Howard Philips Lovecraft, 1890 – 1937, stormed into my life through a battered book found in my local library in the mid 80’s and nothing has ever been the same. Like many in Sweden I owe a debt of gratitude to Sam J. Lundwall and his publishing efforts. I’ve had my life reshaped by literature a couple of times after that. The writings of Franz Kafka, William S. Burroughs, Poppy Z. Brite, Neal Stephenson, Mike Mignola and Jorge Luis Borges are a few of the names that spring to mind. But Lovecraft’s writings about cosmic horror and humanity’s insignificance in the larger scale of things shook my young self to the core. 28 odd years on I’m still reeling from the effects. Stories such as ”The Colour Out of Space”, ”The Whisperer in Darkness” and At the Mountains of Madness transcend their pulpy origins, the limits of genre and language reaching something beyond the base matter from which they are built. Like many writers in our literary canon, Lovecraft’s texts staked out a territory that may not be easy to traverse. But those who take the time and have the fortitude to push through the at times asphyxiating flow of adjectives will find something that just might change their view of the world. Through the years many have heard the call and felt the need to expand upon the mythology Lovecraft sketches out in his stories. Already before his life was cut short, this was a literary game played by […]
They say that the third time’s the charm! And we might just prove them right with the third edition of The Stockholm H.P. Lovecraft Festival, brought to you by Bio Rio, Dragon’s Lair, Elverket, The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, Hög av Serier, Klubb Super 8, Rönnells Antikvariat, Serieteket, SF Bokhandeln, Thank You Satan and Unga Dramaten. Some stellar talent has joined our ranks since last year making it possible for us to present to you our dear audience the following preliminary program. And yes, due to the frail nature of reality things can and will change sometimes unexpectedly. Check back regularly for updates. More dates, events and guests tba. October 5 (Sat) What: Generous offer from gaming society Dragon’s Lair. Lovecraft fans get free admission to their place on Kungsholmen where you can borrow and play Arkham Horror, Elder Sign, Mansions of Madness and others absolutely free! The offer is valid throughout the festival week, October 13 being the last day. Where: Dragon’s Lair, Kungsholms torg 8. More on this here. 9 pm What: Necronomicon – After Show Premiere Weekend Party and Official Festival Launch! Bar, Lovecraft tunes from dj The Abominable Showman. Where: Elverket. The Swedish Horror Musical based on Lovecraft’s work opens on October 3rd with shows running throughout October. Get your tickets here: http://tinyurl.com/k47gvz8 October 7 (Mon) 4 pm What: Opening of the mini exhibition of original art from Peter Bergting and Joe R. Lansdale’s ”The Dunwich Horror”. Where: Serieteket, Kulturhuset, Sergels torg 3. http://kulturhuset.stockholm.se/serieteket/ October 10 (Thu) 6:30 pm What: Screening […]