For several years now, I have slept in utter darkness. It took some time to get used to it (and I still take a flashlight to bed), but by the time I slept I'd have turned all the lights in the room off. Recently, that's changed.

I am currently reading Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, which is probably one of the largest anthologies collected on Lovecraft's (and others') stories about Cthulhu et al. It's quite interesting to read, also because the authors keep giving each other cameos. Most authors will mention Lovecraft - in their fictional setting - at some point. I also saw that "The Haunter of the Dark" (that's the one about the shining trapezoid in the church of Starry Wisdom) was actually dedicated to Robert Bloch, whose name is quite similar to the main character Robert Blake. Basically, it's the product of a group of co-working authors over a few years or decades. I might almost call it the first text-based "roleplay" - except that the individual stories are longer and less related than the posts of a roleplay would be.

It's also interesting to consider that from this genre later sprang three different ones that are now quite distinctive: Horror, Science-Fiction, and Fantasy. Note that Lovecraftian tales involve ancient legends (typically a fantasy product), unknown technologies (Sci-Fi) as well as the ever-present terror of course. Lovecraft, in turn, apparently says one of his inspiration was Poe, who lived yet another century previously. I suppose that's how literature evolves through the generations.

It doesn't change the fact that I sleep with the lights on since I read of Y'g-----c and H---ur (see, that's how bad it's gotten. For heaven's sake, it's fiction! I shouldn't have a problem with saying it - three times: Hastur, Hastur, H--- well, rather not.) I guess I'll be occupied with this for some time... I shouldn't really read books that scary anyway.

Edit: Not the "Dweller in Darkness" but the "Haunter of the Dark".