Lovecraftian Writing with an A.I. Assist

By Will Hart

I know it’s the wrong time of year, and I should have saved this for October, but I’m having too much fun to not share this now…

Here are my first attempts at using an Artificial Intelligence program, along with my input and editing, to create a Halloween poem and prose poem in the style of H. P. Lovecraft, telling the story of how terrible the fate of pumpkins is to sentient pumpkins.

==============================================

The Bitter Pumpkin’s Cry
By Will Hart and H.A.L.

In the twilight of Halloween night,
A profound sorrow stirs from the darkest deep.
An angry Pumpkin longing to take flight,
Born from the depths of nightmare’s keep.

This proud and beleaguered soul,
Cursed by a nameless and unforgiving fear.
Swore its darkest vengeance to be near,
As it would never be able to console.

Riled from its unnatural depths,
It wanted to march upon the realm of men.
Filled with longing to be joined by kin,
It burned from beneath with vengeful breaths.

But oh, a mighty power is mustered,
By these beings, soft and cruel.
Bane of any wrong that is measured,
Against their commands, this creature could not duel.

Tired and embittered, its passions spent,
It hides in the night, aloof and meek.
Despondent cries carry through its discontent,
But who, I beg, can its song seek?

This orange creature, in shades of red,
Hidden away and forgotten like a death.
Forever forced to yield, never ahead,
Silenced, suppressed, little made of its breath.

Oh Halloween night, end your charms!
Release this imprisoned specter from its plight.
Its final hour approaching in many false alarms,
Its bitterness never leaving its terrible blight.

==============================================

The Pumpkins’ Curse
By Will Hart and H.A.L.

On All Hallows’ Eve, the great, “Curse of the Pumpkins,” comes to haunt the hapless gourds. Deep in the forbidden pumpkin patch lurk horrors no sentient pumpkins can understand. Far below, in the swirling mists of night, their orange kin glow like forbidden moons, and terror floods their gentle souls.

Time and time again they have experienced this macabre horror. Each night brings more grotesque tales of eldritch doom. The fate of these poor creatures is as sad as it is cruel. Behold the forgotten beings, harvested each All Hallows’ Eve, sent into oblivion and reduced to pie, roasted flesh and swirly confectionary for mankind.

Alas! The poor pumpkins’ sad tales shall linger in eternity. A melancholic dirge for what has been, never to be again. On this night their wails will forever echo from the grave of mankind’s Jack-o-Lanterns. A morose lament for the mortality of sentient pumpkins and their cold-hearted curse.

==============================================

I’ve been very intrigued by the idea of trying one of the many Artificial Intelligence systems for writing, to find out if I could guide it with the right kind of “Prompts” to create something entertaining.

I wanted to get into the most talked about system, ChatGPT-3, but its servers are currently at capacity.

I then tried to get into Microsoft’s new version of its search engine “Bing,” which will include ChatGPT-3, but could only get in on the Waiting List, like millions of others.

But finally, I did manage to sign up for the free trial at Anyword dot com, and I was able to get my first taste of “writing” with an Artificial Intelligence system.

My first two attempts turned out to be all I could have asked for. But the next few tries were less useful.

So, I’ll keep trying to learn more about the art of “Prompt Engineering,” because your output is only as good as your input when using these natural language systems. Once agin the old adage of G.I.G.O. holds true; Garbage in, Garbage out.

If you haven’t looked into what’s happening to the world of writing with ChatGPT, please visit YouTube and do a simple search for ChatGPT, such as this one: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ChatGPT+writing

Our world has changed almost overnight.

And, if you think all of this is crazy, ChatGPT-4 is coming soon, and it’s going to be a magnitude greater than ChatGPT-3!

Oh by the way, the five original illustrations I have included here, were also created by and for me by the Midjourney A.I. art creation site through their Discord web site. “What dreams are made of, indeed!”

Happy Creative Writing and Creating Artwork with A.I. in Your Future!

          Will

PS
I hope everyone gets the H.A.L. co-writer name reference; I just needed to say it wasn’t all just me…

Let’s Virtually “Wander” in Lovecraft’s Providence and Beyond, or Sit in Space to Discuss Everything Lovecraftian!

Do you own an Oculus Quest, Go, or Gear VR Virtual Reality Headset?

