A number of fictional [[Cult (religious practice)|cults]] appear in the Cthulhu Mythos, the loosely connected series of horror stories written by Lovecraft and other writers inspired by his creations. Many of these cults serve the [[Cthulhu Mythos deities#Outer Gods|Outer God]] [[Nyarlathotep]], the Crawling Chaos, a [[Proteus|protean]] creature that appears in myriad guises. Other cults are dedicated to the cause of the [[Cthulhu Mythos deities#Great Old Ones|Great Old Ones]], a group of powerful [[Extraterrestrial life|alien beings]] currently imprisoned or otherwise resting in a [[Suspended animation|deathlike sleep]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}} These fictional cults have in some ways taken on a life of their own beyond the pages of Lovecraft's works. According to author John Engle, "The very real world of esoteric magical and occult practices has adopted Lovecraft and his works into its canon, which have informed the ritual practices, or even formed the bedrock, of certain cabals and magical circles".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Engle |first=John |date=October 15, 2014 |title=Cults of Lovecraft: The Impact of H.P. Lovecraft's Fiction on Contemporary Occult Practices |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26815942 |journal=Mythlore |volume=33 |issue=125 |pages=85–98 |jstor=26815942 |via=JSTOR}}</ref>
