The Toad in Folklore

As you may know, every month New Page Books' blog has a new Creature of the Month article, the latest one being from Dr. Bob Curran, and the subject: the toad.

It starts like this:

"In many folklore traditions, the toad is something of an ambivalent creature. On the one hand, it is considered to be repellent and often becomes a symbol of foulness and evil – perhaps its very appearance hints at it being malignant and poisonous. And yet on the other hand - and in many Eastern cultures - it is associated with wisdom and 'knowing'. Toads are thought to have lived for many centuries and in that time have acquired much knowledge. It was therefore considered to be the wisest of creatures and parts of its body could be used for special purposes."

And here's the full post...

Beware of the Wendigo

In the Creature of the Month section of New Page Books' blog, Dr. Bob Curran digs deep into the dark and disturbing world of the Wendigo...

A Haunted Mind

A couple of days ago, I received in the mail a copy of Dr. Bob Curran's new book: A Haunted Mind, which is a study of the life and work of H.P. Lovecraft - with most of the book devoted to addressing the very intriguing theory that much of the man's fictional work was possibly based on his secret knowledge of all-too-real things monstrous, malignant, ancient and other-worldly.

I'm about 50-pages into the book and it's excellent reading. If you're already a fan of Lovecraft's work, are intrigued by the possibility that there might be actual truths behind the fiction, or are new to the man and his writings, Bob's book is one I definitely recommend!

I'll be doing a full review of A Haunted Mind right here once I have finished reading it.

PS: On a very refreshing note, Bob does not present Lovecraft as some untouchable god-like writer who is to be revered and praised on bended knee at all times. No. Instead, Bob shows the man as he was: deeply weird, massively flawed, odd, eccentric, racist, asexual, not at all likable, socially-challenged, and someone with an overwhelming and ridiculous sense (an incorrect sense, of course) of his own superiority and importance over others. Yes, Lovecraft was a tremendously gifted writer. But as a man? Well, put it this way: be content to remember him as a great writer and nothing else...

Beware of the Duppie!

And what, you might very well ask, is the Duppie? Well, the answer to that question can be found by checking out the latest article from Dr. Bob Curran, which can be found in the Creature of the Month section at New Page Books' blog. In fact, right here!

Nick's Pick of the Day 4

If you're into the life, work and fantastic tales of H.P. Lovecraft, you definitely won't want to miss this, which hits the shelves next month: A Haunted Mind: Inside the Dark, Twisted World of H.P. Lovecraft by Dr. Bob Curran.

New Page Books say of their forthcoming release:

"Arguably no American writer has had more of an impact on the modern horror scene than Howard Phillips Lovecraft, the man who created the Cthulhu Mythos, with its strange gods, eerie places, and forbidden books. But what sort of a man was Lovecraft, how did he create such a terrible universe, and where did his inspiration come from? Was it, as some have argued, based on esoteric knowledge forgotten or even denied to all sane people? In A Haunted Mind, Dr. Bob Curran explores what motivated Lovecraft—his personal life is just as strange as some of his creations—and drove him to create his terrible cosmos. Using both folklore and history, Dr Curran investigates a wide variety of Lovecraftian mysteries. A word of warning: you may never look at Lovecraft—or the world—in exactly the same way again!"

Will I be reading and reviewing it? Of course I will!

A Haunted Mind and H.P. Lovecraft

This is a book I'm most definitely looking forward to reading, Dr. Bob Curran's A Haunted Mind: Inside the Dark, Twisted World of H.P. Lovecraft, which will be published by New Page Books in August.

If you are into the work of Lovecraft, but want to learn more (in fact, much more!) about the man himself, this is not a book to miss.

Here's what New Page Books have to say about Dr. Bob Curran and his forthcoming A Haunted Mind:

"Arguably no American writer has had more of an impact on the modern horror scene than Howard Phillips Lovecraft, the man who created the Cthulhu Mythos, with its strange gods, eerie places, and forbidden books. But what sort of a man was Lovecraft, how did he create such a terrible universe, and where did his inspiration come from? Was it, as some have argued, based on esoteric knowledge forgotten or even denied to all sane people?

"In A Haunted Mind, Dr. Bob Curran explores what motivated Lovecraft—his personal life is just as strange as some of his creations—and drove him to create his terrible cosmos. Using both folklore and history, Dr Curran investigates a wide variety of Lovecraftian mysteries. A word of warning: you may never look at Lovecraft—or the world—in exactly the same way again!

"Dr. Bob Curran has travelled throughout the world, fascinated by the myths and stories that he has found. He has written a number of books, including Vampires; Lost Lands, Forgotten Realms; Zombies; and Werewolves, all for New Page Books. He lives in Northern Ireland with his wife and family.

"Illustrator Ian Daniels, who has illustrated book covers for science fiction luminaries Marion Zimmer Bradley, Orson Scott Card and Poul Anderson, has illustrated all of the books written by Dr. Curran."