Thomas Carnacki

Thomas Carnacki
Powers and Abilities	Extensive mystical abilities
Occupation	Occult detective
Species	Human
Created by	William Hope Hodgson

🐙 Thomas Carnacki is a character created by the late British author William Hope Hodgson for his Carnacki series of detective stories. Other writers, notably William Meikle, have written stories in which he encounters the forces of the Cthulhu Mythos.

Overview

A highly intelligent upper-class Englishman with a deep knowledge of the occult, Thomas Carnacki was active some time in the first quarter of the 20th century (possibly contemporary with the stories' publication in the early 1910s, but equally possibly a decade or so earlier). He is possessed of a deep-seated curiosity, and has been said to never turn down a challenge.

Carnacki has a small circle of friends to which he relates his stories, and it is in this way that each of the tales are presented. His friends are Dodgson, who relates the tale told by Carnacki to the reader, and Jessop, Arkwright and Taylor, who offer little but the occasional interruption, usually in the form of a question.

Carnacki is known to make use use of a number of mystical artefacts, perhaps foremost amongst them the Sigsand Manuscript, an ancient text with much information on the occult. He is also well-versed in certain magical arts, being aware of how to create defensive wards and and utilise mystic incantations. Other devices he employs include the Electric Pentacle, a protective technology of his own creation, and the Saaamaaa Ritual, a rite often used in conjunction with the Electric Pentacle.

Behind the Mythos

William Hope Hodgson created the character of Thomas Carnacki independently of other works: he was never intended to have lived in the same universe as other literary creations. Since his inception, however, the character has been expanded upon by many other authors, some of whom have introduced Carnacki to other fictional universes, such as the Cthulhu Mythos. Other universes he has crossed over with include Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, Solar Pons, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, all of which have crossed over into the greater Cthulhu Mythos at some point in their history.

Although H. P. Lovecraft was a self-confessed fan of Hodgson's work, he believed the Carnacki stories were his weakest efforts, describing the main character as "very weak, artificial and stereotyped".

Selected Appearances

• "The Hog" (William Hope Hodgson, 1947, ADJ)
• "The Adventure of the Antiquarian's Niece" (Barbara Hambly, 2003, EXP)
• "The Larkhill Barrow" (William Meikle, 2011, INFL)
• "The Island of Doctor Munroe" (William Meikle, 2014, INFL)
• "Bedlam in Yellow" (William Meikle, 2014, EXP)
• "The Silent Garden" (Jason C. Eckhardt, 2016, EXP)
• "A Hideous Communion" (James Gracey, 2016, EXP)
• "The Dark Light" (Robert M. Price, 2016, EXP)
• "The Madness of Arthur Malbrey" (Brandon Barrows, 2016, EXP)
• "From Between" (William Meikle, 2017, INFL)
• "The Lakeside Cottages" (William Meikle, 2017, EXP)
• "A Body in the Library" (William Meikle, 2017, EXP)
• "Bats in the Belfry" (William Meikle, 2018, EXP)
• Operation Antarctica (William Meikle, 2018, EXP)
• "Starry Wisdom" (William Meikle, 2021, EXP)

Trivia

• Carnacki lives at 472 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea.

Gallery

Illustration by Florence Briscoe for "The Searcher of the End House"

As depicted on the cover of William Meikle's collection Carnacki: Heaven and Hell