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The Spawn of Cthulhu
An anthology of fine horror stories including The Hounds of Tindalos.
Paperback
First published October 1, 1971
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159 people want to read
About the author
Lin Carter
412 books167 followersLin Carter was an American author, editor, and critic best known for his influential role in fantasy literature during the mid-20th century. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, he developed an early passion for myth, adventure stories, and imaginative fiction, drawing inspiration from authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, and J. R. R. Tolkien. After serving in the U.S. Army, Carter attended Columbia University, where he honed his literary skills and deepened his knowledge of classical and medieval literature, myth, and folklore — elements that would become central to his work.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 2, 2014
This is an entertaining collection of stories. Lin Carter gathered them and provided narrative interludes in order to explicate some of the connections between the stories that a casual reader might miss. I must say, however, that the connections strike me as rather tenuous. Sometimes, these stories share little more than the mention of some mythological names that Lovecraft used in a famous paragraph from "The Whisperer in Darkness."
Whisperer is the opening story of the collection. It is the only selection by Lovecraft. The other selections are either a product of Lovecraft's influence or, in two cases, sources of Lovecraft's inspiration (in particular, the stories by Bierce and Chambers).
I first read Whisperer when I was a teenager, and don't think that I re-read it until this occasion. This time around, I was surprised to discover, after a bit of research, that it is one of the earliest stories about the possibility of removing a human brain from its body and sustaining it through technological means. In the story, humans can travel to Pluto (called "Yuggoth") by having their brains removed and placed in metal cylinders.
According to a Wikipedia article about Whisperer, "The idea of keeping a human brain alive in a jar (with mechanical attachments allowing sight, hearing, and speech) to enable travel in areas inhospitable to the body might have been inspired by the book The World, the Flesh, and the Devil by J.D. Bernal, which describes and suggests the feasibility of a similar device. The book was published in 1929, just a year before Lovecraft wrote his story."
Other than Whisperer, I found the Bierce, Chambers, and Long stories to be the most compelling and interesting selections. Robert E. Howard's story was probably the weakest of the lot. Not only was the story fairly unimaginative, but given its racist themes, it could easily have been written by Hitler, er, I mean "Schickelgruber."
Clark Ashton Smith's story could be made into a fabulous animated film or a short CGI segment. Its impact is primarily visual, which is interesting because I believe Smith did a lot of painting and sculpting. But Smith's writing style is odd and would probably be off-putting to most contemporary readers. It reminds of of the style in which old legal documents were written.
Most of the stories in this collection have some sort of twist revelation at the end. Lovecraft often used this technique, which I think may have been a pulp fiction convention. Of all the twist endings in this book, I felt that Whisperer's was the most effective.
Whisperer is the opening story of the collection. It is the only selection by Lovecraft. The other selections are either a product of Lovecraft's influence or, in two cases, sources of Lovecraft's inspiration (in particular, the stories by Bierce and Chambers).
I first read Whisperer when I was a teenager, and don't think that I re-read it until this occasion. This time around, I was surprised to discover, after a bit of research, that it is one of the earliest stories about the possibility of removing a human brain from its body and sustaining it through technological means. In the story, humans can travel to Pluto (called "Yuggoth") by having their brains removed and placed in metal cylinders.
According to a Wikipedia article about Whisperer, "The idea of keeping a human brain alive in a jar (with mechanical attachments allowing sight, hearing, and speech) to enable travel in areas inhospitable to the body might have been inspired by the book The World, the Flesh, and the Devil by J.D. Bernal, which describes and suggests the feasibility of a similar device. The book was published in 1929, just a year before Lovecraft wrote his story."
Other than Whisperer, I found the Bierce, Chambers, and Long stories to be the most compelling and interesting selections. Robert E. Howard's story was probably the weakest of the lot. Not only was the story fairly unimaginative, but given its racist themes, it could easily have been written by Hitler, er, I mean "Schickelgruber."
Clark Ashton Smith's story could be made into a fabulous animated film or a short CGI segment. Its impact is primarily visual, which is interesting because I believe Smith did a lot of painting and sculpting. But Smith's writing style is odd and would probably be off-putting to most contemporary readers. It reminds of of the style in which old legal documents were written.
Most of the stories in this collection have some sort of twist revelation at the end. Lovecraft often used this technique, which I think may have been a pulp fiction convention. Of all the twist endings in this book, I felt that Whisperer's was the most effective.
November 23, 2012
As with all tales within the Cthulhu Mythos that weren't penned by Lovecraft himself - this collection is very hit-and-miss. No one is comparable to the great originality of Lovecraft, and sadly any attempts to "further" his stories tend to feel forced and extraneous. It, at least, furnishes an excuse to re-read the wonderful 'The Whisperer in Darkness'.
August 20, 2009
I am way into slime monsters and unspeakable terror.
May 16, 2023
gonna say first that I really like how this collection is put together. Carter starts with The Whisperer in Darkness, which has a paragraph name dropping various mythos entities, and then the rest of the stories showcase other writers Lovecraft was borrowing from/writers that in turn borrowed from Lovecraft. really cool way to show the growth of the mythos! i just really wish some of the stories were better
one story is an excerpt from The King In Yellow, which I've been meaning to read for a while, and it's shot up to the top of my to-read list because The Yellow Sign was phenomenal. easily the best in the collection. also included:
-The Return of Hastur - my first Derleth! I've heard a lot about how he expanded the mythos so that was exciting. turns out he's not very good! set up a framework combining the great old ones and the elder gods, which turned out to be boring and needless! and his writing style is just as awful as Lovecraft's! Sad!
-The Children of the Night - from Robert E. Howard, of Conan the Barbarian fame. this one starts out with three full pages of race science, as characters discuss whether the Alpine people are Aryans or if they're a separate race. not a joke! then a character gets hit in the head with a hammer, travels back in time, and comes back determined to wage race war. weird story!
-The Hounds of Tindalos - this one ruled! this is like a prototype for a great Lovecraftian story. captures the feeling of paranoia perfectly. 10/10!
-The Curse of Yig - structurally this one is really good! it has all the beats of an EC Comics type story and a lot of it really works. insanely poorly written though! took me like 3 days to read this 15ish page story because I was so incredibly bored
-The Mine on Yuggoth - my first Ramsey Campbell! it wasn't very good! extremely mechanical, no emotional at all, flat, complicated, and boring. oh well!
one story is an excerpt from The King In Yellow, which I've been meaning to read for a while, and it's shot up to the top of my to-read list because The Yellow Sign was phenomenal. easily the best in the collection. also included:
-The Return of Hastur - my first Derleth! I've heard a lot about how he expanded the mythos so that was exciting. turns out he's not very good! set up a framework combining the great old ones and the elder gods, which turned out to be boring and needless! and his writing style is just as awful as Lovecraft's! Sad!
-The Children of the Night - from Robert E. Howard, of Conan the Barbarian fame. this one starts out with three full pages of race science, as characters discuss whether the Alpine people are Aryans or if they're a separate race. not a joke! then a character gets hit in the head with a hammer, travels back in time, and comes back determined to wage race war. weird story!
-The Hounds of Tindalos - this one ruled! this is like a prototype for a great Lovecraftian story. captures the feeling of paranoia perfectly. 10/10!
-The Curse of Yig - structurally this one is really good! it has all the beats of an EC Comics type story and a lot of it really works. insanely poorly written though! took me like 3 days to read this 15ish page story because I was so incredibly bored
-The Mine on Yuggoth - my first Ramsey Campbell! it wasn't very good! extremely mechanical, no emotional at all, flat, complicated, and boring. oh well!
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January 24, 2024A
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews