Cthulhu Mythos (Concept)

Cthulhu Mythos

CONCEPT

Shared mythology for several H.P. Lovecraft stories.

Overview

The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared mythology that links stories written by the horror author H.P. Lovecraft and his frequent collaborators in the magazine Weird Tales, a group of authors called the Lovecraft Circle, which included Robert E. Howard (the author of Conan (Franchise), who frequently combined both universes), Robert Bloch and Clark Ashton Smith. Post-humously some of the works of Ambrose Bierce and Robert W. Chambers were also incorporated into the Mythos. In this fictional universe exist Great Old Ones; entities of horrific cosmic power that lay sleeping, and that exist on a level beyond human comprehension. Lovecraft's stories within this mythos commonly depict educated, intelligent men driven far beyond the breaking point of their sanity through their encounters with Great Old Ones and those beings associated with them. Following Lovecraft's death in 1937, much of the universe was formalized by August Derleth, founder of the publisher Arkham House. The Cthulhu Mythos has had an influence on pop culture, and numerous video games contain elements either directly based on or inspired by Lovecraft's writing. Such elements include the Necronomicon (Object) and the Tome of Eternal Darkness (Object).

Games view all →]