Trouble in Lovecraft Land - We're All Better Than This

Firstly, I apologize for the lack of updates to the blog. I've been keeping busy with fiction editing for Strange Aeons magazine, as well as writing reviews for the next issue and starting a new column of booze/cigar/book pairings. I've also been reviewing books and discussing news of The Weird on The Outer Dark podcast.

The weird fiction community means a lot to me. I started to become involved back in 2012 when I started the blog, but it wasn't until NecronomiCon 2013 that I met everyone. I couldn't have imagined a warmer welcome, and since then I've come to regard many of my colleagues as good friends.

Since then, there's been many petty feuds and disagreements. The boat is rocked sometimes, but things usually right themselves fairly quickly. In the past several months tensions have been on the rise, and due to political differences many find themselves taking a side, or doing their best to stay out of it while shaking their heads at how absurd it's all become. Science Fiction had the Sad Puppies to deal with, but that fiasco managed to infect genre as a whole. Robert Price made a speech at NecronomiCon 2015 which likened the Middle East to Lovecraft's Red Hook, and this moment was when lines begin to solidify.

The most recent issue was the decision to change the World Fantasy Award from a bust of Lovecraft to something more neutral. While many argued on either side, it's an issue that should have been dropped weeks ago, yet instead it continues to grow and become one of the biggest problems the community has faced.

ST Joshi has always been a very well respected member in the field, and the most well-known and productive scholar of HP Lovecraft. He is, understandably when one looks at his life's work, not happy about the change of the WFA. Here is a man who by all rights knows Lovecraft more than anyone. His initial protest was just that, one man making a statement against a change he couldn't stomach. If he wants to return his WFAs then so be it, that's his business. But it doesn't end there.

Joshi, and others, have been making increasingly uglier posts about the situation. It seems there are several people, including but not limited to Joshi, who feel that removing the Lovecraft bust is the first step in removing Lovecraft from everything. And this is where things get out of hand, and some people need to step back, calm down, and look at things like the intelligent adults we all know they are. Lovecraft's legacy is not going anywhere. Most of the people who were for the change don't want Lovecraft erased at all!

Changing the statue and being a fan of Lovecraft are not mutually exclusive. I think the change was a good idea. The award itself has moved away from what it started as, and it was never called the HP Lovecraft Award. In actuality, I had no strong feelings either way in the beginning, the award holders have every right to decide how their award appears, but after hearing arguments it is for the best that the award changes.

With that being said, I love Lovecraft. My blog takes its name from his work, as an homage to the author responsible for bringing me into the world of weird fiction in the first place. I have a house full of Lovecraftiana, be it artwork (those Liv Rainey-Smith woodcuts though!) or sculptures (my toddler nephews love looking at McKittrick and Broers takes on Cthulhu) or books. My League of Legends username is Señor Cthulhu (add me if you want, but I'm terrible). My friends have spent hours drinking booze and playing Arkham Horror. My students draw me pictures of Cthulhu. You get the picture.

So there. I'm a huge fan of Lovecraft, and I'm all for the award changing. It's that simple. Joshi and friends are smart enough that they should be able to understand that the award change does not mean that Lovecraft's influence is trying to be denied or pushed aside or covered up. There is no reason for the ugliness we are now all experiencing.

In the past week I have seen Joshi's wife telling a poet that he must not want to work with any publisher affiliated with Joshi because he posted that he disagreed with Joshi's wording on the issue. This poet was on Joshi's side in regards to the statue changing. If that's not pure insanity, I don't know what is. In the latest blog post, Joshi went after many authors and editors including Ellen Datlow, the genre's greatest editor, and Jeff Vandermeer, one of the most important voices of the the weird working today. The vitriol being spat out questions Datlow's integrity for being pro-change yet editing Lovecraftian anthologies, and accusing Vandermeer of "[...] failing to grasp the immensely complex social, political, cultural, and historical factors surrounding this entire issue." Datlow and Vandermeer have been the most inclusive editors out there. Datlow is one of the most well-read, intelligent, and kind editors working in the field. To question her morality is so ridiculously insulting it actually made my jaw drop to read it. Vandermeer has made it a mission to show readers the truer, broader horizons of weird fiction. He doesn't dismiss Lovecraft, but makes it clear that Lovecraft is a small part of the entirety of the weird. His anthology The Weird showcases this perfectly. Joshi goes on to say that all of these authors and editors will be forgotten while Lovecraft's legacy will remain, a petty and gross thing to say, taking the issue of the statue change to a very personal level.

