Cthuhlu Month

It has been a while since I've posted. I believe things will return to normal now that I've finished work on a pending project. Of course, there are other pending projects, but they are nearly complete - just on hold, or were on hold.


It appears I returned in time to catch Tor books declaration that December, Cthulhu month. I would have thought a summer month was a better fit, but who am I to grumble.

In the spirit of Cthulhu month, Tor is offering a number of Lovecraftian books at a 30% discount - a very good deal. Or to quote Tor's website:

For our H.P. Lovecraft-themed month, we've gotten Ellen Datlow to put together a list of Lovecraft-related books she thinks are seminal.

Follow this link.

When the email from Tor arrived in my box, I was quite curious as to what titles they were recommending. As it turns out, one of the titles is mine: The Strange Cases of Rudolph Pearson.

Above and beyond my book, I do say read the others on the list. The titles do provide a strong understanding of the Lovecraftian mythos and what it has produced. And of course, there are many other titles out there for new and established Lovecraftian fans. Typing "CTHULHU" on Amazon will produced a plethora of titles to choose from

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Mysteries to Secrets

I always enjoy finishing a book. There is no ritual I perform when this happens - maybe because even when a book is finished it isn't finished. There are still potential delays. Proofs to be reviewed, mishaps at the printer, and various other events that can "open" the project again. Even with all of those potential calamities, there is a sense of completion when looking at the final galley. Or even more so when the book is shipped off to the printer.

It so happens that Secrets of Morocco (formerly Mysteries of Morocco) is at the printer. In a previous post I mentioned the difference between the two "editions" of the book. Nothing much has changed since then. The book is still set in Morocco (this is a relief otherwise the title would make no sense), and it has plenty of information about the history of the nation from its early days as a Roman outpost through the 1930s. There is one thing that I didn't elaborate on previously, and that is the inclusion of some Pulp Cthulhu content. This material can be used by Call of Cthulhu players, or by Pulp Cthulhu players. At the very least, the Pulp Cthulhu content should offer a sneak peek into the upcoming Pulp Cthulhu book.

All that is left to do now is wait...

Wired Blog: Table of Malcontents

High Seas Cthulhu Washes Up on Wired Blog

On May 31st, it seems the monster in the bottle reached John Brownlee, editor of Table of Malcontents. Here is a snapshot of the post:

Of all the Pirates vs. X permutations that have caught the fancy of the Internet, perhaps the showdown that makes the most sense is Pirates Vs. Cthulhu. Logistically, ninjas are not likely to take to the high sea, where as pirates patrol and plunder the very waves under which R'lyeh rots and Great Cthulhu lays dreaming.

It is an excellent idea for a book, and the Elder Signs Press is now making it a reality with High Seas Cthulhu...

Herbert West at sea -- maybe ship's surgeon? The fun Dr West would have.

Geheimnisvolles Marokko

For fans of the Call of Cthulhu RPG who read German, some time in 2007, Geheimnisvolles Marokko will be published. This is a German translation of my English language book, Mysteries of Morocco. I've seen the preliminary cover art and it looks quite good. I'll have more details later.

Morocco is also one of the locales Rudolph Pearson visited in the short story "Harami." While the short story does not appear in either book, there are a number of connections between them.

Surprise Anthology

A while back when I started doing some art direction with Colin Foran for Tim Curran’s novel Dead Sea, I came up with the idea of High Seas Cthulhu. Tim’s brilliant novel opens in the past, but shifts to the present. A wonderful SF/Horror/Thriller work. That set me to thinking about a Lovecraftian/Howard style anthology of fiction set in the Age of Sail. Working with Colin underscored this idea when he sent me a lovely 3-masted frigate “locked in chains” (as the expression goes).

While sharing my time on a few other projects, I brooded over the concept, and finally had a direction — even though the writers might disagree.

I’m lucky to have access to talented writers and artists for these wild ideas. After speaking with Steven Gilberts, he quickly put together a masterful cover that captures the spirit of the anthology. Thanks to a clever cover designer, the near-final work has a touch of a Patrick O’Brien look about it (the film Master and Commander was based on his writings).
Of course, the anthology is slated for a next year release, so I’ll not mention too much about it.