Robert M. Price (ed.) - The Nyarlathotep Cycle (Chaosium)

[andydecker]

Robert M. Price (ed.) – The Nyarlathotep Cycle (Chaosium, 1997, 239 pages)

Content:
Introduction
Lord Dunsany - Alhireth-Hotep the Prophet
Lord Dunsany - The Sorrow of Search
H. P. Lovecraft - Nyarlathotep
W. B. Yeats; Robert E. Howard; H. P. Lovecraft - Three Poems
H. P. Lovecraft - The Dreams in the Witch House
H. P. Lovecraft - The Haunter of the Dark
August Derleth - The Dweller in Darkness
J. G. Warner - The Titan in the Crypt (1963)
Robert Bloch - Fane of the Black Pharaoh (1937)
Lin Carter - Curse of the Black Pharaoh
John Cockcroft - The Curse of Nephren-Ka
G. Arthur Rahman and Philip J. Rahman- The Temple of Nephren-Ka
Robert C. Culp - The Papyrus of Nephren-Ka
Gary Myers - The Snout in the Alcove (1977)
Richard L. Tierney - The Contemplative Sphinx poem (1989) by
Ann K. Schwader - Ech-Pi-El's Ægypt 5 poems


This is the standard Chaosium package by Price. Some well-known stories, material from old fanzines and a Lin Carter story, which in this case is something out of his estate. Accord to Price, the literary executor of Carter, this was Carter's first attempt at a novel, written in 1952 or 53. It wasn't long enough, so he put it aside, later re-wrote it, again put it aside after only a few pages, and Price put both versions together.

I have a soft spot for Bloch's Fane of the Black Pharaoh because it is a nice concept, a tomb with pictures of prophecy, the Wall of Truth, done by an insane pharaoh.

[𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr]

I can see why Dunsany is in this as he obviously influenced Lovecraft, but the inclusion of the Yeats poem is a bit of a mystery. It has no link to the Mythos as far as I can see so why bother, except for the fact someone compared them in a German zine. I don't even think the "rough beast" is a literal antichrist like Price says, but rather a symbolic version of the new age that is upon mankind. On a technical note, I think it was a mistake for Howard to use a word like fen in a poem set in Mecca, it is jarring and out of place.

The editor Robert M. Price is at the extreme end of the Jesus didn't exist theory. He doesn't even believe that Nazareth existed.

[cauldronbrewer]

Jan 9, 2023 10:28:49 GMT andydecker said:

I have a soft spot for Bloch's Fane of the Black Pharaoh because it is a nice concept, a tomb with pictures of prophecy, the Wall of Truth

I have fond memories of that one, too.