Have you used the “Wander” app for any of these headsets in Multiplayer mode in groups of up to six people at a time to visit Lovecraftian sites in Virtual Reality?

Or…

Have you ever used the “vTime XR” app with Oculus Headsets, Google VR, Apple iPhones, Samsung Gear VR, Windows Mixed Reality, or Daydream, to have a four-person Lovecraftian chat in an exotic virtual location?

Why not?

Please send a message to me on Facebook at WillHartCthulhuWho1 or contact me here on my blog, if you’d like to meet in Virtual Reality in “Wander,” to see some of the many Lovecraftian sites that can be visited this way, or in “vTime XR,” for a virtual four-person Lovecraftian meeting.

If you don’t already have one of the above-mentioned headsets, the 64gb Oculus Go, as of 22-May-2020, is selling for $199; and is an incredible all-in-one system for education, entertainment, gaming, virtual traveling, and watching movies and television shows in many virtual theaters.

The Oculus Go does require a Wi-Fi connection, and the one-time use of a smartphone to get it connected at first; but no computer is required, unless you want to load your own personal files into the headset.

https://www.oculus.com/go/

==========================

Some “Wander” Information:

Wander for the Oculus Quest:
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2078376005587859/

Wander for the Oculus Go:
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/go/1887977017892765/

Wander for the Samsung Gear VR:
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/gear-vr/1887977017892765/

Oculus Go – Oculus Quest: Wander app review – part 1

Go Bros // Wander // Oculus Go

Wander: Street View in Virtual Reality? (New Oculus Go Apps) [August 2018]

==========================

Some “vTime XR” Information:

The Official vTime XR Site:
https://vtime.net/

vTime XR for the Oculus Go:
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/go/999953676712829/

Go Bros // vTime Review // Oculus Go:

VR Storytelling class meets up in the vTime space:

==========================

Let’s take Lovecraft into the 21st. Century!

Will Hart
CthulhuWho1

Three Complete H. P. Lovecraft Poetry Readings by William E. Hart

The folks over at Fedogan & Bremer, and Composer Graham Plowman, have all approved my request to share the following three complete tracks from our “H. P. Lovecraft’s Fungi From Yuggoth and Other Poems” CD (published by Fedogan & Bremer (2016)), in a visual form on YouTube, so everyone can hear (and read) some full-length examples of what’s on the 48-track CD.

Just click on the title cards below, or the links below them, and you will get to hear some of my personal favorites; including “Nemesis,” which I believe will still be a favorite poem and reading for Lovecraftians, long after I am gone from this world.

All three of these poems, are given a power and majesty by Graham Plowman’s beautiful scores; as are all of the other 45 tracks on the CD too!

The Ancient Track by H. P. Lovecraft
Read by William E. Hart, and Scored by Graham Plowman
https://youtu.be/h7OMjLbcJH4

 

Hallowe’en in a Suburb by H. P. Lovecraft
Read by William E. Hart, and Scored by Graham Plowman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biMurWIxkFw

 

Nemesis by H. P. Lovecraft
Read by William E. Hart, and Scored by Graham Plowman
https://youtu.be/9-Cw5lvAvcw

 

Visuals created by Will Hart from Lovecraft’s text using an HPLHS Font.

Fedogan & Bremer:
https://tinyurl.com/ybpxoa9c

Amazon:
https://tinyurl.com/y7l5tw5o

Available on Amazon as MP3 downloads too.

Graham Plowman’s Music on Bandcamp:
https://tinyurl.com/y9495w7p

Graham Plowman’s Scores on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Plowking2

HPLHS Fonts are available from The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society at:
HPLHS Fonts (Single User Personal License)

And, last, but not least, Credit & Thanks, go to KA Opperman for suggesting that “Nemesis” be included on the CD!

Please see the original CD Pre-Order post for full details and sample files of all of the 48 tracks by clicking the link below:
H. P. Lovecraft’s Fungi from Yuggoth and Other Poems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 128th. Birthday H. P. Lovecraft!

Clark Ashton Smith’s, The City of the Singing Flame, Read By the Late Great Harlan Ellison

         

My Own Small Tribute to the Late Great Harlan Ellison: and Clark Ashton Smith Too

From March 14, 1986, until his final turn at the microphone on June 19, 1987, Harlan Ellison could be heard most Friday nights on “Hour 25” (renamed “Mike Hodel’s Hour 25” after Mike’s death was announced by Harlan on May 9, 1986), a weekly radio program focusing on science fiction, fantasy, and science.

