Heavy metal Quote by Kenneth Hite
““This is Lovecraft's best terrible story. It is so artificial...and so overblown...and so ludicrous...that it slithers-through tiramisu-rich prose that might as well be heavy metal lyrics ("a wolf-fanged ghost that rode the midnight lightning")-all the way to the summit of high camp.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast "The Darkest Hour", 2023
The quote critiques a story for being overly dramatic and exaggerated, yet finds a strange charm in its flamboyant style.
In simple terms: It calls the story over-the-top but oddly appealing.
Key Takeaway
Embrace boldness while watching for excess.
Themes
literature
critique
style
humor
Mood
playful
ironic
critical
Type
analysis
humorous
literary critique
When to use this quote
- reading groups
- creative writing workshops
- genre analysis
- film adaptation discussions
Key Concepts
exaggeration
tone
genre blending
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you enjoy works that are intentionally overblown?
- When does flamboyance become a weakness?
A Different Perspective
The praise may overlook deeper narrative flaws.
![“I started with "Pickman's Model," because it was about Boston. I mean, what I loved about [H. P. Lovecraft], at first is his sense of scholarship of an area, setting an environment, enlivening it. I think that's one of the secrets of writing.” quote by Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c64/paul-laffoley-7077_areas_i-started-with-pickman-s-model-because-i_699330.jpg)
![“[Nikola Tesla] said he had no interest in the spiritual. He didn't believe in telepathy, didn't believe in any of that stuff, didn't believe in any religion, and he just thought all these people were being superstitious and wanted them to go away. And in that way he was very close to H.P…” quote by Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b16/paul-laffoley-7077_atheist_nikola-tesla-said-he-had-no-interest-in_504374.jpg)
![“You know, Mick Jagger's "Sympathy for the Devil." I think it was inspired by that [H.P.Lovecraft stories]. You don't know who's reading what, you know. It just comes out once in a while in the pop culture.” quote by Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b25/paul-laffoley-7077_culture_you-know-mick-jagger-s-sympathy-for-the_104239.jpg)
![“[August] Derleth tried to prevent any other (non-Derleth-approved) writer from writing Cthulhu Mythos stories.If Lovecraft had wanted bad writers to avoid Cthulhu Mythos stories, he wouldn’t have written back to August Derleth.” quote by Kenneth Hite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8ab/kenneth-hite-84411_cthulhu_august-derleth-tried-to-prevent-any-othe_475360.jpg)
