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 of this series - make sure to hit that thumbs
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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.