Arguably no fiction author has ever provided the inspiration for more music than has Howard Phillips Lovecraft. For the first time ever a book is available that explores the many musical tributes that have been paid to the author and his work.
Gary Hill has released book on H.P.L.’s birthday (August 20th) in association with Lulu Publishing (www.lulu.com), the world’s fastest-growing provider of print-on-demand books.
The Strange Sound of Cthulhu – Music Inspired by the Writings of H.P. Lovecraft gives readers a bit of a glimpse into the life and works of this influential author, but the majority of the book is devoted to the music that has been created around his work and the artists that have produced it. This is achieved by biographical information on the artists, descriptions of the sounds of the music and comparative analysis of the lyrics and the source within H.P.L.’s work. In most cases the creators of this music also contribute their thoughts on the music, Lovecraft’s influence and their love of the author’s work.
Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born on August 20th, 1890 in Providence, Rhode Island. By the time of his death (due to cancer) on March 18th, 1937, Lovecraft had amassed a large number of stories in print, but none had ever been assembled in any collection. The bulk of his work consisted of what he referred to as “weird fiction.” While most would fall into the category of horror, he also wrote science fiction, poetry and other types of stories.
Artists across a wide range of musical styles including progressive rock, psychedelia, heavy metal, punk rock and others have over the years created a very diverse assortment of music based on his works and the works of other writers who built on the mythos Lovecraft created. Among the larger names are Metallica, Black Sabbath, Gwar, Mercyful Fate and others. The foreward to the book was provided by H. P. Lovecraft expert S. T. Joshi and the cover and book layout were designed by Joseph Vargo and Monolith Graphics.
ABOUT AUTHOR
Gary Hill has been working as a music journalist for over 8 years. His current gigs include his own site (www.musicstreetjournal.com), Wormwood Chronicles (www.wormwoodchronicles.com) and Beet Café (www.beetcafe.com), but in the past he has written for All Music Guide (www.allmusic.com), official band sites and labels. He has been a musician most of his life and has managed one regional band. He’s had one fiction story (a homage to Lovecraft) published at www.alienskin.com.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Strange Sound of Cthulhu – Music Inspired By The Writings of H.P. Lovecraft is currently available only at Lulu.com/strangesound. Other sources will become active in the next month or so. More info about the book (including excerpts by following the blog link) is available at www.musicstreetjournal.com/cthulhubook.htm.
