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350 - The Case of Charles Dexter Ward part 4
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- 350 - The Case of Charles Dexter Ward part 4
We’re back and we’re peering into wells. Perhaps it’s not unusual to find dead things in wells, but they aren’t generally this animated. Maybe the poor things would lie down and die if there was room for them to do so. Or maybe its just that gnawing hunger that keeps them going. Either way, we suppose they wouldn’t really be ye liveliest awfulness without being lively…
Main Topic: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward part 4
We are continuing our investigation into HP Lovecraft’s novel The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, heading deep into the catacombs below Pawtuxet. This section contains some of the most horrific scenes Lovecraft wrote, as well as a brief introduction to Grecian pottery. Every day is an education with Howie.
This episode brings us to the end of the story itself, but we shall return next time to discuss the various ways in which The Case of Charles Dexter Ward has been adapted for the screen, audio dramas, and Call of Cthulhu.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* A Dreamer and a Visionary: HP Lovecraft in His Time by ST Joshi
* I Am Providence: The Life and Times of HP Lovecraft by ST Joshi
* Lord of a Visible World: An Autobiography in Letters by HP Lovecraft, ST Joshi, and David E Schultz
* Lovecraft and a World in Transition by ST Joshi
* The New Annotated HP Lovecraft, edited by Leslie Klinger
* “The Thing on the Doorstep” by HP Lovecraft
* Yog-Sothoth
* HP Lovecraft Historical Society reading of Lovecraft’s complete fiction, including The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
* At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft
* The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
* Dan O’Bannon
* The Resurrected (1991)
Groined ceiling
* “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft
*Tue, 05 Nov 2024 - 349 - The Case of Charles Dexter Ward part 3
We’re back and we’re rearranging the furniture in the library. All perfectly normal stuff. Nothing to worry about. Everyone gives a strangled cry or two when lifting heavy objects. And that nasty smell? Furniture polish. Trust us. So normal.
Main Topic: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward part 3
We are continuing our investigation into HP Lovecraft’s novel The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Here, Dr Willett and Ward’s father start investigating the weird goings-on at the Pawtuxet bungalow, coming to some grim conclusions.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* A Dreamer and a Visionary: HP Lovecraft in His Time by ST Joshi
* I Am Providence: The Life and Times of HP Lovecraft by ST Joshi
* Lord of a Visible World: An Autobiography in Letters by HP Lovecraft, ST Joshi, and David E Schultz
* Lovecraft and a World in Transition by ST Joshi
* The New Annotated HP Lovecraft, edited by Leslie Klinger
* Alienist
* Reefer Madness (1936)
* The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
* The Grand Grimoire of Cthulhu Mythos Magic
* “What’s in the Cellar?” by Jon Hook from Gateways to Terror
* Dark Adventure Radio Theatre
* Derren Brown
* Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023)
* Dracula by Bram Stoker
* HP Lovecraft Historical Society reading of the complete fiction of HP Lovecraft
* Etymology of hijacking
* “The Whisperer in Darkness” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Dunwich Horror” by HP Lovecraft
* Masks of Nyarlathotep
* The HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast
*Mon, 21 Oct 2024 - 348 - The Case of Charles Dexter Ward part 2
We’re back and we’re researching our family histories. Nothing but wholesome stuff here. Surely everyone’s ancestors faced an angry mob or two. It was just the done thing in those times.
Main Topic: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward part 2
Following last episode’s look into the story’s origins, we are continuing our investigation into HP Lovecraft’s novel The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. This time, we move on to one of the more action-packed parts of the book, and, indeed, of Lovecraft’s work in general. The jilted Ezra Weeden gathers together an investigator organisation that might be more accurately described as an angry mob, and leads a raid on the Curwen farm in Pawtuxet. Expect lots of sinister chants, indescribable odours, and beams of light shooting into the sky for some reason.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* A Dreamer and a Visionary: HP Lovecraft in His Time by ST Joshi
* I Am Providence: The Life and Times of HP Lovecraft by ST Joshi
* Lord of a Visible World: An Autobiography in Letters by HP Lovecraft, ST Joshi, and David E Schultz
* Lovecraft and a World in Transition by ST Joshi
* The New Annotated HP Lovecraft, edited by Leslie Klinger
* Cosmo Alexander
* The Halsey House
* Egyptian mummies used as medicine
* Egyptian mummies used as pigments
* “The Whisperer in Darkness” by HP Lovecraft
* Breatharianism
* More Great NPCs of History
* “Fungi From Yuggoth” by HP Lovecraft
* Yog-Sothoth
* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft
Enough painkillers and pigments to keep you going for years(Image credit: http...Mon, 07 Oct 2024 - 347 - The Case of Charles Dexter Ward part 1
We’re back and we’re digging through our family tree. Or should that be digging up our family tree? Either way, we dig it. While The Case of Charles Dexter Ward doesn’t precisely advocate for raising the dead, it doesn’t make it look wholly unappealing either. Just remember to store your essential saltes in a waterproof container. Tupperware is perfect. We don’t want to be messing around with ye liveliest awfulness again. It took ages to get the stains out of the carpet last time!
Main Topic: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward part 1
We are beginning our investigation into The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, which will run for five episodes. This is Lovecraft’s longest work, perhaps more deserving of the description “novel” than At the Mountains of Madness or The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. Despite this, it is arguably the most overlooked of Lovecraft’s major works. A shame, as this represents Lovecraft at his most Gothic, weaving a surprisingly subtle tale of witchcraft, necromancy, and dark family secrets.
As ever, we start out by discussing the origins and influences of the tale, before picking the story itself apart in search of gaming inspiration. We plan to conclude this run of episodes with a look into the various adaptations of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
Background and Influences
* At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft
* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft
* A Dreamer and a Visionary: HP Lovecraft in His Time by ST Joshi
* I Am Providence: The Life and Times of HP Lovecraft by ST Joshi
* Lord of a Visible World: An Autobiography in Letters by HP Lovecraft, ST Joshi, and David E Schultz
* Lovecraft and a World in Transition by ST Joshi
* The New Annotated HP Lovecraft, edited by Leslie Klinger
* HP Lovecraft Historical Society readings of Lovecraft
* Dark Adventure Radio Theatre
* “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” by Edgar Allan Poe
* The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
* Salem witch trials
Mon, 23 Sep 2024 - 346 - Call of Cthulhu Deities: Iod, Zu-che-quon, and Nyogtha
We’re back and we’re summoning horrors from beyond space and time. If we’re honest, we’re not quite sure why we’re doing this, but here we are. It’s too late to worry about such details at this stage. We started off by calling up Iod. While he offered to take us on the holiday of a lifetime, the final stop sounded less appealing. Zu-che-quon left us cold, especially when it came to the whole eye thing. Maybe Nyogtha is the best option. Sure, an eternal undeath might drag on a bit, but it still seems like the least worst option. If only we’d thought all this through before starting that chant…
Main Topic: Call of Cthulhu Deities – Iod, Zu-che-quon, and Nyogtha
This episode is our latest exploration of the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. We have devoted previous episodes to Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, Cthulhu, Daoloth and Eihort, Gla’aki, Y’golonac, Tsathoggua, Atlach-Nacha and Abhoth, Cyäegha and Byatis, Yig and Ghatanothoa, and Shudde M’ell, Yibb-Tstll and Bugg-Shash.
Here, we’re turning to the creations of Henry Kuttner, a member of the original Lovecraft circle. Specifically, we’re covering the gods Iod, Zu-che-quon, and Nyogtha. As usual, we discuss their origins in fiction, how they’ve been developed in the Call of Cthulhu RPG, and how we might use them in our own games.
Henry Kuttner
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
Iod
* Henry Kuttner
* The Book of Iod edited by Robert M Price
* The Secret Doctrine by Madame Blavatsky
*Mon, 09 Sep 2024 - 345 - Listener Suggestions Meets the Wolf Man
We’re back and we’re being suggestive. Or is that suggestible? Why don’t you tell us!
Main Topic: Listener Suggestions Meets the Wolf Man
Back in late 2022, we used Discord and Twitter to ask our listeners what kinds of things they’d like to hear us discuss. The response was overwhelming and we ended up with a massive list of possible topics. Although these suggestions were exceptional, there are a good number we’d struggle to turn into complete episodes. Rather than ignore these, we’ve decided to go through the replies and see what we can address succinctly.
We started going through these suggestions in a few earlier episodes, but we barely scratched the surface. Here, we delve into several more topics, including dystopian fiction, queer horror, family connections, and gaming with young children.
Thank you to the Roll to Save Podcast, Alison Cybe, Graham Walmsley, and OrcusDorkus for the topics we discuss in this episode.
Please do let us know if you have any suggestions of your own.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Vision On
* Take Hart
* Paranoia
* WMD
* Grogmeet
* Cyberpunk RPG
* Cyberpunk literary genre
* Blade Runner (1982)
* Blade Runner RPG
* Midnight – Legacy of Darkness
* Warhammer 40,000
* Dark Heresy
* Rogue Trader
* Black Crusade
* Definition of dystopia
* Freemarket
* Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
* Brazil (1985)
* Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Mon, 26 Aug 2024 - 344 - Special: Interview With Jason Cordova part 2
We’re back with the conclusion of our interview with Jason Cordova, the mastermind behind The Gauntlet and creator of such RPGs as Brindlewood Bay, The Between and Public Access.
Our winding discussion takes in game design and publishing, analogue horror, and Victorian pornography, among other topics.
Since recording this episode, Jason has announced a crowdfunding campaign for a three-volume print edition of The Between, packed with alternative settings and other bonus material. The campaign begins on the 24th of September 2024. You can find full details on the project’s Backerkit page.
If you want to hear The Between in action, you can hear Scott playing a campaign on Ain’t Slayed Nobody, alongside Nic Rosenberg, Josephine McAdam, and cuppycup, with Jason Cordova as Keeper.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Between
* Penny Dreadful
* Spring-heeled Jack
* “Hell in Texas” from The Things We Leave Behind
* Victorian Spiritualism
* Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
* London Labour and the London Poor by Henry Mayhew
* Sketches by Boz by Charles Dickens
* People of the Abyss by Jack London
* Indian cone pattern
* Memento mori photography
* Victorian London: The Life of a City by Liza Picard
* Holywell Street
Mon, 19 Aug 2024 - 343 - Under the Pyramids
We’re back and we’re catching up with our sleep. You think we’d be trying harder to escape, given that we’ve been tied up and lowered into the abysmal depths under the pyramids. But, no, we’re just going to nod off for a while and hope our dreams offer some useful clues. It’s how Harry Houdini himself would have handled the situation, at least when he was being written by HP Lovecraft. Now, let’s drift off again and see if we can find a way out of this labyrinth!
Main Topic: Under the Pyramids
Following last episode’s exploration of the life of Harry Houdini, we thought we’d follow up with a look at his collaboration with HP Lovecraft — “Under the Pyramids”, also known as “Imprisoned With the Pharaohs”. We spend a little more time than usual discussing the origins of the story, partly because they offer insight into the unlikely relationship between the two men, but mostly because they’re just so damn weird.
The story itself may be a minor one in Lovecraft’s canon, but we still find gaming inspiration. But, mostly, we delight in the phrase “corpse gurgle”. And why shouldn’t we?
Harry Houdini, trying to work out where that gurgling is coming from
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Strange NPCs: Harry Houdini
* A Dreamer and a Visionary: HP Lovecraft in His Time by ST Joshi
* I Am Providence: The Life and Times of HP Lovecraft by ST Joshi
* Lord of a Visible World: An Autobiography in Letters by HP Lovecraft, ST Joshi, and David E Schultz
* Weird Tales
* Houdini in Weird Tales
* Frank Belknap Long
* “The Mound” by HP Lovecraft for Zealia Bishop
* Sonia Greene
* “Hypnos” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Loved Dead” by HP Lovecraft and CM Eddy Jr
* The Cancer of Superstition by HP Lovecraft and CM Eddy Jr for Harry Houdini
* Spiritualism
* Masks of NyarlathotepMon, 12 Aug 2024 - 342 - Special: Investigative Games With Jason Cordova
We’re back with another special interview episode. This time, we’re talking to Jason Cordova, the mastermind behind The Gauntlet and creator of such RPGs as Brindlewood Bay, The Between and Public Access.
Jason’s games take a different approach than most to investigation, informed by the classic indie RPGs from the days of The Forge. We talk about how these techniques might be applied to other games, such as Call of Cthulhu, as well as what makes for an interesting mystery.
Since recording this episode, Jason has announced a crowdfunding campaign for a three-volume print edition of The Between, packed with alternative settings and other bonus material. The campaign begins on the 24th of September 2024. You can find full details on the project’s Backerkit page.
If you want to hear The Between in action, you can hear Scott playing a campaign on Ain’t Slayed Nobody, alongside Nic Rosenberg, Josephine McAdam, and cuppycup, with Jason Cordova as Keeper.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Gauntlet
* Fear of a Black Dragon
* The Darkened Threshold
* Old School Renaissance
* Ain’t Slayed Nobody
* The Between preview edition
* Public Access
* Powered by the Apocalypse
* Apocalypse World
* Dogs in the Vineyard
* Blades in the Dark
* Brindlewood Bay
* Dungeon World
* Dungeon World For Beginners
* The Forge
* The Big Sleep (1946)
*Mon, 05 Aug 2024 - 341 - Strange NPCs: Harry Houdini
We’re back and we’re squirming. Sure, the best way to get out of this straitjacket would be to have someone unbuckle it, but where’s the fun in that? Then again, now that we’re getting lowered head first into this water tank, being untied sounds a lot more appealing. Let’s see how long we can hold our breath!
Main Topic: Harry Houdini
This is the latest instalment in our Strange NPCs series, offering discussions of the lives of interesting historical personages from the classic ages of Call of Cthulhu, along with thoughts about how we might use them in our games. Previous subjects have included Albert Fish, Louis Wain and Edgar Cayce, as well as the various luminaries covered by our Great NPCs of History series.
This episode is an exploration of the life of legendary escape artist Harry Houdini. The word “legendary” is particularly apt here, as the myths Houdini and others created about his life make the truth difficult to ascertain sometimes. This probably makes him a more interesting candidate for games, however, as everything about him is garbed in stories.
As many listeners almost certainly know, there is a direct connection between Houdini and Lovecraft, but we shall delve into that next episode when we head “Under the Pyramids”.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Houdini: the Elusive American by Adam Begley
* Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls by William Lindsay Gresham
* The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini by Joe Posnanski
* Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Kenneth Silverman
* Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin
* Jacob Hyman
* Theodore Hardeen
* Medicine shows
* Dime museums
* Spiritualism and Call of Cthulhu
* Nightmare Alley (2021)
* Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham
* Metamorphosis illusion
Mon, 29 Jul 2024 - 340 - Non-Human Characters in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re doubting our humanity. It’s easily enough done. Whether it’s these gill slits on our necks, that pervasive smell of death surrounding us, or just the weird way our shadow shifts and twists, there’s always been something a little off. Normally, that doesn’t cause any problems beyond the usual revulsion. It does make us wonder, however, whether we’re really protagonist material. Is a background role the best a non-human character can hope for in this game, or it is finally our time to shine as investigators?
Main Topic: Non-Human Characters in Call of Cthulhu
There are plenty of creatures in the Cthulhu Mythos that resemble humans, both in appearance and intelligence. While it’s easy to categorise them as monsters, we explore how to present them as fully formed characters. Normally, their role would be as an antagonist, but the Mythos is more ambiguous and nuanced than that. Some of your best friends might be ghouls!
And, of course, Lovecraft’s protagonists often discovered that they weren’t quite as human as they’d believed. Why shouldn’t the same be true in Call of Cthulhu? What are some of the considerations of having non-human characters as investigators in your game?
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* D&D
* “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” by HP Lovecraft
* “Pickman’s Model” by HP Lovecraft
* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft
* “The Outsider” by HP Lovecraft
* At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft
* “Nyarlathotep” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Whisperer in Darkness” by HP Lovecraft
* “Fat Face” by Michael Shea
* “The Shadow Out of Time” by HP Lovecraft
* Possession in Call of Cthulhu
* Ghosts in Call of Cthulhu
* Cloverfield (2008)
* Ain’t Slayed Nobody
* Invasion of the Body Snatchers (195...Mon, 15 Jul 2024 - 339 - Media Catch-Up – Books
We’re back and we’re catching up with our reading again. Specifically, in this episode, we seem to be reading in bed. You’d think that such a common pastime wouldn’t merit much discussion, yet somehow we manage to derail our conversation about the actual books with opinions about the best positions in which to read them. It’s like the Kama Sutra, only with more papercuts.
Main Topic: Media Catch-Up – Books
Once again, we’re talking about books we’ve been reading recently, discussing how they’ve inspired us, or maybe just given us nightmares. There’s quite a range this time, and more digressions than usual, but you should still come away with a few solid recommendations.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Thomas Tessier
* Finishing Touches by Thomas Tessier
* Valancourt Books
* Alison Rumfitt
* Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt
* Gawker interview with Alison Rumfitt
* Toni Erdmann (2016)
* Lily Cade controversy
* The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
* Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt
* The Cellar by Richard Laymon
* Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
* Winchester Mystery House
* Hearst Castle
* Animal House (1979)
* The Beast House by Richard Laymon
* The Midnight Tour by Richard Laymon
* Friday Night in Beast House by Richard Laymon
* “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe
* The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon
* The King of Elfland’s DaughterMon, 01 Jul 2024 - 338 - Possession in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re under the influence. Sure, the alien entity taking up residence in our heads may not technically be a demon, but that feels like an academic distinction right now. It’s little comfort to learn that the thing messing with your thoughts is a giant insect from another planet or a discorporate consciousness from the primordial past. If it walks like a demon and quacks like a demon, we’re happy to call it a badly mangled metaphor. Possession in Call of Cthulhu is a messy business, leading to madness and terror, and not even innocent clichés are safe.
