Off the Ancient Track: A Lovecraftian Guide to New England and Adjacent New York
Jason C. Eckhardt
If New England is the center of Lovecraft's universe, then Providence is its epicenter. Rich in history spanning over 350 years, Providence rewards the curious with a wealth of historical sites. And the good news for Lovecraftians is that much that HPL knew and loved still lingers in the old town.
Written and illustrated by Jason C. Eckhardt, and first published in 1987, this edition of Off the Ancient Track was revised for the 2013 NecronomiCon Providence. This 20-page booklet contains redrawn images based upon the originals, additional maps, and redrawn maps of Providence and New York.
"...Eckhardt's booklet, as the title suggests, covers all the places of importance both in Lovecraft's fiction and his life (quite appropriately, since they often overlapped). The main body of Off the Ancient Track is a series of uniquely Eckhardtian line-drawings of the various houses, churches, and other buildings, each accompanied by explanatory paragraphs quoted from Lovecraft's fiction and letters, and in one case, from Sonia Davis' memoirs. There are also six large-scale area road maps of College Hill, Providence, Boston, Marblehead, Brooklyn, and New England, the last also showing probable locations of Arkham, Kingsport, etc. ... Eckhardt has provided an ideal tool for all Lovecraftian acolytes who wish to take up the terrifically fun sport of pilgrimage." - Robert M. Price in Crypt of Cthulhu #53, 1988 (review of the 1987 edition)