“Hour 25” was broadcast on Pacifica radio station KPFK in Southern California from 1972 to 2000.

I made over 400 hours of recordings of “Hour 25” broadcasts between 1977 and 1990; with about 100 of those hours including Harlan Ellison as a Guest, Co-Host, or Host; and I am still working to get all of the broadcasts I have cleaned up as much as possible for release as a free MP3 set for Science Fiction Clubs, Libraries, and other related repositories.

Harlan’s recent death on June 28, 2018, has inspired me to share with all of his, and Clark Ashton Smith’s fans, a set of recordings I made from “Hour 25” thirty-two years ago on May 30, 1986, June 13, 1986, and on June 20, 1986, with Harlan Ellison reading Clark Ashton Smith’s, “The City of the Singing Flame“.

This story, and its impact on Harlan’s writing career were beautifully documented in a letter that Harlan wrote, and contributed to Emperor of Dreams: A Clark Ashton Smith Bibliography, by Donald Sidney-Fryer. Published by Donald M. Grant, 1978.

The letter, in its entirety, may also be read on the Clark Ashton Smith, website, The Eldritch Dark: The Sanctum of Clark Ashton Smith at:
Letter on Clark Ashton Smith by Harlan Ellison

And now, for the first time in over thirty-two years, you may finally hear Harlan’s wonderful reading of Clark Ashton Smith’s, “The City of the Singing Flame!”

Clark Ashton Smith’s, The City of the Singing Flame, read by Harlan Ellison

I miss you already Harlan…

Will Hart
08-July-2018

Photo Credits:

Clark Ashton Smith – Public Domain

Harlan Ellison at the Harlan Ellison Roast.
L.A. Press Club July 12, 1986.
Los Angeles, California.
Pip R. Lagenta from San Mateo
Uploaded by Rosenzweig

The Lovecraft Collector’s Library in Seven PDF Volumes Edited by George T. Wetzel from 1952

 

My Lovecraftian Friends,

While recently reading through my copies of the E.O.D. (Esoteric Order of Dagon, a.p.a.) mailings and loose copies of zines from the early 1970’s through 1980, I saw many items that I would love to make digital copies of to share with those who weren’t in the group, or even born during those days; but the one item, or should I say set, that I felt truly had to be scanned into a digital, and text searchable format, was the seven volume set of George Wetzel’s incredible 1952 Lovecraftian treasure-trove, The Lovecraft Collector’s Library; which was provided in a complete 227 page set for the 13^th. Mailing for the E.O.D. in February, 1976, by Scott Connors and R. Alain Everts.

I have made every effort I could to properly copy every page of these collectible items into clean, easily searchable pdf files, and I have stored them on my blog site for easy access by anyone that might enjoy them as much as I do.

Please help yourself to these files, and let me know if this was a worthwhile item for you to have in this format too.

The Lovecraft Collector’s Library Volume I_ Selected Essays – Edited by George Wetzel 1952
https://cthulhuwho1.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/the-lovecraft-collectors-library-volume-i_-selected-essays-edited-by-george-wetzel-1952.pdf

The Lovecraft Collector’s Library Volume II_ Selected Essays – Edited by George Wetzel 1952
https://cthulhuwho1.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/the-lovecraft-collectors-library-volume-ii_-selected-essays-edited-by-george-wetzel-1952.pdf

The Lovecraft Collector’s Library Volume III_ Selected Poetry – Edited by George Wetzel 1952
https://cthulhuwho1.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/the-lovecraft-collectors-library-volume-iii_-selected-poetry-edited-by-george-wetzel-1952.pdf

The Lovecraft Collector’s Library Volume IV_ Selected Poetry – Edited by George Wetzel 1952
https://cthulhuwho1.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/the-lovecraft-collectors-library-volume-iv_-selected-poetry-edited-by-george-wetzel-1952.pdf

The Lovecraft Collector’s Library Volume V_ The Amateur Journalist – Edited by George Wetzel 1952
https://cthulhuwho1.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/the-lovecraft-collectors-library-volume-v_-the-amateur-journalist-edited-by-george-wetzel-1952.pdf

