Shoggoths Free To Good Homes

[ecosophia]

I need to ask a little help from my readers.

Founders House Publishing, the publishers of The Weird of Hali (and quite a few of my other books), has helpfully provided me with a certain number of complimentary review copies of the e-book editions of the first two books in the series. I'd like to get those to podcasters and online reviewers who are likely to be interested in a quirky Lovevcraftian epic fantasy where Great Cthulhu and his cultists turn out to be the good guys after all.

The one challenge is that I don't happen to know which podcasters and online reviewers those might be. I've spent years doing the podcast-and-website thing with my occult books, on the one hand, and my peak oil books on the other; I've got a fairly good idea who's likely to be interested in that end of my work -- but tentacular fantasy novels? Not so much. 

The one thing that comes to mind is that my readers are an eccentric bunch and have astonishingly diverse interests. If you, dear readers, happen to know of suitable venues that might be interested in reviewing these books of mine, please let me know!

In saying this, I feel rather like the kid with the box full of kittens sitting out in front of the supermarket, hoping to find homes for them. Wouldn't you like to take home a cute little shoggoth broodling? It really will eat anything... ;-)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I sincerely hope they don't eat the reviewers! ;)

[ecosophia]

I have it on good authority they prefer cheese polenta to human flesh, and will hand out a good recipe with each broodling. ;-)

[auntlili]

The HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast? http://hppodcraft.com/

[ecosophia]

Hmm! Thank you; I'll look into it.

Been there, seen that, done that

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, don´t worry, I already bought the paperbacks of the two first Weird of Hali novels, and my review of the first one can be found here:

https://ashtarbookblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-pagan-c-s-lewis.html

I review ALMOST anything, but I admit that your new project (the Shoggoth Orchestra) sounds too strange even for me! ;-)

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[ecosophia]

That's The Shoggoth Concerto, by the way, and the shoggoth in question will feel very sad if you don't review her story. (Shoggoths are parthenogenetic females, right? Thus "her.")

Many thanks for the review; I'm glad you enjoyed the story, despite philosophical and religious differences.

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[(Anonymous)]

Anything involving parthenogenic females is OK with me! ;-)

Ashtar

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[ecosophia]

Then you'll probably like The Shoggoth Concerto.

Do you mind if I rabbit on a little about shoggoths? I've long thought that they're the most unfairly neglected of the Lovecraftian "monster" species. The basic concept is chock-full of raw story material: a species created to be the slaves of the Elder Things who rebelled against their makers, were defeated and forced back into slavery, and then finally triumphed -- think of what that kind of heritage would mean to a young shoggoth growing up in a shoggoth colony, even millions of years after the Elder Things went extinct.

So I spent a lot of time working on shoggoth biology, history, culture, psychology, linguistics -- their language doesn't distinguish between nouns and verbs, for example, since to a shoggoth every object looks like a process of flow; for them, as for us, the body is the source of all basic cognitive metaphors. They also don't have permanent names -- they take new names each day, and it's a normal shoggoth courtesy to introduce yourself with some whistled, multioctave equivalent of "my name today is Across the Cavern" (or whatever it happens to be).

The two people other than me who've read The Shoggoth Concerto liked my portrayal of shoggoths; still, we'll see what other readers think once it sees print. One way or another, though, it was fun to write.

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[(Anonymous)]

"They also don't have permanent names -- they take new names each day, and it's a normal shoggoth courtesy to introduce yourself with some whistled, multioctave equivalent of "my name today is Across the Cavern" (or whatever it happens to be)."

What does one do to talk about someone last seen past week to someone else who hasn't talked to the 2nd for even longer?

Can you yak some more with a history or psychology sample, please?

- S. T. Silva.

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[ecosophia]

Among shoggoths, that's easy -- they have a very highly refined terminology for relationships and personal qualities, so that something like "my broodmother's broodmother's broodling from the earlier of her broods, the one who doesn't get along with Across the Cavern and always starts speaking before others finish" is a quick and easily whistled phrase. Humans and voormis find this endlessly confusing -- Deep Ones don't, but then they have fantastically intricate relationship-terms and tend to use those instead of names -- and so humans and voormis who hang with shoggoths generally give nicknames to the shoggoths they know. Thus Brecken Kendall, the main human character in The Shoggoth Concerto, takes to calling the main shoggoth character in that book by the nickname Sho. (It's short for "shoggoth," and less awkward than "Shog.")