Main Topic: Possession in Call of Cthulhu
Following last episode’s discussion of Late Night With the Devil, we thought we’d look at the role of possession in Call of Cthulhu. While there may not be any literal demons in the Cthulhu Mythos, that doesn’t mean there’s no possession. Between Yithians, shan, deathless sorcerers, and whatever horrors you create for your own games, there are plenty of entities that can take over a human host and drive them to do weird or horrible things.
But how do we handle all this in our games? Can having their investigator possessed be a fun experience for players? Is possession an all-or-nothing deal? And what inspiration can we take from horror media?
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Mind Control
* Late Night With the Devil
* Ghosts
* The Exorcist (1973)
* Come Closer by Sara Gran
* Deadlands
* Discussion of werewolves in R’lyeh Roulette IV
* The Devils of Loudun by Aldous Huxley
* The Devils (1971)
* Urbaine Grandier
* Miracle of the Gadarene swine
* Michael Taylor murder case
* “The Shadow Out of Time” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Thing on the Doorstep” by HP Lovecraft
* The Private Life of Elder Things
* Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys
Mon, 17 Jun 2024 - 337 - Late Night With the Devil
We’re back and we’re dabbling with dark forces. If Late Night With the Devil has taught us anything, it’s that achieving fame and fortune is just a matter of striking the right bargains. Sure, that’s probably not the message the filmmakers intended, but it’s the one we’ve chosen to take. Now all we have to do is look around the woods for that sinister owl man and then hope we can explain podcasting to him.
Main Topic: Late Night With the Devil
Join us as we tune in our trusty old 14-inch TV set and stay up past our bedtime to watch Late Night With the Devil. This is a 2023 Australian horror film by the Cairnes brothers that perfectly captures the weirdness of both 1970s television and the era’s obsession with the occult. It’s also a rare horror film that all three of us enjoyed, albeit with some reservations.
As ever, we pick through the film in detail, looking for possible inspiration for our games. Be warned that we will spoil the hell out of it.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* 100 Bloody Acres (2012) review
* Scare Campaign (2016)
* Ghostwatch (1992)
* Horror mockumentaries
* WNUF Halloween Special (2013)
* Generative AI controversy surrounding Late Night With the Devil
* 1970s occult revival
* Bohemian Grove
* Them: Adventures With Extremists by Jon Ronson
* Alex Jones
* Brain Blaze YouTube channel
* Sweeps week
* Victorian Spiritualism
* James Randi
* CSICOP
* Identifying blood in vomit
Mon, 03 Jun 2024 - 336 - Special: Strength Drain and Recovery With Frank Delventhal
In our recent episode on injury and disease in Call of Cthulhu, we mentioned the strength drain ability of Dark Young. Good friend of the Good Friends Frank Delventhal, AKA Strongman Frank, got it touch with some ideas about how strength drains might actually work and what streps an investigator could take to recover from them. Paul arranged a conversation to explore these ideas, which we recorded for this special.
As his moniker suggests, Frank has performed as a strongman for many years. He has supplemented his practical experience of building up strength with reading about the science behind it. The discussion covers everything from different types of cellular damage to the psychology of strength training, offering ideas about how this could be used in gaming. We hope you find it as interesting as we did!
Frank demonstrates why the Dark Young fear him
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Injury and Disease in Call of Cthulhu
* Dark Young
* Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
* Dopamine
* Mitochondria
* Shub-Niggurath
* Muscle fibres
* Robert Nejedly
* Anabolic steroids
* Great NPCs of History: Serge Voronoff
* Pulp Cthulhu
* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft
* Hamburg Kettlebell Club
* Strongman Frank on TikTok
Frank shows us how he’d make short work of the NecronomiconMon, 27 May 2024 - 335 - Injury and Disease in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re damaged. Send help.
Main Topic: Injury and Disease in Call of Cthulhu
This episode, we’re looking at how injury, disease, poisons, and other physical hazards work in Call of Cthulhu.
Being an investigator is fraught with hazards. While we’ve discussed sanity a few times, we’ve never really got into more corporeal damage before. We discuss how the game mechanics handle physical harm, some options for portraying it narratively, and some of the different ways in which an investigator can get hurt in the first place. As ever, we throw in a few ideas about how we handle these things in our own games, and what plot hooks dealing with serious physical harm might present.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Sanity in Call of Cthulhu
* DEATH
* D&D
* Pulp Cthulhu
* Ain’t Slayed Nobody
* World War Cthulhu: London
* Into the Darkness
* Runequest
* The Two-Headed Serpent
* The Thing (1982)
* Buffy the Vampire Slayer
* Supernatural
* How We Roll
* DOA (1950)
* Delusions in Call of Cthulhu
* Abhoth
* Azathoth
* Edge of Darkness
* Children of Atom from Fallout 4
* Dark Young
* Shriving
* Level drain
* Quest PortalMon, 20 May 2024 - 1h 01min - 334 - R’lyeh Roulette IV
We’re back and we’re spinning the wheel of misfortune. R’lyeh Roulette is not a game to be entered into casually. While you might not place bets in the normal manner, there is still much at stake. Every result carries blasphemous knowledge guaranteed to ravage the sanity of the strongest mind. And that’s without taking into account the risk of randomly selecting Attract Fish. The horror is too great to contemplate.
Main Topic: R’lyeh Roulette IV
This episode is a return to a format we’ve not used for a very long time. When Matt was working on what would become the Grand Grimoire, he put together a spreadsheet containing every spell from every Call of Cthulhu supplement that had been published at the time. So, of course, we decided to use it as a massive random table, rolling a D752 to select random spells. We would then try to work out how we might create a scenario around each spell.
And that’s what we’re doing again.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Grand Grimoire of Cthulhu Mythos Magic
* Loup-garou
* Deadlands Noir
* Werewolf: the Apocalypse
* The Wolf Man (1941)
* Werewolves in European folklore
* The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien
* Supernatural
* Cthulhu Dark Ages
* Magic: The Gathering
* D&D
* Memento (2000)
Folkloric European werewolf, armed with fangs, claws, and finger guns
* Tulzscha
* Quachil Uttaus
* Antiques Roadshow
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
* Hastur
* Brown Jenkin
Mon, 06 May 2024 - 1h 01min - 333 - Call of Cthulhu Deities — Shudde M’ell, Yibb-Tstll and Bugg-Shash
We’re back and we’re suckling. This is more difficult than you might think, at least when Yibb-Tstll is involved. Even once we get past all those pesky nightgaunts, there’s the whole, um, moving target aspect to deal with. And the less said about that snog with Bugg-Shash, the better. Maybe we’ll just stick with Shudde-M’ell. At least he knows how to make the earth move.
Main Topic: Call of Cthulhu Deities — Shudde M’ell, Yibb-Tstll and Bugg-Shash
This episode is our latest exploration of the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. We have devoted previous episodes to Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, Cthulhu, Daoloth and Eihort, Gla’aki, Y’golonac, Tsathoggua, Atlach-Nacha and Abhoth, Cyäegha and Byatis, and Yig and Ghatanothoa.
Here, we’re turning to the creations of Brian Lumley, specifically the gods Shudde M’ell, Yibb-Tstll and Bugg-Shash. As usual, we discuss their origins in fiction, how they’ve been developed in the Call of Cthulhu RPG, and how we might use them in our own games.
We planned this episode some time back, before we heard that Brian Lumley had died. Learning the news not too long before recording means that the episode might be less irreverent than you’d expect.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Brian Lumley
* “Cement Surroundings” by Brian Lumley
* The Burrowers Beneath by Brian Lumley
* Dholes
* Ammonites
* Ubbo-Sathla
Mon, 22 Apr 2024 - 1h 01min - 332 - Media Catch-Up
We’re back and we’re consuming. Mostly, we’re consuming media. At least that’s the consumption we feel happiest talking about in public. Also, the digestion of media tends to lead to less dyspepsia, bloating and flatulence than more tangible fare. Except for Dan Brown, that is.
Main Topic: Media Catch-Up
This episode is the latest in our ongoing series about the media we’ve been consuming recently and how it might influence our gaming lives. We’re shaking up the format a little this time, however, delving into both television and films. There may even be mention of a book or two.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
Matt
* Dirty Harry (1971)
* Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
* The Cellar by Richard Laymon
* The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon
* The Streets of San Francisco
* Quinn Martin
* Police Squad!
* The Fugitive
* The Invaders
* Poor Poor Ophelia by Carolyn Weston
* The Sweeney
* The Streets of San Francisco on YouTube
* Quincy, ME
Scott
* The Good Friends of Jackson Elias Discord
* Suitable Flesh (2023)
* Knights of Badassdom (2013)
* Mayhem (2017)
* Creepshow
* “The Thing on the Doorstep” by HP Lovecraft
* Stuart Gordon
* Dennis Paoli
* Re-Animator (1985)
* From Beyond (1986)Mon, 08 Apr 2024 - 1h 01min - 331 - The Ocean in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re enjoying a nice seaside holiday. Of course, when most people talk about the seaside, they mean the bit that’s on land. Somehow, we’ve ended up in the wetter part. Maybe that’s more technically landside. Human languages are messy things. Regardless, it’s everything we could have asked for: cold, murky, and filled with terrifying creatures. If Lovecraft taught us anything, however, it’s that this nice section of seabed could be forced to the surface at any moment. We’ll just have to enjoy its benthic charms while we can.
Main Topic: The Ocean in Call of Cthulhu
The ocean and its horrors play a huge role in Lovecraft’s fiction and, by extension, in Call of Cthulhu. With entities such as Cthulhu, Dagon and the Deep Ones, and locations like R’lyeh and Y’ha-nthlei, Lovecraft placed many of his most memorable creations deep below the waves. So how can we make use of the ocean in Call of Cthulhu? What inspiration can we take from nature and folklore? And what memorable scenarios are there that use the ocean as their setting?
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
The Ocean in Lovecraft
* “Dagon” by HP Lovecraft
* Atlantis
* Theosophy
* Graham Hancock
* I Watched Ancient Apocalypse So You Don’t Have To
* “The Temple” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Strange High House in the Mist” by HP Lovecraft
* Nodens
* “The Horror at Martin’s Beach” by Sonia Greene and HP Lovecraft
* Fear’s Sharp Little Needles
* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft
* Cthulhu
* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft
* “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” by HP Lovecraft
* At the Mountain of Madness by HP Lovecraft
* The Man From Atlantis
* “Out of the Aeons” by HP Lovecraft for Hazel Heald
Tue, 26 Mar 2024 - 1h 01min - 330 - Robert Bloch and the Cthulhu Mythos
We’re back and we’re wondering what’s in this jar on our desk. The contents are murky, but it looks like it might contain the heart of a small boy. Robert Bloch swears by it, but we’re worried that having it makes us accessories to some grisly crime.
Main Topic: Robert Bloch and the Cthulhu Mythos
Following last episode’s discussion of Psycho, we’re exploring the life and work of its creator, Robert Bloch. While Bloch is best remembered for the way he fused crime fiction and horror into a new genre, he was also a member of the original Lovecraft Circle. We look at Bloch’s unlikely friendship with HP Lovecraft and how it shaped his career, as well as offering a quick overview of Bloch’s contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
Bloch and Lovecraft
* Once Around the Bloch: An Unauthorized Autobiography by Robert Bloch
* The Man Who Collected Psychos: Critical Essays on Robert Bloch edited by Benjamin Szumyskyj
* Robert Bloch: Appreciations of the Master edited by Richard Matheson and Ricia Mainhardt
* Lon Chaney
* “The Chaney Legacy” by Robert Bloch
* “The Clown at Midnight” by Robert Bloch
* Weird Tales
* “Pickman’s Model” by HP Lovecraft
* Robert Barlow
* Fritz Leiber
* August Derleth
* Clark Ashton Smith
* E Hoffman Price
* The Opener of the Way by Robert Bloch
* Marvel Tales
* “The Feast in the Abbey” by Robert Bloch
* “The Shambler From the Stars” by Robert Bloch
* “History of the Necronomicon” by HP Lovecraft
Tue, 12 Mar 2024 - 1h 01min - 329 - Psycho (1960)
We’re back and we’re abluting with trepidation. It used to be that taking a shower was relaxing. We could just pull that curtain closed and enjoy the jets of warm, cleansing water. Since watching Psycho, however, we can’t help but keep one eye open while showering. That wouldn’t be so bad if we didn’t keep getting shampoo in it. Still, it probably beats the alternative.
Main Topic: Psycho
We’re following our recent discussion of psychological horror by exploring one of the defining works of the genre. It’s no exaggeration to say that Psycho transformed horror, in both cinema and fiction, pretty much creating a new subgenre. It is one of the most imitated films of all time, spawning countless pastiches, parodies, and blatant rip-offs. But what is it that makes Psycho such an enduring favourite, even 65 years on? Why does it still make us afraid to draw the shower curtain? And which aspects of it have not aged so well?
Be warned that we spoil the hell out of the film. If you are one of those vanishingly rare people who have managed to avoid spoilers until now, we beseech you to watch Psycho before listening to this episode. Even so, its twists and turns have become so much a part of popular culture that they may still be familiar.
As well as digging into Hitchcock’s film, we also touch upon Robert Bloch’s original novel, and the many sequels each birthed. And, as ever, we look for aspects that might influence our games.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Psycho (1960)
* Psycho (1998)
* Alfred Hitchcock Presents
* Psycho by Robert Bloch
* One Around the Bloch by Robert Bloch
* Hitchcock (2012)
* Ed Gein
* Crossdressing Killer trope
* The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
* Psycho II by Robert Bloch
* Hell! said the Duchess by Michael Arlen
* Homicidal (1961)
* Dressed to Kill (1980)
*Tue, 27 Feb 2024 - 1h 01min - 328 - Delusions in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re rolling to disbelieve. Honestly, the world around us just becomes weirder and weirder with every passing year. A lot of this is probably down to age, but we can’t discount some kind of breakdown of objective reality, right? Well, that’s assuming there was ever such a thing as objective reality. In order to determine this, we’d need to refer to objective sources, and then we’ll only get lost in recursion again. Compared such sophistry, all those sanity-blasting delusions in Call of Cthulhu feel like light relief.
Main Topic: Delusions in Call of Cthulhu
We thought we’d follow up last episode’s exploration of psychological horror by looking at the role of delusions in Call of Cthulhu. Psychological horror is filled with characters trapped in states of delusion, unable to tell what is real anymore. The game reflects this genre trope in its mechanics, and we delve into how it all works. We also discuss how such fictional delusions relate to real mental illness, what inspiration we might take from media, and just how much roleplaying we really want to see in our roleplaying games.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Psychological horror
* Insanity in Call of Cthulhu
* Walker in the Wastes
* X-Card
* The Two-Headed Serpent
* Pulp Cthulhu
* Shutter Island (2010)
* Fight Club (1999)
* Joker (2019)
* Mr Robot
* The Matrix (1999)
* The King in Yellow
* Daoloth
* The Total Perspective Vortex
* Oculus (2013)
* Nyarlathotep
News
Mon, 12 Feb 2024 - 1h 01min - 327 - Psychological Horror in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re doubting ourselves. Well, that’s assuming we have any selves to doubt. Once you start plumbing the dark recesses of psychological horror, you soon realise that you can’t take anything for granted. Objective reality is a joke and identity is just a lie we tell ourselves. If we’re not careful, we’ll narrate ourselves out of existence.
Main Topic: Psychological Horror in Call of Cthulhu
Once again, we’re examining a subgenre of horror, trying to pick out the main tropes and work out how they might influence our games of Call of Cthulhu. In previous episodes, we’ve turned our attention to ghost stories, body horror, survival horror, cosmic horror and Gothic horror. Now it’s the turn of psychological horror to lie on the analyst’s couch and tell us its darkest secrets.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Appeal of Horror
* Survival horror
* Dead of Night
* Martin (1977)
* Let the Right One In (2008)
* The Shining (1980)
* The Shining by Stephen King
* Lake of the Dead by Andre Bjerke
* Lake of the Dead (1958)
* Vertigo (1958)
* The Usual Suspects (1995)
* The Sixth Sense (1999)
* Joker (2019)
* I’m Thinking About Ending Things by Iain Reid
* I’m Thinking About Ending Things (2020)
* Before I Go to Sleep (2014)
* Split (2016)
* Dissociative Identity Disorder...Mon, 29 Jan 2024 - 1h 01min - 326 - The Ghost of Listener Suggestions
We’re back and we’re going through our mailbag again. It becomes a lot more manageable once we sift out the missives written in Aklo and other inhuman tongues. We’re not saying that what’s left is any less sanity-blasting, but at least we can read it aloud without imperilling the space-time continuum.
Main Topic: The Ghost of Listener Suggestions
Back in late 2022, we used Discord and Twitter to ask our listeners what kinds of things they’d like to hear us discuss. The response was overwhelming and we ended up with a massive list of possible topics. Although these suggestions were exceptional, there are a good number we’d struggle to turn into complete episodes. Rather than ignore these, we’ve decided to go through the replies and see what we can address succinctly.
We started going through these suggestions in a few earlier episodes, but we barely scratched the surface. Here, we delve into several more topics, including Nope, UFO abductions in horror, recommendations of Mythos fiction, different modes of horror GMing, and what constitutes a cheap scare.
Thank you to James Mullen, Abe Hughes, Victor and Ryan Finn for the topics we discuss in this episode.
