The NetherReal  proudly presents—

The NetherReal Awards of Excellence Program was created to recognize those sites on the Internet that further the works of H.P. Lovecraft and the genre he created. Whether for overall design, art, fiction, nonfiction, reference, or gaming, these awards let those who visit know that the site is, indeed, a Mythos site, not a waste of time.

Levels of Awards

The Shining Trapezohedron

A special award presented to sites which, by the superior quality of their content and the overall dedication to all things Mythos, further all aspects of the world of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. This award is very rare indeed, and requires additional time in order to present.

The Sign of the Old Ones' Award of Excellence
The Elder Sign of Excellence

The Sign of Old Ones' Award of Excellence and The Elder Sign of Excellence are intended for those sites on the Internet who are dedicated to the works of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. Each award is divided into the following categories:

• Fiction - The site provides quality fictional material on the Internet for and about the Cthulhu Mythos. Fictional pieces may be short stories to novel in length, but must adhere to the general guidelines of the Cthulhu Mythos and its concepts.
• Nonfiction - The site provides articles, discussions (and discussion groups), or other general information which adheres to the world of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos and its furthering on the Internet.
• Research - The site provides background information on H.P. Lovecraft, his life, his works, the world of the Cthulhu Mythos, and all other materials derived from these works. The information found on the site can be used for serious research and is considered consistent and reliable.
• Art - The site provides quality art about the world of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. The art is original and insightful, allow the browser a serious peek into the alternate universe of the Mythos.
• Gaming - The site provides in depth information and other material for the Call of Cthulhu(TM) and Delta Green games.

The selected sites must meet and exceed a very stringent set of rules set by The NetherReal as listed below in that particular category. Sites presented this award will be given The Sign of Old Ones' Award of Excellence or The Elder Sign of Excellence in their respective categories to proudly display on their site, thus proclaiming to all who visit that the site is, indeed, devoted to the world of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

If you know of a site which you think is a likely candidate for this award, just fill out the following form. I will begin the evaluation process within one week and will get back with you (if you wish), to let you know the outcome. If the site is not selected, a short summary (two-three lines) will accompany the outcome. See rules for complete details.

Nomination Rules and Selection Guidelines

Sites nominated for The NetherReal Awards of Excellence program must:

Have, as its main theme, the Cthulhu Mythos and/or art and works of and about H.P. Lovecraft. Sites may have other material present for general viewing, but the Cthulhu Mythos must stand as the main theme.

Meet the highest of standards under the following criteria:

• Accessibility. Is the site available whenever we need to get to it? ISP and web server problems will not be held against the site, such problems are totally understandable and are not the webmaster's fault. What I look for is actual problems presented by the webmaster, such as improper, old, or bad links, accessible through the server but the index page is missing, etc..

• Aesthetics. The World Wide Web is a multimedia experience. Does the site offer an extension into this experience, or is it black letters on gray or white background? I'm not expecting da Vinci here, but some type of graphic representation is appreciated. Additionally, design of the page will be considered, is it overcrowded or does the layout allow ease of browsing.

• Content. The mainstay of the World Wide Web is information flow. Pretty pictures will not suffice in this new medium. Content, content, content, whether it's stories, poetry, art, essays, links, it must have content. If the site is a link page, I would expect a little more than just "here's the link, go check it out."

• Quality. The site can be full of information, but if the information is erroneous, misleading, or does not conform to the accepted Cthulhu Mythos story line, it will not be considered.

• Navigation. How easy is it to get through the site? Can you get from point A to point B without going through the rest of the alphabet to get there? Navigation is one of the keys to get people to come back to your site over and over again.

• Grammar and Spelling. A site may be the best looking in the world, but if you can't extract the information from it because of gross misspellings or grammatical errors, why visit it?

Sites which proclaim the actual existence of the Cthulhu Mythos gods and/or who solicit the worship or research into this mythos as a real entity will not be considered. Example: A site which attempts to categorize and explain the history of the cursed Necronomicon will be considered, a site which offers spells for actual use from the mythical Necronomicon will be rejected.

On-Line Nomination Form