H.P. Lovecraft
Studi Lovecraftiani 21

Despite the fact that its irregular releases often raise concerns about its permanent closure, issue 21 of Studi Lovecraftiani is finally available. This magazine is dedicated to the cult of the legendary H.P. Lovecraft and curated by the great Pietro Guarriello. Studi Lovecraftiani appeals to that very dedicated base (in fact, most readers unfortunately do not go beyond the stories) made up of readers, collectors, and enthusiasts interested in delving deeper into the Lovecraftian Universe through the reading of articles and essays on the most diverse topics. The first article, written by Pietro Guarriello (the highlight of this issue), is aimed precisely at collectors and is titled Collecting Lovecraft: A Guide to Bibliographic Rarities. I believe that a Lovecraft follower, upon reading the descriptions of the nuggets suggested by the good Guarriello, has the opportunity to indulge and hunt down these rarities. Of course, the volumes from Arkham House by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei (thanks to whom the literary work of the Master of Providence was disseminated) are among the most sought after, such as the mythical The Outsider And Others from 1939 (the first attempt to publish Lovecraft in a professional manner) with the cover artwork by Virgil Finlay. Surprisingly, at the time, the volume did not sell well but today it is considered by collectors to be a sort of Holy Grail.

Certainly interesting is the subsequent article by Mauro Canali The Role of Music in H.P. Lovecraft's Literature. As is known, HPL had a controversial relationship with music; however, in his stories, as Canali passionately and competently shows us, we can find numerous references to the musical universe. Everyone has their own ideal soundtrack for Lovecraft's stories (numerous artists have cited him in various genres such as psychedelia, progressive, metal, and electronic): personally, I believe that, although not cited, the Germans Amon Düül II in Phallus Dei came very close to his aesthetic (while the German band Necronomicon, another Krautrock group from the '70s, cites him explicitly).

Very intriguing is the contribution by Marc Weller, who talks about the pseudobiblia written by Sutter Cane, the writer (a character halfway between Lovecraft and Stephen King) who is the protagonist of the cult film In the Mouth of Madness by John Carpenter. In its own way, amusing is the analysis that Roberto Del Piano (a peculiar character, jazz enthusiast, and weird literature connoisseur!) dedicates to the book by Jean Robin Lovecraft et le secret des adorateurs du serpent, about which he had spoken to me privately with some skepticism mixed with curiosity. It is, to be honest, a text that is euphemistically insane. One must be wary of this anecdotal information related to Lovecraft in which secret sects, Atlantis, the philosopher of tradition René Guénon, Carlos Castaneda, and other assorted knick-knacks are mixed. Furthermore, Jean Robin uses, as sources for his bizarre theses (in which Abdul Alhazred would be a real person), some stories by August Derleth: this alone constitutes a negative element in the assessment of his book. In this issue 21, we also find the second part of the article dedicated by Umberto Sisia "on the abstraction of corporeality in H.P. Lovecraft's narratives" and a detailed review of the biography by S.T. Joshi I Am Providence, finally published in Italy in 3 volumes by Providence Press. We are offered Lovecraft's Notes for the Medusa's Coil (collaboration with Zelia Bishop) and the poem A Pan.

The closure is entrusted to 2 stories: My Dark Lineage by Jari Padoan takes advantage of the Italian setting (specifically Veneto) and introduces a new deity to the pantheon of the Cthulhu Mythos, namely Zagothoth. The Lorenzoni villa in the story, very gothic and sinister, recalls more Lovecraft than it does The Fall of the House of Usher by Poe, but then the story becomes Lovecraftian. Ancient World by Riccardo Lana tells how the protagonist discovers the famous Necronomicon in a dusty antique shop: the notorious tome will show him apocalyptic visions. In conclusion, this issue of Studi Lovecraftiani is yet again unmissable for the die-hard fans of the Recluse of Providence.