Black Man with a Horn
Encyclopedia
Black Man with a Horn, by T. E. D. Klein
, is a Cthulhu Mythos
novella originally published in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos. Critic S. T. Joshi
notes that the story demonstrates a 'deftness of style, a subtley in the build-up of a horrific climax, and a deep understanding of the psychological effects of horror
.'
and modeled after Lovecraft Circle member Frank Belknap Long
--becomes involved in a mystery after a chance encounter with a missionary while traveling. The missionary, traveling in disguise, is fleeing something he encountered while in Malaysia, and refers to the Chaucha. Later, while visiting a museum, the author comes across a reference to the Chaucha. The narrator realizes that the Chaucha are actually the Tcho-Tcho
, which he had previously thought to be fictional construct of Lovecraft. Slowly, the narrator becomes threatened by a being the Tcho-Tcho worship: a black, fishlike humanoid demon—the Shogoran—with an appendage that resembles a horn attached to its face.
T. E. D. Klein
Theodore "Eibon" Donald Klein is an American horror writer and editor.Klein has published very few works, but they have all achieved positive notice for their meticulous construction and subtle use of horror: critic S. T...
, is a Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
novella originally published in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos. Critic S. T. Joshi
S. T. Joshi
Sunand Tryambak Joshi — known as S. T. Joshi — is an award-winning Indian American literary critic, novelist, and a leading figure in the study of Howard Phillips Lovecraft and other authors of weird and fantastic fiction...
notes that the story demonstrates a 'deftness of style, a subtley in the build-up of a horrific climax, and a deep understanding of the psychological effects of horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
.'
Plot
In the story, an author—whose literary career has been in the shadow of H. P. LovecraftH. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
and modeled after Lovecraft Circle member Frank Belknap Long
Frank Belknap Long
Frank Belknap Long was a prolific American writer of horror fiction, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, gothic romance, comic books, and non-fiction. Though his writing career spanned seven decades, he is best known for his horror and science fiction short stories, including early contributions to...
--becomes involved in a mystery after a chance encounter with a missionary while traveling. The missionary, traveling in disguise, is fleeing something he encountered while in Malaysia, and refers to the Chaucha. Later, while visiting a museum, the author comes across a reference to the Chaucha. The narrator realizes that the Chaucha are actually the Tcho-Tcho
Tcho-Tcho
The Tcho-Tcho, or Tcho-Tcho people, are a fictional human-like race in the Cthulhu Mythos.-Appearances:The Tcho-Tcho are first mentioned in August Derleth's 1933 short story "The Thing That Walked on the Wind", in which a character refers in passing to "the forbidden and accursed designs of the...
, which he had previously thought to be fictional construct of Lovecraft. Slowly, the narrator becomes threatened by a being the Tcho-Tcho worship: a black, fishlike humanoid demon—the Shogoran—with an appendage that resembles a horn attached to its face.
Publication history
- New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos Arkham HouseArkham HouseArkham House is a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Lovecraft's fictional New England city, Arkham. Arkham House...
, 1980 - Dark Gods
- Cthulhu 2000: A Lovecraftian Anthology Arkham House, 1995