And the situation is not limited to Joshi. Associates are now circling wagons. Some publishers are now deciding not to publish people for being on one side of the issue. The "Old Guard" and the "New Blood" seem to be truly at odds for the first time, and it's really not pretty at all.

I know most of this post comes across as anti-Joshi, and while it's true that I feel he is acting really out of hand and taking this issue much further than it needs to be, sinking to the depths of foot-stomping and making personal attacks, I don't want to use any of this as an attempt to make Joshi irrelevant. I don't take glee in the fact that his post makes him look terrible, and that it's in actuality hurting his cause even further. Some people are responding calmly, but not all, and it's just as ugly as his post.

No, I don't feel any of those things. Instead I feel a deep and profound sadness. I see a community full of wonderful people that seems ready to collapse on itself. I think ahead to the next convention, and I wonder, is it going to be so nastily divisive? Are guests going to refuse to be on panels with other guests? Are blowouts going to ensue, or are both sides going to ignore each other, lending the air a feeling of two separate and simultaneous cons inhabiting the same physical space but seeming light years apart? I don't want that.

One of the most appealing aspects of this community is the diversity. This includes the people whom I find myself disagreeing with on many levels. I don't want them ostracized, but I don't want them drawing lines either. It's my hope that the goodness of this community will shine through the current ugliness, and we will all be able to find whatever it is in ourselves to get along, or at least keep it civil, because that is the weird fiction community that I fell in love with.

Necronomicon 2015: We Are Providence

I've been terribly slacking when it comes to blog posts. Between my day job, other work I'm doing in the weird fiction field, reviews appearing elsewhere, and sometimes going through periods where I don't read nearly as much as I should, I've just not been giving this blog the attention it deserves. I hope to remedy this, and I have a few reviews lined up that I have to type and post, but first I wanted to take the time to do a post about NecronomiCon Providence, which was held this past weekend.

I actually wasn't planning on doing a write-up on the con this go around, even though it came up earlier in the weekend when The joey Zone told me he enjoyed my blog post about the 2013 con. That was my first con, and it was special in many ways. It truly changed my life.

On Sunday, the final day of the con, I went to see friends in the vendor's room after participating on The Future of Weird Fiction Panel (more on that later). I picked up the Dim Shores chapbooks I pre-ordered, and was planning on buying an original Cthulhu art piece from Dave Felton. I first met Dave at the 2013 con. One afternoon we were both in the Haven Brother's food truck, and recognizing we were both attending the same con, struck up a conversation. Dave was familiar with The Arkham Digest, and we had a nice chat.

So here, the final day of NecronomiCon 2015, I found myself hanging out with Dave in the vendor's room. He gifted me the Cthulhu piece, and told me about reading my write-up of the last NecronomiCon, and some follow up Facebook posts by myself and others. He commented on seeing me say somewhere about how it changed my life, and that he realized the first con changed his life too. He remember how Jeffrey Thomas remarked on Facebook that it felt like the con was still going on via Facebook, which in a way it really was. Excitement was running high for everyone, and it seemed that none of us really wanted to let go of what was truly a magical weekend.

Dave Felton is amazing.

After we parted, I headed downstairs for lunch before grabbing a train home. As I sat on the train I thought about the weekend, and quite a bit about the conversation Dave and I had a few hours earlier, and I came to the conclusion that writing about this year's con was something I should take the time to do.

I remember quite clearly the mix of emotions I had going to the first NecronomiCon. The Digest wasn't even a year old, and despite having made friends and acquaintances online, this would be the first time I would meet many of them. Excitement and nervousness both boiled so high I could no longer tell one from the other. Would I just see them on panels? Would we get to talk much? Would it be awkward? Would they be polite but not really want me bugging them?

