Lovecraft: The Shunned House and Other Stories

by H. P. Lovecraft




Five more stories collected from the vast pool of material put into the pulps by H. P. Lovecraft. As most of you probably know, he considered himself a literary failure at the time of his death - or at least one who would gain only the minor-est of footnotes. His real fame didn’t bloom until the 1960s, thanks to August Derelith and Arkham House- who kept all of his materials in-print. After that all of the comic adaptation, films versions, and games around it have kept the mythos alive into the next century. In fact, I’m sure more people enjoy his creations in other mediums than like to read his original material. Well, most of it is almost 100 years old and most of the stories are uniquely wordy.  

The Shunned House (originally written in 1924, first published in Weird Tales in 1937). Technically a novelette, though I find it difficult to tell the difference between a novelette and long short story- if indeed there is a difference. Based on an actual abode Lovecraft's aunt had lived in, this is the story of a man and his uncle’s fascination with a house that seems to destroy whomever lives in it. After delving into its extensive history, they invade the house with military flamethrowers. The pair find nothing but a horrid smell, a strange phosphorescent fungi growing in the basement, and a yellow mist in which they seem to be make out the shape of a man. Things happen, people dissolve. Though they do solve their predicament in a way that would make Call of Cthulhu players proud- ie. A lot of acid is dumped on the problem. And a greater mystery is left. This is one of his best stories. Odd, yet strangely scientific, perfectly mixing up sci-fi with the supernatural.  

The Horror at Red Hook (Written in 1925, first published in Weird Tales in 1927). A lot of people seem to dislike this one. I don’t. Of course, they spout the usual claims if racism because of his unflattering description of Red Hook and it's transformation from an independent village to a Brooklyn slum. This venom is thrown at Mongul types and Eastern Europeans. Take it as you will, it's a horror story. But even Lovecraft's dismissed it later on. I liked it however. This is an odd departure for Lovecraft as the evil forces at work here are definitely not the Cthulhu Mythos. Here we have a Satanic influence, of the Yeidizi “Devil-Worshiping” kind. As such, one might easily skip over it, if you're simply on the lookout for Cthulhu. This is the first of four stories set in New York. A city where the author lived briefly and absolutely hated 

He (originally written in 1925, first published in Weird Tales in 1926). If a story can be a reflection of the author at times, this is certainly true of Lovecraft in this tale. In fact, you can look on it as less of a story and more of him venting about his life at the time. It was a low point for him. Trapped in a rapidly failing marriage and stuck in a city he detested, Lovecraft blows off some steam in this story if the evils (past and future) that haunt New York City and it's evil denizens. Some claim there are some racist characterizations in it, and you well make that case, but it shows to me that when a person is in a bad place in life, evil thoughts follow.  

In the Vault (originally written in 1925, first published in Tryout in 1925). This is a simple tale of a drunken undertaker and a pissed off corpse’s revenge. For a Lovecraft horror story, it is certainly mild and very conventional. In fact, if I hadn't been told it was one of his, I wouldn't have guessed. While some of the style is his, it is muted. Not a bad story, it's simply one we've read before.  

Cool Air (originally written in 1926, first published in Tales of Magic and Mystery in 1928). One his more popular stories (though originally rejected by the big leagues). This story of a doctor needing to refrigerate themselves to stave off death’s final embrace -oh, by the way, spoilers- has been adapted for TV at least three times, and loosely used for the 2007 feature film, Chill. Though the last has considerably more gore than the story. I've put as many of the adaptations as I can find below.  

                                  Necronomicon: Book of the Dead 1994

                                              Chill from 2007
 For more readings, try books by Rex Hurst.