Vale Brian Lumley (1937–2024)

Today we learned of the sad news of the passing of Brian Lumley (1937–2024). Brian was the recipient of a World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writers Association.

Coming to the fore with his Cthulhu Mythos fiction in 1971 with The Caller of the Black, published by August Derleth’s Arkham House, Brian went on to write important contributions to the Mythos. Indeed, Brian’s take on Mythos entities like Azathoth and Nyarlathotep were challenging, inventive, and inspirational. Brian’s Dreamlands cycle of novels, beginning with Hero of Dreams (1986) built and expanded upon Lovecraft’s foundational stories with added zest and a dash of swashbuckling.

Brian’s creations found their way into the Call of Cthulhu TTRPG, notably in the monstrous Chthonians, Shudde M’ell, and Yibb-Tstll, as well as some fan-favorite tomes of lore like the Cthaat Aquadingen, G’harne Fragments, and Unter Zee Kulten. Brian’s short story “The Running Man,” also graced the pages of the now out-of-print Green and Pleasant Land, a British-based Call of Cthulhu supplement produced under license by Games Workshop in 1987. Brian’s “The Mirror of Nitocris” could also be found in the pages of Imagine magazine’s issue 13—wherein much content was dedicated to the Call of Cthulhu TTRPG.

Brian moved away from Lovecraft’s mythos and created his own vampire mythos, starting with the Necroscope (1986) series, which in turn inspired the creation of a Necroscope tabletop roleplaying game in 1995. Thus, Brian’s creations were instrumental in not just one, but in two roleplaying games.

In addition to his novels, Brian’s varied and insightful short stories and novellas have graced a legion of anthologies and collections. Somewhat in the vein of Robert E. Howard’s heroes, Brian’s characters tended to be capable and strong, and more likely to laugh rather than faint at the sight of Cthulhu.

In my teenage years, as I began my journey delving into the Cthulhu Mythos, I somehow managed to contact and share some correspondence with Brian. Helping me to secure some of his early books, Brian was the consummate gentleman and both a delight and inspiration. I would later go onto meet him at FantasyCon in the UK in the late 1980s, where, in person, he was equally a delight to encounter. His stories, like “Return of the Deep Ones,” The Burrowers Beneath, and “De Marginy’s Clock” made a deep impression on my young mind and, in a pre-internet world, his encouragement and stories inspired me to write both fiction and roleplaying scenarios.

Thanks Brian. Rest well.

Mike Mason
29 January 2024