

He made references to the dreaded book, keeping the legacy alive.

Derleth combined his own imagination with Lovecraft's. Close friend and writer, August Derleth continued Lovecraft's legacy with his contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos. Other Weird Fiction and horror authors referenced the Necronomicon in their works, keeping the myth alive long after Lovecraft's death. The Necronomicon became a reference point throughout his works as a place to draw upon that otherworldly fear. He reflects hints of ourselves and Earthly creatures within his monsters, making them even more terrifying. He scares readers by evoking creatures that remind us of just how powerless and weak we humans truly are. Lovecraft's works were based on the unknown, drawing upon the natural fear of what we don't understand. If anyone were to try to write the Necronomicon, it would disappoint all those who have shuddered at cryptic references to it.' '-one can never produce anything even a tenth as terrible and impressive as one can awesomely hint about. Lovecraft never wrote a copy, saying that not only did he not have the ability to write such a book, but also: The true power of the Necronomicon lies within the mystery of the book itself. In true Lovecraftian style, the Necronomicon appears in story after story, a whispered horror.'The events surrounding the Necronomicon take place behind closed doors, in sporadic fragments, with only our imagination fuelling our fears. Lovecraft only ever hints at the book, making the first reference to it in his short story 'The Hound' in 1924. As Lovecraft translates it, the Necronomicon means 'An Image of the Law of the Dead’ however, a better etymology would be 'A Book Classifying the Dead.’ The idea for the Necronomicon, as well as its fictional author, came to it's creator, H.P. There are no known surviving copies, which may be a good thing! Origin A book bound in human flesh and inked in blood, a book filled with spells to raise the dead and summon ancient creatures, the Necronomicon inflicts insanity and even death upon its readers.Īs the story goes, the Necronomicon was written by the 'Mad Arab' Abdul Alhazred and is over 1000 pages long.
