Lairs of the Hidden Gods #3: Straight to Darkness by Various

 

Lairs of the Hidden Gods #3: Straight to Darkness

by Various

Translated by Various

Today's offering is an intersection of two of my literary interests, and it is a surprise (I can imagine you are fully agog) that of the 55 books featured on this blog thus far, neither has been either Lovecraftian or Japanese.

On a personal level, Howard Phillips Lovecraft was a pretty odious individual, even when judged by the standards of his era. He typified what I like to think of as the 'wingy little wiener' demographic - blaming 'outsiders' for his own personal inadequacies. But it is a grand example of separation of art and artist that the Cthulhu mythos he created has been taken up by writers over the globe, many of whom Lovecraft would no doubt have cringed at being associated with, and with views diametrically opposed to his own. 

Lovecraft's writings often featured 'others', dangerous and unsettling creatures from outside humanity's understanding that posed an existential threat. I wouldn't go as far as saying these were deliberate literary constructions to highlight the necessity of conforming to societal norms, he was writing for the pulp papers, and one thing he was very good at was crafting a tale for an audience. But I would posit that these ideas were shaped by his worldview. However, when others have taken up the mantle, and written within his universe, they have had different ideas of what constitutes 'us'. 

To a white man, raised in the patriarchal environment of New England at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, those who did not conform to this narrow demographic were self-evidently alien, strange, and dangerous. As the world (and people's minds) have opened up, our sense of 'us' (for most people) has expanded to encompass humanity as a whole.

There have been many Japanese translations
of Lovecraft's work

Lairs of the Hidden Gods is a series of 4 books, featuring translations of Japanese Lovecraftian short stories. The series is like hen's teeth and so far volume 3, Straight to Darkness is the only one I have been able to get for a reasonable price (though I have set up alerts on eBay and several second hand book sites for the others).

The stories are of a consistent quality, without a single dud. A couple did stand out (such as the titular Straight to Darkness), though I wouldn't say any were of an exceptional standard.

Several of the stories take a meta approach, looking at the Lovecraftian canon from the outside, but having it seep into the real world. I noticed a higher tendency toward visceral horror. I'm not sure if this is related to Japanese culture, it didn't feature in any of the other Japanese novels I have read, but admittedly none of these were horrors. It will be interesting to see if this carries over as I explore the other volumes of this series, and other Japanese horrors. 

Another trend, which I do suspect is linked to culture, is that several of the stories take a more societal perspective, rather than a purely personal one. As a western reader, I found this less engaging. But it was well rendered and an interesting change in point of view.

Actor Shiro Sane
contributes a story to
the collection

Special mention must go to Yamada Akihiro for his gorgeous cover art. Yamada is a well known manga artist, and has created covers for many of the Japanese translations of Lovecraft's work. His cover for Straight to Darkness is a beautiful blend of traditional and creepy, being identifiably Japanese at a glance with sinister undertones. 

Though this book was of good, but not great quality, it was exceptionally interesting seeing a different take on a familiar genre. I have already added more Lovecraftian titles from different countries to my TBR pile.

78/140 ★★★☆☆