As for more yakking, well, shoggoths don't get numbers. A few of them, after close association with humans or other numerate species, have understood the concept of numbers, but it takes them the kind of effort it would take you or me to understand Einstein's theory of General Relativity. It makes absolutely no sense to your average shoggoth that this small pile of leaves has something in common with this stack of plates, and when a human says, "well, there are six of each," the shoggoth just looks baffled. They perceive patterns and shapes, not numbers.

I drew up an information sheet on shoggoths for roleplaying game purposes. I could post that on this journal if you like.

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[isabelcooper]

I am not S. T., but I'd love to see that!

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[ecosophia]

One other comment on the review -- I'm delighted that you found Innsmouth so vivid that you thought it was based on a real place! Still, let me 'fess up -- I used Lovecraft's very detailed descriptions in "The Shadow over Innsmouth" and a good clear street map of Innsmouth drawn by Joseph Morales, which you can find here, and spent quite a bit of library and internet time getting the flavor of a decayed New England seacoast town. (I've always appreciated the kind of fantasy fiction where the author takes the time to make the setting vivid and believable, thus my efforts in that same direction.)

Oh, and putting the Esoteric Order of Dagon in an old Masonic hall was Lovecraft's idea, not mine. Still, the Masons I know will appreciate your shout-out. ;-)

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[(Anonymous)]

As someone who rarely finds time to read fiction now but did so avidly as a child, your Innsmouth is dead on the same place. One thing that surprised me about HPL's tale (spoiler alert for those who haven't read Shadow over Innsmouth!) is that his main character doesn't seems creepy or evil to me, although evidently HPL intended him to be. Not having read any other of his stories yet I'm probably missing the forest... Are your Jenny and Owen short stories out anywhere yet?

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[ecosophia]

That's always been my reaction to Lovecraft; with one exception, his stories don't creep me out at all, and I find his tentacled horrors more interesting and alluring than otherwise.

The first two Jenny and Owen stories have been published in MYTHIC Magazine; the first, "The Phantom of the Dust, is in issue #1, and the second, "The Keeper of the Library," is in issue #6. A third, "The Mummy from R'lyeh," will be in print shortly in issue #8, and I've got no fewer than three more in process. Once there are enough of them, there'll be an anthology, of course!

Re: Been there, seen that, done that

[robertmathiesen]

This just popped up on my computer:

http://www.mythicmag.com/2019/01/mythic-8-now-available.html?fbclid=IwAR1nCdvN2wZcjV7RCyaTUDBoiYjsC6-e0Vy0debUJyXb-uL3CiFiSWxX1jk

If it's not just an oversight, The Mummy from R'lyeh" may have been bumped down the road to some later issue of Mythic than #8. We may all have to wait even longer to see it in print ...

I am eager to see all 6+ of them in a single set of covers someday down the road. They are utterly delightful stories.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm not sure how wide a readership this blog has but I stumbled across it while searching for reviews of Eric Rücker Eddison's works and stayed on to read some of his other reviews: https://skullsinthestars.com

[ecosophia]

Thank you -- I'll check it out.

[(Anonymous)]

Horrorbabble on youtube :-)

[ecosophia]

And likewise, thank you.

[(Anonymous)]

I rather like this one: http://badbooksbadpeople.com/

[ecosophia]

Thank you -- I'll check it out.

[lainiep]

Get in touch with Scott R. Jones. https://www.facebook.com/skawt.chonzz . Good guy, Lovecraftian author/publisher, writer of a truly astonishing book on Cthulhu-ian spirituality. Here's an interview that I did with him many years back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0Tg_-IpfY

[ecosophia]

Thank you for this. I'm not on Facebook and a first glance online doesn't show any straightforward way to contact him -- any suggestions?

[lainiep]

Try his publishing house: http://martianmigrainepress.com/

[ecosophia]

Many thanks! I'll do that.

[(Anonymous)]

I do not know the right people, and the Cthulu mythos is not one I have enjoyed. However, what you have written seems to fit well and possibly share an audience with Ruthanna Emrys' books. Those were published by Tor, and widely reviewed. A possible approach would be to see who reviewed them in a way that makes you think they would be a good reviewer for your books. One writer who reviewed the first story was Ada Palmer, whose blog Ex Urbe is one I read regularly.

References: The Litany of Earth, https://www.tor.com/2014/05/14/the-litany-of-earth-ruthanna-emrys/

[ecosophia]

Many thanks for this.

[jpc2]

John,

I first heard of Rythanna's 'Winter Tide' on NPR of all places. Don't know how she got it there. 'Winter Tide' is good but WoH's world is much more interesting.

