Necronomicon Hoaxes

The Necronomicon as a real book

Though Lovecraft insisted the book was pure invention (and other writers invented passages from the book in their own works), there are accounts of some people actually believing his Necronomicon to be a real book. Even during Lovecraft's life he received letters from fans inquiring about the Necronomicon's authenticity. Occasionally, pranksters listed the Necronomicon for sale in book store newsletters or inserted phony library card catalogue entries for the book.

Simon "Necronomicon"

This line between fact and fiction was further confused in the late 1970s by the publication of a book purporting to be a translation of the "real" Necronomicon. This book, by the pseudonymic "Simon", has little connection to the fictional Lovecraft mythology but rather is based on Sumerian Mythology. It has later been dubbed the Simon Necronomicon or "Simonomicon".

Wilson Hoax

A blatant hoax version of the Necronomicon was produced by paranormal researcher and writer Colin Wilson, describing how it was translated by computer from a discovered "cipher text." It is far truer to the Lovecraftean version and even incorporates quotations from Lovecraft's stories into its passages. See Colin Wilson's Necronomicon for details.

H.R. Giger's Necronomicon

An art "coffee table book" produced by H.R. Giger, the surrealist most famous for creating the "xenomorph" concept for the Alien movie franchise. Loosely inspired by Lovecraft's references to the Necronomicon, but not really intended to be confused with an actual tome. See H.R. Giger's Necronomicon.

Voynich Manuscript

A "real life tome" considered to be one of the most mysterious books ever written: sometimes regarded a hoax, a misundersood alchemical grimoire, or a product of another world, depending on who you ask, the book appears as a palimpsest text consisting of a (thus far) unknown and indecipherable coded language (or convincing simulation of such), accompanied by detailed by crudely-executed illustrations depicting unknown plants and inexplicable depictions of what seem to be alien rituals. See Voynich Manuscript for details.

Books of the Dead

Historical "Books of the Dead" such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead or the Bardo Thodol - Tibetan Book of the Dead are sometimes described as "real Necronomicons." They should not be confused with the Lovecraft Necronomicon, as their contents are meant to be read or remembered by the dead, rather than used by the living to summon the dead. Lovecraft, however, may have been inspired by these books.