Hints and Suspicions...

[BadMushroom]

Hello all,

Something 'new thrall' Kris Longtooth (BTW Kris, welcome and have fun!) said in his posting in another thread struck a chord with me.

Has anyone else noticed in-jokes/veiled references (to other authors and storys) in Mr Lumley's tales??

I don't know if I'm imagining half of the in-jokes that I think I've encountered (my imagination is like that) but the most obvious is the one cited by Kris.

"the Blood is the Life"... very similar to "For the Blood is the Life", an excellent vampire story by F. Marion Crawford. Was it an inspired pun? Which came first?

For your info, you can read it HERE


Am I imagining it all (I've noticed more. I'll share them with you later, if I decide I'm not deluding myself)? Have you noticed any?

Anyway, later days ppl.

'Shroom

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"...Your lichen covered corpuscles are filthy to my fist;
Infection is your finest flower, mildewed in the mist".(;-[)...

[Jason of Khem]

Good topic Shroom.
Years ago I had a copy of the Dr Who book "The Claws of Axos" a Jon Pertwee story from 1971. This had a similar plot to House of Doors & for years I thought Axos was maybe written by BL under a pen name whilst he was still in the army. Checking later this was written by Bob Baker and the novelisation was by Terrence Dicks.

Funny thing is when I first read "The Burrowers Beneath" this seemed like a Dr Who story. Titus Crow reminded me of when Tom Baker was marooned on Earth as the Dr in the mid 70's. What came first the Time Clock or the Tardis?

Another coincidence is that the first Dr Who story I can remeber was when Jon Pertwee was up against the Sea Devils in 1972. (Hmmm CCD Mythos everywhere.)

Only author reference I know of is when HPL appears in the Dreamlands books (in the guise of Randolph Carter).

Jase

[This message has been edited by Jason of Khem (edited August 08, 2000).]

[Kris Longtooth]

As you say Badmushroom,there may be some quotes and characters which bring to mind other storys and authors, but its fun trying to spot them!( if they even exist beyond our fevered imaginations)...My personal favourite is A character called " Seth Armstrong" who was involved in the "Janos" story I believe. His discription is a dead rinner for "Seth Armstrong" of the "Emerdale Farm soap ( UK).
Any opinions on that from others?

Kris Longtooth..

[BadMushroom]

Jase;

I know what you mean about the link between Dr Who and the CCD (Cthulhu Mythos). I'd bet money that Terry Nation was a Lovecraft freak!!!

On a slighty more sinister note, Did you know that there is a "Seth Armstrong" appreciation society, Kris?

They all sit about in cloth caps and Barber jackets and discuss the rise in the price of beer (and how to get free pints out of Marlon).

*Shudders*

Back to the thread (before I get scolded again). Another apparent link is between Two Lumley stories and a story by Clark Ashton Smith. Brian seems quite fond of the expression “Genius Loci” (It's mentioned in one (or two) of the short stories (Dagon's Bell I think, but don't quote me!!) and a couple of times throughout the Necroscope series.

"Genius Loci"; Clark Ashton Smith's story is about a outré Location with 'vampiric' qualities.

For your info, you can read it HERE


Have an excellent day everyone.

‘Shroom

[Kris Longtooth]

Haloooooo.. BadMushroom,Wow!! "A Seth Amstrong appreciation socity? great!.. bit worried if "Mr Wilks" and "Amos" was in charge of the provisioning in my manse though!

Kris.

[Jason of Khem]

Kris / Shroom
I don't know about you two but I reckon Amos & Mr Wilks would have made a great Titus Crow & Henri-Laurent de Marigny.
"Appen we'll toddle down to Elysia and smite t' bloody Elder Ones, Appen".

In terms of double acts they were second only to Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce.

Anyway Shroom back on topic, what other in-jokes have you found in Brian's works???

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That is not dead which can eternal lie,
and in strange aeons even death may die.

[This message has been edited by Jason of Khem (edited August 09, 2000).]

[Jason of Khem]

Shroom - I wonder if Mr Lumley got any ideas for his CCD Mythos stories from watching Corrie as Gail Platt has always looked like a frog-face to me.

BTW just got hold of "Ghoul Warning". Another great read from BL.

Jase

[topol_sheap]

Jase,

Did you get Ghoul Warning from the Michauds?

Fabo read, although some of the piccy were a bit wierd

I know what you mean about the DR and CCD stuff, it's a shame I hadn't thought of it as now I have worship you

Now to the thread again!