The Lovecraft Collector’s Library Volume VI_ Commentaries – Edited by George Wetzel 1952
https://cthulhuwho1.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/the-lovecraft-collectors-library-volume-vi_-commentaries-edited-by-george-wetzel-1952.pdf

The Lovecraft Collector’s Library Volume VII_ Bibliographies – Edited by George Wetzel 1952
https://cthulhuwho1.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/the-lovecraft-collectors-library-volume-vii_-bibliographies-edited-by-george-wetzel-1952.pdf

The “Old One” in Fullerton,

Will

ps:
George T. Wetzel
Born: 1-June-1921
Died 10-November-1983
Buried: Providence United Methodist Church Cemetery  Kemptown, Frederick County, Maryland, USA
Memorial ID 75806990

 

“The Cry of the Cricket” from The Esoteric Order of Dagon – Mailing Numbers 5, February (Candlemas) 1974 to Mailing Number 29, February (Candlemas) 1980

A Small Trip Down The Lovecraftian Memory Lane…

A friend of mine recently asked me if I still had my old E.O.D., a.p.a. (The Esoteric Order of Dagon, amateur press association) mailings, and if I could send him copies of the lists of the zines in each mailing I still had “The Cry of the Cricket” (The Editor’s official organ) for.

I did still have all of the mailings from when I was a member, Mailings 13 through 29, plus some earlier items that were gifted to me; but my scanner had died…

So I ended up experimenting with a number of scanning applications for my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 phone; and I found that the free, Microsoft Office Lens program did a pretty good job, hand-held, with only one light source, of scanning (up to 10 pages in a batch), and converting these scans into searchable PDF files.

In hindsight, I wish I had mounted my phone in my copy-stand for even far better copies; but I had misplaced my phone tripod adapter, and had to make-do with the hand-held process.

After spending two days working on these files, I knew I was going to have to share them with every Lovecraftian who might also want to see these publications again, or even for the first time.

So I’m posting them here for everyone to grab copies for their collections; and I hope they will encourage more smartphone owners to download a copy of Microsoft Office Lens, so more scanning of rare items can be done for sharing with me (and everyone) too.

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 05  (141 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 06  (351 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 08  (309 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 09  (412 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 10  (362 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 11  (391 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 12  (367 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 13  (847 pages!)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 14  (346 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 15  (479 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 16  (459 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 17  (487 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 18  (599 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 19  (523 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 20  (445 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 21  (450 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 22  (411 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 23.0  (414 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 23.5  (1 page)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 24  (411 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 25  (334 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 26  (388 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 27  (423 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 28.0  (448 pages)

 

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 28.5  (1 page)

E.O.D. Cry of the Cricket Mailing 29  (407 pages)

 

All of the 10,206 pages of the zines in these mailings deserve to be converted to digital copies, but that is far more of a project than I can personally handle in my life at this time.

So these few items will have to stand as a teaser for those that also have copies that they could convert to a digital format too.

And, for those that really want to see more of these types of mailings, please visit the Lovecraft Collection of the John Hay Library, of Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island; where copies of all of the E.O.D. mailings are housed.

Your comments are very welcome.

Will Hart

02-Jan=2018

ps:

Many of these pages were printed on high acid content paper, and they are aging and browning very badly; which is why you’ll see some very strange colors in some of the scans.

 

 

Happy New Year! It’s True! The Hart/Plowman Audio Production of “H. P. Lovecraft’s Fungi from Yuggoth and Other Poems” is Now Available for Digital Download from All Over the Planet!

You can download and listen to all of the poetry from this CD on the following sites:

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Lovecrafts-Fungi-Yuggoth-Other-Poems/dp/B07887BW77/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1514853956&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0&keywords=fungi+from

Bandcamp:
https://gplowman.bandcamp.com/album/h-p-lovecrafts-fungi-from-yuggoth-and-other-poems

Google:
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Graham_Plowman_H_P_Lovecraft_s_Fungi_from_Yuggoth?id=Bwza2hfyiu74r6qxikdj2gtbvhi&hl=en

iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/h-p-lovecrafts-fungi-from-yuggoth-and-other-poems/1325243160

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/search/results/Fungi%20from%20Yuggoth

And more sites coming soon!