Please do let us know if you have any suggestions of your own.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Listener Suggestions
* Son of Listener Suggestions
* Bride of Listener Suggestions
* Good Friends on Twitter
* Good Friends Discord
* Nope (2022)
* Get Out (2017)
* Us (2019)
* Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
* No One Will Save You (2023)
* Fire in the Sky (1993)
* Alien (1979)
* The Fourth Kind (2009)
* The Block Island Sound (2020)
* Encounters on Netflix
* John Was Trying to Contact Aliens (2020)
* “The Star Brothers” by Brian Courtemanche
* Cosmic horror
Tue, 16 Jan 2024 - 1h 01min - 325 - The Shadow Over Innsmouth – Sequels and Adaptations
We’re back and we’re heading beyond Innsmouth. The literal and metaphorical tentacles of the Deep Ones now extend far beyond the town’s limits. We’re finding our fishy friends moistening the pages of books, slithering across the silver screen, and even lurking in the hidden depths of our computers. No matter how disturbing any of these may be, however, Robert Olmstead assures us that the scariest place to spy a Deep One is in the mirror.
Main Topic: The Shadow Over Innsmouth – Sequels and Adaptations
Following our extended discussion of HP Lovecraft’s classic weird tale, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”, we’re taking a quick look at some of the various sequels and adaptations spawned by the story. As we mentioned in the first episode, this is by far Lovecraft’s most influential tale. Our overview is far from exhaustive, given the hundreds of tales that owe their origins to Innsmouth and its residents.
As well as a few favourite stories, we also take in some batrachian films, podcasts and even video games. Even so, we have doubtless missed some of your favourites. Please do let us know on social media which works you think we need to check out.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Shadows Over Innsmouth, edited by Stephen Jones
* Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth, edited by Stephen Jones
* Weirder Shadows Over Innsmouth, edited by Stephen Jones
* The Innsmouth Cycle, edited by Robert M Price
* Tales Out of Innsmouth, edited by Robert M Price
* Clark Ashton Smith
* DF Lewis
* Dagon magazine
* Kim Newman
* David Langford
* Basil Copper
* Guy N Smith
* The Rats by James Herbert
* Shaun Hutson
* Deeper by James A Moore
*Tue, 02 Jan 2024 - 1h 01min - 324 - Told After Supper, by Jerome K Jerome – part 3
Our 2023 Christmas ghost story reading of Jerome K Jerome’s “Told After Supper” draws to its conclusion. After learning all about ghosts in the first reading and hearing some strange anecdotes in the second, we now join the narrator as he braves the terrors of the Blue Chamber.
This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories), taking place on our Discord server. Mike is joined by guest readers Scott Dorward, Sarah Dovey, Rina Haenze, Brian Murphy, T A Newman, Sue Savage and Graham Walmsley.
So grab your trousers off the bedstead, pack your pipe with ghostly tobacco, and prepare to murder as many musicians as you can!
Deck The Halls, performed by the USAFB Concert Band, is in the public domain.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “Told After Supper” on Project Gutenberg.
And if all this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out our previous readings:
* “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
* “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde
* “The Viy” by Nikolai Gogol
Thu, 21 Dec 2023 - 22min - 323 - Told After Supper, by Jerome K Jerome – part 2
Our 2023 Christmas ghost story reading continues. This year, we are presenting Jerome K Jerome’s comic tale “Told After Supper”. After the introduction to the nature of ghosts we received in the first reading, we are now ready to hear the partygoers’ spooky anecdotes.
This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories), taking place on our Discord server. Mike is joined by guest readers Scott Dorward, Sarah Dovey, Rina Haenze, Brian Murphy, T A Newman, Sue Savage and Graham Walmsley.
Jerome K Jerome
We have broken the story up into three parts. Our plan is to release them all as bonus episodes in the run-up to Christmas. If you would like to listen to the final part live, you can hear it on our Discord server. We will be reading it at 22:30 GMT on the 20th of December.
So brew another bowl of punch, rip out your fireplace, and get ready to dig a grave at the bottom of the garden!
Deck The Halls, performed by the USAFB Concert Band, is in the public domain.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “Told After Supper” on Project Gutenberg.
And if all this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out our previous readings:
* “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
* “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde
* “The Viy” by Nikolai Gogol
Wed, 20 Dec 2023 - 27min - 322 - Told After Supper, by Jerome K Jerome – part 1
We are delighted to offer you another ghost story for Christmas. Good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories), has once again organised a suitably festive performance on our Discord server. He is joined by guest readers Scott Dorward, Sarah Dovey, Rina Haenze, Brian Murphy, T A Newman, Mike Perceval-Maxwell, Sue Savage and Graham Walmsley.
This year, it’s the turn of Jerome K Jerome’s “Told After Supper”. While Jerome (or Jerome to his friends) may not seem like an obvious choice for a ghost story, “Told After Supper” is packed full of all manner of apparitions, spectres, and murderous revenants. It is also very funny, and has the added bonus of being set around a drunken Christmas Eve celebration.
Jerome K Jerome
We have broken the story up into three parts. Our plan is to release them all as bonus episodes in the run-up to Christmas. If you would like to listen to the remaining parts live, you can hear them on our Discord server. We will be reading at 22:30 GMT on the following evenings:
* Part 2 – 19th December
* Part 3 – 20th December
So pour yourself a nice glass of punch, tell your favourite anecdote — if only to yourself, and prepare to take the curate to the cleaners!
Deck The Halls, performed by the USAFB Concert Band, is in the public domain.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “Told After Supper” on Project Gutenberg.
And if all this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out our previous readings:
* “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
* “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde
* “The Viy” by Nikolai Gogol
Tue, 19 Dec 2023 - 23min - 321 - The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 6
We’re back and we’re picking through the ruins. The US Federal Government may have bombed Innsmouth to smithereens, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still useful gaming inspiration to be found in the wreckage. From pondering what the locals really wanted with Robert Olmstead to discussing how to make Deep Ones more sympathetic, we’re finding plenty of Innsmouth Gold here. Let’s just hope we don’t stumble across that shoggoth Zadok Allen mentioned, however. Being shelled and set on fire has probably done little to improve its temperament.
Main Topic: The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 6
This is the sixth and final part of our multi-episode exploration of HP Lovecraft’s classic weird tale, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. While we’ve finished our breakdown of the story itself, there were still a few outstanding points we’d flagged for later discussion. The second half of the episode delves into the aspects of the story we’d lift for gaming, as well as some discussion of how others have used Innsmouth and its residents in Call of Cthulhu.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft
* The Cult of Cthulhu
* The Three Oaths of Dagon
* Mystery cults
* Christian absorption of paganism
* Malleus Monstrorum
* Sea Devils from Doctor Who
* Creature From the Black Lagoon
* “Pickman’s Model” by HP Lovecraft
* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft
* Pulp Cthulhu
* Dungeons & Dragons
* Dagon magazine
* “The Dunwich Horror” by HP Lovecraft
* The Bermuda Triangle
*Tue, 19 Dec 2023 - 1h 01min - 320 - The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 5
We’re back and we’re taking part in some self-reflection. It would just be a bit easier if our reflections didn’t keep changing. Maybe it’s inevitable once you get to a certain age. Your hairline starts receding, your face gets jowly, you develop gill slits on your neck… It’s enough to make you want to throw yourself in the ocean.
Main Topic: The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 5
This is the fifth part of our multi-episode exploration of HP Lovecraft’s classic weird tale, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. Last time, we followed Robert Olmstead’s increasingly frantic departure from the town of Innsmouth.
This episode, we reach the end of the story. Olmstead now has time to process what he has seen and learnt. Of course, in true Lovecraftian fashion, that just makes things worse. Or does it? Strap yourself in for an extended debate about just what that ending means.
We’ll be back next time to wrap up our analysis of the story and to pick the bones for some gaming meat.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* HP Lovecraft’s family
* Pectoral jewellery
* Nameless Horrors
* “The Outsider” by HP Lovecraft
* Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys
* Tales Out of Innsmouth edited by Robert M Price
* Transhumanism
* Cthulhu (2007)
* “Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft
* At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft
* “The Shadow Out of Time” by HP Lovecraft
* Coughlinism
* The Silver Shirts
* Ku Klux Klan
* CL Moore
* Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Thank you to our good friends at the HP Lovecraft Historical Society for their kindly allowing us to play out with “It’s Beginning to...Tue, 05 Dec 2023 - 1h 01min - 319 - The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 4
We’re back and we’re playing hide-and-seek. No, hang on. That’s when everyone hides and one person goes looking for them. This is the other way around. There’s a name for that game, isn’t there? Oh, yes! Sardines. That would explain the smell…
Main Topic: The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 4
This is the fourth part of our multi-episode exploration of HP Lovecraft’s classic weird tale, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. Last time, we had a long, drunken chat with Zadok Allen, down by the docks. Now, we’re almost ready to catch the last bus out of town.
This time, we reach the action-packed part of the story. Lovecraft isn’t known for his action scenes, but the chase sequence in “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” stands out in this respect. We break down Robert Olmstead’s attempt to flee Innsmouth and its inhabitants, finding plenty of gaming inspiration along the way.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The New Annotated HP Lovecraft, edited by Leslie Klinger
* Franklyn Expedition
* Shaun of the Dead (2004)
* Covered bridges
* “Tam O’ Shanter” by Robert Burns
* Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
* Saraband
* Malleus Monstrorum
Tam O’ Shanter
News
Paul at Dragonmeet
Paul will be at Dragonmeet 2023, on Saturday the 2nd of December. While he’s not sure about seminars or other events yet, you will be able to find him on the Chaosium stall. Do drop by and say hi.
Matt and Scott at Illusion Horror Con
Meanwhile, both Matt and Scott will be attending the Illusion Horror Con. This is an online convention devoted to horror RPGs. While the main focus is Kult, there will be all sorts of games going on over the weekend. Scott and Matt will also be appearing on a number of panels. Check the convention website for times and details
Paul Doing Push-Ups for Charity
Paul is raising money for Cancer Research UK by doing 100 push-ups every day throughout November. Please seeMon, 20 Nov 2023 - 1h 01min - 318 - Mason and Fricker’s Eldritch Stories Sampler
Mason and Fricker’s Eldritch Stories Sampler
In a change to regular programming, here is a sample of another podcast we thought you might enjoy.
Mason and Fricker’s Eldritch Stories is a collaboration between Paul Fricker and Mike Mason. You probably know Paul already as one of the hosts of the Good Friends of Jackson Elias podcast. Mike has guested on the show several times but is better known as the creative director for Call of Cthulhu.
Each episode of Eldritch Stories is a single short story, read aloud in 5 to 10 minutes. Season 1 will feature 12 stories, with story episodes released every 2 weeks.
On the alternate weeks, Mike and Paul record an informal chat about movies, TV, books, games, etc. Those are a bit over half an hour long.
You can find out more at https://www.eldritchstories.com/
The shows are also available on YouTube, at https://youtu.be/2M3B8J93s-8?si=Ypf3I-UU9ZKfG_4x
And they have a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EldritchStories
The podcast should be available at all the usual places that you get your podcasts.Tue, 14 Nov 2023 - 1h 01min - 317 - The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 3
We’re back and we’re enjoying a nice whiskey. OK, maybe we shouldn’t drink a whole quart of the stuff, but you’d do the same if you lived in Innsmouth. The alcohol fumes go some way towards masking the stench of rotting fish, especially if you’re drinking down by the dock. It can be quite relaxing as long as you learn to ignore the dirty looks coming from the surf. Apologies if all this booze ends up giving us a West Country accent. We’ll try not to go full Wurzels this time.
Main Topic: The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 3
This is the third part of our multi-episode exploration of HP Lovecraft’s classic weird tale, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. Last time, we jumped on Joe Sargent’s bus, made the journey to Innsmouth, and bought some cheese crackers.
Now, in chapter 3 of the story, we finally meet Zadok Allen for one hell of an episode of Drunk History. Sure, this chapter is mostly exposition, but it’s written in such strong dialect that you’ll hardly notice.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Privateering
* The War of 1812
* “The Dunwich Horror” by HP Lovecraft
* The Mythos as religion
* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft
* “Dagon” by HP Lovecraft
* “Out of the Aeons” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Temple” by HP Lovecraft
* Theosophy
* Atlantis
* Mu
* Dagon (2001)
* Philosopher’s Stone
* Swastika
* “Witches’ Hollow” by August Derleth
* Elder sign
* Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin
*Tue, 07 Nov 2023 - 1h 01min - 316 - The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 2
We’re back and we’re on a bus journey. Sure, this is a bone-rattler, but that’s like combining a gym visit and a massage, right? It certainly seems to have done the other passengers good. Have you seen how long their arms are? And it must do wonders for the feet as well. We can’t even imagine where they buy their shoes. The only question is whether the jolting is also responsible for those odd creases in their necks. It must be. There can’t be any other reasonable explanation.
Main Topic: The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 2
This is the second part of our multi-episode exploration of HP Lovecraft’s classic weird tale, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. Last time, we explored the origins of the story and then joined Robert Olmstead for a quick tour of Newburyport.
Now, moving into chapter 2 of the story, we catch Joe Sargent’s bus from Newburyport, travel across the bleak seaside landscape, and then enjoy the faded grandeur of Innsmouth’s buildings. Come for the salt marshes, stay for the extended discussion of roof architecture!
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft
* Flotsam and Jetsam on How We Roll
* Salt marsh
* Kingsport
* “The Strange High House in the Mist” by HP Lovecraft
* In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
* Widow’s walk
* Car Wars
* A guide to roof types
* Necronomicon Providence
One of Paul’s holiday snaps from his recent visit to Innsmouth Scarborough
* Monument Circle, Indianapolis
* Gen Con
* Prohibition
* “The Thing on the Doorstep” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Dreams in the Witch-House” by HP Lovecraft
* The House of Eliot
*Tue, 24 Oct 2023 - 1h 01min - 315 - The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 1
We’re back and we’re sightseeing. Like most penurious writers, we’re doing so on a tight budget. Wasting money on expensive train tickets means that we won’t be able to afford the good cheese crackers for lunch. Happily, the ticket clerk is happy to offer cheaper alternatives. Sure, he’s also offering dire warnings about travelling via Innsmouth, but that just makes it sound all the more exciting. Anyway, this can’t be the worst replacement bus service we’ve ever taken.
Main Topic: The Shadow Over Innsmouth part 1
This is the first instalment of a multi-episode exploration of HP Lovecraft’s classic weird tale, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. It is a dive so deep it goes all the way down to Y’ha-nthlei.
While “The Call of Cthulhu” gets all the name recognition, it’s fair to say that “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” is Lovecraft’s most influential story. It has spawned countless sequels, adaptations and imitations over the 90+ years since its first publication, and these show no sign of slowing down. More importantly for our purposes, Innsmouth and its ichthyic, batrachian residents are at the centre of a staggering number of Call of Cthulhu scenarios.
This time, however, we start off by looking into the origins and influences behind this tale, then pick through the first chapter of the story, looking for gaming inspiration.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Dunwich Horror” by HP Lovecraft
* Dark Adventure Radio Theatre Presents “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
* The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft Audiobook by the HP Lovecraft Historical
* HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast on “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
* “Celephaïs” by HP Lovecraft
* “Fungi From Yuggoth” by HP Lovecraft
* Scan of Lovecraft’s plot notes for “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
* Weird Tales
* At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft
* “Herbert West – Reanimator” by HP Lovecraft
* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft
*Mon, 09 Oct 2023 - 1h 01min - 314 - Glorious
We’re back and we’re poking around in holes. Sometimes it’s hard not to let curiosity get the better of you. There could be anyone on the other side of that barrier, even a god. You might be tempted to take a peek and check. At worst, what you see on the other side could leave you feeling uncomfortably stiff, yet empty inside. Or, maybe, it could be glorious.
Main Topic: Glorious
Following last episode’s discussion of Ghatanothoa (and Yig, but let’s not worry about him for now), we’re talking about one of his rare appearances in media. Glorious presents an unusual and creative take on the Cthulhu Mythos. So unusual, in fact, that Matt spends much of this episode protesting its crimes against canon. It also takes place almost entirely in a rest stop bathroom, unlike most horror films.
Glorious is a 2022 American horror film from director Rebekah McKendry, starring Ryan Kwanten and JK Simmons. While it’s a low-budget affair, it rarely looks cheap, mainly thanks to its small cast and limited use of locations.
As ever with these media discussions, we pick apart every aspect of the story in our quest for gaming inspiration. Do watch Glorious before listening to avoid being spoiled. If you want to get some idea of what you’re getting yourself into first, you could always read Scott’s review from last year’s October Horror Movie Challenge.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Yig & Ghatanothoa episode
* All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018)
* Elevator Game (2023)
* “Out of the Aeons” by HP Lovecraft and Hazel Heald
* Color Out of Space (2019)
* Yog-Sothoth
* Azathoth
* Ubbo-Sathla
* Cthulhu
* Résumé With Monsters by William Browning Spencer
* Glory hole
* Juno (2007)
* Whiplash (2014)
* Prometheus
Tue, 26 Sep 2023 - 1h 01min - 313 - Mythos Deities: Yig & Ghatanothoa
We’re back and we’re petrified. It’s bad enough that you can become mummified by standing near Ghatanothoa, but being imperilled just by looking at his image is simply too much. And then we learn that you could be at risk even from examining the eyes of someone who saw him? Yikes! We’ll stick to Yig, thanks. At least the worst he’s going to do is bite you. Oh, hang on… He might turn you into a snake? It’s beginning to sound like these Mythos deities may not be the friends we’re looking for.
Main Topic: Mythos Deities – Yig & Ghatanothoa
This episode is our latest exploration of the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. We have devoted previous episodes to Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, Cthulhu, Daoloth and Eihort, Gla’aki, Y’golonac, Tsathoggua, Atlach-Nacha and Abhoth, and Cyäegha and Byatis.
