Tod and Claire discuss HP Lovecraft's "He," which was first published in the September 1926 issue of Weird Tales.

Please note: this is a horror podcast, and may not be for everyone. In particular, this story contains some unkind depictions of New York immigrants and Native Americans, a fancyboy-turned-necromancer, rum poisoning, a use of the Wither spell, and an inexplicable, multi-eyed ooze-ghost monster. If any of these elements are likely to disturb you, you may wish to skip this episode.

Check out our friend Kai's story in the Spring 2025 issue of 34 Orchard, "Change in the House of Flies," which is very horror-noir.

Also: 99 Percent Invisible's deep dive into The Power Broker starts here -- strong recommend!

Also check out sketches and history of the wizard's manor at this BlogSpot site!

Oh and of course find us in the Best 90 Lovecraftian Podcasts! (I'm pretty sure we're going to clinch this year's America's Top Lovecraft Following Man.)

You can text us now. Why? That’s between you and your Elder God.

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Like the show? Say so with money! Or just hang out with us on Mastodon, at @podsothoth@defcon.social. Or email us at hideous@podsothoth.club. Best thing? Rate us (positively!) in your favorite podcast app. That helps other people find the show!

A reading of H.P. Lovecraft’s “He,” which was first published in the September 1926 issue of Weird Tales, and first read aloud here, by me, in May of 2025.

Please note: this is a horror podcast, and may not be for everyone. In particular, this story contains some unkind depictions of New York immigrants and Native Americans, an unexpected amount of architectural detail, a fancyboy-turned-necromancer, rum drinking, tobacco smoking, poorly inflected Georgian-era English, a particularly damaging bout of madness, and an inexplicable, multi-eyed ooze monster. If any of these elements are likely to disturb you, you may wish to skip this episode.

You can read this story yourself at HPLovecraft.com, or enjoy the ambient "Victorian London" soundscape by The Vault of Ambience.

You can text us now. Why? That’s between you and your Elder God.

Support the show

Like the show? Say so with money! Or just hang out with us on Mastodon, at @podsothoth@defcon.social. Or email us at hideous@podsothoth.club. Best thing? Rate us (positively!) in your favorite podcast app. That helps other people find the show!

Claire and Tod discuss HP Lovecraft's "The White Ship," first published in 1919 in The United Amateur. What better way to celebrate ☘️ St. Patrick's Day ☘️ than talking about Lord Dunsany at some length! Also, Claire, a sophisticated and educated lady of Irish decent, learns what a shillelagh is in this episode, so that's a bit of St. Patty's fun!

Links for you:

• Lord Samuel's Lovecraft Metal Spotify Playlist
• Tod's Dreams and Nightmares Apple Music Playlist
• Check in on Fantasy Flight's Dark Side of the Moon at Board Game Geek, but it's out of print so you'll probably have to go to eBay to find it
• A short article about Lovecraft and Lord Dunsany
• A free version of Idle Days on the River Yann by Lord Dunsany
• Del Rey's Dream Cycle collection, which you can of course read for free at https://hplovecraft.com

Weirdly, I don't think we swear at all in this episode, but I'll mark it explicit just to be on the safe side.

Oh, and I spent a fair amount of time learning about The White Ship Disaster at Wikipedia, and then went down a rabbit hole learning about Empress Matilda and The Anarchy, but alas, it didn't make it into the show. Also, it has nothing to do with the story, so it's probably for the best.

You can text us now. Why? That’s between you and your Elder God.

Support the show

Like the show? Say so with money! Or just hang out with us on Mastodon, at @podsothoth@defcon.social. Or email us at hideous@podsothoth.club. Best thing? Rate us (positively!) in your favorite podcast app. That helps other people find the show!

HP Lovecraft's "The White Ship," first published in the November, 1919 issue of The United Amateur, and first read here by Tod in March of 2025. As this is a horror podcast, it may not be for everyone. Specifically, this story contains descriptions of fanciful, far off lands, a celestial bird of impossibly beautiful plumage, the river Narg, a city paved with bones, and the rejection of paradise. If these elements are likely to disturb you, voyage no further with this episode.

You can read this story yourself at HPLovecraft.com, or enjoy the ambience by itself as Creaky Wooden Pirate Ship by Captain Sleepy.

You can text us now. Why? That’s between you and your Elder God.

Support the show

Like the show? Say so with money! Or just hang out with us on Mastodon, at @podsothoth@defcon.social. Or email us at hideous@podsothoth.club. Best thing? Rate us (positively!) in your favorite podcast app. That helps other people find the show!

