Titus Crow Series

[Marionczy]

Hi all, I've been a Lumely fan with all the 'necroscope' books. I started reading them years ago on & off--through my school years. I always found them a great read, well i was at the end with the series with The Lost Years--a must read! & the E-Branch series Had just come out, but i figured to try Lumely's Titus Crow Books first before i moved back to "Necroscope", I was wondering if i missed something, I'm almost finished The Burrowers Beneath/Transition of Titus Crow, & with all the references to the cthulhu cycle---I've never read H.P. Lovecraft which in the forums i hear mentions to. Also the style of writing with just fragments of dialogue & the 3rd person account of events, I was wondering if i don't have all my info with this read. Should i have read another book before this one to get some sort of background?
It was tough going through the first part of the book to keep track of & keep my attention focused, but once i got to Titus's Transition i found it very intresting but then again i came to the fragments which kept me from getting a real flow to the read.
Now don't get me wrong, I've Loved Lumely's work, i just want to know if i missed something or if things start to flow at the end of the book or in the next book Clock of Dreams?

[ShadoeWolfe]

Have you missed something? Nope. I had the same trouble the first time I read through Burrowers...it is a hard style of writing to get used to. the 'journal' type of writing is hard to follow but here's a suggestion: re-read it. the second time it seems to flow a lot better and makes for an easier read since you've gone over it before.

By the time you get to the end, Elysia - everything will tie together and make sense. Actually it makes sense long before that but at the end is when you realise it was a good thing to push through that first novel.

hope that helps - and I had never read an H.P. Lovecraft story before I read the Titus books... http://www.brianlumley.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Jason of Khem]

Marionczy

It's not mandatory but it's worth reading a HPL omnibus just for the background on characters and writings of the Deities of the CCD Mythos.

Although the Mythos contains a stock of HPL creations, BL and other HPL disciples such as Ramsey Campbell and Roberth Bloch have added their own variations to the HPL canon.

One example being location, HPL's stories are situated around Innsmouth and the surrounding area, Miskatonic University etc.

A lot of BL's Mythos work is based in North East England.

Along with the writings quoted by HPL, The Necronomican, Cultes de Coules etc, BL added The G'Harne fragment.

Jason

[topol_sheap]

Jase,

I believe Brian added other stuff, but I have to check that with my Encyclopaedia Cthulhiana....

It's worth read Clark Ashton Smith as well, but you might want to ask the all knowing and seeing 'Shroom about that!

Also it might be worth reading Brian's Tarra Khash (tales of the primal land) stuff as Exior K'Muul (spelling?) appears in Elysia....

Other Cthulhu related stories include Beneath the Moors and Return of the Deep ones...(two name to novellas) His books of short stories generally have Cthulhu stories in them as well....

Have I gone off the point a little bit here? Let me know.

TOps

[This message has been edited by topol_sheap (edited October 19, 2000).]

[Jason of Khem]

Topol
Regarding BL's additions to HPL's Mythos.

They're mentioned in "Singer of Strange Songs".
I'll have a look at it tonight (oo-er missus) and get back to you tomorrow.

Jason

[topol_sheap]

Jase,

I have that as well, and the Cthulhiana thing I mentioned earlier.... I am not sure but I don;t think that SoSS is as complete as it could be, although it is a good book. Both book are published by Chaosium!

I shall check aswell http://www.brianlumley.com/ubb/smile.gif HEhe....... not competing here, honest!

Didn't Brian coin the term Cthulhu Cycle of Deities?

LAter

Tops...

Oh and is this dicusion in the right place now.... it migh tbe considered off topic, but I hope not as I am enjoying it!

[Jason of Khem]

Topol
I don't think we're off topic as we're discussing BL's earlier work and input in the Mythos tradition. A lot of people, even on this Board, thinks he just writes Vampire books.

However, in the question posed at the start of this thread, it is a good idea to get a background on the Mythos, since BL's writing original stories but on a HPL slant.

Will pop into Waterstones tonight and see if they have any other Mythos reference books.

I think the CCD phrase was coined by August Derleth & used as a term to describe the Mythos tales and creations of HPL and other authors in his circle who wrote in the genre.

