Who coined the term Cthulhu Mythos?
The term was coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent and protege of H. P. Lovecraft. Derleth used it to describe the settings, tropes, and lore employed by Lovecraft and his literary successors.
Questions about Cthulhu Mythos
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where was "The Call of Cthulhu" first published?
"The Call of Cthulhu" was first published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. It is the story that gave the Cthulhu Mythos its name.
What is the Lovecraft Circle in the context of the Cthulhu Mythos?
The Lovecraft Circle is a group of writers who corresponded with H. P. Lovecraft, met him in person, and shared story elements. Members included Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch, Frank Belknap Long, Henry Kuttner, Henry S. Whitehead, and Fritz Leiber.
How did August Derleth change the Cthulhu Mythos from Lovecraft's original vision?
Derleth introduced a moral framework to the Mythos, developing the idea that it represented a struggle between good and evil. He created the "Elder Gods" as an opposing force to the Great Old Ones, whereas Lovecraft's original universe was purposeless and indifferent to humanity.
What is the Derleth Mythos?
The term "Derleth Mythos" was applied by writer Richard L. Tierney to distinguish Derleth's later stories from Lovecraft's original works. Derleth's versions modified key tenets of the Mythos, including adding elemental classifications for the deities and introducing a good-versus-evil cosmology.
What living organisms have been named after the Cthulhu Mythos?
Sollasina cthulhu, an extinct ophiocistioid echinoderm, was named after the Cthulhu Mythos. Yogsothoth is a genus of centrohelid protists named after Yog-Sothoth, one of the Mythos deities.