Due to a Stoic challenge I am of all things - Dw i'n dysgu Gymraeg. (Hopefully not much more mangled than my English.....)

Coop Janitor

[ecosophia]

Not mangled at all. Da iawn, in fact! Welsh is a gorgeous language and will stretch your mind in useful ways. (Oddly enough, I'm in the early stages of learning a little conversational Portuguese -- the neighborhood where Sara and I live now has a lot of people whose families came over from the Azores and the Cape Verde Islands, and you hear Portuguese in the shops etc. as often as English. So I've decided to pick up enough to chat with my neighbors.)

I've avoided reading "The Litany of Earth" and its sequels -- Emrys is a very good writer, and I know I'm easily influenced by other people's writing when I'm doing fiction, if they're any good. So I've soaked myself in old Weird Tales stories pretty much exclusively while working on The Weird of Hali, and will be getting and reading Emrys' stories once the whole project is done, as a reward to myself.

[walt_f]

This reminds me... a year or so ago I published a brief comparative review of The Weird of Hali: Innsmouth and Ruthanna Emrys's Winter Tide (first volume of The Litany of Earth), in a print APA for an audience of about 30 people. JMG, I know you don't want to read such things until you're finished writing the series. But, I gather that might be soon. I'll find a place to post it and provide a link, once the stars are right.

[ecosophia]

I'll make an announcement when The Weird of Hali: Arkham is done. Many thanks!

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I asked a friend who has done some horror/weird writing and he suggested the Lovecraft e zine. He says a lot of people watch their podcast. I believe this is their address:

https://lovecraftzine.com/

Also I wanted to thank you for the recommendation to wait on trying to practice ritual magic until all kids are over 3 - I will do that and focus on reading and working with Tarot cards (that is what you meant by divination I assume?). I couldn't get back to you in the window before as my internet access is limited but I wanted to thank you.

Thanks,
Johnny

[ecosophia]

Many thanks for this.

And you're most welcome! Yes, Tarot card reading is one form of divination, and it's perfectly safe to do around kids. Meditation, prayer, and natural magic are also kid-safe practices, of course.

[(Anonymous)]

It doesn't seem particularly active anymore, but you might try the Weird Fiction Review http://weirdfictionreview.com/

[ecosophia]

Thanks for this! I'll check it out.

Reviewer - Might be a strech...

[(Anonymous)]

Hiya Boss
I got turned on to Jim Kunstler as an engineering student when he wrote The Geography of Nowhere, and he eventually pointed me your way. I’d really enjoy his take on The Weird of Hali, its use of architecture, and a certain robot butler.
Rusty

Re: Reviewer - Might be a strech...

[ecosophia]

It might indeed be a stretch, but we just recorded a podcast together, so what the heck, I'll ask him.

Down at the Crossroads and The Druid Podcast

[(Anonymous)]

https://www.infinite-beyond.com/down-at-the-crossroads/

They mostly do straight up occult/witchy books but there were a few times they invited authors promoting occult-related fiction, if memory serves me well ...

Also, your old pals, The Druid Podcast from OBOD https://www.druidry.org/druid-way/resources/druidcast-obod-podcast. They feature fiction books a lot.

Re: Down at the Crossroads and The Druid Podcast

[ecosophia]

I've been on DatC -- you can find the link here -- but it's been way too long. I'll definitely drop them a line, and yes, I'll see if Damh is interested. Thank you for both of these!

[isabelcooper]

Most of the ones I know, alas, focus on genre romance, but I think the romance plot in Innsmouth might be a good fit for Fresh Fiction (http://www.freshfiction.com/faq.php#FAQ2: warning, their website design is a little nineties and a lot of neon) or I Am, Indeed (http://iam-indeed.com/submit-for-review-2/).

The next trilogy I'm doing is a little more fantasy than romance, so if you still have copies when my publisher sends me tour links, I'll be glad to pass them on.

(Aw, tiny shoggoths!)

Locus

[(Anonymous)]

I'm about 11 days late to this post, but what about Locus Magazine, that veritable rag of the speculative end of the publishing industry?

Guidelines for sending in books for them to review can be found here:
https://locusmag.com/aboutlocusonline/faq/#reviews

They wrote a blurb about Into the Ruins in one of their issues.
They have online reviews too.

Twitter recommended

[(Anonymous)]

A friend of mine more qualified to answer suggested @AlasdairStuart on Twitter, for whatever its worth!