La Biblioteca de los Mitos de Cthulhu

¿Seguro? La ISFDB lo clasifica como ensayo

THE CTHULHU MYTHOS seems almost perfect for gaming.

As you can see from this anthology, many authors cooperate in creating a single mythic structure - or if they do not act in unison, the fact that any of these stories can be easily extended or expanded at a later date is ideal for the important characteristic of ‘fun’ in gaming.

Within the horror genre, the Cthulhu Mythos generally follows a strongly structured pattern: the mysterious, creepily-suggestive opening gradually reveals its connections to the Mythos, and as the mysteries are gradually revealed the reader is drawn into a familiar yet unspeakable terror. Because it is literature, of course, a diverse range of variation in content and even structure is possible, presenting a range of fresh but equally terrifying visions.

They all derive from cosmic horror, however, and a great part of the interest that the genre holds is precisely how the author expresses this horror. This is the highly-structured and familiar pattern I mentioned.

I am in no way criticizing the genre when I talk of this common pattern. This familiar pattern, almost a ritual, is part of the entertainment of the work, like the famous “Elementary, my dear Watson,” providing the reader with a sense of security and even catharsis.

In gaming, this pattern is a crucial characteristic.

It is often said that games are built of ideas, and I personally subscribe to this belief. Games which provide a new type of fun, anew dimension, become bestsellers and can have a dramatic effect on the evolution of gaming. There were a large number of such games in the twentieth century in particular.

At the same time, though, games have rules. Rather than defining absolute limits which must not be surpassed, they spell out the procedures to be repeated: the basics of playing the game. In terms of literature, this would be equivalent to the narrative and plot — the very skeleton of the work.

These repeated procedures are essential in gaming. Naturally these procedures, or rules, are not precisely equivalent to the common patterns of literature I mentioned, but I feel they have much in common. While they provide the player with a sense of security, the individual differences of each game link with the unique ideas of that game to develop unexpected aspects, creating tension in the players as they consider what to do, or what will be done unto them. This balance between security and the tension of the unknown is what makes a great game.

When I consider the aspects of entertainment and pattern, I realize that the Cthulhu Mythos — like most fantasy settings — offers …

Editado: Aunque quizá sea más fácil añadir esta antología en solitario titulada Kthulhu Reich.

No encuentro por ningún lado los títulos originales de los relatos

Muchas gracias, voy a usar un convertidor a romaji porque luego no hay quien busque nada con esos caracteres

Ambas cosas me parecen improbables, pero así resulta un poco más legible para los acostumbrados a las letras del glorioso imperio romano.