OCCULT –
The Necronomicon: Or The Book of Dead Names is a 1978 pseudepigraphical occult book edited by British writer George Hay, featuring an introduction by Colin Wilson and contributions from occult researchers. It attempts to playfully or seriously “recreate” the fictional grimoire invented by horror author H.P. Lovecraft.
VERY SCARCE
Origins and Concept
- Lovecraft’s Fiction: The Necronomicon was originally a fictional sacred text created by H.P. Lovecraft in his 1924 short story “The Hound”, attributed to the “Mad Arab” Abdul Alhazred. []
- The Hay Project: George Hay sought to decode a “secret” manuscript embedded within Lovecraft’s text, utilizing a computer program at a British university to analyze fragments and supposedly reveal hidden ciphers or historical links to Sumerian/Babylonian magic.
- Contents: The resulting book combines essays on the Cthulhu Mythos, artificial intelligence, John Dee’s Enochian language, and simulated ancient Arabic/Sumerian spells to blur the line between reality and cosmic horror fiction.
Editions and Legacy
- First Publication: Originally published in 1978 by Neville Spearman in limited hardback quantities.
- Later Reprints: Reissued in paperback by Skoob Books in 1992 as The Necronomicon: Or the Book of Dead Names.
- First Edition Hardcover in Dustjacket. (name cut from prelim corner)
- #180826