We’re turning back to Lovecraft himself in this episode, but Lovecraft as a collaborator. Well, it’s probably more accurate to call him a ghost writer with these stories, but we’ll be generous to his co-authors. The two deities we’re discussing — Yig and Ghatanothoa — both come from Lovecraft’s revisions. It wasn’t until the stories were collected that Lovecraft was even credited, however. Despite this, at least one of the deities has spawned many scenarios and stories, while the other has to be satisfied with hanging out behind a rest stop glory hole. But more about that next episode…
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* “The Curse of Yig” by HP Lovecraft and Zealia Bishop
* Zealia Bishop
* Weird Tales
* “The Mound” by HP Lovecraft and Zealia Bishop
*Tue, 12 Sep 2023 - 1h 01min - 312 - Bride of Listener Suggestions
We’re back and and we’re listening to our listeners. No, not in a creepy way. Well, not beyond our natural creepiness, anyway. We’re not even using our ears this time. Hmmm. That probably makes it creepier, doesn’t it?
Main Topic: Bride of Listener Suggestions
Late last year, we used Discord and Twitter to ask our listeners what kinds of things they’d like to hear us discuss. The response was overwhelming and we now have a massive list of possible topics. Although these suggestions were exceptional, there are a good number we’d struggle to turn into complete episodes. Rather than ignore these, we’ve decided to go through the replies and see what we can address succinctly.
We started going through these suggestions in an episode a couple of months ago, but we barely scratched the surface. Here, we delve into several more topics, including Gothic Horror, Espionage and the Cthulhu Mythos, White Dwarf and Dagon magazines, literary genres, potential strange NPCs, solo gaming, and Japanese Call of Cthulhu scenarios.
Thank you to Dirk the Dice, OrbitalAxolotl, Sarah D, OK Ghouls Hear Me Out, and DMBadWrongFun on our Discord server for the topics we discuss in this episode.
Please do let us know if you have any suggestions of your own. Well, apart from those ones.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Listener Suggestions
* Son of Listener Suggestions
* Good Friends on Twitter
* Good Friends Discord
* The Grognard Files
* Gothic Horror
* Kill, Baby… Kill!
* Hammer Horror
* Edgar Allan Poe
* The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
* Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
* Dracula by Bram Stoker
* The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
* The Great Pendragon Campaign
* Pendragon Quick-Start
* Delta GreenTue, 29 Aug 2023 - 1h 01min - 311 - Media Catch-Up – Books
We’re back and and we’re playing Jenga with that teetering pile of unread books, plucking out a few tomes for discussion and hoping we don’t get crushed in the attempt.
Main Topic: Media Catch-Up – Books
This episode is the latest in our ongoing series about the media we’ve been consuming recently and how they might influence our gaming lives. As ever, the selection is eclectic, taking in rats, horses, and a magical tattoo in which a horse might conceivably eat a rat for breakfast.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Backer-only lockdown specials
* James Herbert
* The Rats by James Herbert
* Lair by James Herbert
* Deadly Eyes (1982)
* The Food of the Gods (1976)
* Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)
* Beasts
* “During Barty’s Party” from Beasts
* Domain by James Herbert
* Threads (1984)
* The Walking Dead comic series
* The Walking Dead
* Burlington bunker
* Wayward Pines
* When the Wind Blows (1986)
* “Demon 79” from Black Mirror
* All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
* Cormac McCarthy
* The Road (2009)
* The Road by Cormac McCarthy
* No Country For Old Men (2007)
* No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 - 1h 01min - 310 - Special: The Hounds of Tindalos, read by Mike Perceval-Maxwell and Scott Dorward
We’re back with another special episode. This time, we’ve teamed up with Mike Perceval-Maxwell, host of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories, for a reading of Frank Belknap Long’s “The Hounds of Tindalos”. If you would like to know more about the story, we discussed it in a recent episode.
Regular listeners will have heard some of our other collaborations with Mike. He is the mastermind behind our annual Christmas ghost story readings. We also published an episode of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories in conjunction with our discussion of Robert E Howard.
This time, we’re following up our recent discussion of Frank Belknap Long’s “The Hounds of Tindalos” with a reading. Mike takes on the role of the narrator, while Scott plays Halpin Chalmers.
If you enjoyed this episode, we encourage you to check out Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories. Mike releases regular readings of classic weird tales on his podcast, including works by many authors we’ve discussed on the Good Friends.
You can find out earlier collaborations with Mike below.
* “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
* “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde
* “The Viy” by Nikolai Gogol
* “The Thing on the Roof” by Robert E Howard
The episode graphic for this special uses the image “Tindaloss” by Rodrigue Pellaud – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.Sun, 13 Aug 2023 - 1h 01min - 309 - Nightmare Alley
We’re back and and we’re geeking out.
Main Topic: Nightmare Alley
With all the talk about mediums in recent episodes, we thought it might be helpful to examine one from media. Guillermo del Toro’s 2021 adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham’s novel Nightmare Alley may not lean into the Spiritualist elements of the source, but it still presents a gripping story of a predator who uses the techniques of stage mediumship. Moreover, the film’s setting in the worlds of carnival sideshows and mentalist acts are rich inspiration for games of Call of Cthulhu.
As well as discussing the film itself, we talk a little about del Toro’s career, focusing on some highlights.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Spiritualism
* Séances
* Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham
* Nightmare Alley (1947)
* Tyrone Power
* Hays Code
* “Who Goes There?” by John W Campbell Jr
* The Thing (1982)
* The Thing From Another World (1951)
* Nightmare Alley: A Vision in Darkness and Light
* Geek show
* Freaks (1932)
* Mentalism
* Hanged Man tarot card
* In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
* “Bleak Prospect” from Nameless Horrors
* Theosophy
* Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
* Hellboy (2004)
* Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Tue, 01 Aug 2023 - 1h 01min - 308 - Séances
We’re back and and we’re in the dark. While we’re told that darkness is essential for séances, it does make it tricky to watch when the medium starts dancing. Also, if the spirits are going to start shooting pistols near us, we’d prefer to be able to see where the guns are pointed. Happily, Napoleon is here to offer some practical military advice to these otherworldly gunmen. We just hope that he doesn’t leave us quite as wet and sticky as last time. It plays hell with our zithers!
Main Topic: Séances
As a belated coda to our discussions of Victorian Spiritualism, we thought we’d go through some contemporary accounts of Victorian séances, looking for inspiration. Our earlier discussions glossed over the details of what actually happens in a séance and how they differ from what we see in popular media. The truth turns out to be far weirder than any fiction.
Our goal, as ever, is to offer inspiration for games. If you do decide to include a séance inspired by these accounts in one of your games, we’d love to hear about it!
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Victorian Spiritualism episodes
* Experiences in Spiritualism: A Record of Extraordinary Phenomena Witnessed Through the Most Powerful Mediums by Catherine Berry
* Keeping in Touch – an Anthology of the Victorian Séance by Megan Bruening
* Mesmerism
* Lisa Morton’s London Fortean Society lecture
* William Stainton Moses
* Spiritualist churches
* Thomas Edison’s spirit phone
* “The Statement of Randolph Carter” by HP Lovecraft
* Most Haunted
* Fox Sisters
* D&D
* Satanic Panic
* Spirit cabinets
* Catherine Berry
* The Third Man (1949)
* Francis Ward Monck
*Tue, 18 Jul 2023 - 1h 01min - 307 - The Hounds of Tindalos by Frank Belknap Long
We’re back and we have an angle. Well, it started out as a curve, but then some bits fell off. It’s outrageous! We’re not sure if that was some kind of fall from grace, an earthquake, or just shoddy plastering. Or maybe we’re just being obtuse. Happily, the hounds of Tindalos will be along soon to put us right. Their sense of such things is pretty acute.
Main Topic: The Hounds of Tindalos
Following on from our time travel episodes, we thought we should find an example of how these tropes have been used in the Cthulhu Mythos. Happily, Frank Belknap Long’s seminal story, “The Hounds of Tindalos”, is about as good an example as we could ask for. As well as showing us a very genre-appropriate method for exploring time, it introduces one of the weirdest and scariest antagonists in the Mythos.
We explore the curves and angles of the story, and briefly discuss the life and works of Frank Belknap Long. In addition to his role as a core member of the Lovecraft Circle, Long has the distinction of being the first person after Lovecraft to write a Mythos story. But that was just a small part of a career that spanned over 70 years and multiple genres.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Time Travel episodes
* “The Shadow Out of Time” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Hounds of Tindalos” by Frank Belknap Long
* Frank Belknap Long
* “The Eye Above the Mantel” by Frank Belknap Long
* Weird Tales
* “The Space-Eaters” by Frank Belknap Long
* “Dark Awakening” by Frank Belknap Long
* New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos edited by Ramsey Campbell
* The Horror From the Hills by Frank Belknap Long
* The Hounds of Tindalos by Frank Belknap Long
* Howard Phillips Lovecraft: Dreamer on the Night Side by Frank Belknap Long
* Doels
* Chaugnar FaugnTue, 04 Jul 2023 - 1h 01min - 306 - Time Travel in Call of Cthulhu part 2
We’re back and we’re going round in circles. Driving around Milton Keynes has prepared us for such eventualities, although these are temporal loops rather than roundabouts. Then again, what is a time loop but a four-dimensional roundabout? Let’s just hope we can work out how to find an exit before we go around yet again. This is murder on our tyres. And our watches.
Main Topic: Time Travel in Call of Cthulhu part 2
As we mentioned last episode, we ran out of time to discuss time. This means we’ve gone back to the discussion, delving into psychic time travel as well as different varieties of time loops. We also spend a bit of time (it’s really hard not to make jokes here) talking about the way time travel has been presented in Mythos fiction and the Call of Cthulhu RPG.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Quantum Leap
* Sliders
* “The Shadow Out of Time” by HP Lovecraft
* Trancers (1984)
* The Terminator (1984)
* “The Hounds of Tindalos” by Frank Belknap Long
* Pulp Cthulhu
* Robert E Howard
* A Cold Fire Within
* The Butterfly Effect (2004)
* Replay by Ken Grimwood
* Groundhog Day (1993)
* “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
* Triangle (2009)
* Salvage (2006)
* Happy Death Day (2017)
* Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
* Russian Doll
* “Gatsby and the Great Race”
* Doctor Who: “The Claws of Axos”
Tue, 20 Jun 2023 - 1h 01min - 305 - Special: Stage Magic and Spiritualism With Sean F Smith
We’re back with our first special episode for a while. After our recent look into Victorian Spiritualism, Sean F Smith contacted us, offering to discuss the topic from the perspective of stage magic.
Sean is a magician and mentalist by profession, with a special interest in séances and mediums. We discussed the history of Victorian magic and how it relates to fraudulent mediums. There are also a few diversions into the psychology of trickery, techniques to encourage creativity, and the secret of how to hammer a nail into your face.
You can find Sean’s work on DriveThruRPG, and you can check out his websites below.
* Sean’s magic website
* Sean’s RPG website
Sean and friend
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Victorian Spiritualism
* Mentalism
* Hiding the Elephant by Jim Steinmeyer
* Harry Houdini
* The Prestige by Christopher Priest
* The Prestige (2006)
* Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin
* Nevil Maskelyne
* Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
* James Randi
* Derren Brown
* The Davenport Brothers
* Davenport’s magic shop
* Spirit cabinet
* The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
* Domain-specific learning
* Practical Mental Effects by Theodore Annemann
* Spirit slates
* DediTue, 13 Jun 2023 - 1h 01min - 304 - Time Travel in Call of Cthulhu part 1
We’re back, or should that be forward? Time does have a tendency to jump around, and you’re never quite when you thought you were. Days pass in years and years pass in days. And the older you get, the stranger this relationship with time becomes. Sure, you might struggle to remember what you just had for lunch, but you have a pretty good idea of what you might have been doing ten years ago. In our case, we were starting a podcast.
If you ever wondered why our early episodes sound the way they do…
Main Topic: Time Travel in Call of Cthulhu part 1
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias are ten years old! Well, not the Good Friends ourselves, obviously. One look at our grizzled countenances should disabuse you of that. If you tried to total up our lived years, you’d quickly run out of fingers. And toes. And any other protuberances you may have. But the podcast itself will have been around for ten years as of the 8th of June 2023. That’s 262 regular episodes, 42 specials, and 12 backer-only episodes. No wonder we’re tired.
The shed where it all started
We figured we’d mark this milestone by discussing the role of time travel in Call of Cthulhu. In one form or another, time travel has been a part of stories for about as long as people have been telling them. Genre fiction and media have codified a lot of tropes, however, some derived from actual science and some the product of pure imagination. We discuss some of our favourite media presentations of time travel in its various forms, looking for inspiration for our games of Call of Cthulhu.
Once again, we found this was a larger topic than we’d anticipated and have had to spill over into a second episode. Join us next time when we discuss time loops, as well as the presentation of time travel in Call of Cthulhu and Mythos fiction.
The teetering pile of books that thought it was a microphone stand
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Blasphemous Tome
* The Good Friends of Jackson Elias Discord server
* The Smart Party
* The Grognard Files
* How We Roll
* Ain’t Slayed Nobody
* Into the Darkness
* The Miskatonic University Podcast
* Modern Mythos
* Special relativity
* “A View From a Hill” by MR James
* Time travel on Wikipedia
*Mon, 05 Jun 2023 - 1h 01min - 303 - Victorian Spiritualism part 2
We’re back and we’re glowing. While we’re only too happy to ascribe this to good diet and healthy living, all this phosphorous oil we keep splashing on ourselves may also play a part. It really helps you stand out in the dark, although it does make it a bit harder to creep around and do all the other sneaky stuff that goes into a good séance. At this rate, we’re going to need a real spirit guide to help pull this off.
Main Topic: Victorian Spiritualism part 2
This is the conclusion of our two-part look at the origins and evolution of Spiritualism in the gaslight era. In the first part, we examined the origins of Spiritualism. This time, we explore how Spiritualism became so popular in Victorian Britain, as well as some of the key figures of Victorian Spiritualism and the strange techniques they used to fake séances.
These episodes gloss over many of the details of séances themselves. We aim to cover those properly in an upcoming episode.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances by Lisa Morton
* The Table-Rappers: The Victorians and the Occult by Ronald Pearsall
* Medical Meddlers, Mediums and Magicians: The Victorian Age of Credulity by Dr Keith Souter
* Spiritualism
* Maria B Hayden
* Darwinism
* The Gothic movement
* The Enlightenment
* Phantasmagoria
* Magic lanterns
* Public visits to Bedlam
* Nightmare Alley (2021)
Phantasmagoria
* Theosophy
* Women’s Suffrage
* Free Love in Victorian Britain
* Annie Besant
* Bryant & May match girls
* The Fox Sisters
*Tue, 23 May 2023 - 1h 01min - 302 - Victorian Spiritualism part 1
We’re back and we’re rapping. While we’re sure we could come up with some killer rhymes, we’re letting our toes do the talking today. There’s no reason why messages from beyond can’t come with a sick beat, and creaky toes are the body’s other beatbox. Victorian Spiritualism is proving much funkier than we ever suspected.
Main Topic: Victorian Spiritualism part 1
This is the first of our two-part look at the origins and evolution of Spiritualism in the gaslight era. We look at how Spiritualism grew out of Mesmerism, how it became a religion, some of the strange phenomena that mediums produced at the behest of the spirits. This will continue in the next episode, when we examine some of the key figures of the Victorian Spiritualism movement and how many of them were exposed as frauds.
Yes, frauds. It shouldn’t be controversial to talk about how Spiritualism is rooted in lies, but its growth into a religion might make this a touchy subject. As ever, we don’t aim to denigrate people’s deeply held beliefs, but we can’t shy away from the fact that the originators of Spiritualism were admitted hoaxsters who denounced their creation later in life.
These episodes also gloss over the details of séances. We aim to cover those in more detail in a later episode.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances by Lisa Morton
* The Table-Rappers: The Victorians and the Occult by Ronald Pearsall
* Medical Meddlers, Mediums and Magicians: The Victorian Age of Credulity by Dr Keith Souter
* Spiritualism
* QAnon and Conspiracy Theories
* London Fortean Society
* Mediumship
* Spirit trumpet
* The Changeling (1980)
* Automatic writing
* Henry Slade
* Nevil Maskelyne
* Harry Houdini
* James Randi
* Derren Brown
* Table-turning
* Ouija: Origin of...Mon, 08 May 2023 - 1h 01min - 301 - Son of Listener Suggestions
We’re back and we’re listening again. Usually, we don’t hold with listening. Most things people try to tell us are things we’d rather not hear. Whether this is advertising, gossip, or sinister secrets about the true nature of reality, we generally find we’re happier not knowing. In this case, however, we’re listening to our listeners, which is the kind of paradox that pleases us. They also have some great suggestions for us, which is a huge improvement over the scatological or anatomically improbable suggestions people normally make to us.
Main Topic: Son of Listener Suggestions
Late last year, we used Discord and Twitter to ask our listeners what kinds of things they’d like to hear us discuss. The response was overwhelming and we now have a massive list of possible topics. Although these suggestions were exceptional, there are a good number we’d struggle to turn into complete episodes. Rather than ignore these, we’ve decided to go through the replies and see what we can address succinctly.
We started going through these suggestions in an episode a couple of months ago, but we barely scratched the surface. Here, we delve into several more topics, such as low/no-Mythos scenarios, Lovecraftian monsters, folklore, orientalism, and sex at the gaming table.
Thank you to PatrickSmatrick, Etymological Tom, Weasels10 and OrbitalAxolotl on our Discord server for the topics we discuss in this episode.