Claire and Tod discuss HP Lovecraft's "The Outsider," which was first published in the April, 1926 issue of Weird Tales, though purportedly written around 1921. Is it really about body dysmorphia? Could be! Is it goth a fuck? Absolutely it is!

Anyway, here are some links!

First off, check out Hell Cat Speed and Design's YouTube channel. If that's not quite noisy enough for you, then you're urged to experience Nile's Amongst the Catacombs of Nephrem-Ka with your entire body. Too loud? Head on over to Walking on Mars' Stacy's Mom (from Stacy's Perspective), since it's delightful.

Finally, if you're physically and psychologically able, you are COMMANDED to visit with the fine folks and deranged cultists at London Lovecraft Festival at the Drayton Arms in South Kensington on February 16-17, 2025! Go! Now! No time to explain!

As always, you can read this story yourself at HPLovecraft.com if you can't be bothered to back up one episode. You might also enjoy The Eve of St. Agnes, if you want just a little smackeral of goth in an otherwise Romantic love story.

(BTW, I think all these links are clickable in all normal podcast players. If they're not, please tell me! I spot checked Apple's and Spotify's, and those work just fine.)

(And yes, I know how to math. I'm deeply embarrassed for getting my powers of two wrong.)

You can text us now. Why? That’s between you and your Elder God.

Support the show

Like the show? Say so with money! Or just hang out with us on Mastodon, at @podsothoth@defcon.social. Or email us at hideous@podsothoth.club. Best thing? Rate us (positively!) in your favorite podcast app. That helps other people find the show!

A reading of HP Lovecraft's "The Outsider," first published in the April, 1926 issue of Weird Tales, and first read here by Tod in January, 2025. As this is a horror podcast, it may not be for everyone. Notably, this story contains depictions of a dark and brooding forest of secrets, a crumbling castle of misery, silent rats and other ethereal vermin, screaming, wind-riding ghouls, and, (no spoilers) the most shocking, soul-crushing revelation of abomination and hellishness. If any of that goth as heck stuff is likely to trouble you, you're advised to skip this episode.

You can read this story yourself at https://hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/o.aspx , or enjoy the ambience sounds by themselves at "D&D Ambience - Catacombs," by Sword Coast Soundscapes at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPpVMmTt74Q .

You can text us now. Why? That’s between you and your Elder God.

Support the show

Like the show? Say so with money! Or just hang out with us on Mastodon, at @podsothoth@defcon.social. Or email us at hideous@podsothoth.club. Best thing? Rate us (positively!) in your favorite podcast app. That helps other people find the show!

Tod and Claire discuss HP Lovecraft's "A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson," which was published in the November, 1917 issue of the United Amateur under the name "Humphrey Littlewit, Esq." and have a couple different takes on this story. Is it self satire? Probably. Is it actually a story about imposter syndrome? Maybe! Is it perhaps the most cosmically horrifying story of them all, since even if you're 200 years old, your life may well be vanishingly insignificant? I kind of think so! Happy New Year, and hope you have a couple hundred more!

Oh, you want more Sam Jackson lines? Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMLdPE5OoWI - weirdly, it's mostly variations on "Motherfucker" and no Star Wars or Incredibles zingers, but hey.

We talked a little about AHA! around minute 10. Come by if you hack stuff and are in Austin.

You can text us now. Why? That’s between you and your Elder God.

Support the show

Like the show? Say so with money! Or just hang out with us on Mastodon, at @podsothoth@defcon.social. Or email us at hideous@podsothoth.club. Best thing? Rate us (positively!) in your favorite podcast app. That helps other people find the show!

A reading of HP Lovecraft's "A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson," first published in the November, 1917 issue of the United Amateur, and first read here by Tod in December, 2024. This this work is a rarity in Lovecraft's oeuvre, as it was intended as a bit of satirical parody of Lovecraft himself.

As this is pointedly not a horror story, there are no content warnings for this episode. However, you are still advised to steer clear if you are troubled by excessive name-dropping, overblown intellectual pretension, imagined slights and reactions to the same, or the very concept of 18th Century style satire.

You can read this story yourself at https://hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/rdsj.aspx , or enjoy the backing ambience, "Crowded Local Tavern," by Sword Coast Soundscapes at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EULoybB2Nsw on Youtube.

You can text us now. Why? That’s between you and your Elder God.

Support the show

Like the show? Say so with money! Or just hang out with us on Mastodon, at @podsothoth@defcon.social. Or email us at hideous@podsothoth.club. Best thing? Rate us (positively!) in your favorite podcast app. That helps other people find the show!