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I've discovered something wonderul about the good Doctor!!! Huzzah! - NickelobLight - 07-24-2009
Okay.
So I don't post here very often. My work and my passion keep me fairly busy. I do lurk at work, so I keep somewhat up to speed on the going-ons of my second favorite literary character, Repairman Jack, (sorry...Serge Storms comes up number one...sorry). My passion is my writing, as I am an amateur writer, poised to make a move into the land of published work. I am, (as I've said once or twice in the distant past), hard at work, lo these past 15 or so months on my inaugural novel, which is as yet unnamed, since I could care less what a publisher is willing to call it. Since the finish line is in sight, (I'm at 62000 or so words on my first draft), I've begun to research ways to get published. I've learned that its much easier to publish a novel if you've been published in the realm of short stories. Thus, I've taken a short leave of absence with my novel to work on a few short stories, since I've been advised to have several at the ready. The short stories are based on minor characters in my (kinda) coming-of-age novel which takes place during a zombie apocalypse, (its my passion, what can I say?).
So I look at the Horror Writers of America website. I click on a link that asks 'what is horror?' I learn that I do NOT in fact write horror. My writing, while entertaining, is more of an action/thriller, (i.e. pedestrian). I do NOT inspire feelings of dread, foreboding, or the like. I ask myself, who can I read that writes horror? While I love Repairman Jack, he inspries naught but excitement and anticipation in me. So who else? King? Nah. His writing, while the current standard, is long and intertwined. Not too easy to give myself a crash course in the genre. I could read Poe. However, as I was forced to read him way back in school, I choose not to do so at my leisure. Take THAT Mrs. Cartwright!
I then recall reading here, perhaps by the good doctor himself, about Lovecraft's influence on his writing. While quite familiar with the Cthulhu mythos, I have not actually read any Lovecraft. I realize that this is not unlike a football player not knowing who Joe Namath is, or an electrician unfamiliar with Tesla, but que sera sera. I will thank you not to judge.
That being said, I began reading Lovecraft. I first read The beast in the Cave. Uninspiring to say the least. I gave it another go, and read A Shadow over Innsmouth, because I used to love Metallica. Ah! There is the horror I was looking for! On a lark, I then read The Dunwich Horror. I was shocked! I read it again. I then had to read a certain FPW novel.
Doc, you magnificent man! If Reborn is NOT a wonderfully crafted homage of that short story, I'd be blown away. If it was, I salute you! About 1/4 way through it, I knew exactly what was going to happen, as a certain somebody in your universe parallels Wilbur Wheatley VERY closely. If not, then great minds think alike, etc etc and so forth.
For some reason, that realization tickled me pink.
As an aside, my writing managed to snag me a couple of dates with a cute English intern at the mental hospital where I work. I chatted her up, told her about my writing, and informed her that I do in fact have an English character. Furthermore, I demand authenticity in my dialogue, (the strongest part of my writing repertoire). Therefore, I needed to spend a few evenings with her to listen to her speak, hear her slang, and absorb her dialect. Ah, 'tis a storied life I lead! Of course, she got heatstroke on the 4th of July, but hey. Who knew that a pale English woman who didn't stay properly hydrated would have trouble in the midst of a Florida heatwave? I mean, other than those possessing decent sense. However, that is neither here nor there. Forgive me, I'm in the throes of a battle with a 6-pack of Franziskaner, and losing, but doing so with a joy and fulfillment that nary a man can achieve.
Howdy Wapikitev!
I've discovered something wonderul about the good Doctor!!! Huzzah! - fpw - 07-24-2009
I wasn't aware of a connection between "The Dunwich Horror" and Reborn. But years after writing Sibs I had cause to reread "The Thing on the Doorstep" and was shocked to realize I'd lifted a key plot element from that story. (The same with "Faces" and Matheson's "Born of Man and Woman.")
Some stories leave ghosts in the psyche that haunt your writing later on.
Now you've got me curious. I'll have to reread "Dunwich."
I've discovered something wonderul about the good Doctor!!! Huzzah! - fpw - 07-24-2009
Reborn was conceived as a sort of antichrist novel, except I didn't want to use Christian mythology. I realized I'd already created an evil enough entity and a cosmic conflict in The Keep. I wanted a town near Manhattan and realized I'd already created the Village of Monroe in The Touch. So why not reference myself instead of the Bible?
That was when pieces began falling together and the idea of the Adversary Cycle dawned. Eventually that expanded into the Secret History of the World.
I've discovered something wonderul about the good Doctor!!! Huzzah! - NickelobLight - 07-24-2009
Darn.
I thought I had discovered something that thousands had already known, making me some annoying sort of Johnny-Come-Lately. Plus I was, as previously stated, quite drunk. Ah well.
http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/thedunwichhorror.htm
What will be will be. I see extraordinary similarities between a certain character who shall go unnamed, and the aforementioned Wilbur Wheatley. While not by any means a re-imagining of The Dunwich Horror, it totally seemed that Reborn, was a heck of a tribute to said short story.
I suppose there is truth to the concept that there are no new ideas. A shame really. If its any consolation, I enjoyed The Adversary Cycle, (Sans Nightworld of course, which is as of yet unread), far more than the Lovecraft I've read.