Cthulhu Thursday: Top 5 best of Mythos, Cthulhu and Lovecraft Film, TV, Games, Stories and more… (A Work in Progress)

Updated! Oh and before I begin… important announcement! Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is now out on Steam and console!… plus if you wanted our ‘Vote Cthulhu’ card game (aka Elections), it’s available now 🙂

Anyway back to the post….

This post is intended to be a work in progress. As a big fan of Cthulhu related stuff, I get through a lot, so I wanted to put together a personal list of the best of the best Cthulhu, Mythos and Lovecraft related things. Feel free to comment, email or tweet me suggestions, but note it is a personal list, so I may not agree with you…

Right, here we go…please note!! I list the top five(ish) in each category but they are not in order within that list, it was too hard to get all hierarchical with them 😦 Also note!!! that this is work in progress, I’m not decided all the category winners as yet, so I’ll be updating it as I do…and I do change my mind too…

The Best of Lovecraft’s Own Stories

Best Lovecraft Collaboration

Best Lovecraft Adaptation Feature Film

Call of Cthulhu (2005) : What an amazing idea – make the film as if it has been made in Lovecraft’s time – as a silent classic. I love this film and the people who made it (the HPLHS) have done an amazing job of adapting his work, far better that filmmakers with more experience and money have done. It just goes to show how far creativity and passion can go.

: What an amazing idea – make the film as if it has been made in Lovecraft’s time – as a silent classic. I love this film and the people who made it (the HPLHS) have done an amazing job of adapting his work, far better that filmmakers with more experience and money have done. It just goes to show how far creativity and passion can go. Cthulhu (2007) : Based roughly on Shadow over Innsmouth, it is a good mix of classic Lovecraftian ideas and modern horror stuff. A good stab at Lovecraft on film, imho.

: Based roughly on Shadow over Innsmouth, it is a good mix of classic Lovecraftian ideas and modern horror stuff. A good stab at Lovecraft on film, imho. Re-Animator (1985) : A great film that is based on the Lovecraft tale of ‘Herbert West: Re-animator‘ and updates it to a contemporaty setting. Deservedly one of the best adaptations of Lovecraft’s work.

: A great film that is based on the Lovecraft tale of ‘Herbert West: Re-animator‘ and updates it to a contemporaty setting. Deservedly one of the best adaptations of Lovecraft’s work. From Beyond (1986) : From the same team of Re-Animator, another great adaptation that also updates the action to a contemporary setting.

: From the same team of Re-Animator, another great adaptation that also updates the action to a contemporary setting. The Whisper in the Darkness (2012): A second feature by the HPLHS people and another hit. A great adaptation oozing atmosphere and while the effects are not all that great, given the budget they had it is amazing. Loved it!

Best Lovecraftian Feature Films

Annihilation – Directed by Alex Garland and based on novel by Jeff VanderMeer, it is loosely following the formula of Color Out of Space, but is also it’s own thing. It’s a brilliant capturing of ‘weird’ fiction as a film.

– Directed by Alex Garland and based on novel by Jeff VanderMeer, it is loosely following the formula of Color Out of Space, but is also it’s own thing. It’s a brilliant capturing of ‘weird’ fiction as a film. Event Horizon – A science mission to explore a black hole finds the space between stars and those who visit it, are changed!

– A science mission to explore a black hole finds the space between stars and those who visit it, are changed! Color Out Of Space – Richard Stanley’s adaptation of Lovecraft’s The Color Out of Space story. It’s really good, go see it!

– Richard Stanley’s adaptation of Lovecraft’s The Color Out of Space story. It’s really good, go see it! Currently redacted.

Currently redacted.

Best Lovecraft Short Films

Experiment 17: It’s Nazis meet Mythos and well worth a watch.

It’s Nazis meet Mythos and well worth a watch. Late Bloomer : Lovecraftian sex-education class! Very clever and funny.

: Lovecraftian sex-education class! Very clever and funny. From Beyond the Beyond : Fun with the beyond from some funny guys who know their stuff! (+ see other shorts by them!)

: Fun with the beyond from some funny guys who know their stuff! (+ see other shorts by them!) Currently redacted.

Currently redacted.

Best Contemporary Lovecraftian Fiction

The short stories; A Colder War by Charles Stross: The best contemporary Lovecraft story in my opinion. A must read and also read Twilight Turns From Amethyst by Nicola Belte: A chilling short story telling of the time when the Deep Ones have returned and we are at war with them. It’s The Handmaid’s Tale meets Shadow over Innsmouth.

