Happy Anniversary to "The Cult of Alien Gods"

11/9/2020

My first and most influential book, The Cult of Alien Gods: H. P. Lovecraft and Extraterrestrial Pop Culture, was published fifteen years ago this week. In the crush of work on my two new books, I nearly neglected to mark this important anniversary. When I published the book back in 2005, I received heavy criticism both from those interested in H. P. Lovecraft and those interested in space aliens. Both groups felt I had done a disservice to them by explaining how the modern ancient astronaut theory grew out of the influence of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos on the authors of one of the hypothesis's key texts, Morning of the Magicians. But now, after all this time, this conclusion is so widely accepted that some who discuss it no longer credit it to me, for it has passed into the realm of fact. It is an honor, I suppose.

The Cult of Alien Gods is not perfect, nor is it the book I would write today. I was only twenty-three when I wrote the book, twenty-four when it was published. Despite selling thousands of copies, I have never seen a dime of profit from that book. (I earned some initial royalties which did not cover the costs incurred writing the book, and since then the magic of accounting has kept the book perpetually shy of the threshold for receiving a check.) Nevertheless, it both made my reputation and locked me into a niche from which I only now have a chance to grow beyond.

I have mixed feelings about this anniversary. For the realm of the mind and for the historical record, it is good that I wrote the book. Without it, I would never have discovered so many secrets about history and culture. But I do wonder if I had held off whether I might have been able to grow my career in a more mainstream direction. I can remember how proud I was of having a published book when I applied for jobs in publishing back in 2005, 2006, and 2007, only to have editors turn up their noses. They published literature, you see, and I wrote about déclassé aliens. They couldn't have me on their staff lest I corrupt their Olympian literary taste. Yeah, but you can Google my name and see how many people have built on what I've done. No one knows who any of those editors are.

15 Comments

Brian

11/10/2020 07:49:24 am

Congratulations, Jason. It's a good book and an accomplishment and had a healthy influence.

Don't fret the ambiguous regrets - that's part of growing up. Anyone who doesn't have some regrets hasn't grown up. We all get trapped in what we were interested in during our youth. I'd like to warn kids to really think hard about what they're getting excited about before they go too deep, because that's going to be what sticks in their heads until the end.

Nick Danger

11/10/2020 10:23:25 am

The Rooster

11/11/2020 01:38:37 am

Um?

You have my interest.

You also realize that the paperback from The Amazonian People is 140.00$?

This better be good, or I'm coming for you.

Strong work my friend. I did Kindle.

❤️

Jim

11/10/2020 07:58:55 am

Perhaps it is caused by the rise of the middlemen who have the power to choose ones fate, rather than the audience choosing who they like.
It seems to me Shakespeare came to fame and popularity as a writer mainly through his own devices. (Granted, I am weak on the in depth history of this.)

Now that the internet has exploded onto and shrunk the world we are seeing massive changes on how material is distributed, I am thinking we will see a lot of change in the publishing industry as well, vis-à-vis the route from the actual author to the masses. It may be now be beginning to be possible to rise without middlemen deciding who gets to be famous and popular.

The times they are a changing.

David Evans

11/10/2020 09:08:31 am

Happy Anniversary! I was going to buy it for my Kindle, but I got distracted by Faking History and bought that instead. Another time.

Cesar

11/10/2020 09:33:21 am

"Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity",

Titus 2:7

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up".

Galatians 6:9

Doc rock

11/10/2020 10:41:35 am

Who doesnt want to write the Great American Novel when they are in their 20s? I have a couple friends who are still at it 40 years later with nothing seeing print. A couple others did get their book published and they quickly turned into the Great Bargain Bin Buys. Be careful what you wish for.

At least you can see the glass half full with your last few sentences. Google scholar can be a great ego soother at times.

Jim Davis

11/10/2020 10:55:34 am

I thought it was the norm in contracts like these to have clauses which specify a certain monthly sales level below which rights to the work revert to the author.

Am I misinformed?

Jason Colavito link

11/11/2020 10:16:03 am

The contract specifies that rights revert only when the book is no longer in print. They do a minimal print run every year to ensure that never happens.

E.P. Grondine

11/10/2020 01:03:38 pm

Hi Jason -

My understanding of that industry differs from yours.No doubt Morning of the Magicians influenced von Daniken, but then I have never read that book nor Lovecraft, and I have lot of reading to do (and some translation work).

Let me see if I can explain this to you. There is a large crater in coastal West Africa, with local legends, along with multiple impact "tales" involving impact mega-tsunami. This is why I keep hounding you about Al Idrisi. Our African impact specialist has disappeared. I do not know if he is alive today.

Have you considered audio book versions of your books on Youtube? The publicity would do you great good.

IMO, your moundbuilders book needs a re-write, but right now I do not have the time to help you with that. Very very close, but no cigar, at least not yet. But it could be great. If you do not do it, someone else will.

"Man and Impact in the Americas is sold out, with the very few copies left reserved for Native American historians. I myself have not figured out my future publishing at all. I even have requests for radio shows waiting for me. I have never heard your speaking voice. There is more to writing than just writing, as the saying goes.

Charles Verrastro link

11/15/2020 07:02:29 pm

Good to hear Mr. K Street hasn't scared you away, Grondine.
Have you read the article “Then a Star Fell:” Folk-Memory of a Celestial Impact Event in the Ancient Egyptian Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor by Lloyd Graham? It's on Academia.edu.

11/11/2020 09:22:12 pm

Wow. Just took a deep breath, and had to stop.

Kindle is giving me shite in terms of "quotes".

There's no wonder any longer from me why people love you, or why they barf up their criticism of you.

Dude?

So am I to understand? You are a systems analyst that loves Lovecraft, and handles a switch-blade-pen like James Dean?

You don't need to post this. Just saying.

Geez, what else to say?

Thanks for keeping it real.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eselLQax8us

❤️

11/15/2020 06:50:09 pm

As you know, Jason, Dean's mother and others often read poetry to him. And being Quakers, the philosophy rings true to their beliefs. I wouldn't try too hard to bend him into an acolyte of the Cthulu cult.
Wonder what James would have made of this:

Dear Sir or Madam I can see This letter that you wrote to me Expressed a strange desire – to be a Quander.

Tell me why in heaven’s name Do you really have no shame? Well, you’ll have to bear the blame – to be a Quander.

Dear Sir or Madam, with much pain I must reiterate again That you would have to be insane – to be a Quander.

Not on crazy, stupid too If you don’t think this is true Here’s some things you’ll have to do – to be a Quander.

First you have to learn to fight Most verbally ... all night And scream until you earn the right – to be a Quander.

A Quander is a breed apart Peculiar, but with lost of heart You must know this before you start – to be a Quander.

A Quander, whether fat or slim Will satisfy his every whim’ And you must go along with him – to be a Quander.

You must not ever sing the blues But always pay your union dues And know how to control your booze – to be a Quander.

In final word, dear girl or man If you can see a wedding band And if you fit it in your plan – to be a Quander.

Good luck to you, and all the best When all your days bring happiness You know that you have passed the test – to be a Quander.

Marlowe Cassetti

11/16/2020 10:07:57 am

Congratulations on a great book. I used it as a reference on my lecture on Ancient Aliens at a local community college. Standing room only audience of mostly interested folks. One hostile woman, critical of my conclusions asked "Don't you believe in anything?"