We are pleased announce the release of a new work of Lovecraftian fiction from British author Andrew McGuigan.

His latest collection, entitled Cumbrian Cthulhu, can be read for free on his website, which is also now accepting fiction from similarly minded authors.

We asked Mr. McGuigan to tell us a little bit about his project:




McGuigan:

I have always been a fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu horror mythos, “Shadows over Innsmouth” being my favourite. I like the way that modern writers have made their own attempts at writing stories based on his worlds.

So anyway, my parents have retired over to Maryport in Cumbria, England.
It’s a nice west coast town, right next to The Lake District and a perfect setting for a bit of seaside horror. By using some local history books my parents own I have constructed a three part Cthulhu horror set in 1950’s Maryport, using researched references correct to the period.

“The Chamber in the hillside”

Synopsis:

The story is written in the first person by an elderly archaeologist. It takes the form of a series of three warning letters distributed to people he hopes will listen. He writes after reading proposed plans to excavate the Roman fort site at Senhouse, Maryport. He warns that contrary to popular belief that area has been dug before. This was in 1954 by a team he assembled. The three letters describe what was found, the horror that unfolds and the writer’s subsequent descent into Lovecraftian madness.

To get my story online it would be easy to create a blog and just link to it. I then thought it might be an idea to make the blog inclusive to other writers on the same subject, and gather together some amateur Cumbrian Cthulhu fiction and poetry on one site.

And so http://cumbriancthulhu.blogspot.com/ has been born.

You guys are the first people I am sharing this with having published the first part of the story online, and send out some authentic looking printed copies to places in Maryport like writers groups and the local newspaper etc.

All three parts are now written and ready to go. I will space them out and send the printed letters (as if written by the story protagonist), timing the first one to be received by Senhouse Fort visitors centre shortly before the 13th November where (as luck would have it) the annual Maryport literary festival takes place. All of the letters will include a card advertising the blog site.

My original idea was to simply write my own Cthulhu tribute story. I then decided to invite other writers to produce stories of a similar theme. I have sent out paper copies of part one of my own story to several writers groups in Cumbria, and will send parts two and three at regular intervals. The postings always include an invitation to contribute stories to the site.

It is my intention to collect these works together in one place as has been done previously with themed Cthulhu anthologies. If interest is strong enough, I would love to see the collection published as a hard copy one day.

I have included below a link to the “About Cumbrian Cthulhu” section.
Apologies for occasional site maintenance, I am learning as I go!

http://cumbriancthulhu.blogspot.com/2009/10/about-cumbrian-cthulhu-and-how-to.html

Thank you for listening. If you enjoy the idea of the site I hope you will encourage Cthulhu fans to visit and contribute!

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