This is often seen as THE story Lovecraft wrote. Some call it Lovecraft's masterpiece, his first great text he ever wrote. Some even as one of the best pieces of horror ever written. Robert E. Howard praised it as a masterpiece. But what's more notable is, that this is the story that provided the name for Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Lovecraft had come up with some of the elements of his best-known contribution to the horror genre before this, but this is the first time the best known of the horrific elder gods shambled to the centre stage.
It all begins from the old papers left behind by a dead relative. It's always the dead relatives who dabble in all kinds of dark studies. Francis Thurston has gained access to the research of his uncle's, Brown University professor George Angell after his death. The first part of the paper includes a clay statue of a pulpous, tentacle faced and bat-winged monstrosity. It is the work of Henry Wilcox, who sculpted the figure based on his dreams.
In the letters, Wilcox tells of his visions of cyclopean cities and monoliths sunken in the ocean. He states the name of the city of R'lyeh, where the dark god Cthulhu waits. Other reports included shedding light on similar tales told by other artistically inclined people as well as by those, who have mental issues. Police forces around the world have forwarded reports of mass hysteria.
The second chapter of the papers tells of inspector Legrasse, who in 1908 brought a mysterious idol to the American Archeological Society in the hopes of identifying it. He had found the mysterious statue during a raid to New Orlean's swamps, where he dispanded a suspected Voodoo cult. His narrative includes nearly unpronounceable phrases used by the cultists as well as the statements of the cultists, how they worship the Great Old Ones. This cult is an ancient order, formed so long time ago, that the worshippers barely know the archaic language they use in their masses.
The idol itself was identified as the great Cthulhu and one of the cultists tells the rough translation of the phrase Legrasse tried his best to write down. It says "In his city R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming". One of the archaeologists, William Webb, tells how he found an Eskimo tribe during his 1860's expedition to Greenland. They had used the same language and similar idols in their own horrific ceremonies.
From the 3rd chapter, Thurston finds an account of the schooner Emma. After leaving Auckland, Emma encountered a hostile vessel, which tried to overtake it, but the crew was able to win the fight. This left the ship broken and the surviving members were forced to board Alert, the yacht of the attackers. When Alert finally arrives at Auckland, it is carrying only one living member. Johanssen, a Norwegian sailor, tells how they took the attacking ship and ended up at an uncharted island, where most of the people had died. He never reveals the true cause of the deaths, but some kind of madness is suspected. This is where the investigation ends, so Thurston decides to follow his uncle's steps and heads to Australia.
In Australia, Thurston visited the Australian Museum, where he learnt of the tentacle faced idol found from the Alert. He also found out that Johansen had moved back to Oslo with his wife after the incident, so that is his next destination. The wife of the sailor tells of the sudden death of her husband but agrees to give his diaries to Thursten. From them, he finally finds out what really happened during the disastrous voyage.
The island was the death of the crew. The ship, needing supplies, landed on the foreign shore littered with cyclopean ruins, mud and slime. There, one of the crew members opened up a portal, which woke the great Cthulhu. Johanssen and another living sailor escape with the ship, but the great monster followed them. Seeing no other alternative, Johanssen rammed Cthulhu with the ship, managing to break its head, which instantly begins to regenerate. This gave the ship enough time to escape, but the second sailor falls into insanity, which leads to his death.
Thurston's final note is of horror. He realizes that there are terrifying things walking upon, under and beyond this world. He also knows that he is now a target to the members of this ancient cult. They can be anywhere and anyone. The cult has been in existence for centuries and will still exist long after his own death.
The Call of Cthulhu is the first of Lovecraft's longer stories that actually works. It is a collection of stores, tied together by the frame narrative of the ancient cult and the horrors behind it. It's also a story, that doesn't really have an ending, as the cult is not defeated and Johansen's tale provides some insight into the longevity of the Great Old Ones. It is no wonder the story has aroused the interest of so many writers after its release.
Interestingly enough, Lovecraft originally had problems getting the story released, as two papers refused it. It was finally released in Weird Tales when Lovecraft's friend Donald Wandrei falsely claimed he was about to sell it to another publisher and Weird Tales didn't want to lose it to anyone else.
Lovecraft himself wasn't that keen on the story. While he said it wasn't his worst, it still was somewhat middling and full of cheap and cumbrous touches. I can't really say I agree with that, as despite its fragmented nature, it reads as a well-thought narrative where different aspects clasp into a horrendous realization.
It has to be stated, that some parts of the story do contain, for Lovecraft, light racist tones. It's perhaps easy to imagine which part of the story is the worst culprit. Not that he shies from utilizing racial caricatures in the description of the cult members of the Great Old Ones in general.
But here's a question. Is The Call of Cthulhu Lovecraft's "first great text", as some have claimed. It is a well-written horror story, there's no question about that, but I'd claim The Temple as his first actually great horror story. It can be also tied to his Cthulhu mythos with ease. That doesn't take anything out from The Call of Cthulhu though. It's a story well worth a read.
So this is the story where the old cuttlefish head was introduced in. Despite some blemishes, it is a story that manages to deliver a good wallop of existential dread with its cosmic horror-filled narrative. That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with dark aeons, even the death can die. Iä, Iä, Cthulhu fhtagan.
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