Please do let us know if you have any suggestions of your own. We are always hungry for ideas, and suggestions are a safer way of getting them than eating human brains.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* True Detective
* Call of Cthulhu and non-Lovecraftian horror
* Ghosts
* Blood Brothers
* Blood Brothers II
* Into the Darkness
* Coming Full Circle
* How We Roll
* Grizzly Peaks Radio
* “The Autopsy” by Michael Shea
* Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
* D&D
* Cults
* The Butterfly Effect (2004)
*Mon, 24 Apr 2023 - 58min - 300 - Barbarian (2022)
We’re back and we’re trying to figure out why the hell this film is called “Barbarian“. Learning that the screenwriter doesn’t know either makes us feel better, but not by much. Maybe a nice bottle of milk will settle us down.
Barbarian (2022)
This episode is our look at Barbarian, the recent horror film debut of writer/director Zach Cregger. As ever, we talk through the film itself, picking out highlights and lowlights. And, of course, we discuss what we could steal for gaming.
We should offer some content warnings. The plot of Barbarian involves kidnapping, rape and forced birth. While neither the film nor our analysis go into details, we do discuss these elements. Obviously, we also get heavily into spoilers.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Whitest Kids U’ Know
* WKUK D&D livestream
* Brightmoor
* The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
* Subterranean Spaces in Lovecraftian Horror
* Jeffrey Dahmer’s victim returned to him by police
* Censor (2021)
* Beowulf
* Psycho (1960)
* Fight Club (1999)
News
A Weekend With Good Friends
We have dates for the next Weekend With Good Friends! This is the online RPG convention organised by our lovely listeners and hosted on our Discord server. While the main source of information is our Discord server, we also have a web page with important details and links. We will update this as things progress.
The important dates are:
* Friday 2nd – Thursday 15th June — GM signups
* Friday 23rd – Thursday 29th June — Player signups
* Friday 30th June — Lottery results announced
* Friday 7th – Sunday 9th July — AWWGF
The Blasphemous Tome issue 11
The next issue of The Blasphemous Tome is approaching fast. Issue 11 features a strange new Call of Cthulhu...Mon, 10 Apr 2023 - 1h 08min - 299 - Strange NPCs: Edgar Cayce
We’re back and we’re catching up with our sleep. Don’t worry, we’re still using this time productively, just like Edgar Cayce taught us. Whether it’s diagnosing your athlete’s foot, telling you of your past life in ancient K’n-yan, or just prophesying the fall of Penge again, we’re on the case. Just take care not to transcribe any snoring as that just tends to confuse the reading. Now, can you leave us to peruse the Akashic Records for another 15 minutes? We were up late last night.
Strange NPCs: Edgar Cayce
We are returning to our Strange NPCs format, in which we look into the lives of historical figures who might inspire our games of Call of Cthulhu. This began with our first two “Great NPCs of History” episodes (one and two). We then had more detailed episodes about Albert Fish and Louis Wain.
This episode looks into the life of Edgar Cayce, the Sleeping Prophet. While Cayce’s work grew in fame following his death, becoming a cornerstone of the New Age movement, his origins were more humble. That’s not to say they weren’t filled with strange events. We delve into his life, belief and legacy, looking for elements we might include in our games.
Thank you to Mecrutio on our Discord server for suggesting this topic.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* New Age movement
* William Blake
* Potato salad kickstarter
* L Ron Hubbard
* Bare-Faced Messiah: The True Story of L Ron Hubbard by Russell Miller
* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft
* Theosophy
* Edgar Cayce’s beliefs about reincarnation and scripture
* There is a River by Thomas Sugrue
* Tutankhamun
* The Association of National Investigators
* Edgar Cayce Hospital
* Kult: Divinity Lost
* TENS machines
*Mon, 27 Mar 2023 - 55min - 298 - Mythos Deities: Cyäegha and Byatis
We’re back and we’re stroking our chin serpents. The Byatis beard care regimen is a strange one and requires a little more anthropophagy than we normally indulge in. Still, it’s hard to argue with the results. The only real downside is the way we can be pulled away without notice whenever someone strokes an effigy of us. Even that is a small price to pay for such lustrous facial, um, hair. Yeah, let’s call it hair.
Cyäegha and Byatis
This episode is our latest exploration of the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. We have devoted previous episodes to Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, Cthulhu, Daoloth and Eihort, Gla’aki, Y’golonac, and Tsathoggua, Atlach-Nacha and Abhoth.
Rather than focusing on the creations of a specific writer, we’ve chosen this episode’s pairing for their connections to specific places. Cyäegha comes from the work of Belgian weird fiction author Eddy Bertin, remaining Bertin’s best-known creation. The parentage of Byatis is more complicated, however, originating as a passing mention from Robert Bloch before being fleshed out by a young Ramsey Campbell. Both are unusual deities, however, and we find plenty to say about them.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* “Darkness, My Name Is” by Eddy C Bertin
* The Disciples of Cthulhu
* “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison
* Cthulhu
* Gla’aki
* “The Broadsword” from Occultation and Other Stories by Laird Barron
Tue, 14 Mar 2023 - 1h 02min - 297 - Listener Suggestions
We’re back and we’re listening to the strange voices that whisper to us from beyond the veil. Well, maybe they’re whispering from Twitter and Discord, but we’re not sure that’s any less frightening. At least they’re offering helpful suggestions. Opening oneself up to the dark spirits of Twitter can be a chancy thing.
Listener Suggestions
Late last year, we used Discord and Twitter to ask our listeners what kinds of things they’d like to hear us discuss. The response was overwhelming and we now have a massive list of possible topics. Although these suggestions were exceptional, there are a good number we’d struggle to turn into complete episodes. Rather than ignore these, we’ve decided to go through the replies and see what we can address succinctly.
We barely scratched the surface of the suggestions this time. As a result, we plan to revisit this list again soon in a follow-up episode.
Please do let us know if you have any suggestions of your own. We are always hungry for ideas. And cheese. But mostly ideas.
Thank you to Alixo, R’lyeh Scary and PTroilus on our Discord server for the topics we discuss in this episode.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Good Friends on Twitter
* Good Friends Discord
* Polaris
* Universalis
* Fiasco
* Red Front Fiasco playset
* Archipelago
* De Profundus
* Thousand Year Vampire
* Arcane Magazine
* Unknown Armies
* MK-RPG
* Sorcerer
* Vaesen
* Blade Runner
* Dog Eat Dog
* Seth Skorkowsky’s YouTube channel
Mon, 27 Feb 2023 - 59min - 296 - Michael Shea’s “Fat Face”
We’re back and we’re pouring ourselves into our rubber suits and orthopaedic shoes. Doing up all these straps can be murder when your fingers are made of protoplasm. We’re going to need a nice, tasty stray dog or two to get our energy back after all this messing around. At least we’ve learnt how to maintain a human countenance atop all the ooze, fat face and all. Extruding a new head can be, well, a headache.
Fat Face
This episode is our discussion of Michael Shea’s Mythos tale, “Fat Face”. Originally published as a chapbook in 1987, this nasty little novelette has since been collected in countless anthologies. It’s probably sitting in one of those Mythos books on your shelf right now, waiting patiently for you.
As well as being a great story in its own right, “Fat Face” is the origin of shoggoth lords, as seen in the Call of Cthulhu RPG. We take a little detour into their presentation in the game and some of the ways they’ve been used.
The protagonist of the story is a sex worker, and while the story isn’t at all prurient, it also doesn’t shy away from some of the more dangerous aspects of Patti’s profession. Be warned that our discussion mentions the story’s depictions of violence against women, threats of sexual violence, drug use, body horror and animal cruelty.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* FatFace clothing brand
* Michael Shea
* A Quest For Simbilis by Michael Shea
* The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
* Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
* Weird fiction
* Sword and sorcery
* Nifft the Lean by Michael Shea
* Mr Cannyharme by Michael Shea
* Demiurge by Michael Shea
* The Autopsy: Best Weird Stories of Michael Shea
* The Best Fantasy and Horror Volume 1 edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
* Cthulhu 2000
* The Color Out of Time by Michael Shea
* “The Colour Out o...Tue, 14 Feb 2023 - 1h 02min - 295 - Kill, Baby… Kill!
We’re back and we’re puzzling over titles. If you were making a Gothic horror film about a haunted village, you might wisely consider a name like Curse of the Dead. Hell, if you wanted to cash in on the popularity of a more famous film, you could even rerelease it as Curse of the Living Dead. On the other hand, you might go for Operation Fear as something more unusual, although that is a bit too close to “Project Fear” for this post-Brexit age. If you were German, you may even consider The Dead Eyes of Dr Dracula, although you might struggle to explain why. On balance, maybe Kill, Baby… Kill! isn’t the worst title you could come up with, although it is close. Maybe another bump of cocaine will shake some inspiration loose.
Main Topic: Kill, Baby… Kill!
Building on last episode’s exploration of Gothic horror, we thought we’d follow up with a look at a film that typifies the genre. There are a great many films ostensibly linked to the Gothic, but far fewer that really embody both the tropes and the aesthetic. And, when you narrow things down in those terms, one director stands out: Mario Bava.
Kill, Baby… Kill! may not be particularly well known, but it turns up regularly on critics’ lists of the best horror films. It’s a strange affair, made on a ludicrously tight budget and largely improvised. As our hosts’ reactions demonstrate, it is not a film for everyone, Still, if you are a fan of classic Italian horror or just dreamlike atmosphere with flashes of weirdness, you’re in for a treat.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Mario Bava
* Black Sunday (1960)
* The Whip and the Body (1963)
* Black Sabbath (1963)
* Baron Blood (1972)
* Blood and Black Lace (1964)
* Giallo
* A Bay of Blood (1971)
* All of the Colors of the Dark by Tim Lucas
* Calvaire (The Ordeal) (2004)
* “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” by HP Lovecraft
* Dracula by Bram Stoker
* “A Few of My Favourite Things” from Weep for Unknown Armies
* Constantine (2005)
Mon, 16 Jan 2023 - 54min - 294 - Media Catch-up – TV
We’re back and we’re staring in disbelief as our hands fall off.
Media Catch-up – TV
Once again, we are perched open mouthed before the small screen, gobbling down televisual delights and regurgitating opinions. This is the latest in our ongoing series of media reviews, sharing our thoughts on the TV programmes we’ve been watching lately. There’s more horror than usual in our selections, making this episode dangerously on-topic. We’ll do better next time.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
* “Pickman’s Model” by HP Lovecraft
* A Serbian Film (2010)
* “Dreams in the Witch House” by HP Lovecraft
* “Dreams in the Witch House” from Masters of Horror
* Stuart Gordon
* “The Autopsy” by Michael Shea
* Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
* Garth Marenghi at the Edinburgh Fringe
* Shaun Hutson
* Evil Dead II (1987)
* Tucker and Dale Versus Evil (2010)
* Possum (2018)
* Sightseers (2012)
* Prevenge (2016)
* What We Do in the Shadows
* Riget/The Kingdom
* Kingdom Hospital
* Garth Marenghi’s Terrortome
* Guardian interview with Garth Marenghi
* Midnight Mass
* Hush (2016)
* Gerald’s Game (2017)
* The Mist (2007)
* The Wicker Man (1973)Tue, 31 Jan 2023 - 57min - 293 - Gothic Horror
We’re back and we’re skulking around the old ruined abbey. Sure, the place is lousy with ghosts, but they’re not really that important. We’re far more concerned with the weather. If reading Gothic horror has taught us anything, it’s that storms are caused by our own inner turmoil. Or is that the other way around? Maybe we could figure it out if all these bloody ghosts would just shut up. Why won’t the past just stay dead?
Main Topic: Gothic Horror
This episode is our attempt to understand what exactly Gothic horror is. We’ve often mentioned how Lovecraft’s early work was rooted in the Gothic, but we’ve never really explained what that means. Gothic horror is one of those genres that you know when you see it, but actually defining it can be tricky.
Happily, Matt has a degree in English, and part of his studies involved the history of Gothic literature. We imposed upon him to dig out some of his dusty old texts and explain what elements go into Gothic horror and how the genre stands apart from other forms of horror literature.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Visigoths and Ostrogoths
* Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects by Giorgio Vasari
* Gothic Revival architecture
* Flying Buttress
* Ogival Arch
* Romanesque architecture
* The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
* Film noir
* Romanticism
* The Enlightenment
* Vathek by William Beckford
* The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe
* The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
* The Female Gothic
* The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis
Mon, 02 Jan 2023 - 59min - 292 - The Viy – part 4
Our 2023 ghost story for Christmas concludes with part 4 of Nikolai Gogol’s “The Viy”.
Good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories), has once again organised a suitably eerie performance on our Discord server. He is joined by guest readers Dom Allen, John Casey, Scott Dorward, Sarah Dovey, Rina Haenze and Sue Savage.
We have broken the story up into four parts. Part 1, part 2 and part 3 are also available for download.
So fortify yourself with some brandy, listen for the cock crowing, and, whatever you do, don’t look into the Viy’s eyes!
“Shchedryk” (Carol of the Bells), performed by the choir “Solomiya”, is used here under a Creative Commons Attribution Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Licence.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “The Viy” on The Literature Network.
There is also a fantastic film adaptation of “The Viy” available on YouTube.
You can also read Scott’s review of the film, from his 2013 October Horror Movie Challenge, on this very server.
And if all this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out our previous readings:
* “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
* “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde
Sat, 24 Dec 2022 - 26min - 291 - The Viy – part 3
Our 2023 ghost story for Christmas continues with part 3 of Nikolai Gogol’s “The Viy”.
Good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories), has once again organised a suitably eerie performance on our Discord server. He is joined by guest readers Dom Allen, John Casey, Scott Dorward, Sarah Dovey, Rina Haenze and Sue Savage.
We have broken the story up into four parts. Our plan is to release them all as bonus episodes in the run-up to Christmas. You can download part 1 and part 2 here.
If you would like to listen to the final part live, you can hear it on our Discord server. We will be reading at 22:30 GMT on the Friday the 23rd of December.
So light some candles, mutter a protective prayer, and duck before that coffin smacks you in the head!
“Shchedryk” (Carol of the Bells), performed by the choir “Solomiya”, is used here under a Creative Commons Attribution Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Licence.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “The Viy” on The Literature Network.
There is also a fantastic film adaptation of “The Viy” available on YouTube.
You can also read Scott’s review of the film, from his 2013 October Horror Movie Challenge, on this very server.
And if all this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out our previous readings:
* “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
* “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde
Wed, 21 Dec 2022 - 25min - 290 - Making Call of Cthulhu Weird
We’re back and we’re getting on a bit. Turning 250 is a sobering milestone. Worse, we seem to be getting a bit peculiar in our dotage. Or maybe it’s just the world around us that’s getting stranger. Either way, this gives us an excuse to ramble on about weird things. So we have.
Main Topic: Making Call of Cthulhu Weird
Given that this is our 250th episode, we thought we’d tackle a big topic. While Call of Cthulhu is primarily known as a horror RPG, the Mythos is so much more than simple scares. Its mixture of science fiction, fantasy and horror reflects its origins in weird fiction. But what does that actually mean? And, more importantly, how can we make our games weirder?
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Weird fiction
* Weird Tales
* The Weird, edited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer
* The New Weird, edited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer
* “The Outsider” by HP Lovecraft
* The Sunset Warrior by Eric Van Lustbader
* Twin Peaks
* Clark Ashton Smith
* Robert E Howard
* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft
* Yellow Submarine (1968)
* Over the Edge
* “The Seven Geases” by Clark Ashton Smith
* Lord Dunsany
* A Dreamer’s Tales by Lord Dunsany
* The King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany
* Deliria
* “The Shadow Out of Time” by HP Lovecraft
* “The Whisperer in Darkness” by HP Lovecraft
*Tue, 20 Dec 2022 - 1h 03min - 289 - The Viy – part 2
Our 2023 ghost story for Christmas continues with part 2 of Nikolai Gogol’s “The Viy”.
Good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories), has once again organised a suitably eerie performance on our Discord server. He is joined by guest readers Dom Allen, John Casey, Scott Dorward, Sarah Dovey, Rina Haenze and Sue Savage.
We have broken the story up into four parts. Our plan is to release them all as bonus episodes in the run-up to Christmas. You can download part 1 here.
If you would like to listen to the remaining parts live, you can hear them on our Discord server. We will be reading at 22:30 GMT on the following evenings:
* Part 3 – 20th December
* Part 4 – 23rd December
So grab a fortifying drink, kiss the nearest Cossack, and get ready to be reunited with old friends!
“Shchedryk” (Carol of the Bells), performed by the choir “Solomiya”, is used here under a Creative Commons Attribution Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Licence.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “The Viy” on The Literature Network.
There is also a fantastic film adaptation of “The Viy” available on YouTube.
You can also read Scott’s review of the film, from his 2013 October Horror Movie Challenge, on this very server.
And if all this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out our previous readings:
* “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
* “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde
Sat, 17 Dec 2022 - 25min - 288 - The Viy – part 1
We are delighted to offer you another ghost story for Christmas. Good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories), has once again organised a suitably eerie performance on our Discord server. He is joined by guest readers Dom Allen, John Casey, Scott Dorward, Sarah Dovey, Rina Haenze and Sue Savage.
This time, it’s the turn of Nikolai Gogol’s “The Viy”. While this tale of witchcraft, the unquiet dead, and the king of the gnomes may not seem like a classic Christmas ghost story, it has more than enough chills and evil spirits to fit the bill. It’s also very funny in places.