Jason

[ShadoeWolfe]

If memory serves..(and it usually does) http://www.brianlumley.com/ubb/smile.gif Brian did indeed coin the term CCD...

Just my two cents....

[BadMushroom]

I'm with Shadoe on this on...

CCD is definately a 'Lumley'-ism'.

Sorry about that shocking use of English!

'Shroom.

[Marionczy]

Thanks all,
I just finished the first Titus Crow Book, & the Last Few chapters did go more smoothly, I'm going on to the next book----after i finish that maybe I'll take the advice to re-read the books, However my urge to continue the Necroscope books with E-Branch will probably be to strong http://www.brianlumley.com/ubb/wink.gif so it'll have to wait awhile!

[Jason of Khem]

Topol
I'll check with the Master to see who coined the phrase "CCD".

Anyway BL's additions to the Myhtos;

Place-names - Ib & Ly-yib, G'harne, Sarnath and Cimmera / Zimmera. Also include the Wilmarth Foundation and the Oakdeene Sanatorium.

Additional Deities
Shudde-M'ell (& its chthonians)
Yibb-Tsll (& the Black)
Kthanid
Summanus
Cthylla

BL's Grimoires - G'harne fragments, Tuscan Rituals and Cthaat Aquadingen

Jase, who'd better read up on his Mythos before the 2nd December soiree.


[This message has been edited by Jason of Khem (edited October 20, 2000).]

[Jason of Khem]

Just got an e-mail from The Master and he did indeed coin the term CCD.

Jason

Bloody typos

[This message has been edited by Jason of Khem (edited November 04, 2000).]

[Jason of Khem]

Mid-wy through the Crow series so I'm having a quick break and reading The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr.

ase

[Marionczy]

Hi all again,
Well i'm almost thru the second Titus Crow book ( or into the 4th story depending how u look at it),Spawn of the Winds.
I'm glad i stuck with it. It definately gets back its normal story flow with the second book as long as u have the patience with the First's style of writing, Although i'd be hard pressed to convince friends of mine who never read Necroscope or are familiar with Lumely to do the same.
By the way, anyone else see the similarity of the Pleatau, of Titus Crow, & Sanctuary Rock, of the Necroscope Series?
I've always been facinated by that type of settlement/life style-----I dont know if I'd be able to do that (something about all that ton-age of rock above you), I especially liked the explantions of how all the details or the mechanics of daily life were made possible, even though they were just touched upon.

[Jason of Khem]

I've mentioned before where BL has returned to themes / ideas from short stories or earlier novels.

No one as of yet has mentioned the role of the Wilmarth Foundation from the Crow books. A powerful secret organisation of people with speical powers dedicated to ridding the earth of the CCD and its minions.

Fore-runner of E-Branch?

Jason

[Jason of Khem]

Hi nsn nathan
I don't think there's any mention (or only in passing) of the Wilmarth Foundation in the Crow short stories, as they involve just the 2 of them.

The Foundation at first is just a reasearch facility at Miskatonic University (from HPL tales) but then it evolves into a shadowy agency that is un-answerable to any World power, unlike E-Branch which is under command of a Government Minister & Civil Servants.

Jason

[Marionczy]

Windwalker by far, nsn Nathan,!
As long as i had a star stone,Not much to say that would make me chose a vampire to come up against, not like thers something as good as a star stone against a vampire except for sunlight--but if ur caught at night, well not something i'd like to think about, lol,
By the way i chose to continue on with the titus crow series, i'll get to avengers afterwards, i wonder how a vampire would fare against titus' clock ray of pure light?

[Goth Girl]

I'd happily go up against the WindWalker if I had a pile of star stones and Hank alongside me!

And is it just me, or does anyone think that the Hounds of Tindalos (scuse spelling!) are misunderstood, and just need a few dog biscuits and a pat on the nose? http://www.brianlumley.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Scarlet oHorror]

Well, i have to say that i just read the first 12 pages of the Burrowers Beneath and i am completely hooked....

i love the style its written in and its not hard to keep up with but i have to say i'm taking some points of my good friend Jason of pleghm ahem, sorry, Khem and reading it slowly so i can get everything first time round and understand everything.

Usually i read too fast
http://www.brianlumley.com/ubb/wink.gif