Horror Aficionados discussion

A few members of HA were raving about That Which Should Not Be a year or so ago. These members have very similar tastes to mine and I trust them when they rave about books. So I decided to get myself a copy and give it a go. Let me tell you, it was a great decision!

That Which Should Not Be is an epic horror novel and a lot of fun to read. My mind was completely blown. I loved how much of a ode it was to the old, classic horror of a hundred years ago, and last year, I think, the book was nominated for a Bram Stoker award. Well deserved, I say.

Brett joins us this month to answer your questions about That Which Should Not Be. I am more than honored to be able to welcome Brett and our fellow members to this discussion.

Welcome. Let's discuss!

That Which Should Not Be was a great book and well worth the praise it has gotten. So is another novel of Brett's, The Void, which I am currently reading.
I admit I don't have much in the way of questions, it's difficult for me when not in person.
I am hoping for more stories though, especially more in the vein of That Which Should Not Be.
Anything coming up you can tell us about?

Hello everyone! I am very excited to be a part of this. HA is the best group on Goodreads in my estimation, and it's an honor to have my books featured. A little bit about me and then I'll turn it over to you guys for questions.

I am originally from Alabama, but in the middle of the last decade I moved up to Boston. It quickly became my favorite city in the world. It was during my time in Massachusetts that I discovered Lovecraft. I fell in love with the style and the substance of his work, and I started looking for some modern writers who had that same feeling, that same style. And frankly, I couldn't find it. I've always dabbled in writing, and so one day I decided to write a book in the old style, one that would honor the masters of the past and hopefully add to their legacy. That Which Should Not Be was born, and it's been a whirlwind ride ever since.

If you want to follow what I am up to, you can friend me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/brett.talley.7), on Twitter (@brettjtalley), or friend me on Goodreads!

I also have a blog where I write about all sorts of things horror and otherwise, www.brettjtalley.com. I've got book reviews, movie reviews, news about me, pictures from the places I have been (here are my pictures from Chernobyl, for instance http://brettjtalley.com/2013/04/05/my...), just about anything you can imagine.

So like I said, I am super excited to be here, and I'll start answering questions now!

Brett wrote: "That Which Should Not Be was a great book and well worth the praise it has gotten. So is another novel of Brett's, The Void, which I am currently reading.
I admit I don't have much in the way of q..."

Glad you are reading The Void. That's a very different book, but also one that came from me not being able to find the kind of book I want to read. I love space-based horror--Alien, Event Horizon, that sort of thing--but there's not a lot out there. So I decided to write my own...

As far as Lovecraftian stuff, I was part of a shared world anthology that just came out called Limbus, Inc.. The story in there that I wrote is decidedly Lovecraftian. I am also working on a sequel to That Which Should Not Be, coming soon . . .

speaking of Chernobyl, that must have been a blast. But I want to know if you saw that movie (Chernobyl Diaries) before or after you went, LOL.
Back on topic though, I know what you mean about a lack of writers in the Lovecraft style. The Cthulhu Mythos has been pretty idle of late and it's great to see someone trying to revive it.
I admit that is what first attracted me to 'That Which Should Not Be' and I have been a fan of yours since.

Again, no questions really. Lol.

Ha. Yeah, I watched the movie on the flight back! The trip itself was much better.

My thing about Lovecraft is that you can find tons of short fiction in the Lovecraftian style, and a lot if it is very good. I am thinking of You Shall Never Know Security or some of the stories by Aaron J. French and Laird Barron. But good Lovecraftian novels are few and far between, in my view. (With some exceptions, like Southern Gods and The Immortal Body)

Brett, have you read Throne of Bones by Brian McNaughton? It's more Clark Ashton Smith than Lovecraft, but, man, is it great.

I have not Gregor. I will add it to my list!

Hey everyone! Starting TWSNB tonight. I have a nice signed and autographed edition thanks to Mr. Talley.

lol, which Brett are you asking? I have read it and enjoyed it. Have also read Southern Gods and The Immortal Body. I have an extensive collection of HPL works and anything related I can track down. I have become somewhat of a fanatic about the Cthulhu Mythos and really enjoy tracking down stories in that vein.
Oh, also have a copy of Limbus Inc. Very good anthology.

this may be an odd question, but have you ever found yourself getting a bit creeped out when working on Lovecraftian stuff? Sometimes my imagination works too well and i get a little spooked by the stories. Which is one reason I enjoy this specific genre so much. Not much scares me, but well written stories in the Lovecraftian style do.

Ahh, this is what happens when i try to talk online, I ramble. Sorry. Lol.