My fears turned out to be unfounded, and I felt as if I had come home, so to speak. These were my people.

A lot has happened in the last two years. I've attended a few more cons (the wonderful HP Lovecraft Film Festival Portland, Cthulhucon Portland, Readercon). I edited an anthology that was published. I started to become a guest at the cons I attended. I've been on panels. I've had a story published, another one taken for con-exclusive round robin. Reviews and interviews by me are appearing in other places. My anthology was nominated for an award. In two years I went from being a fan who wrote reviews, to an active participant in the field that I love. It's been, simply, a wild two years.

Future of Weird Fiction Panel. L to R: moderator SJ Bagley, Simon Strantzas, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, myself, Mike Griffin, Joe Pulver

Even though I take pride in each accomplishment, everything I've done so far pales in comparison to the best thing that has come from all of this: the friendships. I've been lucky to fall in with some truly wonderful people, some of whom I talk to almost daily. And this is why cons are so special. Some people go for the gaming. Some to see some cool, hard to find films, or hear their favorite authors read. Some go to watch some interesting panels. And sure, all of that stuff is fun, but that's not why I go anymore. I go to see my friends. Social media is a great way to keep in touch, yeah, but isn't even comparable to being able to sit around a restaurant table enjoying good food, good drinks, and fine conversation with friends you too rarely get to spend time with. I'm sure I'm far from alone with this sentiment.

NecronomiCon is cementing itself as the premiere weird fiction convention. As sad as I am that it doesn't occur ever year, I think having it every other year actually works best. Neils Hobbs and crew should be commended for doing such an excellent job.

I arrived late Thursday night. My flight out of Philly was cancelled at the last second but I managed to catch a train just in time. It was a stressful day, but I finally made it, just in time for the witching hour. As I walked towards the hotel from the train station, I saw a group of people on the edge of the small park across from the hotel front, directly in my path. As I moved closer, they began to take on more familiar shapes, and I realized that it was several of my friends. Running into them upon arrival couldn't have been a better welcome in Providence.

A beacon in the dark...

Although I missed out on the Thursday night shenanigans, I managed to see several readings and panels over the course of the weekend. I caught most of the Ramsey Campbell interview, and all of the New Weird panel. I attended readings by Mike Griffin, Pete Rawlik, David Neilsen, Scott Thomas, Richard Gavin, Tom Lynch, Simon Strantzas, Jeffrey Thomas, and caught the end of Michael Cisco reading during the Aickman's Heirs book launch. I also attended, and was called upon to get up and introduce the authors, readings by Scott Nicolay, Anya Martin, and Joe Pulver. My weekend also ended with a bang when I was invited by moderator SJ Bagley to take an absent Laird Barron's spot on The Future of the Weird panel. Other panel members included Simon Strantzas, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mike Griffin, and Joe Pulver, and was quite a bit of fun. Scott Nicolay recorded the panel for his podcast, The Outer Dark, and I know there is some video footage out there as well.

While not attending panels or readings, I was apt to be found in the vendor's area, the hotel bar, a restaurant, or somewhere else among friends. Along with all my old friends, there were many other online friends I was able to hang out with the for the first time, including but not limited to: Heidi Ash, Scott Dwyer, Matthew Warren Richey, Michael Wehunt, Damien Walters, Barry Lee Dejasu, Rick Lai, Scott Jones, Christopher Patrick Burke, Michael Bukowski, Todd Chicione (we met so briefly last time), Ian Welke (we hardly saw each other! Definitely a drink next time!).

The weekend was just as magical as it was two years ago, and I hope that this con continues for a long time.

L to R: Lena Griffin, Erin Laroue, Nathan Carson, Ross E. Lockhart, Scott Dwyer, Heidi Ash, myself, Tom Lynch

A final story, to end the post.