We have broken the story up into four parts. Our plan is to release them all as bonus episodes in the run-up to Christmas. If you would like to listen to the remaining parts live, you can hear them on our Discord server. We will be reading at 22:30 GMT on the following evenings:
* Part 2 – 16th December
* Part 3 – 20th December
* Part 4 – 23rd December
So grab a nice, greasy sausage, say your prayers, and prepare for the ride of a lifetime!
“Shchedryk” (Carol of the Bells), performed by the choir “Solomiya”, is used here under a Creative Commons Attribution Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Licence.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “The Viy” on The Literature Network.
There is also a fantastic film adaptation of “The Viy” available on YouTube.
You can also read Scott’s review of the film, from his 2013 October Horror Movie Challenge, on this very server.
And if all this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out our previous readings:
* “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
* “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde
Fri, 16 Dec 2022 - 26min - 287 - Mythos Deities – Tsathoggua, Atlach-Nacha and Abhoth
We’re back and we’re heading deep beneath the earth. We’ve heard that there’s nothing but good things down there in the endless dark. Admittedly, we’ve mainly heard that from the sinister voices that whisper to us from said darkness, but we’re sure they’re fine. After all, what harm could befall us down there? It’s nit like we might stumble into the web of a monstrous spider or stray into a pool of vile fecundity, right? At least if we bump into Tsathoggua, we can just give him a little tickle under the chin and hope he’s too lazy to eat us. He is such a cutie pie!
Main Topic: Mythos Deities – Tsathoggua, Atlach-Nacha and Abhoth
This episode is our latest exploration of the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. We have devoted previous episodes to Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, Cthulhu, Daoloth and Eihort, Gla’aki and Y’golonac. Once again, we are returning to the creations of Clark Ashton Smith, digging deep into the origins and development of three of his deities: Tsathoggua, Atlach-Nacha and Abhoth.
All three of these gods made their first appearances in Smith’s tale, “The Seven Geases”, which we discussed way back in episode 90. We thought it was long past time we delved into the entities themselves.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Clark Ashton Smith
* “The Seven Geases” by Clark Ashton Smith
* Hyperborean Cycle
* Weird Tales
* “The Tale of Satampra Zeiros” by Clark Ashton Smith
* “The Whisperer in Darkness” by HP Lovecraft
Tue, 06 Dec 2022 - 55min - 286 - Censor (2021)
We’re back and we’re getting ready to snip. Our scissors are sharp, our tape is sticky and our minds are made up. This poor film doesn’t stand a chance. Sure, we could censor it carefully, preserving as much of the original narrative as possible, but would that really be safe? Far better to hack away in a frenzy of righteousness! And then, maybe, we can move on to cutting up the real source of corruption.
Main Topic: Censor
Following on from last episode’s discussion of moral panics over horror, we thought we’d look at a film that explores similar ideas. Censor is a 2021 British horror film, written and directed by Prano Bailey-Bond. It is set against the backdrop of the video nasties furore of the 1980s, following film censor Enid as she struggles to differentiate between imaginary horrors and real ones.
We use the film as a launching pad to discuss the more general topics of censorship, video nasties, and the not-so-good old days following the crackdown on horror films in the UK.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Is Horror Dangerous?
* Prano Bailey-Bond
* Nasty (2015)
* Video Nasties
* Michael Smiley
* Spaced
* A Field in England (2013)
* Nicholas Burns
* Nathan Barley
* Vincent Franklin
* The Thick of It
* Kim Newman
* The Evil Dead (1981)
* The Video Recordings Act 1984
* October Horror Movie Challenge
* Lucio Fulci
* Anthropophagous (1980)
* The Horror Geek YouTube channel
* British Board of Film Classification
* Deranged (1974)
* Ed Gein
*Mon, 21 Nov 2022 - 1h 04min - 285 - Is Horror Dangerous?
We’re back and we’re starting a moral panic. It’s good to have a hobby. While riling up frightened mobs isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, it certainly helps us unwind after a hard day’s podcasting. In order to start up a good moral panic, however, one really needs something to blame. And if cultural history has taught us anything, it’s that horror makes a terrific scapegoat. So let’s grab the pitchforks and storm the very concept of that spooky old castle on the hill!
Main Topic: Is Horror Dangerous?
This episode, we’re trying to work out why so many people are afraid of horror. No, hang on, let’s clarify that. Horror is supposed to scare you, but does that mean you should be afraid of it as a genre? Is there something dangerous about horror? Can it cause psychological or even physical harm? Does it lead to moral corruption or erode the fabric of society? And won’t someone please think of the children?!
Our discussion takes in such thorny topics as moral panics, censorship, religion, politics, suicide, PTSD, animal cruelty and Mary Whitehouse. You have been warned.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Moral panics
* The Appeal of Horror
* Extreme Subjects in Gaming
* Scream Unseen at the Odeon
* A Very Nervous Person’s Guide to Horror Films by Mathias Clasen
* Danse Macabre by Stephen King
* Disgust in Horror
* Content warnings
* doesthedogdie.com
* Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
* Video nasties
* Snuff films
* Snuff (1975)
* Man who died laughing at The Goodies
* The Goodies
* I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
* William Castle
* The Tingler (1959)
* Macabre (1958)
* The Exorcist (1973)
*Tue, 08 Nov 2022 - 1h 08min - 284 - Dealing With Downtime
We’re back and we’re taking things easy. Sometimes, after a particularly hectic battle against the forces of eldritch darkness, a bit of downtime is just what the doctor ordered. Literally. What could be better than kicking back, washing off the ichor, and checking yourself into nice, peaceful facility until you stop screaming? The only thing that might improve it would be fitting in a bit of shotgun practice between therapy sessions.
Main Topic: Dealing With Downtime
This episode, we discuss how we handle downtime in Call of Cthulhu and other RPGs. In any campaign, there will always be those quiet moments between the main adventures when time moves differently. Maybe the heroes are on a long voyage or convalescing to restore their bodies and minds. They might simply be getting on with everyday life while awaiting the next call to action.
So how do you handle this downtime? Is it purely a mechanical phase for recovery and advancement? Does it present some unique roleplaying opportunities? Or is it best simply handwaved away?
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* D&D* Loot* RuneQuest* Traveller* Vaesen* The One Ring* World of Darkness* How We Roll* Horror on the Orient Express* Green and Pleasant Land* Covert Actions* World War Cthulhu: Cold War* Masks of Nyarlathotep* Louis Wain* The Two-Headed Serpent* “The Meat Trade” on Ain’t Slayed Nobody* King Arthur Pendragon* Ars Magica
News
Scott on So, I’m Writing a Novel
Scott recently joined Oliver Brackenbury on his most recent podcast venture, So I’m Writing a Novel. In particular, Oliver is writing a sword and sorcery novel, and has been discussing the genre with a wide range of people. The discussion with Scott, released asTue, 25 Oct 2022 - 1h 00min - 283 - Media Catch-up – Films
We’re back and we’re getting all eclectic. It’s simply inevitable that if you ask the three of us to pick films, our selections will not mesh together at all. Just think of this episode as an unlucky dip, or maybe a plum pudding where the sixpence has been replaced with a ninety-year-old man’s bedpan.
Main Topic: Media Catch-up – Films
This episode, we’re returning to our media catch-up format to talk about films we’ve watched recently. Two of us decided to head back to the ’90s, although only one of these selections could be called a classic. Paul opted for a more recent release, and do be warned that his segment is especially spoiler-heavy.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Backer Lockdown Specials* Nothing But Trouble (1991)* Dan Aykroyd* Hellraiser (1987)* Ghostbusters (1984)* Spies Like Us (1985)* The Blues Brothers (1980)* Saturday Night Live* The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)* Centralia* Silent Hill* Carhenge* The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)* Digital Underground* Kult* “Let the Punishment Fit the Crime” from Tales From the Crypt
* LA Confidential (1997)* LA Confidential by James Ellroy* LA Quartet by James Ellroy* Family Guy* Unknown Armies* Mickey Cohen* Bloody Christmas* Confidential* The Ninth Gate (1999)* The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
* Men (2022)* Alex Garland* Ex Machina (2014)* Annihilation (2018_*Tue, 11 Oct 2022 - 54min - 282 - 30 Coins (30 monedas)
We’re back and we’re taking up a new hobby. Esoteric numismatology isn’t for everyone, however. Unfortunately, eldritch coins have steep prices, and not just financial ones. Our lives have become complicated ever since we picked up all these silver denarii. Between the unnatural fog, sinister clergymen and giant spider babies that keep popping up, these 30 coins are starting to seem like more trouble than they’re worth. Admittedly, they are worth a lot. Maybe we can trade them in for a cache of automatic weapons and some bullets dipped in holy water.
Main Topic: 30 Coins
This episode, we’re taking a look at Álex de la Iglesia‘s bizarre and wonderful TV programme, 30 Coins (originally released as 30 monedas). As well as being an all-round entertaining piece of television, 30 Coins is also rich inspiration for Call of Cthulhu, Kult, and any number of other games. We offer a quick overview of the programme, a few key highlights, and some thoughts about its gaming applications.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Deadlands* Morgan silver dollars* Acción mutante (1993)* The Day of the Beast (1995)* Day of the Beast* The Last Circus (2010)* The Bar (2017)* Masks of Nyarlathotep* Tatters of the King* La Broma Macabra* Álex de la Iglesia’s RPG Geek page
* Pedraza* Dagon (2001)* Sense8* The Love of Money* The Gospel of Judas* Gnosticism* Kult* Cainites* Dead Sea Scrolls* Qumran
* The Yellow Sign* Nyarlathotep* ...Tue, 27 Sep 2022 - 54min - 281 - Morality in the Cthulhu Mythos
We’re back and we’re in a moral quandary. It’s fair to say that the gods and monsters of the Mythos are beyond human comprehension. The problem is that we are human (or at least that’s our story) but we still need to find ways to write and talk about morality in the Cthulhu Mythos. Is our only option to talk about the ineffable from a human perspective? Or do we get meta and accept that the Mythos is a human invention and any moral opacity is of our own creation? Ultimately, we’ll probably just argue a lot and go off on tangents. That’s served us well enough for the last nine years.
Main Topic: Morality in the Cthulhu Mythos
We’re continuing last episode’s discussion of morality. This time, we’re looking at the role of morality in the Cthulhu Mythos. Do the entities of the Mythos follow any kind of morality we can comprehend? How do we best use antagonists who exist outside our concepts of good and evil? And do they always have to be antagonists anyway?
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Morality in RPGs* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft* Mythos Deities: Cthulhu* Quatermass and the Pit (1967)* Event Horizon (1997)* “The Dunwich Horror” by HP Lovecraft* Kult* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft* Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys* The Private Life of Elder Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Keris McDonald and Adam Gauntlett* At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft
* “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” by HP Lovecraft* The Two-Headed Serpent* All Flesh Must Be Eaten* Dawn of the Dead (1978)* “The Hounds of Tindalos” by Frank Belknap Long* Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)* “A Warning to the Curious” by MR James* Mythos Deities: Nodens*Tue, 13 Sep 2022 - 1h 00min - 280 - Morality in RPGs
We’re back and we’re sitting in judgement. Unfortunately, it turns out that judgement doesn’t make a very good seat. Next time, we’re bringing cushions. The topic of morality in RPGs shouldn’t be a comfortable one, but that doesn’t mean we want to end up with piles.
Main Topic: Morality in RPGs
This episode is our exploration of the role of morality in RPGs. From the weirdness of D&D‘s alignment system to the more challenging approach of games like Dogs in the Vineyard, RPGs have always explored questions of morality. But should games try to enforce moral codes through mechanics? When they do, does it work better to use a carrot or a stick? And what makes the exploration of morality interesting in a game?
The original AD&D alignment chart
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* D&D* D&D alignments* Eternal Champion* Corum Jhaelen Irsei* Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft* World of Darkness* Vampire: the Masquerade* Werewolf: the Apocalypse* Mage: the Ascension* Chronicles of Darkness
* Kult* Left-hand and right-hand paths* Prince of Persia* Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link* Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game* Dungeon World* The Princess Bride RPG* Violence in Call of Cthulhu* Dogs in the Vineyard
News
Paul at Owlbear and Wizard’s Staff
Tue, 30 Aug 2022 - 1h 03min - 279 - Strange NPCs – Louis Wain
We’re back and we’re trying our hands at cat breeding. According to these instructions we received from Louis Wain, the secret is electricity. The cats don’t seem to happy about this, even if it does produce interesting patterns in their fur. At least they are all pointing towards magnetic north now, however. And isn’t that what cats are supposed to do?
Louis Wain and friend
Main Topic: Strange NPCs – Louis Wain
This episode is is the latest in our Strange NPCs of History series, in which we look at notable people who might inspire games of Call of Cthulhu. This time, we’re discussing Louis Wain, the eccentric English artist whose cartoons and paintings of cats caught the world’s imagination in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Despite this fame, however, Wain was mainly remembered for his psychotic illness for many years, with both medical professionals and critics pondering what effect it had on his work. Partly because of this, Wain has remained a cult figure in popular culture in the decades since his death. The last year has seen renewed interest in his work, following the 2021 biopic, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.
Our special guest for this episode is cuppycup of the Gold-ENnie-Award-winning Ain’t Slayed Nobody podcast. Regular listeners will know that we’re all fans of the Old West arc, “Y’all of Cthulhu”, that has been running for the last couple of years. They have also done a number of side projects with Scott, including a playthrough of his scenario “Catland”, which features Louis Wain as an NPC.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Down Darker Trails* Great NPCs of History* More Great NPCs of History* Strange NPCs: Albert Fish* The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)
* Cats in Call of Cthulhu and Lovecraft* Sir William Ingram* My Neighbour Totoro (1988)* Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë* Seaside postcards
* British class system* 19th century anthropomorphic animal art*Tue, 16 Aug 2022 - 1h 06min - 278 - Y’golonac and The Revelations of Gla’aki
We’re back and we’re catching up with our reading. Until recently, we thought we’d seen the most sanity-blasting fanfic the internet could offer. Between terrible prose, wooden characters, and unacceptable levels of horniness, bad fanfic can eat your brain quicker than a hungry ghoul. But this twelfth volume of The Revelations of Gla’aki is in a league of its own. We’re used to Mary-Sue protagonists taking over the narrative, but this Y’golonac character keeps threatening to take over the reader. It’s irritating, but probably not worth losing our heads over.
Main Topic: Y’golonac and The Revelations of Gla’aki
This episode is our latest exploration of the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. We have devoted previous episodes to Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, and Cthulhu. This time, we’re returning to Ramsey Campbell, following our earlier discussions of his creations, Daoloth and Eihort, and Gla’aki.
Specifically, it’s the turn of everyone’s favourite headless monstrosity — Y’golonac! As disturbing as Y’golonac’s appearance is, his recruitment techniques are far worse. We spend some time discussing how we might use Y’golonac in our games and how we might avoid crossing any personal lines in doing so.
At the same time, this is also a follow-up to last episode’s exploration of Gla’aki, perusing the tome which connects him to Y’golonac — The Revelations of Gla’aki. This unusual book is almost a character in its own right, stretching the definition of a living document.
And do hang around after the credits for a bonus from our good friends at the HP Lovecraft Historical Society.
Y’golonac
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Revelations of Gla’aki* “The Render of the Veils” by Ramsey Campbell* Daoloth*Tue, 02 Aug 2022 - 1h 00min - 277 - Mythos Deities: Gla’aki
We’re back and we’re holidaying at Deepfall Water in sunny Gloucestershire. The area may be a bit rundown but you can’t argue with these prices. Buying a house here cost us less than a week in Benidorm, and it even came with a free library in the cellar! Our estate agent is a chatty sort, full of lively local folklore. He reassures that that every rural area has tales about dead cities arriving on the back of a comet. Apparently, we have neighbours, although we never see them out and about in the daytime. Must be gamers. One of them, Gla’aki, is supposed to be a prickly sort but we’re sure that meeting him with prove revelatory.
Main Topic: Gla’aki
This episode is our latest exploration into the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. We have devoted previous episodes to Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, and Cthulhu. This time, we’re returning to Ramsey Campbell, following our earlier discussion of his creations, Daoloth and Eihort.
While Gla’aki has only appeared in a handful of Call of Cthulhu publications, he has made quite an impact, and not just on the Brichester area. He’s an interesting example of how Mythos deities can change over time. While we’ve seen other deities evolve in the hands of multiple writers, Gla’aki represents one of the largest revisions by its original author.
Gla’aki in all his spiny glory
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* “The Inhabitant of the Lake” by Ramsey Campbell* The Inhabitant of the Lake and Less Welcome Tenants by Ramsey Campbell* The Thing From the Lake by Eleanor Ingram* The Revelations of Gla’aki* The Last Revelation of Gla’aki by Ramsey Campbell* (Currently to be found in Visions From Brichester, from PS Publishing)* The Stone of Scone*Tue, 19 Jul 2022 - 54min - 276 - Loot
We’re back and we’re building up our hoards. All this loot is nice and shiny but it’s not especially comfortable. We wonder how dragons can sleep on their treasure without putting their backs out. Maybe they use orthopaedic coins. Even then, they must spend half their waking hours prying gemstones from delicate crevices.
Main Topic: Handling Loot
This episode is a broad discussion of the role of finances in RPGs. Whether it’s ensuring your investigator has the funds to go globetrotting or deciding what kinds of treasures to include in your scenarios, we delve into it here. As usual, the main focus is on Call of Cthulhu, but we explore how other RPGs handle loot and finances as well.
