Barbara Cartland meets H.P. Lovecraft, Episode 4

By Gordon Rugg

This article is the penultimate instalment of a serial inspired by the concept of Dame Barbara Cartland writing with H.P. Lovecraft. In it, sentences from a Dame Barbara novel and from a Lovecraft short story have been stitched together into an unhealthy palimpsest recounted by an anonymous narrator. Previously, we have seen the inner torment of the hero, inimitably recounted by the two authors playing to their own unique strengths. How will they depict romance, when it enters the tale?

The story so far…

The Earl of Rockbrook is torn between the pure true love he craves and the barren, gnarled and terrrible fate which lurks before him, in the sensuous form of Lady Louise Welwyn. To distract himself from that eldritch horror he has gone riding, but has been knocked unconscious when his horse trips in a rabbit hole.

Barbara Cartland meets H.P. Lovecraft, Episode 3

By Gordon Rugg

For reasons that seemed good at the time, I’m writing a serial inspired by the concept of Dame Barbara Cartland collaborating in writing with H.P. Lovecraft. In the previous episodes, we have seen the two inimitable talents working in harmony, with the underlying dark mysteries in Cartland’s classic plot being masterfully elaborated by Lovecraft’s unique style. In this episode, we see this harmony continue, as the story swells to thrilling new heights…

The story so far…

The Earl of Rockbrook has succumbed to the blighted charms of Lady Louise Welwyn, and faces the prospect of having to marry her, even though he does not particularly like her as a person. Now, as he ponders the consequences, his mind turns to the gulf between the pure true love he craves and the barren, gnarled and terrrible fate which lurks before him.

Barbara Cartland meets H.P. Lovecraft, Episode 2

By Gordon Rugg

In last week’s thrilling episode, the Earl of Rockbrook arrived at the enormous Georgian mansion which had been in his family since the days of Charles II. He was in a dark mood. But why would a man who had inherited the mansion that he fondly called Rock be feeling a taint of calamity?

In this week’s episode, the anonymous narrator begins to uncover the first hints of that which is unutterably hideous…

Sunday Silliness: Barbara Cartland meets H.P. Lovecraft

By Gordon Rugg

Some ideas are better than others. This one probably belongs in the “others” category…

Have you ever wondered what would have resulted if only Dame Barbara Cartland had shared her talents with H.P. Lovecraft in a collaborative work of literature?

If so, wonder no more. This is the first in a set of articles that interweave text from one of Dame Barbara’s works with a little-known tale from Lovecraft. It’s written as if the two authors had taken it in turns to add a new sentence to the unfolding story. Between those lines, you can see the dynamic tensions of two unique talents striving to deploy their distinctive visions to best effect.

The story is told by an anonymous narrator.

I hope that this work will bring a unique new sensation to readers.

Monday humour: The Barbara Cartland experience

By Gordon Rugg

Have you ever wondered what a Barbara Cartland novel is like, but never quite got round to finding out?

If so, you no longer need to wonder; I’ve put a representative small sample below the fold.

(Original photo, plus images from wikipedia: details at the end of this article.)

It was a dark and stormy night: Dark humour for a Monday morning

By Edward Bulwer-Lytton, with Gordon Rugg

Just in case there isn’t enough eldritch horror in your life, I’m blogging a short series inspired by legends of literature that are usually only known by reputation, not by first hand experience.

There’s usually a good reason for those legends being known only by reputation, so to spare sensitive sensibilities, I’ve put the text in question below the fold.

Today’s text is the first paragraph of the novel that opens with the legendary “dark and stormy night”.

If you feel ready to face it, then an indescribable new experience awaits you…