by Charles Stross: The best contemporary Lovecraft story in my opinion. A must read and also read by Nicola Belte: A chilling short story telling of the time when the Deep Ones have returned and we are at war with them. It’s The Handmaid’s Tale meets Shadow over Innsmouth. The Imago Sequence & Other Stories by Laird Barron: I recently discovered Laird and he’s AMAZING. I’ve ready all I’ve been able to get my fish-claws on. Occultation and the Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All are also brilliant anthologies and the novel The Croning blew me away (stick with it as the first chapter is odd, but it makes sense later on…)

by Laird Barron: I recently discovered Laird and he’s AMAZING. I’ve ready all I’ve been able to get my fish-claws on. Occultation and the Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All are also brilliant anthologies and the novel The Croning blew me away (stick with it as the first chapter is odd, but it makes sense later on…) The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson: This is Johnson’s take on The Dreamlands. I heard an interview with her and got the book after that and it’s stuck with me ever since. Totally recommended.

by Kij Johnson: This is Johnson’s take on The Dreamlands. I heard an interview with her and got the book after that and it’s stuck with me ever since. Totally recommended. The Ballad of Black Tom – by Victor LaValle, revisiting H.P. Lovecraft’s story “The Horror at Red Hook” from the viewpoint of a black man. Excellent read.

by Victor LaValle, revisiting H.P. Lovecraft’s story “The Horror at Red Hook” from the viewpoint of a black man. Excellent read. The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer. A sequence of three books that set out to describe the indescribable, so make into words many of the things that other mythos writers just jump over. A remarkable work of fiction.

Best Contemporary Multi-Author Lovecraftian Anthology

Best Lovecraftian Non-Fiction Things

Best RPG Game

Honourable mention: Dark Mirror (cos I wrote it!)

Best Cthulhu Video Games

Best Cthulhu Physical Games

Cthulhu Wars – Great area control tactical boardgame set when the Great Old Ones have claimed the earth. Amazing design too!

– Great area control tactical boardgame set when the Great Old Ones have claimed the earth. Amazing design too! Arkham Noir – Nice card art and quite a fun solo card game. I’ve only played Case #2 and Case #1 is on my ‘want’ list.

– Nice card art and quite a fun solo card game. I’ve only played Case #2 and Case #1 is on my ‘want’ list. Hyperspace – A 4x style strategy boardgame from the creator of Cthulhu Wars that features the mythos races and the spacecraft they use! So hyped for this!!

– A 4x style strategy boardgame from the creator of Cthulhu Wars that features the mythos races and the spacecraft they use! So hyped for this!! Currently redacted.

Currently redacted.

Best Cthulhu Artists

Best Lovecraftian Comics

Best Cthulhu/Lovecraftian Music

Cthulu Dildonomicon : Breakcore does Cthulhu! Free! Nuff said. (Plus the brilliant Jason Forest is involved!)

: Breakcore does Cthulhu! Free! Nuff said. (Plus the brilliant Jason Forest is involved!) The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets : Cthulhu themed rock!

: Cthulhu themed rock! H.P.Lovecraft: Also the name of a brilliant psychedelic rock band. Well worth checking out!

Also the name of a brilliant psychedelic rock band. Well worth checking out! Currently redacted.

Currently redacted.

Best Cthulhu Mashups

Ogrethulhu : A cybernetic tanks mashed with Cthulhu? Of course!

: A cybernetic tanks mashed with Cthulhu? Of course! Tintin vs Cthulhu : The adventures he wished didn’t happen (run Tintin, run!!)

: The adventures he wished didn’t happen (run Tintin, run!!) Dr Seuss does Cthulhu : What kids should not be reading (but will love)

: What kids should not be reading (but will love) Cthulhu Charlie Brown : Snoopy discovers the stars are right…

: Snoopy discovers the stars are right… Currently redacted.

Best Cthulhu/Lovecraftian Websites Lovecraft eZine: As well as producing ongoing fiction in the genre, it has news and links and much more. A great project.

As well as producing ongoing fiction in the genre, it has news and links and much more. A great project. H.P.Lovecraft Archive: An astounding collection of Lovecraft’s works (all for free) and loads of commentary and more. An amazing collection!

An astounding collection of Lovecraft’s works (all for free) and loads of commentary and more. An amazing collection! HPPodcraft.com: A literary tour around Lovecraft’s works. I love this show and am working my way though the back catalogue as well as listening to new shows. The presenters are smart, funny and know their Mythos.

A literary tour around Lovecraft’s works. I love this show and am working my way though the back catalogue as well as listening to new shows. The presenters are smart, funny and know their Mythos. Chaosium : Full of goodies and they’ve been keeping the flame of Cthulhu going for over 30 years.

: Full of goodies and they’ve been keeping the flame of Cthulhu going for over 30 years. Yog-sothoth.com: A Forum for RPG fans and also general Lovecraftian chat. Loads of great stuff and it is clear a huge amount of work going into the endeavour.

(Cthulhu Thursday is a dose of Mythos to brighten darken your week. More on the idea can be found here and a list of posts thus far, here. Also some upcoming Cthulhu news, sign up to the Auroch Digital’s newsletter. Enjoy!)

PS. Important announcement! Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is now out on Steam and console!… plus if you wanted our ‘Vote Cthulhu’ card game, it’s available now 🙂