Southern Fried Cthulhu

Some loyal readers may recall that I am ostensibly a fiction writer. That's easy to forget considering the fact that I am in the habit of posting about anything but fiction here. The fault lies with me, as I am undisciplined as a writer but make up for it by being easily distracted. Caveats and disclaimers out of the way, I am here to announce that a story of mine, "Bad Tamales," is slated to appear in the forthcoming anthology, Southern Fried Cthulhu. There is just one catch--the anthology is currently engaged in a Kickstarter campaign and won't see publication until said campaign successfully concludes. If you are so inclined, you may support said campaign (and secure your own copies of the anthology) at this link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kaijuking/southern-fried-cthulhu.

The South is Weird!

Hey there, Monster Kids! I'm back with another anthology of monstrous delights, but this time, I wanted to try something a little different. In addition to the monsters both giant and classic, there's another class of beasties that has always fascinated me:

The eldritch horrors of H.P. Lovecraft.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is arguably one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th century, and his tales of the Cthulhu Mythos--a kind of shared universe filled with alien gods and inscrutable entities that defy human logic, whose very existence drives men to madness--have inspired generations of writers, artists, game designers, and filmmakers. Even if you've never read a Lovecraft story, you've seen his stylistic influences in everything from the Alien designs of H.R. Geiger to the films of Guillermo del Toro. Lovecraft has had a huge influence on not only horror but science fiction.

I know he has been a huge influence on me, and I have been known to spin a Lovecraftian yarn or two. Which is where this anthology comes in.

The Concept

H.P. Lovecraft. His fiction conjures images of sleepy New England villages, ivy-covered walls, and fragile academics paying the ultimate price for gaining forbidden knowledge from eldritch tomes.

But what would happen if Lovecraft’s elder things ventured down south? What would they make of Waffle Houses, monster trucks, and trailer parks? What dark secrets might be lurking under the kudzu?

We’ve seen how Lovecraft’s stodgy academics deal with elder things from beyond, but what would a bunch of beer-swilling, gun-toting rednecks think of Shoggoths or Night Gaunts? How would they react to an ancient, eldritch horror gurgling up from the depths of their favorite fishing spot? What would they make of ancient, cyclopean ruins in the middle of a swamp?

Southern Fried Cthulhu will explore the Lovecraftian Mythos with a Southern flair.

Ia, Ia Cthulhu fhtagn, ya'll!

The Stories

I have combed the great South, from a seedy roadside rib joint in Texas to a voodoo trinket shop in New Orleans (also known as my email inbox) to bring you the kookiest, spookiest, sometimes funniest, most sanity-blasting eldritch stories imaginable (and unimaginable). Seriously, I could tell you what's in here, but you would go mad from the cosmic implications of these tales.

Now, I'm not going to spoil anything, but the authors lined up for this thing are pretty impressive. I can tell you that my story is unlike pretty much anything else I've ever written, although I will share that it's set in my fictional Tonkawa County, Texas, which has appeared on occasion in previous short stories by yours truly. If you want to get in on the ground floor of this endeavour, that link again is https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kaijuking/southern-fried-cthulhu. Heck, I want to read these stories! We appreciate your support!

Now Playing: MaryAnn Harris Crow Girls
Chicken Ranch Central