In 2013, when I first arrived, I dropped my bags off in my room at the Biltmore and then went down to the hotel bar for dinner. A man staying in a neighboring hotel (The Omni or Hotel Providence I believe) wandered in and took the seat next to me. We exchanged pleasantries and names, realized we were both there to attend the same con, so had a conversation over beers and dinner. I realized then that there was probably nothing to be nervous about. I was attending a convention with a bunch of other kindred spirits, and would be in good company. After we parted, I entered the lobby and ran into the group of people who would become some very important people in my life. For the rest of the weekend, the man I dined with and I didn't cross paths.

As the Future of Weird Fiction panel wound down, several people approached the stage to talk with the various panelists. Some wanted to remark on something we said they heartily agreed with, or thought profound, one lady told me she was happy I mentioned video games since she was a game designer. A few people came bringing books for the panelists to sign. But one stood out in particular. It was the man who I shared a meal with when I first arrived in Providence two years ago, and now our paths finally crossed again, two years and a convention later. He was with his wife (or girlfriend? I'm not sure.) who had some questions, and he recognized me from before, and thought it was very cool that I was now on panels.

Afterwards, while I sat on the train, I thought about running into this man. I thought about my friends I was leaving. I thought about what Dave Felton said to me. And I realized: cons are more than meet and greets, and more than panels and vendors and fancy costume balls. Cons are about friendships and coming together. They change lives.

Weird fiction fans and Lovecraftians are often considered a fringe society. We are often outsiders, spread thin. But on weekends like this, it all changes. We all make the pilgrimage. Introverts become temporarily extroverted, and we all share an experience that is totally different yet the same for all of us. We realize that we aren't outsiders at all, we are a family. We are Providence.

We'll Always Have Providence

Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend the NecronomiCon Providence, the premiere Lovecraft/weird fiction convention, held in Lovecraft's home city of Providence, RI. The event had built up a high level of anticipation, with many convention goers booking flights and hotel rooms nearly a year in advance. The air in Providence was thick with excitement at the gathering of so many devotees in one place. I no longer had to explain the meaning of my Miskatonic University shirt, I was surrounded by people who understood. Anywhere I went led to striking up conversations with total strangers, be it in the elevator, or the food cart a block away. I ran into some people who were familiar with the blog. "You're the guy who runs The Arkham Digest?!" Some of the magic of the weekend is truly hard to form into words, and for days afterwards Facebook was abuzz with pictures, comments and jokes about the con. On one post, author Jeffrey Thomas pointed out: "Does anyone notice the con is still kind of going via Facebook?". I myself had to wait a week before attempting to write a recap of the con, as the days following led to a post-con blues, and now that I'm writing I find it hard to put the magic that was the con into words.


Niels Hobbs and the Lovecraft Arts and Sciences Council, Inc. put together a multi-day extravaganza, utilizing several local hotels as the focal points for what was undoubtedly the biggest Lovecraft-themed convention ever. Local theaters were showing Lovecraftian films, The Providence Biltmore and Hotel Providence hosted numerous panels and author readings,the Hotel Providence was the site of much gaming, Lupo's on The Strand featured Lustmord's first North American show in a long time, and the local Waterfire event hosted some Lovecraftian bands. Panels encompassed all facets of Lovecraft: gaming, Lovecraft's influence, writing Mythos fiction, the New Weird, Lovecraftian filmmaking, and art. Vendors consisting of artists and small presses filled areas on two floors of the Biltmore, offering Cthulhu sculptures, dark ambient music, original artist prints, and books. There was a Friday night masquerade ball and the final day of the convention kicked off with the infamous Cthulhu Prayer Breakfast. It felt like I had died and gone to Lovecraft Heaven (or Unknown Kadath?).


There was always something to do, and usually multiple panels going on at the same time, giving convention-goers plenty of choice. I myself sat in on some interesting panels: Writing Mythos Fiction Today part I and part II and The New Weird, as well as several author readings. I attended the masquerade ball for a couple hours, went to see Lustmord with several of my new friends, and attended the Cthulhu Prayer Breakfast. The New Weird panel was a fun one to watch, as all authors on the panel (as well as myself) feel disdain for the term "The New Weird". Author readings were a particular highlight, especially the Saturday morning Joe Pulver/Laird Barron reading. Joe opened with a reading of a new Mountains of Madness inspired short story, and then introduced the audience to authors Mike Griffin and Scott Nicolay. In a surprising moment, Joe split his reading time with the two new authors, who read a few pages of their short stories from The Grimscribe's Puppets. The anthology sold out not long after the reading. Laird Barron then read his tale D.T. from A Season in Carcosa in it's entirety. Later that afternoon I came late to John Langan's reading, but I was able to see him read some of his story Bor Urus from the Shadows Edge anthology, before Caitlin Kiernan took the stage and gave a wonderful reading.