I thought of some links between bri's stuff and east enders... anyone ever thought that Charlie Trace was in fact grant mitchell???? Tell me if I am completely mad please

serioulsy:
did you notice in Deadspeak when Janos Ferenczy mentioned Yogg-Shothoth???? There's a cthulhu esq thing for you And ofcourse the quotes at the beginning of Wamphyri!

Ha I got one or should that be 2?

Later guys

TOPOL
=====================
Fiend of chunky kitkat, galaxy and woodford originally

[BadMushroom]

I don't know whether I should Jase, I think I'm just imagining half of them anyway.

I’ll wait and see if anyone else is as loony as me, before I share any more (loonies need company).

Regarding the burning issue of Gail Platt nee Tilsley.

Where did her chin disappear to? I don’t know. Definitely the Insmouth look (and quite near Manchester too!). Careful mate.

*throws a star-shaped sigil crafted from clay, mixed with a small amount of the dust of a soap stone Ward of Mnar *

I’d move away from the canal, If I were you…

[BadMushroom]

TOP!!

The Yogg-Shothoth(sothoth) (part of the necromantic spell) reference was one I was keeping in store for the next time I get into an argument, or someone tells me that Brian hasn't written CCD recently.

To put that reference in Deadspeak is to relate the Necroscope series directly to the 'Titus' Mythos stories IMHO!! A great touch I thought, and well spotted.

Jase, you've cited another example (indirectly). Titus and De Marigny... Holmes and Watson?? A nice veiled reference to Conan Doyle?? Perhaps. At least I like to think so.

I think a lot of this comes from the desire to think we share reading tastes in common with 'The Master'. So don't even get me on to Bram Stoker in-jokes...

I'm trying to be objective, but it's not working...., more (imagined) links to follow.

hehe!

'Shroom


[This message has been edited by BadMushroom (edited August 09, 2000).]

[Jason of Khem]

Topol - Got Ghoul Warning from Alibris.

Shroom - You could be right. The Manchester Ship Canal runs from Salford to Innsmouth. Anyway more links / in-jokes

Elysia - which brings together 3 seperate groups of characters; Crow, Khash & Hero.

Brian Lumley in the guise of Richard Garrison in the Psychmech books.(Very loose link here, only that both were soldiers) In the same vein as a lot of King books are about a writer who lives in Maine.

The short story Necros from "A Coven of Vamires". I'm sure he's used that title idea elsewhere.

Finally I love the Dreamworld books but I think Hero & Eldin are too camp to be adventurers. They must be based on Curtis & Moore in top 70's show The Persuaders.

Dum Dum Dum Dah Dum Dum Dum

[Jason of Khem]

Shroom - There are just too many coincidences linking BL's early CCD work to Dr Who.

A few of Brian's books deal with numerology so I have compiled an equation and have mathematically worked out the change of letters of the 2 below names to show they are the same person.

Brian Lumley
Terry Nation

OK So it's a blag but it sounded impressive

[Icky]

Speaking of Lumley referencing other works... you'll of course take happy notice to references to classic Monty Python comedy sketches in Necroscope: Resurgence and Maze of Worlds

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"Bambi, humans are basically good..."

[Jason of Khem]

Shroom - I know you read a lot of HPL CCD Mythos & I've bought some more CCD anthologies whilst waiting to get hold of Defilers.
However, we both missed the biggest clue.
HPL died in 1937, the same year that a certain Mr Lumley was born.
*Doh Slaps forehead*
Must look into this reincarnation lark & hope I don't come back as a chappychino.

Jase

------------------
That is not dead which can eternal lie,
and in strange aeons even death may die.

[topol_sheap]

Also in 1937....

Ridley Scott (director) was born... also in the northeast of england... interesting that one of the best directors was also born in that year... Hmmm, alien.. good film face hugger = tentacles = cthulhu.

[Jason of Khem]

Shroom
Aside from Holmes & Watson I think that Crow & de Marigny are more in the style of Don Quixote & Pancho Villa.

Jase

[Potempkin]

The link between the Necroscope cycle and the Mythos first lept out at me when in Deadspeak mention is made of Janos' correspondent, a man who lives in the Carpathian mountains IIRC and from whom he gains dark knowledge. This is certainly the same unseen character as in Lovecraft's 'Herbert West -- Reanimator'.

[Potempkin]

Deuteronomy 12.23
Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.


A search turned up this site which may interest some of you. http://www.litrix.com/

The phrase appears early in chapter 18 of Dracula:

"I tried to kill him for the purpose of strengthening my vital powers by the assimilation with my own body of his life through the medium of his blood,relying of course, upon the Scriptural phrase, `For the blood is the life.' Though, indeed, the vendor of a certain nostrum has vulgarized the truism to the very point of contempt. Isn't that true, doctor?"