Brian Keene includes the Lovecraft mythos in some of his books like A Gathering of Crows and Clickers 3.

Brett wrote: "lol, which Brett are you asking? I have read it and enjoyed it. Have also read Southern Gods and The Immortal Body. I have an extensive collection of HPL works and anything related I can track down..."

I find Lovecraft to be truly terrifying. The notions of ancient gods, of an uncaring universe, of hidden knowledge that can drive man to insanity. I only wish I had the talent to do it justice. I like to include Lovecraftian themes and Cthulhu mythos imagery and lore in my stuff, but I do not try and imitate Lovecraft. Because that is what it would be, nothing but a pale imitation.

Mr. Talley, how faithful did you try to be to the Lovecraftian canon? Also, do you think the mythos canon ends with Lovecraft himself? Do you receive e-mails from die-hard Lovecraft fans taking issue with the liberties you may have taken with the mythos?

That's a very interesting question Gregor. To answer it will require some spoilerage, so

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Here's how I view the mythos. I think that Lovecraft wanted to create a fictional mythology that had veracity. He wanted it to seem as though it fit neatly into the actual history we know. That's why he so often used actual names and actual places in his stories. So that's what I tried to do as well--take the Lovecraftian mythos and treat it like any other religious tradition. So in That Which Should Not Be, I tied in a lot of Judeo-Christian themes as well.

And let me tell you, that made some people VERY angry. Lovecraft has long been a hero of atheists and agnostics, and I think those folks take it personally when you bring traditional views of God into it. So if there is one criticism I get from folks who read the book, that's it. I actually did a whole post on this issue, if anyone is interested.

http://brettjtalley.com/2012/04/10/fo...

Also, I think Lovecraft wanted other writers to take part in the mythos because it added to that veracity.

Brett, as you know I totally love your stuff. It's dark and rich and full of real humanity, a trait that others would be well advised to bring to their work.

What I really want to know is when will we be seeing some new Brett Talley material hitting the shelves?

Not so much a question, just wanted to say how much I enjoyed "That Which Should Not Be".

I'm a lifelong reader, and have been an enormous fan of Lovecraft and the Cthulhu mythos since I discovered it all in my first year of college.

I still frequently have nightmares of Cthulhu rising from the depths. Few horror stories/ideas have terrified me as much as that slumbering beast at the bottom of the ocean.

Reading "That Which Should Not Be" felt like I was reading a book written not only by a fellow fan, but by someone who totally "gets" the elements that made Lovecraft so special.

I guess I will end this with a question - I found reading "That Which Should Not Be" to be an intensely visual experience. Much like the best works of Lovecraft, you were able to communicate some truly grotesque ideas in a very clear manner.

Are there any particular scenes or images written by Lovecraft (or perhaps in the extended Cthulhu mythos by other writers) that have stuck with you and informed the images you created?

Brett wrote: "Also, I think Lovecraft wanted other writers to take part in the mythos because it added to that veracity."

I completely agree. I have always felt that he wanted other writers to contribute and build upon this 'universe' he created. Many did, unfortunately, many did so after his death, but contribute they did and writers are still at it.

Back to "The Void" for a moment. The reasons you give for writing it are good ones and once again, your tastes seem to be much like mine. I have a feeling that your work will continue to improve and I most definitely will be reading it as it is published.

Thanks a lot for sharing your imagination.

Mr. Talley, firstly, thank you for answering my previous questions. But I do have more for you. (And, please, feel free to direct me to blog posts, if you've already written the answers elsewhere.)

1. With regards to your approach to crafting a story: Are you a plotter or a pantser, an architect or an archaeologist?
2. Do you write every day? I'm always interested in a writer's work habits, routines. Do you have a set daily word count goal?
3. Were the stories that make up this book conceived as individual short stories and then later sewn together into a novel? Or did you set out from the get-go to write a novel that contains a number of stories nested within?
4. Do you enjoy calamari?

William wrote: "Brett, as you know I totally love your stuff. It's dark and rich and full of real humanity, a trait that others would be well advised to bring to their work.

What I really want to know is when wil..."

Well thanks Bill. As you know, I enjoy your work as well!

I wish I could say something is coming out soon, but unfortunately I have fallen behind on the writing scene. My day job was fairly intense last year, and I was only just able to get Limbus, Inc. finished. Fortunately, I am back on the horse. I am writing a completely non-Lovecraftian sci-fi thriller right now, but that is just a novela that will be part of Journalstone's Doubledown series (two books in one, basically). The good news is that I have finished half of the sequel to That Which Should Not Be, and I anticipate its publication next year. It's different than the first book, but equally quirky in its structure.