The highlight of the trip, without a doubt, was being able to hang out with new friends and meet many of the authors/publishers I only knew from online. As much as I enjoyed the panels, I even more enjoyed everything on the more personal level: hanging around the vendor area discussing the current state of weird fiction with The Arkham Digest's new contributor Alex Lugo; attending panels with new friends Alex Houstoun and Patrick McKitrick; lurking at the rear of the ballroom during the ball talking real life weird stories with Scott Nicolay and Sam Cowan; going out for an opening night beer with the Griffins, Nick Gucker, Mike Davis, Peter Rawlik, Tom Lynch, Joe Pulver, Kat, and Sam Cowan; grabbing a post-ball late night beer with Sam Cowan and Jeffrey Thomas and talking about how we first fell into the rabbit hole of weird fiction; seeing Lustmord and then checking out Waterfire with Mike and Lena Griffin, Sam Cowan, Nick Gucker, and Cody Goodfellow; having lunch with Laird Barron, John Langan, Richard Gavin, Simon Strantzas and Sylvia Feketekutty; attending Joe Pulver and Kat's small wedding ceremony ministered by Robert Price; and watching the hilarious Cthulhu Prayer Breakfast. These are the things memories are made of, and everyone mentioned contributed to it being an amazing weekend.


Now I find myself back in the mundane, the excitement of the con only just now dying down as everyone eases back into their daily routines. Some are planning on reuniting at other cons, such as the Lovecraft Film Festival, or the World Horror Convention. Some may go years before seeing one another again, while others are keeping in touch via the internet, eagerly awaiting the day they can once again swap stories over beers. Word is that 2015 is being considered for the next Necronomicon, and I have a feeling most of us will be returning.


While I sat in the Providence TF Green airport last Sunday, awaiting my flight to Philadelphia, and relaxing while looking over some of the new books I picked up at the con, I noticed another young man sitting near me awaiting the same flight. He wore a black button-up shirt, with green tentacles on it, and was reading the Del-Rey paperback The Transition of HP Lovecraft. He looked up at me, noticed my convention t-shirt, and his serious face split into a large grin. His smile was accompanied by a knowing look, and a nod, which I returned. We didn't speak a word, but we didn't have to. We had both gone to the same con and although we had two separate experiences, our path's not once crossing, that was all we needed. We were strangers, but at the same time we weren't. I soon boarded the plane, and after several hours at the Philadelphia airport I finally made it home. I look forward to the reunion of so many great people, and hope that it's sooner rather than later. For all my con friends who feel the same way, just remember, we'll always have Providence.

Sitting in on the Writing Mythos Fiction Part 1 panel. Also pictured: Alex Houstoun, Kat.

Laird Barron reading D.T. from A Season in Carcosa.

Jeffrey Thomas, myself, and Scott Nicolay.

Scott Nicolay reading part of Eyes Exchange Bank.

Lena Griffin, Mike Griffin, and myself.

The Cthulhu Prayer Breakfast. Joe Pulver, Lois Gresh, myself, Laird Barron with Tom Lynch and Mike Davis in the background.

Mike Griffin, Cody Goodfellow, Nick Gucker, and myself.

Mike Cisco, Jack Haringa, Laird Barron, John Langan, myself, Richard Gavin, Simon Strantzas and Paul Tremblay.

Mike Griffin reading Diamond Dust.

John Langan reading Bor Urus.

Alex Lugo, Jeffrey Thomas, and myself.

Alex Lugo, Richard Gavin, Sam Cowan, and myself at the Lustmord concert.