Cthulhu and Children

[NestroEmichae]

Just a quick question from a soon-to-be parent. At what age would you start your kids on Lovecraft?

[cjbowser]

Have you seen this?

Apparently it's never too early to start.

[TheKingInYellow]

I've always figured I'd read them to my children in their cribs. Not that I'm sick or anything, just some of his easier to handle stuff like The Dream Quest of the Unknown Kadath, hopefully impart them with an appreciation at a young age, so they can enjoy it themselves when they're a little older.

*Giggles with sinister delight at the thought of reading The Hound to a six-year-old.*

[FunGuyfromYuggoth]

I wouldn't do this before they're 9 years old.

You should start at an earlier age with traditional fairy tales from around the world and read anything you can to kids, including non-fiction. You'd be surprised by how harried, working parents have precious little time and energy to read to their children in the early years. Its a shame that they are parked in front of DVD players before they read a book. Show them the whole wide world and root them, so they can form a foundation.

HPL and Friends will be waiting for them when they're able to appreciate their ability to tear the whole world down around them.

[ThothAmon]

My spawn is just 4 weeks old. She has a nice purple cuddly Cthulhu sitting in her crib :P

[Nyarlathotep42]

*Giggles with sinister delight at the thought of reading The Hound to a six-year-old.*

That's pretty sick man... but when I visualize the look on that poor kid's face, I can't help but giggle with sinister delight too.

HPL and Friends will be waiting for them when they're able to appreciate their ability to tear the whole world down around them.

And you, sir, are a credit to the human race. Someone should give you a medal or something.[/quote]

[Wolfbelly]

This reminds me of a thread posted in another board that I frequent where someone was contemplating the ethics of raising their child to believe that Cthulhu was real. Interesting debate, that one.

[Nyarlathotep42]

What?!!! He's NOT REAL???

Just think of all those people I've sacrificed in vain.... I don't think I can live with myself...

[Wolfbelly]

That's not a problem, capture another prisoner and live with them. Make them think you believe in Cthulhu, and watch the horror play out on their face every single day.

Ah ... exquisite.

[Eero]

I've always figured I'd read them to my children in their cribs. Not that I'm sick or anything, just some of his easier to handle stuff like The Dream Quest of the Unknown Kadath, hopefully impart them with an appreciation at a young age, so they can enjoy it themselves when they're a little older.

I agree that his fantasy tales like The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath are suitable for children. The horror stories are suitable for little older children like ten years old boys and girls. I started to read horror fiction at the age of nine and I have been a fan HPL and many other authors ever since. I can still remember all the shivers his tales gave me as a child. The scariest story to me was The Colour Out of Space.

[TheKingInYellow]

Tales like Herbert West and The Hound still impart me with a shiver when I reach the ending. I can only imagine what it would do to children.

[NestroEmichae]

Thanks for the advice.

For my next question, I was wondering if any of you have any advice for dealing with the inevitable nightmares. I'm tempted to give the poor child an Elder Sign to sleep with.

[AlexBurel]

Who says Cthulhu isnt real? Since the multiverse is infinite, anything possible can be found in some dimention or another, and since Cthulhu is possible, all you have to do is findteh dimention(s?) he resides in.

Course, why anyone would want to do that is beyond me.

[Thorulfr]

My spawn is just 4 weeks old. She has a nice purple cuddly Cthulhu sitting in her crib :P

Mine is a year and a half now and laid claim to my wife's large, green Cthulhu plush at a very early age. He would squeal with delight when we made the wings flap or the tenticles wiggle, something which disturbed his babysitter no end. He finally started walking when we strapped 'Ol Green and Squamous into a toy stroller so he could push it around. We thought of bringing ot to GenCon SoCal, but decided against it.
As for reading to him, we are finishing off The Return of the King now. I tried reading Lord Dunsany, but my wife got weirded out. Maybe when he's a little older...and she's a little more jaded.

[NestroEmichae]

Who says Cthulhu isnt real? Since the multiverse is infinite, anything possible can be found in some dimention or another, and since Cthulhu is possible, all you have to do is findteh dimention(s?) he resides in.

Course, why anyone would want to do that is beyond me.

Simple. Make a deal with Nyarly and watch all of my enemies mysterious disappear after adding me to their wills.