Braden wrote: "Not so much a question, just wanted to say how much I enjoyed "That Which Should Not Be".

I'm a lifelong reader, and have been an enormous fan of Lovecraft and the Cthulhu mythos since I discovere..."

Well thank you so much Braden. I want you all to know that things like this are a big psychological boost on those days and nights when the words just won't come and you feel like giving up on the whole writing thing.

I think all writers have a different way of doing things, but for me I very much visualize every scene. Sometimes I think I would be better at making movies than writing books! Honestly, I think I am better at setting a certain mood and creating scenes than I am at characterization, so I tend to lean on that a little bit.

As far as particular scenes that stand out to me from Lovecraft, there are two that immediately spring to mind. The first is from Dagon, when the lone survivor of a shipwreck stumbles across an alien landscape only to see a creature from blackest antiquity reach up from the depths and pluck down an idol of some eldritch god. The second is from The Statement of Randolph Carter when the title character--payed homage to of course in TWSNB--is standing in the middle of an ancient, long-forgotten cemetery, pleading through the receiver to Harley Warren deep below the ground to give him some assurance that he is OK, some reply to his calls--and then hearing the response he receives. Just great stuff.

Gregor wrote: "Mr. Talley, firstly, thank you for answering my previous questions. But I do have more for you. (And, please, feel free to direct me to blog posts, if you've already written the answers elsewhere.)..."

So I will take those one at a time.

1. A little bit of both, but more so the latter I think. Generally speaking, when I start a new book I first right down a very general outline of what I am thinking, usually a paragraph or two. As I get ideas, I sort of add to the paragraphs. Those paragraphs stay at the bottom of the book until it is finished, guiding me as I go. But for the most part, the story just sort of develops as it goes along. I think of things to add, I think of twists, I imagine what the characters would do in real life and how they would react. I think that adds to the veracity of the story.

2. My goal is to write every day, at least one single spaced page. Sometimes I do more, sometimes I do less, but I always want to put something on paper every day. A page is very manageable--usually 500 words or less--so I can usually feel like I accomplish something. I tried to do 1000 a day once, but that was just too much to have as a daily goal.

3. It's funny looking back on it, but when I set out to write TWSNB I didn't think it would ever be published. My idea was always to have four stories told by old and world-traveled men to a young student at a bar during a storm. That was the kernel of an idea that developed into the novel. And it just really took off from there. I loved writing that book. It was so much fun to do, and tying all the stories together was just great. I am having a similar experience with the sequel. As you will see when it comes out, though, it is different in the structure.

4. Love it.

Thank you for stopping by and chatting with us Brett. It's appreciated.

I am about halfway through the book and wanted to take a moment to say that I am thoroughly enjoying That Which Should Not Be. I love the stories within a framing story format and am very curious to see where it goes. I love this format which reminds me of several old films that I really loved: Asylum and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors.

To further compliment Mr. Talley (I am only being so formal since there are two Bretts) The style is so confidently and consistently old world that I really feel like I am reading something written a hundred years ago. Absolutely loving this book.

One more thing before I go. These stories have me looking up the legends surrounding the stories and I love it when a story does that.

Glad you are enjoying the book Chris, and I am particularly glad you are enjoying some of the history I put in there. My favorite negative review of TWSNB harped on something "stupid" that I had done in the book that was completely unbelievable--which was funny since it was totally true!

I will be starting this tonight! Can't wait.

I started reading and I am also enjoying this immensely. I've always been a fan of Lovecraftian fiction, and this is some of the best I've ever read.

I'm sure the Dark Dreamer of Providence is thrilled to have you join the Circle, Brett.

Hey Jon! Finished yesterday and loved it. Cant wait til more people finish so we can start discussing.

Hey Chris! Good to hear! Me, too.

Only just started but I have to say that so far I'm impressed. I love the Lovecraftian voice but its rare to find a contemporary author who can come even close to duplicating it. The first few chapters feel authentic to me. Or at least close.
And the name Carter Weston makes me smile.

I have gotten to the Wendigo section and the style of writing seems to have changed. Deliberately? I am not as familiar with the classics of horror as I could be. I have heard of this legend before but know very little about it.

Interested to see what others say about this... I'll wait to chime in.

I'm a huge Wendigo fan.

The Mythos' Ithaqua.
Blackwood
Masterton
Meikle
The movie version
The one that stomped Wolverine to get at the Hulk.....

Jon Recluse wrote: "I'm a huge Wendigo fan.

The Mythos' Ithaqua.
Blackwood
Masterton
Meikle
The movie version
The one that stomped Wolverine to get at the Hulk....."

