alignment. These unimaginable creatures migrated to the earth from the stars, and hibernate, waiting for the day when the great priest Cthulhu will wake them with his call.

“What has risen may sink, and what has sunk may rise.”

At the Mountains of Madness begins as a saga of scientific exploration. While parts of the Call of Cthulhu are told second hand via an examination of written documents, At the Mountains of Madness is a more of a first-hand account of a scientific investigation of the Antarctic by experts from the legendary Miskatonic University. Unlike the first tale, Mountains draws readers closer to the mystery because they get to read the narrator’s journal directly. At first, the explorers simply search for evidence of past life on the continent. However, unexpected, unexplainable discoveries soon cast a shroud over the explorers. Ice, wind, storms, and howling dogs become the least of their worries. What they found in the pre-Cambrian strata forces them to consider the fact that they just may have located proof of alien life that existed before humans walked the earth.

One hallmark of Lovecraft’s style is its subtle, contemplative, detailed, leisured pace. Lovecraft wrote in a different time when readers expected and wanted to luxuriate in details and mood. Hints of horror flickering at the corner of the eye linger, haunt, and engender an appetite for more. Lovecraft takes time to create a mood of foreboding that will linger long after a reader turns away. It could be said that mood in Lovecraftian fiction is a character in itself. In an age of flash, bang, instant gratification, this occasionally epistolary configuration may take a bit of getting used to at first. However, Lovecraft’s decision to privilege tell over show soon becomes comfortable because it supports his complex plotting and manipulation of mood. In addition, the human penchant for voyeurism will pull readers in as they peer over the shoulder of the narrator to examine arcane documents.

The human characters in these tales take a back seat to those who sleep unseen. Some of them exist only to transmit the mood and horror to eager readers. Instead of rooting for the human characters, many readers will find themselves holding their breath, praying that Cthulhu will wake and rise from R’lyeh to appear in all his horrific grandeur, even though legend says that the extraterrestrial Great Old Ones are so powerful and foreign that just a glance at them will cause madness or mass , perhaps a reasonable rational for the government’s long-held insistence on non-disclosure.

Arguably, the most stunning aspect of Lovecraft’s writing is his complete and total originality. Perhaps he was one of those who experienced dreams transmitted by the sleeping gods. Or perhaps he realized and articulated the fact that the search for the unknowable, the unexplainable, is an inherent aspect of the human psyche. Readers owe it to themselves to read and enhance their ability to appreciate good horror that will haunt long after the text is concluded. After all, when the stars get right, The Great Old Ones just may wake and rise to return to greatness.

Two short stories or novellas are packaged together to give readers a look to the godfather of horror fiction with his ultimate In The Mouth of Madness and The Call of Cthulhu. Two very important pieces of fiction that would change the face of horror and fantasy that still holds a common thread today.

Although the writing is dated to a modern audience, the stories have a dreamlike quality with over descriptive passages and a sense of uneasiness starting from the first sentences of each story. The stories do have a similar thread that connects them via first person narrative set on an otherworldly adventure. Both stories take place in the 30’s but Lovecraft writing feels more like turn of the century or an ode to Stoker. This is not a good or bad observation but more of a note as sometimes when reading older writing styles, it can deter the reader.

Both stories ramp up the imagery and where Lovecraft tends to win over admirers is that the fantastic sits side by side with reality. He has a way of making the unbelievable plausible and you can find his influences felt through the works of King, Barker and Masterton. Both stories infiltrate your subconscious and haunt long past reading the final words of each. Even the history lessons found within each story have a documentary feel which adds to the proceedings.

In recent years, there have been queries about racial slurs found within the work of Lovecraft. I am not sure where he stood on these but from the many different novels and short stories I have read during this time period, it felt like the norm. Although today it feels a bit racist and does tend to unnerve through the usage of words but it has to be understood that unfortunately this was the society of the time. Does it mean that we should not read the material, of course not, but it does give you an understanding that what was acceptable at one time is no longer but doesn’t necessarily mean that the body of work should be ignored. Stephen King view of gay characters in his earliest work such as It to name one, if highly offensive and fits a stereotype that many would find offensive today. Should his work be ostracised because of this, no but luckily King is alive to give testament to his true beliefs and has acknowledge that times have moved on and society has thankfully changed.

Both of these stories are a must read for all fans of fantasy and horror fiction and it is important to read these as both stories are very relevant today. Lovecraft will always stand the test of times and will always stand side by side with Poe, Stoker or Shelley and it is great to see that a publication house is still marketing his work for a new audience. Two subliminal pieces of horror art for modern consumption. A class act all the way.

The Call of Cthulhu and At The Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft- Dover Publications here has published two of Lovecraft's most famous stories. The Call of Cthulhu first published in Weird Tales(1928) and At The Mountains of Madness, first published in Astounding Stories(1936). These stories and several others went on to become major works in horror and touchstones for much of what horror has become today. If you have not been introduced to this bedrock of horror, this would be a great and important place to start. One caution: Lovecraft was a man of his time and it would seem very racist, so this may turn you away. I know that fifty years since I first read them, the racial passages still made me cringe. If you can look past it, there is reward in these stories.

Two Tales of the Mythos by H.P Lovecraft was received direct from the publisher. Recently I have been reading a lot of modern author homages to the late horror master H. P Lovecraft. This book with two of his tales, The Call of the Cthulhu and At the Mountains of Madness came at the right time as I able to re-read what the hype, that still continues, was all about. H.P Lovecraft was one of the masters of horror who did not really get famous until after he had left this earth. If you, or someone you know has not read Lovecraft, or wish to revisit his works, now is the time with this tome of two of his most popular tales.

The Call of Cthulhu and At the Mountains of Madness: Two Tales of the Mythos by H.P. Lovecraft are two of the author's most popular stories. Lovecraft was one of the first true American horror writers, and although he was not extremely popular during his lifetime, his work has gained acceptance and a large following. His biography describes his writing as: deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.

This Dover publication brings together two of Lovecraft's more famous works. The Call of Cthulhu was written in 1926 and creates the Cthulu Mythos which will eventually define the writer. Cthulhu, a terrible creature, is described as:

A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind.

Its description in ordinary words creep into the reader's mind and form a vision of horror. The horror exists in the descriptions and settings rather than in a special effects type beast. The reader is invited to experience his or her own form of terror. Lovecraft uses the reader's own imagination as a tool in his writing.

At the Mountains of Madness, the reader is introduced to a different type of terror. Working in Antartica a deep feeling of isolation develops into a fear. Missing equipment and bodies of unknown creatures make the original fear of separation seem almost pleasant. Need more terror? The Necronomicon is mentioned which is a story in itself. It is a fictional tome which had its own history written in another story.

Lovecraft art was creating a terror in the reader's mind. He plays on fears and forbidden knowledge. He establishes creatures that haunt the mind and threaten humankind in much the same way a human would intimidate an ant. There is a sense of panic and helplessness. It is not shock and gore of modern horror but a psychological awe that invades consciousness. Although the stories were both written over eighty years ago, they still have the same effect. The times may change but what triggers fear in the mind has remained the same. The potency of these stories defies time.