Lots of Lovecraft Society (LOLS)

**Cyclops** · 02-22-2010, 00:57

Originally Posted by Subotan

One thing that bugs me about his work is that he uses the word "Cyclopean" far too much

Add to this list: Eldritch, rugose, squamous, non-Euclidian, nameless (in fact he usually ends up supplying a name for his nameless horrors). He likes certian phrases too: eg "rimed with nitre" (as opposed to "a bit white-ish").

Certan authors have a penchant for their favourite terms. E.E. "Doc" Smith gave the term "coruscating"" a real workout.

H.P. had a wide vocabulary as was not afraid to use it: in this he reflects the deliberate quaint archaizing of the late 19th century authors he so admired: its hard not to blame Dunsany for this.

edit-anyway, whats wrong with "Cyclopean"? Ain't you ever met anyone from Cyclopia before?

**Meneldil** · 02-25-2010, 08:24

That's it. Now I am annoyed. Eldritch again. I don't know what that word means. It is never used in french, but comes up a lot in video games, books and movies in english, and I simply can't understand the meaning.

I'm very well willing to pretend that I get it for a little while, but it's more than I can take. Eldritch this, eldritch that, eldritch dude. What the hell does that mean? From what I roughly understood, it's related to magic, but that's about it.

**Fragony** · 02-25-2010, 08:38

I guess sinister comes close

**Subotan** · 02-25-2010, 09:54

It makes me think of Tolkein.

**Shieldmaiden** · 02-25-2010, 17:22

Originally Posted by Subotan

It makes me think of Tolkein.

I believe Tolkien is a far superior to Lovecraft in terms of writing clear and elegant prose.

Lovecraft's power comes primarily from his vision and energy, his writing second. His very best stories are ones he finds a balance in and the vision becomes horribly clear...

All in my opinion of course.

**Subotan** · 02-25-2010, 20:11

I need to reread Tolkein. I last read the Silmarillion when I was about 11, and LOTR before that.

**Cyclops** · 02-25-2010, 22:03

Originally Posted by Meneldil

... Eldritch this, eldritch that, eldritch dude. What the hell does that mean? ...

Its just one of those cyclopean words, that fills one with nameless terror (which has a name, actually), that suggests dizzying chasms of monstrous chaos beyond the normal continuum of space and time.

Or shizzle. Could mean shizzle.

**drone** · 02-26-2010, 00:26

Originally Posted by Meneldil

That's it. Now I am annoyed. Eldritch again. I don't know what that word means. It is never used in french, but comes up a lot in video games, books and movies in english, and I simply can't understand the meaning.

I'm very well willing to pretend that I get it for a little while, but it's more than I can take. Eldritch this, eldritch that, eldritch dude. What the hell does that mean? From what I roughly understood, it's related to magic, but that's about it.

Meneldil just lost 2 sanity points.

**Cyclops** · 02-26-2010, 05:22

I think both Tolkien and Lovecraft respond to Dunsany and co's late 19th century faery writing but in quite different ways. I think Toliien is more sane, more widely read and uses his obscure words more correctly, and also invents bags of new ones.

He's also looking to express happy feelings and eradicate bad ones, whereas Lovecraft emits skin-crawling unsettlement.

Originally Posted by drone

Meneldil just lost 2 sanity points.

Yeah but he gained +1% Cthulhu Mythos.