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Is there an official stance - expressed in the publications of Chaosium and/or its licensees - on how Lovecraft and his works are incorporated metafictionally into the universe of Call of Cthulhu, if at all?

For example, could a Delta Green agent have read the collected works of HPL, and thus realize what he's facing (according to the official DG world)? Another example: Could an investigator in the 1920s meet HPL himself, befriend him, read his manuscripts, and thus get involved in the Mythos? Or is HPL practically non-existent in a timeline and setting that brings his own works to (gaming) life? Or is this something the official publications have not dealt with so far?

For a distantly similar question (also asked by yours truly), click here. :)

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Did you read Shadows Bend: A Novel of the Fantastic and Unspeakable by David Barbour? \$\endgroup\$ Feb 28, 2013 at 15:05
  • \$\begingroup\$ No (but the Amazon reviews don't really seem to favor it.) \$\endgroup\$
    – OpaCitiZen
    Feb 28, 2013 at 23:01
  • \$\begingroup\$ The book has Lovecraft, Howard, and Smith joining together to fight the forces of the Mythos. It is a pretty good read but is nothing amazing. \$\endgroup\$ Mar 1, 2013 at 7:35
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    \$\begingroup\$ I've just been pointed (via a different route) to a certain, similarly metafictional comic "Lovecraft is Missing". The first few pages seem really interesting and nicely done. I'll have to try and read the whole thing someday soon. \$\endgroup\$
    – OpaCitiZen
    Mar 1, 2013 at 7:59
  • \$\begingroup\$ French scenario writter Tritan Lhomme wrote a scenario called "Celui d'en bas" (The one from below) featuring Lovecraft himself. The scenario was published in the magazine Casus Belli in the 90s, but can now be found in the "Musée de Lhomme" scenario volume, published by Sans-Détour (CoC's french publisher). sans-detour.com/index.php/Jeux-de-Role/L-Appel-de-Cthulhu/… \$\endgroup\$ Jul 27, 2016 at 15:01

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First of all, I do not consider this an issue, upon which an official stance (other than: do as you wish) would be taken and has to be taken. This is because in contrast to many other roleplaying games, not all CoC scenarios happen in the very same universe. There are two reasons for this: First, some entities being present in the same universe are certainly contradictory (just think of the several alien and servitor races who would be at open war with each other). Second, there simply is no need for one consistent universe, since certain aspects of the universe are only meant to be known by characters in very small proportions, and thus conflicting information or ideas about the nature of the world can hardly arise (there is a very small risk, if a character »switches« to a keeper who fails to ask about his former Mythos experiences). As a result, if H.P. Lovecraft exists in the universe of a certain scenario, he may explicitly not exist in another one, e.g., a modern-day scenario where certain internet investigations would be bound to find his work.

This being said, I know of some publications, in which H.P. Lovecraft and even CoC are considered to exist:

  • In Unseen Masters the characters can visit a Comic Book Shop where they may spot a roleplaying game called »Dark Worlds« by Peter Dannseys and L.S. Isinwyll published by Entropium, which grants 1 % Cthulhu Mythos and takes 1 San.
  • In the German pulp CoC setting Der Hexer von Salem, H.P. Lovecraft plays an important role, which exceeds his role in our world.

I would be surprised, if this already was the extensive list.

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