Hello horror fans - and welcome back to the
scariest channel on YouTube - Top 5 Scary
Videos - your eldritch abomination and best
friend when it comes to the mesmerising, horrifying,
bizarrely quizzical world of Howard Phillips
Lovecraft.
What’s going on guys - as per usual, I’ll
be your spirit guide Jack Finch - as we stare
into the soul of the abyss, gaze into the
very mouth of madness - and take a look at
the Top 5 Scariest Lovecraftian Stories.
Roll the clip.
We’ve managed to make our way through the
Yogsothory of H.P Lovecraft’s work - and
pinpoint the most grotesque, bizarre entities
that make up the Cthulhu mythos - but what
about the actual works of horror literature
that spawned his host of horrific cosmic monstrosities?
Lovecraft’s first short story - The Tomb
- was written in 1917, and since then hundreds
of works of fiction have been spat forth into
the Cthulhu mythos - often being picked up
by subsequent generations of cosmic horror
writers, continuing his expanded universe.
Let’s take a look, shall we?
Before we do that though - if you’re a fan
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I’ll be reading some of my favourite Top
5 Scary comments at the end of this video
- so make sure to stick around.
On with the show.
Kicking off at Number 5 - The Dunwich Horror
Written in 1928 and first published in April’s
issue of Weird Tales - the awesome American
horror fiction pulp magazine - that featured
the likes of Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E.
Howard and of course, Lovecraft himself - The
Dunwich Horror is a vivid display of atmospheric
horror, and a slow burn that weaves its way
around the Cthulhu Mythos while always keeping
its cards close enough to it’s chest.
The Dunwich Horror focuses on the character
of Wilbur Whateley - the horrific, humanoid
spawn of the alleged witch Lavinia Whateley
- and no other than the Outer God - Yog-Sothoth
himself.
Since birth, Wilbur matured at a disgustingly
rapid rate - reaching manhood within a decade.
He is described as goat like - half-outer
god and half human - and a being that stank
of death and decay.
Well - as we soon realise, Wilbur isn’t
the only child of Lavinia and Yog-Sothoth
- he has a twin brother, The Dunwich Horror
- a secret kept deep within the bowels of
their familial home.
The Dunwich Horror cemented the locations
of Miskatonic University, Arkham and Dunwich
itself into the canon of the Cthulhu Mythos
- important places that make up Lovecraft’s
bizarre universe.
Coming in at Number 4 - The Rats In The Walls
And I absolutely love this story.
So much so, I’ve got no idea why it hasn’t
yet been adapted into a hit horror flick - because
it’s awesome - although Wes Craven’s The
People Under The Stairs kind of alludes to
it, it’s not the same.
The premise itself is nightmarish enough that
you’d probably get the spooks just by reading
the blurb.
It focuses on the last descendant of the De
la Poer family - an American, who following
the death of his only son during World War
1 - returns to england to his family's ancestral
Estate - Exham Priory - a cursed place that
the locals are fearful of.
Well - our fearful narrator soon discovers
the real reason why his families ancient estate
was abandoned.
He learns that his family maintained a cavernous,
underground city for century - where the raised
entire generations of human cattle to supply
their taste for flesh.
Eventually, it was stopped when Delapore’s
great-great grandfather killed his entire
family in their sleep and left the country
- in order to end the horror.
What a good guy.
And yeah - the story doesn’t really end
there either, it gets worse.
So, so much worse.
The Rats In The Walls is an absolutely incredible
demonstration of horror in literature, and
if you haven’t - you should read it.
Swinging in at Number 3 - The Shadow Over
Innsmouth
Which is a Lovecraftian story that really
gives rise to the whole fish people kinda
vibe.
If you’re a fan of The Deep Ones - or, unwittingly
corrupted by them, in which case I’m terribly
sorry for you - then you’ll find some comfort
in this tale.
The Shadow Over Innsmouth lays the foundation
for some of Lovecraft’s more well known
themes - the idea of an ancient aquatic race,
the Deep Ones - the Esoteric Order of Dagon
and of course Cthulhu - but more importantly,
it permeated the idea of a remote, isolated
society that practices bizzare occultist rituals.
It’s an idea that gave way to the likes
of The Wicker Man and The City of the Dead
- and Lovecraft’s stories managed to thrive
in bleak isolation.
I’m not gonna lie - this story has a pretty
existential ending - more in the sense that
humanity has no real sway over the more powerful
beings at play.
As Lovecraft emphasised in the opening sentence
of The Call of Cthulhu - the most merciful
thing in the world, I think, is the inability
of the human mind to correlate all its contents.
Next up at Number 2 - The Dreams In The Witch
House
Which - perhaps isn’t the most obvious choice
- but oh my Cthulhu, this one is great, and
testament to Lovecraft’s unrivaled ability
to tell a terrifying, straight up horror story.
There’s some real star players in this one
too - even alluding to Azathoth himself and
his dark throne at the center of chaos.
If you’re looking for a resolute Lovecraft
story with a distinct beginning, middle and
end - then look no further - and I’d suggest
The Dreams In The Witch House to anyone wanting
to start out in the Cthulhu Mythos.
It focuses on the character of Walter Gilman,
a genuinely likeable narrator - and a curious
student of mathematics and folklore at the
Miskatonic University, in the titular county
of Arkham, Massachusetts.
He rents a room at the allegedly haunted Witch
House - a place which once harboured Keziah
Mason - an accused witch who disappeared mysteriously
from Salem in 1692.
Witch House manages to weave genuinely creepy
folklore tropes with what he does best - cosmic
horror - and he does it in such a natural
way that it quickly and very viscerally takes
you off guard.
Great stuff.
And finally - at our Number 1 spot - At The
Mountains Of Madness
Which in all reality - is the real benchmark
for any science fiction horror ever.
At The Mountains of Madness is a frickin’
incredible display of everything that Lovecraft
represents.
Ancient mystery, cosmic forces at play - blended
with science and rational thought, all from
the human perspective and the stark reality
that nothing you do really matters when you’re
staring down a cosmic behemoth.
I really don’t want to spoil anything for
this story - because the final reveal is the
heart of the horror.
And as with all things H.P Lovecraft - there’s
never any happy endings.
If it’s any consolation, Guillermo del Toro
has been trying to make this into a feature
film since 2006 - but it’s been delayed
time and time again due to del Toro’s insistence
on it remaining true to Lovecraft’s form
- which, may I add, is a fantastic thing.
Originally, James Cameron was going to make
it - - in 3D -- with Tom Cruise attached as
a star.
Which … is all kinds of horrifying, and
not in the good way.
In 2013, Del Toro stated that he’s going
to have one more shot at making it - and recently
there have been stirrings of him being greenlit
for a passion project - so, seriously guys
- fingers crossed.
Unfortunately folks - that’s all we’ve
got time for in today’s video - but before
we depart, let’s take a quick look at what
some of you horror fans have had to say recently.
Dark Samurai says - Awesome music, with an
awesome host.
Well Dark Samurai, you’re awesome just for
saying that - plus you’ve got an awesome
name.
Atzo naftaniel says - Boy can you tell a story.
You keep yepping - hopefully, I’ll take
that as a compliment my good friend Atzo - so
- yep!
And finally - Clay Talman says - Hello Awesome
Jack.
And the only thing I’ve got to say back
to that - is Hello Awesome Clay Talman.
Cheers for sticking around all the way till
the end guys - make sure to show us some love
in the comment section down below.
As always, I’ve been your host Jack Finch
- you’ve been watching Top 5 Scary Videos
- and until next time, you take it easy.