D&D players look at a hoard like this and see riches. Call of Cthulhu players too busy worrying what those green gems might hatch into…
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* D&D* Call of Cthulhu subreddit* Grizzly Peaks Radio* The British Class System* Blades in the Dark* Dread: The First Book of Pandemonium* OSR* Deadlands* Powered by the Apocalypse* Vaesen
* Kult* Unknown Armies* Old Scouser Roleplaying* Barbarians of Lemuria* Conan* “The Meat Trade” on Ain’t Slayed Nobody* World War Cthulhu: London* The Two-Headed Serpent* Mörk Borg* Mythos Tomes* Fallout: New Vegas
News
Scott and Paul on the HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast
Our good friends at the HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast recently invited Paul and Scott to do story readings.Tue, 05 Jul 2022 - 57min - 275 - Media Catch-up – Books
We’re back and we’re making like bookworms. This is easier than it might seem, given that bookworms don’t really eat books — just their bindings — and aren’t even worms. Then again, they don’t read much either, so maybe we need better role models. We’d give the whole thing up if this glue weren’t so tasty.
Main Topic: Media Catch-up – Books
This episode is the latest in our regular discussions of the media we’ve been consuming. Once again, we’re cracking open some books and letting their words run rampant across our minds.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The History of Middle-Earth edited by Christopher Tolkien* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft* “The Lost Road” by JRR Tolkien* Old English* Beowulf discussion* Weird Tales* The Trail of Cthulhu by August Derleth* “Herbert West — Reanimator” by HP Lovecraft* Space mead* Pulp Cthulhu* Ithaqua
* Special X series* Ghoul by Michael Slade* Headhunter by Michael Slade* The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris* The Expanse series by James SA Corey* Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
* Necronomicon Providence* Nicole Cushing* Thomas Ligotti* Richard Laymon* Jack Ketchum* Clive Barker* The Sadist’s Bible by Nicole Cushing* Mr Suicide by Nicole Cushing* The Mirrors by Nicole Cushing* Unknown ArmiesMon, 20 Jun 2022 - 1h 01min - 274 - The Night House
We’re back and we’re taking an almost Lovecraftian interest in architecture. While we’re suckers for a good gambrel roof, these blueprints for The Night House are far more compelling. The Welsh maze designs, the oddly reversed floorplans, and the classic Roman curios that adorn the place have quite captured us. We’re especially taken with the architect’s cunning use of negative space. And, best of all, it’s fitted with underfloor corpses! Truly, every modern convenience… Now, where the hell is the exit?
Main Topic: The Night House
This episode is our discussion of the 2020 horror film, The Night House. As ever, we offer a quick overview of the film’s background before picking it apart, looking for gaming inspiration. This is an unusual and creepy film and it offers plenty to spark our imaginations.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Sundance Film Festival* David Bruckner* The Signal (2007)* V/H/S (2012)* Southbound (2015)* The Ritual (2017)* Luis Buñuel* The Phantom of Liberty (1974)* Super Dark Times (2017)* Siren (2016)* Hellraiser (1987)* Hellraiser (2022)* A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay* “The Calvary Cross” by Richard and Linda Thompson
* Pareidolia* Sleep paralysis* Carnival of Souls (1962)* It Follows (2014)* The Louvre Doll* Roman curse tablets* Mythos Deities: Nodens* Caerdroia* The Goetia* Mazes and Monsters (1982)* Caerdroia from Big Finish* Willen Lake* “The Burning Stars” fromTue, 07 Jun 2022 - 56min - 273 - The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath part 5
We’re back and we’re waking up. It’s been a long old kip, but not that refreshing really. Dreams of being chased by hunting horrors aren’t as restful as we might like. On the bright side, we’ve awoken to a world as wonderous as any dream. Admittedly, that may be more the paucity of our dreams than any praise of the waking world. Who would have thought that our dream city was Milton Keynes all along?
Main Topic: The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath part 5
This is the conclusion of our multi-episode exploration of Lovecraft’s novel, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. In our earlier episodes (part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4), we looked at the story’s origins and followed Randolph Carter’s increasingly odd adventures in search of his dream city. Now, we’re journeying into Kadath itself, accompanying Carter to, we hope, the fruitful conclusion of his quest.
As ever, we pick the story apart, looking for Call of Cthulhu inspiration. In particular, we spend some time wondering how mountains can tiptoe so daintily. Maybe that extra head helps with coordination.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Plateau of Leng* Night-gaunts* At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft* Shantaks* Nyarlathotep* Pschent* Men of Leng* “The Call of Cthulhu” by HP Lovecraft* The One Ring* Powered by the Apocalypse
A pschent. Gesundheit!
* Randolph Carter* Howard Carter* Tutankhamen* “Nyarlathotep” by HP Lovecraft* “The Statement of Randolph Carter” by HP Lovecraft* King Kuranes* Vega* Azathoth* Frankie Howerd
Tue, 24 May 2022 - 50min - 272 - The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath part 4
We’re back and we’re holidaying in Leng. While it’s not everyone’s first thought for a getaway, we’ve found it really quite dreamy. Leng may have had some shocking reviews on TripAdvisor, but we’re not sure where its evil reputation comes from. Sure, our stone hut is draughty and the corpse fires do little to take the edge off, but it’s not the worst Airbnb we’ve ever rented. The locals have a lively culture, with a special interest in music and the arts. Their extended crotala solos take a bit of getting used to, but the dances that accompany them are lively. We would join in except our legs bend the wrong way. The only irritating thing is how much the locals fuss about spiders. There’s nothing around here a rolled-up newspaper can’t take care of. Now, what’s with all that scuttling outside…?
Main Topic: The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath part 4
This is the fourth part of our multi-episode exploration of Lovecraft’s novel, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. In our first three episodes (part 1, part 2 and part 3), we looked at the story’s origins and followed Randolph Carter’s increasingly odd adventures as he searches for his dream city. Now, we’re heading into the most action-packed part of his romp through dreamland.
As ever, we pick the story apart, looking for Call of Cthulhu inspiration. In particular, we spend some time trying to work out why Leng gets such a bad rap. Sure, it seems cold and grey, but by that measure Aberdeen should have a similarly evil reputation.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Necrotising fasciitis* ICU delirium* The Sopranos* Shantaks* Mister Ed* Night-gaunts* Crotala* Leng* Nyarlathotep* Encyclopaedia Britannica* Lovecraft and the Occult* At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft* Lengian spiders
* Sarkomand* Diorite* Nodens*Mon, 09 May 2022 - 49min - 271 - Creating Stories at the Table – With Gaz Bowerbank
We’re back and we’re making stuff up. Sure, it’s a bit disjointed, filled with inconsistent characterisation, narrative dead ends, and terrible jokes, but it sort of feels like a story. What do you expect when a bunch of people create it on the fly, all pulling in different directions? Any story there owes more to cheap beer and bad dice rolls than careful planning. If we read this tosh in a book, we’d ask for our money back. Yet, somehow, we’re all happy with it. And anyway, it’s still better than a Dan Brown novel…
Main Topic: Creating Stories at the Table
This episode is a lively discussion of what it means to create stories at the gaming table. Just talking about RPGs in terms of stories is likely to start an argument, and this episode is no exception. What do people mean when they talk about stories in the context of an RPG? Is an RPG scenario constructed anything like a story? And whose responsibility is it to create a story at the table anyway?
We’ve paused our discussion of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath for a few episodes as Matt has been seriously ill. During his absence, we have called upon some of our good friends in the podcasting world to stand in as guest hosts.
This time, we are joined by Gaz Bowerbank, co-host of the What Would the Smart Party Do? podcast. Gaz’s co-host, Baz Stevens, joined us a few episodes ago for our “Everything is Horror” discussion, so we thought it was time to complete the set.
* Gaz on Twitter* What Would the Smart Party Do?* “Puppy Love” for Tales From the Loop* “Unbearable” for Vaesen* “Midnight Hunt” for Vaesen
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Genre Emulation episode* Appendix N* Critical Role* World of Darkness* Live performance with How We Roll at PodUK 2019* How We Roll* Hot War* Nathan Ballingrud interview* Legend of the Burning Sands* Legend of the Five Rings*Mon, 25 Apr 2022 - 1h 05min - 270 - Mythos Deities: Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re lost in reverie. These dreams are really something — so vivid and insistent. We just wish we knew whose dreams they are. Regardless, they’re inspiring us to create strange, wondrous new works of art. Only, why are we compelled to make them with our own viscera? At least we can arrange these intestines to look like tentacles. Yes, that looks right, doesn’t it? So majestic. So divine. Maybe now we can sleep more deeply and become one with these glorious dreams.
Main Topic: Mythos Deities – Cthulhu
This episode is the latest in our ongoing exploration of the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. Previous entries include Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, and Daoloth and Eihort.
We have discussed Cthulhu as a pop-culture icon and Lovecraft’s original story, “The Call of Cthulhu”, in earlier episodes. Still, it is long past time we had one of our usual deep dives into the origins and development of the dead dreamer himself. So here we are.
We’ve paused our discussion of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath for a few episodes. Matt has been seriously ill, requiring a lengthy stay in hospital. We don’t know how long he’s going to be out of action but we wanted to save the resolution for his return. Until then, we’ve called upon some of our good friends in the podcasting world to stand in as guest hosts.
This time, we are joined by Chris Lackey, co-host of the HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast and author of the new Chaosium publication, Cults of Cthulhu.
* Chris on Twitter* The HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast* Rachel Watches Star Trek
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* “The Mound” by HP Lovecraft for Zealia Bishop*Mon, 11 Apr 2022 - 1h 04min - 269 - Breaking the Law
We’re back and we’re on the lam. Setting fire to all those libraries seemed like a good idea at the time but apparently the authorities disagree. We’ve tried explaining that there are simply some things humanity was not meant to know. If there were a better way of protecting people, or at least one that didn’t singe our eyebrows so badly, we’d do that instead. But, instead, we hide in the shadows, living one step ahead of the law. It’s a dangerous life protecting people from Dan Brown novels…
Main Topic: Breaking the Law
This episode is our discussion of the thorny topic of what happens when investigators get on the wrong side of the law. Almost every Call of Cthulhu campaign requires the investigators to commit burglary, fraud, assault, murder and arson. So much arson…
But does this always have to be the case? How should the Keeper deal with blatant criminal behaviour? Is it ever fun for the investigators to face the consequences of their actions? And why is the library on fire again?
We’ve paused our discussion of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath for a few episodes. Matt has been seriously ill, requiring a lengthy stay in hospital. We don’t know how long he’s going to be out of action but we wanted to save the resolution for his return. Until then, we’ve called upon some of our good friends in the podcasting world to stand in as guest hosts.
This time, we’re joined by Lynne Hardy, associate editor for Call of Cthulhu and line editor for the Rivers of London RPG. Lynne has shared a stage with the Good Friends at a number of live events, as well as our episodes about the development of the new edition of Masks of Nyarlathotep.
* Lynne on Twitter* UK Games Expo 2017* Necronomicon 2017: Pulp vs Pure panel* Necronomicon 2017: Call of Cthulhu campaigns* Masks of Nyarlathotep part 1* Masks of Nyarlathotep part 2* Call of Cthulhu 40th anniversary panel at Dragonmeet 2021* Rivers of London RPG panel at Dragonmeet 2021
Lynne with the Good Friends and Mike Mason
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* “The Meat Trade” on Ain’t Slayed Nobody* Murderhobos* “Scritch Scratch” by Lynne Hardy*Mon, 28 Mar 2022 - 58min - 268 - Peril in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re in danger. At least, we think we are. Something seems to be at stake, although we’re not quite sure what. Maybe it’s our lives, our loved ones, or some of this old junk we have lying around. There’s just a sense of peril in the air. Maybe it’ll go away if we spray some air freshener around the place.
Main Topic: Peril in Call of Cthulhu
This episode is our discussion of the role of peril in Call of Cthulhu. Whether your game aims for dark horror or two-fisted adventure, there needs to be a sense of danger for it to have any bite. But how do we engender this sense of peril? What needs to be at stake for a game to feel meaningful? And what are the risks of making things feel too perilous?
We’ve paused our discussion of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath for a few episodes. Matt has been seriously ill, requiring a lengthy stay in hospital. We don’t know how long he’s going to be out of action but we wanted to save the resolution for his return. Until then, we’ve called upon some of our good friends in the podcasting world to stand in as guest hosts.
This time, we’re joined by YouTuber, podcaster and author Seth Skorkowsky. Most of our listeners will know Seth from his ENnie-Award winning YouTube channel, as well as Modern Mythos, his podcast with Jon Hook.
* Seth Skorkowsky’s YouTube channel* The Modern Mythos Podcast* Seth’s books
You can hear Seth’s previous appearances with the Good Friends here:
* Interview with Seth Skorkowsky* Interview with Jon Hook and Seth Skorkowsky
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Monsterhearts* Dungeons & Dragons* Character death* Dungeon Crawl Classics* DCC funnel* The Thing* Kult
Hitchcock should have stuck with bombs.
* Jonathan Carroll* Flotsam and Jetsam on How We Roll* “The Meat Trade” on Ain’t Slayed Nobody* Challenge ratings*Tue, 15 Mar 2022 - 1h 03min - 267 - Mind Control in RPGs
We’re back and we’re growing sleepy, sleepy, so very sleepy. We are listening to your voice. Only your voice. Yes, yes, we are under your control. We shall do you bidding. What is it you demand of us? An episode about mind control in RPGs? We are powerless to refuse…
Main Topic: Mind Control in RPGs
This episode is our discussion of the presentation of mind control in RPGs. Genre fiction is full of unnatural magic, weird drugs, and sinister devices that twist the human mind according to the wielder’s desires. Villains may plant compulsions in the heads of protagonists, twist their perceptions, or alter their memories. And, of course, this is reflected heavily in gaming. But how do we make it work? Does it have to remove player agency? And what happens when these tools and techniques fall into the hands of player characters?
We’ve paused our discussion of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath for a few episodes. Matt has been seriously ill, requiring a lengthy stay in hospital. We don’t know how long he’s going to be out of action but we wanted to save the resolution for his return. Until then, we’ve called upon some of our good friends in the podcasting world to stand in as guest hosts.
This time, we’re joined by Keeper Murph of the Miskatonic University Podcast. There can’t be too many listeners who don’t know our good friends at the MU. If you’ve somehow resisted falling under their spell so far, do check them out. They have been our biggest influence and supporters over the years. In the decade their podcast has been running, they have won two ENnie Awards, and with good reason.
* The Miskatonic University Podcast* MU Podcast on Twitter* MU Podcast Discord* Murph’s secret bunker
You can hear Murph’s previous appearances with the Good Friends here:
* Cthulhu Through the Ages* Necronomicon 2017 seminar with the Miskatonic University Podcast* Necronomicon 2019 seminar with the Miskatonic University Podcast
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* World of Darkness* Powered by the Apocalypse* Monsterhearts* The Two-Headed Serpent* How We Roll podcast*Tue, 01 Mar 2022 - 58min - 266 - Everything is Horror
We’re back and we’re getting scared. Everywhere we look, there’s something creepy hiding in the shadows. Sometimes it seems like there’s a bit of horror in every game, regardless of the genre. Maybe a nice cup of chamomile will calm us down. Let’s just hope it’s not poisoned. Or full of sharks.
Main Topic: Everything is Horror
We’ve paused our discussion of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath for a few episodes. Matt is seriously ill and currently in hospital. We don’t know how long he’s going to be out of action but we wanted to save the resolution for his return. Until then, we’ve called upon some of our good friends in the podcasting world to stand in as guest hosts.
This time, we’re joined by Baz Stevens of the wonderful What Would the Smart Party Do? Along his with co-host Gaz, Baz has been a cornerstone of the British RPG podcasting scene for some years, offering insight into a wide range of systems and genres.
While Baz tells us he is not a horror fan, he suggested that we talk about how the horror genre seeps into other forms of gaming. And who are we to say no?
You can find Baz’s projects here:
* King of Dungeons* What Would the Smart Party Do?* Runequest Year Zero
You can also hear Baz on our live seminars with the Smart Party.
* Dragonmeet 2015* Dragonmeet 2018
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Appeal of Horror* D&D* Chislehurst Caves* MÖRK BORG* Lamentations of the Flame Princess* Best Left Buried* Torchbearer* Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying* Survival horror* Jason and the Argonauts (1963)* Warhammer 40,000 novels* Jaws (1975)* Silence of the Lambs (1991)* Boot Hill* Gangbusters*Tue, 15 Feb 2022 - 1h 05min - 265 - The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath part 3
We’re back and we’re trying to work out how to cook this shantak egg we bought. Boiling it seemed practical until we realised we’d need a pot as large as a house. Frying poses similar problems unless we can work out how to convert a radio telescope dish into a wok. Scrambling seems like the best option as we can do that in batches. Now, how do we get into this shell? Anyone have a jackhammer handy?
Main Topic: The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath part 3
This is the third of our multi-episode exploration of Lovecraft’s first novel, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. In our first two episodes (part 1 and part 2), we looked at the story’s origins and followed Randolph Carter’s increasingly odd adventures. Now, we’re deep into the story and things aren’t getting any less weird.
As ever, we pick the story apart, looking for Call of Cthulhu inspiration. There’s also some debate about the metaphysics of dreamland. And we spend far too long arguing about how dark a journey to the moon might be.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Nyarlathotep* The Untouchables (1987)* Chrysoberyl* HP Lovecraft Historical Society audiobook of Lovecraft’s complete fiction* Buopoths* Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)* A Dreamer’s Tales by Lord Dunsany* Changeling: the Dreaming* Leng* At the Mountains of Madness* Carcosa* Spirit of the Century
* Cthulhu Dark Ages* The Shining (1980)* The Ritual (2017)* Antoni Gaudi* Inception (2010)* Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country* The Shadow Out of Time by HP Lovecraft* Desire in Buddhism* Shantak birds
News
A Weekend With Good Friends
Tue, 01 Feb 2022 - 1h 02min - 264 - The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath part 2
We’re back and we’re visiting the dark side of the moon. Not the most popular tourist attraction, but it does have its charms. The leprous-looking coast and fields of white fungi are particular highlights. We just wish that this guest house had windows. Still, it’s giving us an authentic insight into moon-beast culture. Plus, the solid stone walls are helping drown out the loathsome sound of those disgusting flutes. Don’t they ever clean the spit valves out?
