2025-10-08
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On H.P. Lovecraft

I became interested in the works of H.P. Lovecraft (HPL) in the late
1990s. It wasn't a strictly literary interest, though, but rather an
interest provoked by a computer game inspired by HPL, which a friend
of mine strongly encouraged me to play -- Alone in the Dark 2 (AITD2),
released in 1992.

I was intrigued by many things: the story, the atmosphere, the
gameplay mechanics, the related trivia, and more. Whether you think
computer games are or aren't serious enough to satisfy intellectual
curiosity, they can certainly carry a baggage of enormously rich
cultural references. And even though AITD2 is not directly related to
HPL's works, it clearly draws from them in various aspects.

It led me to play the two remaining parts of the original Alone in the
Dark trilogy, and then Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (2001) --
the first major reboot of the series. As I immersed myself in those
worlds, my interest in HPL's prose grew. Today, I find myself having
read most of his canonical works -- stories exploring the so-called
Cthulhu Mythos and beyond, a few dozen titles in total.

HPL's texts feel somewhat uneven to me at times, but they still draw
me in; I find his prose deeply engaging and his personality genuinely
intriguing.

If you haven't read any and would like to try, here are a few
suggestions:

I. If you're after Cthulhu and related stories, try these:

- The Call of Cthulhu
- The Shadow over Innsmouth

II. Among non-Cthulhu stories, the best probably include:

- The Music of Erich Zann
- The Case of Charles Dexter Ward

If you're also inclined toward computer games, there are a number of
titles worth exploring. Apart from the aforementioned Alone in the
Dark series, I would certainly recommend these:

- Shadow of the Comet
- Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth