Anyone have feedback about "Necronomicom," by Lovecraft?

nccreative · Oct 2, 2007

I'd never heard of this book, or the author, until last night. I'm collaborating on what I thought was to be a mainstream spiritual suspense novel, but the person I'm working with mentioned this book as how she sees it playing out in the marketplace.

Was this a bestseller that I missed, or was it a cult favorite? Any suggestions on how I can find out how it did business-wise? Maybe there's an aspect to Amazon where I can research? :Shrug:

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Voyager · Oct 2, 2007

HP Lovecraft, master of the gross mispelling, lol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hp_lovecraft

nccreative · Oct 2, 2007

So, you're not a fan? LOL

I'm trying to get a feel for how popular this book became - do you have any information about that? I mean, I'd never heard of it AT ALL. Certainly not a Da Vinci Code, right? (even if not a fan of Da Vinci Code, it was a blockbuster).

When I Google it, I get mainly "dark forum" type of hits. Very cultish. Is that a correct perception on my part?

Thanks!

Voyager · Oct 2, 2007

Well, Lovecraft was a pretty good sized racist, and I'm Mexican, so... You're probably having trouble finding the book because it's not a real book. The Necronomicon is a book that he mentions in a lot of the books he wrote. It's a sort of book of the dead/grimoire thing. Here's a link that will tell you more about it.

I said book 47 times in one post! Do I win a prize?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necronomicon

nccreative · Oct 2, 2007

LOL! Ding, ding, ding...you win!!!

Thanks again. Yeah, I understand it's not a real book, per se, but the only hits I get are still very cultish-type forums. That's pretty much what I wanted to know...that it wasn't/isn't considered mainstream.

Just Mike · Oct 2, 2007

Lovecraft never actually wrote a book called the "Necronomicon." It was just a part of his mythos that got spread around a bit.

The only book I can think of actually called "The Necronomicon" is this one, and it's a bit, um, odd. Think cult appeal if this is what your friend is talking about.

If we're to use Lovecraft as a direct analogy for how your partner sees the book's success . . . don't expect much until after death. Really. Lovecraft only gained recognition and some measure of "marketplace" success after kicking the cosmic Cthulhu bucket. Before that he was a creepy magazine writer. This wiki article will give you a more complete picture.

Hope this helped.

nccreative · Oct 2, 2007

Yes, Just Mike, it helped a lot. Confirmed what I gathered from the maze I've been sifting through online this morning.

I'm definitely steering her clear of this path...makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Voyager · Oct 2, 2007

Just Mike said:
Lovecraft only gained recognition and some measure of "marketplace" success after kicking the cosmic Cthulhu bucket.

LOL, if Lovecraft were a member of a forum, this would make a perfect sig for him.

dpaterso · Oct 2, 2007

As you've probably gathered, the dread name gets freely quoted in other horror novels and films, and genre fans seem to accept it's a source of unspeakable evil, e.g.

EXT. A LOG CABIN - NIGHT
nestled in a dark forest. Through the window, we see the tiny
figure of Ash picking up a book from a desk.

ASH (V.O.)
I first saw the damn thing at that
blasted cabin. The Necronomicon.
An ancient Sumarrian text, bound
in human flesh and inked in human
blood. It contained bizarre burial
rites, prophesies...and
instruction for demon
resurrection. It was never meant
for the world of the living.

From Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness

I've read and enjoyed most if not all of Lovecraft's stories, like 'em or dislike 'em they do have atmosphere.

-Derek

Haggis · Oct 2, 2007

dpaterso said:
I've read and enjoyed most if not all of Lovecraft's stories, like 'em or dislike 'em they do have atmosphere.

-Derek

Plenty of atmosphere, but way too many cats.

Calla Lily · Oct 2, 2007

Haggis said:
Plenty of atmosphere, but way too many cats.

As a mother, I'm calling on the Goat With A Thousand Young to harass you for the next 3 milennia. Us moms (and cat-lovers) stick together.

Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath!

Your little glowing-eye chihuahua will be a nice midmorning nosh for Cthulhu--if the Goat leaves any bits. MWHAHAHAHA!

Sheesh...the threads I miss because I have to do mundane things like get to work.

nccreative, I own every piece of fiction HP wrote. Including a bizarro little pamphlet about the Necronomicon. He's my idol. He's why I started writing horror.

dpaterso · Oct 2, 2007

A rather neat little HPL collection:
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600031h.html

"...and worst of all, the unmentionable Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred, in Olaus Wormius' forbidden Latin translation; a book which I had never seen, but of which I had heard monstrous things whispered."