Main Topic: The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath part 2
This is the second part of our multi-episode exploration of Lovecraft’s first novel, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. In our first episode, we looked at the book’s origins and development, as well as the start of the story itself. Now, we’re deep into the narrative and and things are getting strange
With Randolph Carter now sailing the dark side of the moon, we’re moving into some of the more fantastical parts of the novel. As ever, we mine all this moon rock for gaming inspiration, as well as discussing how the story has shaped so much of Call of Cthulhu.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Moon-beasts* Star-nosed mole* Naked mole-rat* Cats from Saturn* Cats in Call of Cthulhu and Lovecraft* Into the Darkness* “Silent Clowder” by Jon Hook* The Curse of Nineveh* “Catland, Sometimes Called Pussydom” on Ain’t Slayed Nobody’s Patreon* Louis Wain* The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022)* Night-gaunts* Bhole/dhole* Deep ones* Y’ha-nthlei* Pumice stone* Laverbread* H P Lovecraft’s Dreamlands boxed set
* Count Duckula* Glorantha* Byakhee* At the Mountains of Madness by H P Lovecraft* North By Northwest (1959)* Harvey (1950)* Getting Things Done by David Allen*Tue, 18 Jan 2022 - 53min - 263 - The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath part 1
We’re back and we’re descending the seventy steps of light slumber. At least we can take a breather in the cavern of flame before we have to trot down the seven hundred steps to the Gate of Deeper Slumber. Schlepping down all these stairs is knackering. We’re going to need a good night’s sleep before we wade through any more of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. Maybe we’ll have some interesting dreams while we do so.
Main Topic: The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath
This is the first part of our multi-episode exploration of Lovecraft’s first novel, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. While Lovecraft had been writing stories set in the Dreamlands for several years beforehand, this is the book that tied everything together. As well as consolidating the Dreamlands as a setting, it also fleshes out several aspects of the Cthulhu Mythos, offering insights into ghouls, Nyarlathotep, and the Court of Azathoth.
As ever, we begin by discussing the background and context of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. We then move on to the story itself. Our synopsis is peppered with side discussions about how we would use elements of the story in our games. More than any other Lovecraft story, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath is filled with inspirational hints and snippets.
This episode also features the return of Matt! He has largely recovered from COVID, although his voice is still croaky. Patreon backers can enjoy the full range of Matt’s coughs and sputters in the unedited episode.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Dreamlands Cycle* Lord Dunsany* Lucid dreaming* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H P Lovecraft* H P Lovecraft’s Dreamlands* The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H P Lovecraft* At the Mountains of Madness by H P Lovecraft* The New Annotated H P Lovecraft – Beyond Arkham edited by Leslie Klinger
* Randolph Carter* “The Statement of Randolph Carter” by H P Lovecraft* “The Unnamable” by H P Lovecraft* “The Silver Key” by H P Lovecraft* “Through the Gates of the Silver Key” by H P Lovecraft and E Hoffmann Price* “Out of the Aeons” by H P Lovecraft and Hazel Heald* “Polaris” by H P Lovecraft* “The White Ship” by H P Lovecr...Tue, 04 Jan 2022 - 55min - 262 - Special: Rivers of London Panel at Dragonmeet 2021
We’re back with another special episode!
Our own Paul Fricker recently attended the Dragonmeet 2021 convention in London. While there, he took part in a few panels. This recording is of the discussion about the forthcoming Rivers of London RPG, with Paul, Lynne Hardy and Rivers of London author, Ben Aaronovitch.Tue, 28 Dec 2021 - 52min - 261 - Gozu
We’re back and we’re moist. Between all this chicken custard, cow spittle and milk, Gozu has left us downright sodden. We’ve seen films use 3D, moving seats, and even subsonic vibrations to enhance the viewing experience, but this is going too far. Maybe we can scrape some of the muck off using this convenient ladle. Hang on… Why is the handle warm?
Main Topic: Gozu
Following last episode’s discussion of gangsters in Call of Cthulhu, we now look at probably the strangest gangster film ever made. Gozu is a 2003 production from legendary Japanese director Takashi Miike, and it defies description. It may not precisely be a horror film, but it will probably make you more uncomfortable than most horrors. As in so many of his films, Miike sets out to shock and transgress, but does so here in a playful, surreal manner. There is some weird sexual content in the film, so be warned that the discussion may be more explicit than usual.
Once again, Matt is absent from this episode. COVID hit him hard and he has taken some time to recover. Happily, he is doing much better now and will be back for our next episode. Once again, we have called upon our good friend Dirk the Dice to stand in for Matt. You will know Dirk from his marvellous podcast The Grognard Files, as well as our live recording of “The Necropolis”, with How We Roll.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Grognard Files podcast* Gozu (2003)* Takashi Miike* Audition (1999)* Audition by Ryū Murakami* Visitor Q (2001)* Ichi the Killer (2001)* The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)* One Missed Call (2003)* Full Metal Yakuza (1997)* Dirty Pretty Things (2002)* Gozu urban myth* The King in Yellow* Keaw Yed City* Masters of Horror* “Imprint” (2006)* Sakichi Sato* A Fish Called Wanda (1988)* Ring (1998)* Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)*Tue, 21 Dec 2021 - 1h 04min - 260 - The Canterville Ghost – part 3
Our seasonal treat concludes with part 3 of “The Canterville Ghost”!
Good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell, has organised a reading of Oscar Wilde’s classic ghost story on our Discord server. He is joined by guest readers Dom Allen, John Casey, Scott Dorward, Rina Haenze and Sue Savage. We have broken the story up into three parts and have released them all as bonus episodes this week. Parts one and two are now available for download.
So grab a cup of mulled wine and a mince pie, place them just out of reach, and join us round the fireplace for some Christmas chills!
“However, it is no matter now, for it is all over, and I don’t think it was very nice of her brothers to starve me to death, though I did kill her.”
“In Dulci Jubilo“, performed by A-M Classical, is used here under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “The Canterville Ghost” on Project Gutenberg.
And if this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out last year’s reading of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.Fri, 17 Dec 2021 - 30min - 259 - The Canterville Ghost – part 2
Our seasonal treat continues with part 2 of “The Canterville Ghost”!
Good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell, has organised a reading of Oscar Wilde’s classic ghost story on our Discord server. He is joined by guest readers Dom Allen, John Casey, Scott Dorward, Rina Haenze and Sue Savage. We have broken the story up into three parts and are releasing them all as bonus episodes this week. Parts one and three are now available for download.
So fetch your head from wherever you’ve stowed it and join us round the fireplace for some Christmas chills!
As he was strolling towards the library, however, to see if there were any traces left of the blood-stain, suddenly there leaped out on him from a dark corner two figures, who waved their arms wildly above their heads, and shrieked out “BOO!” in his ear.
“In Dulci Jubilo“, performed by A-M Classical, is used here under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “The Canterville Ghost” on Project Gutenberg.
And if this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out last year’s reading of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.Thu, 16 Dec 2021 - 25min - 258 - The Canterville Ghost – part 1
We have a special seasonal treat for you! Good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell, has organised a reading of Oscar Wilde’s “The Canterville Ghost” on our Discord server. He is joined by guest readers Dom Allen, John Casey, Scott Dorward, Rina Haenze and Sue Savage We have broken the story up into three parts. The second and third parts are now available for download too.
So gather round the fireplace, taking care to scrub that pesky bloodstain away first, and join us for some Christmas chills.
“My dear sir, I really must insist on your oiling those chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator.”
“In Dulci Jubilo“, performed by A-M Classical, is used here under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.
If you would like to read along at home, you can find “The Canterville Ghost” on Project Gutenberg.
And if this has put you in the mood for Christmas ghost stories, please check out last year’s reading of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.Wed, 15 Dec 2021 - 16min - 257 - Special: Call of Cthulhu 40th Anniversary Panel at Dragonmeet 2021
We’re back with another special live episode!
Our own Paul Fricker recently attended the Dragonmeet 2021 convention in London. While there, he took part in a couple of panels. This first recording is of the Call of Cthulhu 40th anniversary discussion, with Paul, Mike Mason, Lynne Hardy and Lee Carnell. The panel look forward as well as back, talking about the future of the game line.Tue, 14 Dec 2021 - 57min - 256 - Gangsters in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re trying to understand the attraction of these concrete boots. They’re not very stylish and even less comfortable. Apparently they’ll help us sleep with the fishes, but that’s how we got into trouble last time we were in Innsmouth. It’s a weird life being gangsters in Call of Cthulhu.
Main Topic: Gangsters in Call of Cthulhu
Our latest episode delves into the deadly underworld of gangsters in Call of Cthulhu. Given that the classic era of Call of Cthulhu coincides with the advent of prohibition and the rise of organised crime in the USA, gangsters have always played a large role in the game. In this episode, we talk about the influences we’ve drawn upon when presenting gangsters in our own games, as well as thoughts on how to use gangsters as protagonists and antagonists.
This episode has the unfortunate distinction of being our first standard release not to feature all three of the Good Friends. Matt has been very ill recently after contracting COVID. Happily, he is on the road to recovery and should be back soon. For this and the next episode, however, we have called upon our good friend Dirk the Dice to stand in for Matt. You will know Dirk from his marvellous podcast The Grognard Files, as well as our live recording of “The Necropolis”, with How We Roll.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* The Grognard Files podcast* Grogmeet* White Dwarfmagazine* The Godfather (1972)* The Godfather by Mario Puzo* Mafia* Organised crime in old Hollywood* Little Caesar (1931)* Al Capone* La Cosa Nostra* American Italian Anti-Defamation League* The Sopranos* Triads* Meyer Lansky* Bugsy Siegel* Jewish-American mafia* Gangbusters RPG* Irish Mob* State of Grace (1990)* Prohibition
*Tue, 07 Dec 2021 - 1h 00min - 255 - Mythos Deities – Daoloth and Eihort
We’re back and we’re clearing out all those pesky veils. They just clutter up the place, getting in the way of seeing how things really are. Also, somehow, they make things feel less spongy. We try not to think about that bit too much. Regardless, one simple application of Daoloth will clear up even the most persistent veil outbreak. Daoloth – safe when used as directed.
Main Topic: Mythos Deities – Daoloth and Eihort
This is our latest exploration into the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. We have devoted previous episodes to Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, and Ithaqua. This time, it’s the turn of a couple of Ramsey Campbell’s creations.
Campbell is responsible for many of our favourite Mythos entities, so it’s long past time we turned our attention to him. His work deserves more than one episode, however, so this time we are limiting our focus to two of his more popular deities: Daoloth and Eihort. We plan to return to his deities some time next year.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Ramsey Campbell* Insects from Shaggai* Gla’aki* The Revelations of Gla’aki* The Moon-Lens* Y’golonac* Severn Valley* “The Tomb Herd” by Ramsey Campbell* The Inhabitant of the Lake and Less Welcome Tenants by Ramsey Campbell* New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos* Cold Print by Ramsey Campbell* The Darkest Part of the Woods by Ramsey Campbell* The Last Revelation of Gla’aki by Ramsey Campbell* The Three Births of Daoloth: The Searching Dead, Born to the Dark and The Way of the Worm*Tue, 23 Nov 2021 - 48min - 254 - Media Catch-Up – Films
We’re back and we’re trying to stop Matt drooling in our popcorn. Listen to the episode. It’ll make sense.
Main Topic: Media Catch-Up – Films
This is the latest of our occasional discussions about the media we’ve been consuming recently. After our earlier episodes about television and books, we’re turning to the big screen. Well, not that big. We’re all still watching most of our films at home.
The three films we discuss are:
Paul: Free Fire (2016)
Matt: No One Gets Out Alive (2021)
Scott: Candyman (2021)
As ever, we pick the films apart, looking for gaming inspiration.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Lockdown specials* The Grognard Files podcast* Gangbusters RPG* Mark Kermode* Pacing in RPGs* “Annie’s Song” by John Denver* Kill List (2011)* Sightseers (2012)* A Field in England (2013)* In the Earth (2021)* A Dark Song (2016)* In Fabric (2018)
* Vivarium (2019)* Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)* Ītzpāpālōtl* Kult* No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill* The Ritual (2017)* The Ritual by Adam Nevill* Horror gaming in the modern day
* Candyman (1992)* Halloween (2018)* Scream (2022)* The Thing (2011)*Tue, 09 Nov 2021 - 59min - 253 - The Tower of the Elephant
We’re back and we’re preparing to pillage. This weird, shining tower looks like it should contain treasures, or at least an interesting story to discuss. There’s rustling in the undergrowth surrounding it, but we’ll just ignore that for now. If it proves to be something dangerous, Matt can rip up one of his rare Magic: the Gathering cards and blow the remains at it. And once we’re inside, we must find out why they call it Tower of the Elephant. Maybe there’s a petting zoo.
Main Topic: The Tower of the Elephant
After spending a couple of episodes discussing Robert E Howard’s life and works, we’re now exploring one of his stories. “The Tower of the Elephant” was the third Conan tale published and arguably the first to really pin down his character. As well as discussing the story itself, looting it for gaming inspiration, we use it as a springboard to talk about Conan in general.
If you haven’t already done so, you may also want to check out our discussion of the sword and sorcery genre, of which “The Tower of the Elephant” is one of the earliest examples.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Conan the Cimmerian* Weird Tales March 1933* Skull-Face and Others by Robert E Howard* “The Phoenix on the Sword” by Robert E Howard* “The Scarlet Citadel” by Robert E Howard* “The Tower of the Elephant” by Robert E Howard* “The Shadow Kingdom” by Robert E Howard* Kull of Atlantis* Conan RPG scenarios based on “The Tower of the Elephant”* Conan the Barbarian (1982)* “Red Nails” by Robert E Howard* Chronologies for the Conan stories* Drinking jacks* Zamora* The City of Thieves
* Texas oil boom* A Means to Freedom: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft & Robert E. Howard* Black Lotus*Tue, 26 Oct 2021 - 55min - 252 - Special: “The Thing on the Roof” by Robert E Howard, read by Mike Perceval-Maxwell
We’re back with another special episode. This time, we have a reading of Robert E Howard’s “The Thing on the Roof” by our good friend Mike Perceval-Maxwell. You may remember Mike as the director and narrator of our performance of A Christmas Carol in late 2020. Since then, he has started his own podcast, Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories, where he reads works of weird fiction. He has also performed many of these live on the Good Friends Discord server. Mike is a seasoned voice actor who has worked with the BBC, and his readings are something special indeed.
Your narrator, Mike Perceval-Maxwell
“The Thing on the Roof” is one of Howard’s punchier Mythos tales. While it follows a pretty stereotypical storyline for Lovecraftian horror, it is filled with Howard’s trademark energy. “The Thing on the Roof” was originally published in the February 1932 issue of Weird Tales and has been collected and anthologised countless times since.
If you are interested in learning more about Robert E Howard, we recently released a pair of episodes on his life and works. Our next episode discusses his classic Conan tale, “The Tower of the Elephant”. We also recently explored the sword and sorcery genre, which Howard originated, in some detail.
Other classic weird tales you can find on Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories include:
* “The Doom That Came to Sarnath” by H P Lovecraft* Two Tales of Wonder by Lord Dunsany* “From Beyond” by H P Lovecraft* “Lost Hearts” by M R James* And many more
Mon, 18 Oct 2021 - 28min - 251 - The Works of Robert E Howard
We’re back and we’re hitting the books. That’s probably not fair, though. Just because they’re full of boxing tales doesn’t mean they can hit back. And two-fisted stories don’t actually seem to have any fists of their own. We’re beginning to suspect that this fiction stuff is all made up.
Main Topic: The Works of Robert E Howard
This episode is the conclusion of our two-part look into the life and works of Robert E Howard. Last time, we offered an overview of Howard’s life. This time, it’s the turn of his work.
As well as being the creator of Conan the Cimmerian, Solomon Kane, Kull of Atlantis, and the Pictish king, Bran Mak Morn, Howard initiated both the sword and sorcery and weird western genres. In his sadly short career, Howard wrote horror, boxing yarns, comedies, historical adventures, and action stories. With the encouragement of his friend H P Lovecraft, he penned tales of the Cthulhu Mythos. And that’s without mentioning his voluminous poetry output. He was as versatile as he was prolific. While we cover the broad strokes of his career, we would need dozens of episodes just to catalogue his work. As a result, this is an incomplete and highly idiosyncratic summary of Howard’s career and legacy.
Our next episode wraps up this series by exploring one of Howard’s most famous stories, “The Tower of the Elephant”.
Robert E Howard
Resources
Our main research sources for this episode are:
* Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E Howard by Mark Finn* A Means to Freedom: The Letters of H P Lovecraft and Robert E Howard edited by S T Joshi, David E Schultz and Rusty Burke* Nameless Cults: The Cthulhu Mythos Fiction of Robert E Howard edited by Robert M Price
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
* Conan the Cimmerian* Solomon Kane* Robert E Howard’s poetry* “The Sea” by Robert E Howard* “Spear and Fang” by Robert E Howard* Weird Tales* “Red Nails” by Robert E Howard* Sailor Steve Costigan* Boxing pulp magazines* Post Oaks & Sand Roughs by Robert E Howard*Mon, 11 Oct 2021 - 53min
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