Subject: (urth) spoilers re: evil guest. Lovecraft-esque theories.

From: Duncan Truter <dtruter at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:21:35 +0000

Ok, I have a couple of questions to ask. I have read the book once,
and am reading it again.  I also haven't read everything that everyone
has written so forgive me if I repeat anything. I am a major Lovecraft
fan.

go here for Lovecraft stories. please read them before you comment on
what I have to say, if you haven't read them already. Lovecraft's
stuff is now public domain so me posting this is not illegal.
http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/

Here are my points:

-The watch is from HPL to RC. so that's obviously from Lovecraft to
Randolph Carter (dream-quest of unknown kadeth, and the two 'silver
key' books, the last of which ended with RC on earth in the body of an
alien lizard, trying and failing to get back into his own body, as far
as I can remember). How is RC involved with this story? Is he Gideon
Chase? probably not, I think.

-the watch tells G. C which time it is. I take that to mean less the
time of day, and more the 'when' e.g. the century. I'd say G.C is
fairly old.

-the bat people, I'm very very unhappy about them. They're almost
obviously night-gaunts (creatures of Nyarlathotep, I am fairly sure)
but night-gaunts are supposed to be faceless. This doesn't make much
sense. either Wolfe changed the description of them or he messed up. I
really hope it's neither, and they're not Night-Gaunts, but I think
they are.

-G.C is olive-skinned, and talks about Egypt at some stage.
Nyarlathotep is from Egypt. Is G.C Nyarlathotep? I suspect not, but
it's still worth thinking about. Nyarlathotep seems to be involved
*somehow*. Furthermore, Nyarlathotep is generally one of the scariest
Lovecraft characters because he is actually interested in what humans
do, whereas the rest see us as bugs or insects.

-Reis seems to actually be a rather genuine guy, and Chase to be the
evil one. I think that Chase is the bad guy. yes, they're both bad,
but Chase seems to be far worse. Think about it: who is dead in the
end, and who got EXACTLY what he wants? (sorry to capitalise a word).
Miskatonic U has a copy of the Necronomicon. Soon after Chase got
tenure there, he became the ambassador to Woldercan. So he got access
to a book he needed to read (possibly) then became ambassador, which
he asked for in the start as far as I can remember.

-in the end it seems fairly certain to me that she's going to
Woldercan to get revenge. I think that the night-gaunts are the
creatures of chase/Nyarlathotep, and they didn't help her in the end,
they abandoned her.

-Apart from the possible Nyarlathotep and the definite Cthulhu, who
else from the Mythos is present in this story?

-the voices in Chase's car... Are they from Mi-Go Brain Cases? it
seems fairly reasonable to me that they are. it also makes Case far
more evil than we suspect. (read the whisperer in darkness).

-linking to the previous Q, I immediately thought 'PLUTO!' (Mi-Go home
planet, AKA Yuggoth) when Cassie asked if it were possible to go to
Mars in a ... what are they called? hopper I think.

Who are the Man-men (or whatever... animal that turns into a man. It's
been mentioned, so there must be one in the story. Scott the wolf
might have been one. remember that Scott the wolf kills Scott the ex,
in that case, who was the werewolf? (who was phone!!!??? sorry.)

Why does Cassie have silver bullets?

Why does Cassie say: 'why do you know my name' when Reis calls her
(sorry, I forgot): "queen Cassiopeia of 'something'"? who IS she?

It doesn't seem that Reis' subjects are Storm King worshipers to me.
They sacrificed Reis to 'call off' Cthulhu, because Reis was the
mastermind behind the anti-Cthulhu plan, and Cthulhu was attacking.

Please comment/rip my theories apart/whatever.

Duncan

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From: Duncan Truter <dtruter at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:31:46 +0000

one thing I forgot to mention:

Lovecraft seemed to have a major issue with people 'breeding' with
people of other races, thus producing 'horrific' offspring. Racist,
much? This is probably what GW was referring to in An Evil Guest when
he mentioned this topic regarding Woldercan.

Duncan

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From: Greg Bates <tedkennedyrolls at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:28:12 +0000

I thought the voices were a kind of pun, once I thought about them. They're
whisperers, in darkness. Ho ho ho.

On Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 1:31 AM, Duncan Truter <dtruter at gmail.com> wrote:

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From: Matthew Keeley <matthew.keeley.1 at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:25:22 +0000

> Chase? probably not, I think.

Well, "RC" could also be "Robert Chase," Gideon's apparent father. But
"Randolph Carter" does also make sense...

> he asked for in the start as far as I can remember.

Chase already has a position at Miskatonic when the book starts - he would
have had access to the Necronomicon before he met Cassie.

-Matt
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