Cthulhu Wars

Schedule block

Cthulhu Wars is a strategy boardgame in which the players take the part of alien races and gods taken from the Cthulhu mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft. Similar to Risk or Axis and Allies (with complexity between the two), with a focus on individual special abilities. 2-4 players. Average playing time: 90 minutes.

You can sign up for a seat in this game by going to Warhorn. Any available seats will also be listed at the on-site Registration desk.

Cthulhu Board Gaming

Schedule block

General Cthulhu/Lovecraft/Mythos/Horror related board gaming slot. Sign up as a GM if you are bringing a game to play. Sign up as a player if you want to try out a game someone brought.

To register and reserve a seat, go to the event listing on Warhorn.

Neopaganism and Lovecraft

Schedule block

The way that fears of cultists and dark magics, such as those portrayed by Lovecraft, have affected the direction and reception of the "neopagan" movement. Has Lovecraft influenced the formation of modern occultism and Paganism? To what extent, if at all, are Lovecraft's writings responsible for the widespread Satanic Panic of the 70s and the perception of alternative religion as devil worship? Also, why are so many modern Pagans Lovecraft fans?

Weird Poetry

Schedule block

A discussion related to the Weird Tradition in Poetry. H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and contemporary poets.

Dracula VS Cthulhu

Schedule block

A discussion of the relationship between Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" and Bram Stoker's classic "Dracula." Both stories are told through diary entries, news articles, letters, and interviews with other people, but there's more to it than that. Lovecraft wrote on the cusp between literary movements. With one foot in the Gothic past and one foot in the post-war future to come, Lovecraft created a unique blend between the Gothic literary tradition of the 1800s and the monster tradition of the modern era.

Illustrating the Mythos

Schedule block

Since the time when Lovecraft was getting regularly published in Weird Tales magazine, artists have had the unenviable (but probably incredibly fun) task of trying to visualize and illustrate his indescribable creations. Decades later, artists are still doing it, not just for books and magazines, but for movies, T-shirts, playing cards, board games, and much more.

Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff

Schedule block

Kenneth Hite and Robin Laws bring their incredibly entertaining and informative podcast, LIVE to our stage. Will they talk about Lovecraft? Of course. Will they talk about games? Almost certainly. Come take part in the show, in this one-of-a-kind interactive event.

External Monsters, Internal Demons

Schedule block

A look at how Lovecraft turned his inner demons into real monsters, thus leading the way for the horror monster tradition (everything from the Universal monster craze and the Atomic monsters of the 50s to Stephen King). How did his experiences in the early decades before WWII shape his opinions and, most importantly, his monster writing? How do our personal demons become global monsters?

Lost Worlds of Lovecraft

Schedule block

A deeper look into the adventure epics of the 10s, 20s, and 30s and their relationship to "The Call of Cthulhu" and Lovecraft's other adventure and exploration stories like "At The Mountains of Madness" and "The Shadow Out of Time." There is a literary tradition of the isolated jungle populated by natives and prehistoric giant animals, and hidden civilizations with dreadful secrets, like Pellucidar, Shangri-La, and The Land that Time Forgot. Where does Lovecraft draw inspiration from these epics, and where does he expand and reconfigure the ideas to fit his literary world view?

Creating a Mythos

Schedule block

One of the mainstays of Lovecraft's legacy has long been the Mythos he created. Many authors, both before and after Lovecraft, have created a Mythos of their own: Pugmire's Sesqua Valley, Chambers's King in Yellow stories, Barron's Old Leech universe, Dunsany's Pegana, Clark Ashton Smith's Hyperborea. Some have outgrown their creators and have opened their doors to many authors to contribute. What is the allure of a Mythos? What are the benefits of writing in one? What are the pitfalls?

Pages