CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Just out of curiosity, has anyone read any books / shortstories by Lovecraft? If so, what did you think?

There was a time when I liked his fiction but recently I can't help but feel that it is just too pessimistic to be read, really. As I like to say, the opinion of a pessimist is worth nothing no matter how intellectual he is. Still you can't help but add that his works are fascinating.

I own and have read two different anthologies of Lovecraft's stories. I have been impressed with what I've read thus far, but I have also heard that some of his early works are not very good. I'm really not bothered by pessimistic writing; what does bother me, however, are the occult elements of his stories. That, more than his pessimism, has made me question a bit whether we as Christians should read his works. I do have to admit, though, that I love his writing. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath is one of my favorites.

H.P. Lovecraft bothers me quite a bit. Kaori already mentioned the pessimism in his works, that people are ultimately powerless ants beneath the bestiary of the Elder Gods, but also the occultic elements and the fascination with obviously evil or highly primal/id-like creatures such as Cthulhu himself make me very uneasy with his works. Not all of this is spawned by his fans, either (although the fanfics themselves really run away with those concepts o.O).

As C.S. Lewis observed in the Screwtape Letters, it's not a good idea to have an abnormal fascination with demons, and the fact that Lovecraft always describes his Elder Gods as malignant puts them squarely in that category for me, fictional or not.

shooraijin wrote:H.P. Lovecraft bothers me quite a bit. Kaori already mentioned the pessimism in his works, that people are ultimately powerless ants beneath the bestiary of the Elder Gods, but also the occultic elements and the fascination with obviously evil or highly primal/id-like creatures such as Cthulhu himself make me very uneasy with his works. Not all of this is spawned by his fans, either (although the fanfics themselves really run away with those concepts o.O).

As C.S. Lewis observed in the Screwtape Letters, it's not a good idea to have an abnormal fascination with demons, and the fact that Lovecraft always describes his Elder Gods as malignant puts them squarely in that category for me, fictional or not.

Disturbing yes, but on the other hand, these were basically *horror* stories weren't they?

...then again both he and his contemporary Robert Howard (author of Conan) both committed suicide, so maybe there's something to be said for caution.

I find myself of a certain mixed opinion about him. On the one hand, you have a story like The Colour Out of Space, which has little or no specifically occult content, but is "a heartwarming story of a death-colour from outer space." It would be decent as a horror story, except that I do not accept the authority of death, no matter what colour it is. (My debt is paid in full; nothing is owed.)

Then you've got stuff like Hypnos, about people who've seen too far into the spirit world and been driven mad. I suppose that it is a reasonable guess at what could happen - for an unbeliever. (Personally, I like being able to use the name of Jesus, and by His death and resurrection know that demons can't hurt me. As I would remind them in such a story.)

Then you've got stuff like The Dunwich Horror where people try to fight demonic forces by researching this and that occultish ritual (hint - fighting fire with fire doesn't really work. If it did, we would mount flamethrowers in our computers instead of heat sinks.) and they never once do things the easy way. (easy way - "In the name of Jesus..." - and demons can't fight back. Not against Jesus' name. But do people in horror stories ever think of that? Nooooooooo, they have to go chase this occult ritual and that devilish sigil, and find and collect various memorabilia of the enemy, when all it takes is one name and the problem can be dealt with.)

So, basically, he's a decent occult horror writer, except that I'm not a fan of the occult, and, like the Bible says, I do not have a spirit unto fear.