Necronomicon: The Wanderings of Alhazred

Tyson's Necronomicon is an exception to a rule I usually respect: that books bought on impulse, based on reading a few pages in a bookstore, are usually unworthy. From the prefaces by Wormius and Filetas (each striking a different, although ominous, note) to the drawings of signs and stelae, to the maps, the book is a joy. It tells the story of Alhazred's enlightenment (or should be endarkening?), from fair-haired Yemenian boy-poet, to his horrible mutilation at the hands of a jealous king, to his first inklings of the powers of darkness in Arabia's Empty Quarter, to his wanderings throughout the middle East, to his final days in Damascus, prior to his mysterious death at the hands of an invisible enemy. His retelling of the Greek myths from the perspective of Lovecraftian lore is masterly, and his description of subterranean monsters and inter-dimensional strife are worthy of H.P. himself. And above everything is Alkhazred's mocking tone: as a master sorcerer and champion cheater he is unsurpassed. He is actually the anti-Prometeus, in that he steals not the fire of the gods, but rather the demons' darkness. The book is in fact so amusing, so well written, so thoroughly consistent, that I wouldn't be surprised if some bone-headed cult doesn't spring around its teachings.

First off, let me point out that the necronomicon was a fictional book used in stories by H.P Lovecraft and his successors. And let me point out that there have been many 'Necronomicons'published that claim to be the real necronomicons, all being terrible written books trying to make up magic rituals involving beings that bear resemblance to the beings in the mythos made by lovecraft but often having changed names and portfolios as to mislead a reader into thinking this is the origin of the beings in the mythos, not the other way around, or to just differentiate itself from the stories all together by putting it in some pseadomythology based on reall ones and the beings of the mythos (see Simon Necronomicon). Ultimately they have been, in my opinion, terrible failures. That being said, this book does not fall into those categories I stated above. It uses the real names of the mythos creatures, and it contains little about magic so that a casual reader just wanting to read for its entertainment value (which i have to say is quite high) is not bombarded with ritual and ceromonie and formulae while only getting a fraction of actual entertainment and lore. In addition, unlike its predeccessors it uses quotes lovecrafts stories, the ones that are passages from the necronomicon in the stories, seamlessly integrated into the chapters to further connect to the real necronomicon. Now, those of you who practice chaos magic who want a way to work with these beings, there are sigils attributed to each old one, but no real rituals other then the creation of the sigil themselves, leaving you to be able to create your own rituals, which is why this one is so great from a chaos magickal point of view too. And for those of you who didnt notice, this version was written by an actual occultist. I recommend that, if you want a necronomicon, you buy this one and that you dont waste your money or time on other ones, especially the Simon Necronomicon and its spellbook.

of one the most infamous and mysterious characters in the Mythos. Great read, both in reference to Lovecraft's stories and an independent story in an of itself. Alhazred's narration is told in a present tense, second person voice. Once you get used to this unusual style, the necromancer becomes three dimensional, with his own wisdom, madness, and occasional humor portrayed wonderfully by the author.  The forward by Theodorus and Wormius should defintely be read to set up the backstory, as Abdul begins his tale with his exile to the desert. This is not a spellbook or a hard and fast examination of every technicality of the Mythos, though it covers many of them great detail--this is a work of fiction. "Hoax" or not, it's an interesting and often morbidly fascinating portrait of a complex character. For fans of Lovecraft and his themes (death, decay, those terrible things between the stars that will consume us pale prideful foolish men...etc, etc) , this is a must--though those who are unfamiliar with his stories might have a difficult time with it.

I enjoyed the whole format and formula behind Tyson's concept of the Mythos. The inclusions in the texts are what would be readily formulated in the mind of Lovecraft and Smith readers as well as those who peruse the modern Mythos movement. It is strangely similar to other unpublished efforts I've seen and has some similarities with a certain Arabic and Greek manuscript which I keep well hidden. That aside, it is a seriously good effort at filling the pie. With a good Elder sign and pious heart you should be safe reading it. I hope others enjoy the adventures within as well as I have. I think it is a wonderful addition to any Miskatonic University student's library.