Pastiche.

[j d worthington]

Well, there aren't a lot of differences, which is why I suggest seeing if you can get a library copy first. A piece by J. Vernon Shea, "The Haunter of the Graveyard", which I personally found annoying the first time 'round, though I've come to quite like it since; "The Sister City" and "Cement Surroundings" were the offerings by Brian Lumley, which were each incorporated into later novels of his, and were replaced by "Rising with Surtsey"(?) as I recall; and a piece by James Wade, "The Deep Ones", which has remained a personal favorite as it brought Lovecraft's mythology into the 'Sixties counterculture and scientific experimentation in some interesting ways, I thought. I believe those were the only differences, though I'd have to dig out my copies of both to recheck....

 

[w h pugmire esq]

I don't feel that writing "Lovecraftian horror" is writing pastiche. Pastiche is trying to write like Lovecraft, which is what Augie was trying to do with the fake collaborations. I get very frustrated with people who think I'm trying to write "like" Lovecraft. When the hardcover edition of Sesqua Valley and Other Haunts was reviewed in Fangoria, the lad wrote, in part:

"W. G. [sic] Pugmire does one of the most accurate Lovecraft pastiches in subject matter, tone and language that I have ever read. ... If the stories had been printed sans any reference to the author, I would be fooled, if it weren't for the odd reference to punk rock and homoerotic themes."

Now I know the gent was trying to praise me, but I found this utterly laughable and rather annoying. I'm not rying to "fool" anyone with my fiction, nor have I ever tried to write "like" Lovecraft. The point of writing Lovecraftian horror is to be our own selves, perversely and uniquely our own person, but to use Lovecraft as source and background. We do not honour Lovecraft by trying to ape his style. I want my style to be my own, and I want my approach to Lovecraftian horror to be something that only I can do as I do it. When I'm accused of trying to "be Lovecraft" I become extremely !!!