-Derek

donroc · Oct 2, 2007

Isn't a copy of the Necronicom to be found at good old Miskatonic U? Ah, the football team they might have had made up of shoggoths and such coached by an Ancient One.

www.donaldmichaelplatt.com

C.bronco · Oct 2, 2007

The Necronomicon was written by Abdul Alhazred many moons before H.P. graced us with his works! It gives a good look at the religion of the ancient Sumerians, and is supposed to make you go mad if you read it.
People who were in high school with me can attest that it didn't make me go mad after reading it; I was already like this.

Or, I've been fooled all this time, http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/necronomicon1.htm
and
http://www.netstoreusa.com/oabooks/158/1587150433.shtml

Calla Lily · Oct 2, 2007

I proudly wear my dead-black hoodie with the insignia of Miskatonic U's Literary Department (Est. 1642).

Every so often someone "gets it." I didn't wear it last Christmas because I'd've had to explain over and over that yes, I really graduated from The Catholic University of America; no, MU isn't a "real" university...

C.bronco · Oct 2, 2007

Unless you're taking a skiff down the Arkane River. There you get a nice view of its ancient walls.

GhostAuthor · Oct 2, 2007

Ah, yes. Cthulhu. I have various art prints hanging on my office wall - all Lovecraftian in nature.

However, for the true Cthulhu fan, may I suggest a little YouTube?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci0dwbfwOYM&watch_response

Note: Watch the credits for a certain someone's name. . .

C.bronco · Oct 2, 2007

And then there's In the Mouth of Madness http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113409/
a nice tribute.

Laurawrites · Oct 2, 2007

Lovecraft

Wow, what a coincidence. I just got through visiting a web site I just found on Lovecraft. It's the best one I've came across:

www.hplovecraft.com

It goes through the history of this book (it's fiction) and the myths behind it and Lovecraft's life.

Hope this helps.

Calla Lily · Oct 2, 2007

The stuffed Cthulhu on my monitor is getting impatient for its morning sacrifice.

Didn't I see a stray chihuahua around here?

Haggis · Oct 2, 2007

Calla Lily · Oct 2, 2007

It's okay, Haggis, I caught that annoying fluffy stray cat that always fights with my cats at 3 am. Your Satanic-eyed avatar is safe.

For now...

HorrorWriter · Oct 2, 2007

Haggis said:

Haggis,
ROFLMAO! :roll:

small axe · Oct 19, 2007

Well, what peeps have said about the dread N*********** is true, but I have held two actual copies of it in my hands:

One is the title of an art book by HR Giger (amazing art guy, our Hans Rudi)

One was a rip-off little piece o' dreck with that title, and it was just some collection of silly little medieval-looking fake magick rituals ... not even an interesting "fake" of the actual Lovecraftian thing.

Be careful that someone hasn't grabbed the name and protected it as a trademark, too (video games etc) ... Am I correct that an item can be in public domain but still have parts legally tied-up by trademarks etc?

I heard a story of someone who had been using the word "Hobbitronics" (as in Hobby Electronics) who was being sued by the Hobbit-owning people.

The Hobbits are a small, but apparently heavily lawyered-up race. Owning them is a sin.

HeronW · Dec 22, 2007

Necronomicon is a fictional book by the mad Arab, Abdul Alhazred which Lovecraft uses as a plot device any time some poor sap needs to activate an elder god or creepy thing from space. August Derleth and Clark Ashton Smith used it in their work too.

Capitalizing on the popularity of a forbidden book is:
Al Azif: The Necronomicon by L. Sprague de Camp (1973, ISBN 1-58715-043-3)
Necronomicon by "Simon" (1980, ISBN 0-380-75192-5)
The Gates of the Necronomicon by "Simon" (2006, ISBN 0-060-89006-1)
H.R. Giger's Necronomicon by H.R. Giger (1991, ISBN 0-9623447-2-9)
Necronomicon II by H.R. Giger
The Necronomicon edited by George Hay (1993, ISBN 1-871438-16-0)
Necronomicon: The Wanderings Of Alhazred by Donald Tyson (2004, ISBN 0-7387-0627-2)
Necronomicon Plush Book by Toy vault (not an actual book, but rather a novelty collectible parodying the format of children's pop-up books).

Anyone have feedback about "Necronomicom," by Lovecraft?

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