cover image Dead Names: The Dark History of the Necronomicon

Dead Names: The Dark History of the Necronomicon

Charnan Simon, . . Subterranean, $60 (0pp) ISBN 978-1-59606-101-9

Simon's 1977 "translation" of the Necronomicon exploited the name and legend of H.P. Lovecraft's invented book, but bore little resemblance to what Lovecraft's readers had come to expect. Now in this "history," memoir and answer to his critics, the author tries to have it both ways: his was not the Lovecraftian Necronomicon , but another work of blasphemous elder lore with the same title. Possibly Lovecraft had heard of it, Simon suggests. We are also asked to believe that the volume, like the Lovecraftian original, has a long and sinister history, including links to the Son of Sam murders, assorted suicides, the New York occult scene and even the World Trade Center attack. Lacking is any evidence that this is other than the work of the author's imagination. While the result may be of interest to students of the occult, it has little to offer to fantasy readers or Lovecraft fans. (May)