創刊号：クトゥルー・インフォメーション【海外篇】
This article was printed in Night Land No. 1, in Japanese translation.
When Edward asked me to write an article about what's new in English language Cthulhu mythos publishing for 2010, for a moment I looked around and thought, 'Who? Me?" My only qualification is that I have been reading Lovecraftian fiction since the early 1970s. In fact there are some striking trends in this genre that are keeping me flummoxed. Thanks to the web of connectivity that is the internet, allowing like minded fans to congregate in hyperspace, and the profusion of small specialty presses as more lumbering publishers are outmaneuvered, there is an absolute profusion of Cthulhu mythos material that defies comprehension. In fact the sheer number of people at least superficially familiar with HPL and his creations is astonishing. It's like I was standing in an empty theater only a few years ago and now I can't find a seat. It would be a daunting task to summarize what's happened in 2011, so I'll satisfy myself by describing some of the better finds this year.
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The Book of Cthulhu, Ross E. Lockhart, ed., Night Shade Books, ISBN: 978-1597802321
The Book of Cthulhu is largely a reprint anthology but unless you have been assiduously accumulating every possible mythos book for the last ten years most of these stories will be new to you. Mr. Lockhart has assembled a wonderful survey of the best stories the Cthulhu mythos has to offer. As Cthulhu has become more profitable, the quality of author has shifted from fan boy to ultra-talented professional. "Black Man with a Horn" by TED Klein, "The Doom That Cam to Innsmouth" by Brian McNaughton, "A Colder War" by Charlie Stross, "Fat Face" by Michael Shea and "The Shallows" by John Langan compare with the very best mythos stories ever written. The Book of Cthulhu is a great place to dip your toe and see what all the fuss is about.
Other notable reprints available this year are Forever Azathoth, Peter Cannon, Subterranean Press, ISBN: 978-1596064119, The Crawling Chaos and Others, ST Joshi, ed., Arcane Wisdom Press, and The Inhabitant of the Lake & Other Unwelcome Tenants, Ramsey Campbell, PS Publishing, ISBN: 978-1848632004.
Delta Green: Through a Glass Darkly, Dennis Detwiller, Arc Dream Publishing, ISBN: 978-0983231363
Astonishingly, the author was able to fund publication of this book, raising over $27,000 through subscriptions at Kickstarter.com. About 15 years ago Delta Green took the gaming world by storm with their take on the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game. The mixture of paranoia, governmental cover-ups and conspiracies were a heady brew and propelled the creators to write wonderful scenarios, short stories and novels. Alas that wave crested and fans have been languishing for years without a new Delta Green book. Mr. Detwiller has remedied that with a new installment in the series. Currently available in an electronic version, a hardcover is due to ship soon. If you like a bit of X-files with your tentacles, this is the book for you.
The Womb of Time, Brian Stableford, Perilous Press, ISBN: 978-0970400031
Perilous Press devotes itself to creating high quality issues of mythos books other publishers shy away from. All of their titles are top notch. The Womb of Time features two novellas from Brian Stableford, the one that gives the book its titles, and "The Legacy of Erich Zann." Mr. Stableford's works are highly cerebral, immaculately researched and wholly absorbing. I would not advise a casual fan essay these stories, but a persistent reader will be richly rewarded. Of all the similar titles I have seen over the years, "The Legacy of Erich Zann" is the best sequel to HPL's original story. If this catches your eye you might try Mr. Stableford's The Cthulhu Encryption: A Romance of Piracy, Borgo Press, ISBN: 978-1434435118.
The Orphan Palace, Joseph S. Pulver, Chomu Press, ISBN: 978-1907681110
There are several astonishing prose poets writing mythos fiction these days; it's really an embarrassment of riches. Mr. Pulver is one such author. His prose is almost like poetry at times. Often there is a relentless rhythm, often there is brutal imagery. He explores the basest, most primal human urges, shows us characters from the cold fringes of society. His love of Lovecraft and Chambers is always evident but don't expect anything even remotely like a pastiche.
Dead But Dreaming 2, Kevin Ross, ed., Miskatonic River Press, ISBN: 978-0982181867
Here is an example of what a determined editor from a small press can do. If you love the Cthulhu mythos then solicit new stories from top quality authors and pay them. No one wants to repeat a past success or slavishly imitate Lovecraft's style. Within HPL's cosmic view of an indifferent universe dwarfing flyspeck humanity there are endless possibilities for terror. With wonderful original twists on old themes, settings ranging from familiar New England to outer space, taking us from the past to the future, Dead But Dreaming 2 demonstrates where the genre is today.
Some Unknown Gulf of Night, W.H. Pugmire, Arcane Wisdom Press, ISBN: 978-1935006114
Once you have begun to sink your teeth into the genre, once you have digested all the old tropes and old locations, then it is time to see what a master can do. Mr. Pugmire is antiquarian in style; his words are beautiful and odd. He does not strive to tell a story like other authors do. His aim is to invoke powerful moods and feelings, while you wander ambiguously in places of transfiguration. Using HPL's Fungi from Yuggoth as inspiration, Mr. Pugmire weaves a dreamy tapestry, leading us to anoesis in prose. Also due out this year is Gathered Dust and Others, Dark Regions Press.
I am running out of space and cannot even begin to discuss the thriving industry of Lovecraftian comics and art books; I will simply add a few honorable mentions for anthologies and novels from 2011:
- The Damned Highway: Fear and Loathing in Arkham, Nick Mamatas and Brian Keene, Dark Horse, ISBN: 978-1595826855
- Historical Lovecraft: Tales of Horror Through Time, Sylvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula Stiles, eds., Innsmouth Free Press, ISBN: 978-0986686405
- The Creeping Kelp, Willie Meikle, Dark Regions Press, ISBN: 978-1937128159
- The Engines of Sacrifice, James Chambers, Dark Regions Press, ISBN: 978-1937128081
- The Eye of Infinity, David Conyers, Perilous Press, ISBN: 978-0970400048
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