Swords v. Cthulhu

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The title of this anthology begs a very good question: if a Norwegian steering a yacht square into Cthulhu’s face can’t take out the most nightmarish of H. P. Lovecraft’s eldritch creations, what hope should anyone put in a simple piece of sharpened steel?

Well, for better or for worse, there’s something about a finely wrought blade and a strong hand to hold it that inspires confidence, even when the odds are against us. Very against us, as is the case with the Old Ones. But long odds have never deterred a certain sort of swordsperson...

Mention a “Lovecraftian” tale and people often think first of stories focusing on academics puzzling over ancient scripts, or at least launching expeditions to gather information — even if it is information man was never intended to acquire. And yet, for as long as we’ve had the Mythos we’ve had action-packed, fantastical approaches to the telling of tales familiar to anyone who’s ever been excited by some sort of adventure starting in an inn. Somewhat predictably, Robert E. Howard gave us warrior-class protagonists battling slithery dark horrors; Clark Ashton Smith, rogues and wizards. C. L. Moore’s fiery Jirel of Joiry faced down horrors from beyond space and time; and even Lovecraft himself engaged in the telling of some tales of high adventure from time to time, most notably in “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath.” The adventures of Randolph Carter in the Dreamlands are everything an adventure-loving reader could want, with our hero knowing when to fight, and more importantly, when to flee.

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