I, by the way, knew nothing about the Wendigo other than the Native American legends that I had read. I never realized there was such a well-developed fictional mythology and I've been meaning to look more into it.

I just started reading this evening and I am LOVING it! Great work, sir!

Brett wrote: "Jon Recluse wrote: "I'm a huge Wendigo fan.

The Mythos' Ithaqua.
Blackwood
Masterton
Meikle
The movie version
The one that stomped Wolverine to get at the Hulk....."

I, by the way, knew nothing a..."

Well, I think you did an excellent job with him. A welcome addition to the menagerie.

Wow! Half way in and I am really liking it! I am not a huge Lovecraftian fiction guy, but since I started reading this, I have studied up on it a bit and believe Mr. Talley may have just changed my mind!!

I'm not quite done yet but should finish up tonight. I like how the book takes other myths and legends and adds them to the Lovecraft mythos. Though, I'm not sure what I think of the inclusion of Christian themes. I am not an athiest. And I do not have strong beliefs. I have no problem that they are used. But, for me, it is how they are used. Lovecraft's world is very bleak. And the old gods are in no way "our" gods. I feel as though, instead of taking "our" gods and twisting them to fit the Lovecraft mythos, the Lovecraft mythos has been twisted to fit our world. I really hope that makes sense...
I do like this book. But I think I would have liked it more if it wasn't attached to Lovecraft.

Traci L. wrote: "I'm not quite done yet but should finish up tonight. I like how the book takes other myths and legends and adds them to the Lovecraft mythos. Though, I'm not sure what I think of the inclusion of C..."

Hi Traci. I'll wait till you finish up to comment, though I doubt anything that you read in the next 50 pages or so will change your mind...

Interesting topic. Faith is definitely a central theme in this book which sets it apart from the Lovecraft stories.

Brett wrote: "Traci L. wrote: "I'm not quite done yet but should finish up tonight. I like how the book takes other myths and legends and adds them to the Lovecraft mythos. Though, I'm not sure what I think of t..."

Its more like 100 pages, so who knows, maybe?
I did think the third story (the doctor) fit the theme of Lovecraft/Christianity the best, though.

I can see how faith plays into the grander scheme of things. It actually fills a gap in the Mythos.
And I like Brett's approach much better than Derleth's on that count.

Once more folks have finished up, I'll wade deeper into the faith and Lovecraft debate...

Mr. Talley, my wife got me a copy for my birthday. I'm about halfway through it. Enjoying it so far.

I've stayed away from reading anything about the religion debate because I don't want spoilers. And I do have a question regarding the monastery section (which by the way I liked on its own), but I'll save it until everyone finishes.

I want to go ahead and thank everyone who has added a review here on Goodreads. I'd also like to point out that Amazon reviews are INCREDIBLY helpful and important--especially to Indie authors--and I would love if you guys could put them up there as well.

You got it, Brett.

I finished the book, and I liked the last part a lot more than I thought I might. I will be honest, the religious themes did make me uncomfortable, however it in no way ruined my enjoyment of the book and by the end I got more comfortable with it. There were parts I liked more, and less, than others. But I was happy to finally read a Lovecraftian book that wasn't a comedy and/or urban fantasy. And it was actually quite good.

I'm glad to see there's a sequel coming because after finishing the end I was like... No!!! :)

Brett, I took a look at your blogs and (but damn) you make a good argument. It was interesting to read and answered most of the questions I had while reading.
And I too love the idea that all truths are one truth.

The Dunwich Horror is actually one of the Lovecraft stories I haven't read. But now I will.

Hi Traci. Thanks for the kind words. I am glad you thought the argument was convincing, though to a certain extent I feel like if you have to explain it you didn't do a very good job of presenting it in your book...

But yeah, I always thought that the absence of any reference to Christianity was actually a weakness in Lovecraft's writing. He goes to so much trouble to create this sense of verisimilitude, and to a large extent he succeeds spectacularly. To this day, people call libraries looking for the Necronomicon! And yet Lovecraft never ties traditional Judeo-Christian themes and legends into the mythos. So I wanted to do that. I tried very hard not to make it Cthulhu=Satan and fights Super Jesus, and I think I succeeded there. Does it deviate a little bit from one of the great strengths of Lovecraft--being one of the first writers to pit man as a cosmologically insignificant force in the eyes of the universe and the awesome beings that inhabit it? I suppose it does. But honestly, it would be extremely difficult to write a novel from the perspective of the ant verses the boot, if you know what I mean. So I probably took some liberties that maybe strayed too far at times.