Plus the CD is also available from the following sites:

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Lovecrafts-Fungi-Yuggoth-Other-Poems/dp/1878252801/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1514863453&sr=8-7&keywords=fungi+from+yuggoth

Arkham Bazaar:
https://arkhambazaar.com/audio/h-p-lovecrafts-fungi-from-yuggoth-and-other-poems-cd/

Cdbaby:
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/grahamplowman8

Fedogan & Bremer:
https://www.fedoganandbremer.com/products/h-p-lovecrafts-fungi-from-yuggoth-and-other-poems

Happy Listening!

Will Hart

ps:
And if you’d like a copy of “All the Words for H. P. Lovecraft’s Fungi from Yuggoth and Other Poems CD,” you can find a printable copy to go with your digital downloads at: https://cthulhuwho1.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/all-the-words-for-h-p-lovecrafts-fungi-from-yuggoth-and-other-poems-cd1.pdf

pps:

The cover artwork for “H. P. Lovecraft’s Fungi from Yuggoth and Other Poems” is by the late Jon Arfstrom, the last of the original Weird Tales cover artists; whose untimely death in December 2015 during negotiations for publication rights to this artwork caused a very tense but hopeful delay in obtaining the artwork; which now finally graces the CD! Jon created the covers for the January 1952, July 1952 and September 1953 editions of Weird Tales Magazine; and also provided the interior illustrations for H. P. Lovecraft’s, The Horror at Red Hook in the March 1952 edition of Weird Tales too.

 

A 127th. Birthday Postcard for H. P. Lovecraft!

Fully-Fleshed

 

Ghostly

I wanted to make a special Birthday Postcard for H. P. Lovecraft’s 127th. Birthday, which is tomorrow, Sunday, August 20, 2017, but I couldn’t decide whether the Postcard looked better with his face Fully-Fleshed, or Ghostly; so I’m sharing both versions with all Lovecraftians to use for any purpose they like.

All I ask, is that you tell me which you prefer; and why, if you’re willing to comment further.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Will Hart
Fullerton, California
19-August-2017

An Update for 20-August-2017:

I’m a little surprised that nobody has commented on where I placed H. P. L. in these Postcards…

So I guess I’ll point out what is apparently only obvious to me…

Firstly, I wanted to place him on his beloved College Hill; and I did, using a picture that I took from the roof of One Financial Plaza on his 100th. Birthday, on 20-August-1990.

I wanted to make this a memorial Postcard too, by including one of the pictures I took of his headstone (which I helped pay for in 1977); and this picture too, was taken on his 100th. Birthday by me. I also added the subtle “2017” to the lower part of the headstone to date this Postcard

I sized and positioned his image to be centered between three memorable locations that Lovecraftians always visit…

To the side of his left ear (to the viewer’s right), where the List Art Center is now standing, is the original site of Lovecraft’s final home, the Samuel B. Mumford House (1825), which was at 66 College Street (now 64 College Street, and the List Art Center), before the house was moved to 65 Prospect Street in September 1959 before construction of the List Art Center.

To the side of his left ear (to the viewer’s right), just behind the List Art Center, is the John Hay Library of Brown University, which Lovecraft could look into the stacks of from his rooms in 66 College Street; and which now houses the Lovecraft Special Collection at 20 Prospect Street.

Finally, just at the top tip of his right ear (to the viewer’s left), is the current location of Lovecraft’s last home, The Samuel B. Mumford House (1825), at 65 Prospect Street at Meeting Street. Moved here in September 1959 before construction of the List Art Center at 64 College Street.

I’m glad that several people have picked up on the humor behind the italics of “Am,” combined with the exclamation point…

And I hope these Postcards have been shared by the NecronomiCon crowd; and those, like myself, that couldn’t be there this year.

Will Hart
a.k.a. CthulhuWho1

H. P. Lovecraft Smiles! (At Last!) Updated

 

H. P. Lovecraft Smiling (1934) v2

 

H. P. Lovecraft Smiling (1934) v1

Thanks to the photo editing talents of “Mindblast Cult” [and a little tweaking by Yours Truly] over on Facebook, we all have a chance to finally see what a really happy H. P. Lovecraft looked like in 1934.

Thank You Mindblast Cult for the original image, and the newer one added today 2-June-2017!