Publisher's Synopsis
Yog-Sothoth ... Nyarlathotep ... Shub-Niggurath ... CTHULHU. The Great Old Ones: hideous monster-gods from beyond Time and Space. Ancient, eldritch horrors that populate the pantheon of weird-fiction writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft's increasingly popular milieu, his so-called Cthulhu Mythos. Some claim that they are merely fiction, while others have convinced themselves that Lovecraft somehow intuited their objective existence. When faced with the weird, chimerical potency of the Great Old Ones, whether they are approached through fiction, magical practice, or, say, a table-top role-playing game, neither viewpoint really seems to satisfy. The Great Old Ones are protean, nebulous, unimaginable... and impressively persistent in their psychological and spiritual presence. In "When The Stars Are Right: Towards An Authentic R'lyehian Spirituality", author Scott R Jones deftly breaks down the barriers between the rational and the irrational, between the bright logic of our daytime intellect and the fearful non-Euclidean symmetries of our darkest dreams. In the process, the truth of the Great Old Ones is revealed in all its cosmic resonance. Beyond reason... beyond madness... beyond the unspeakable... lies the Black Gnosis: a new mode of being, a spirituality that anticipates a new appreciation of humanity's place in an increasingly dire and indifferent cosmos. "When The Stars Are Right" asks the reader a simple question: "Are you keeping it R'lyeh?" The answers may surprise you. "When The Stars Are Right: Towards An Authentic R'lyehian Spirituality" by Scott R Jones, with an introduction by Jordan Stratford '(Living Gnosticism: An Ancient Way of Knowing' and 'A Dictionary of Western Alchemy') and interior illustrations by Michael Lee Macdonald. What They're Saying About "When The Stars Are Right"... "Sly, intelligent, and darkly entertaining. Jones gives Ligotti a run for his money in the cosmic horror philosophy arms race." -- Laird Barron, author of 'The Croning' and 'The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All' "Canadian author, editor, and poet Scott R. Jones [approaches] Old Grandpa Theobald's life's work and literary legacy as a true spiritual seeker, and, as a result, uncovers real spiritual truths. This is no Simon 'Necronomicon', no coy cash-in; instead, the book you hold in your hands is a sort of Cosmic Horror 'How to Win Friends and Influence Cultists', filled with potentially life-changing wisdom, provocative observation, and beautiful madness. When the Stars Are Right is the first real self-help book for the weird fiction crowd." -- Ross E. Lockhart, editor 'The Book of Cthulhu' "With this book Scott R. Jones manages to transcend the mire of pseudo-Necronomicons and the pop Cthulhu cottage industry ... a stirring examination of the genuine Darkness that churns not only in the Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft but in the universe at large." -- Richard Gavin, author of 'At Fear's Altar' "... boldly contemplates the life-changing notions that chortled and skittered along the edges of Lovecraft's best work. Highly recommended, but don't expect any gates to close easily afterwards." -- Bryan Thao Worra, NEA Fellow in Literature, author of 'Demonstra' "This isn't a book; it's a crime scene!" -- Leeman Kessler, AskLovecraft.com
