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j. d. worthington · 19th June 2008, 09:45 PM

The reason I come on so strong on this matter is that I've seen the sort of thing I describe above an awful lot, and the trend does seem to be growing. It never seems to occur to most people involved in this that, without selling the material, there's no reason for publishers to print it in the first place, nor for writers to attempt to get published. And with something as specialized as this, it doesn't take much of a diminishment in sales to make such a thing simply non-viable; which would be a great loss for Lovecraft scholarship.

As for specifics here: the listing of "Weird &c Items in Library of H. P. Lovecraft", as included in the book, amounts to five pages of material, which is quite a bit. As you've asked for lesser-known items (or ones not so well known today), these are what I'll include... though with many of these, I know little or nothing about them.

They are:

Leonid Nikolaevich Andreyev: The Seven That Were Hanged (also includes The Red Laugh), with an introduction by Thomas Seltzer, published by Boni & Liveright (Modern Library). Joshi dates this to "[1918] or [1925]". LL#29

Michael Arlen: Ghost Stories [1927] (which Lovecraft, however, describes as "unbelievably lacking in every possible element of the truly weird"). LL#41

John Jacob Astor: A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future (1894). LL#46

F. Britten Austin: On the Borderland (1923). Lovecraft describes this as "mediocre". LL#51

Mary Bligh-Blond: Avernus (1924). LL#107

Frank Cowan: Revi-Lona: A Romance of Love in a Marvellous Land [188?]. LL#198

Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly: The Story without a Name (trans. by Edgar Saltus; 1891). LL#65

James De Mille: A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder [1888]. LL#230

Benjamin Disraeli: Alroy [1833]. LL#252

Esther Forbes: A Mirror for Witches in Which is Reflected the Life, Machinations, and Death of Famous Doll Bilby (1928). LL#322

Friedrich Heinrich Karl La Motte-Fouqué: Undine and Sintram (includes Undine, The Two Captains, Auslauga's Knight, Sintram and His Companions). LL#513

Charles Loring Jackson: The Gold Point and Other Strange Stories (1926) LL#466

Basil King: The Spreading Dawn: Stories of the Great Transition (1927). LL#495

Stephen McKenna: The Oldest God (1926). Joshi labels this a "Weird novel". LL#579

Fred Lewis Pattee: The House of the Black Ring (1916). Joshi notes that "Pattee reviewed HPL's Supernatural Horror in Literature in American Literature 18, No. 2 (May 1946): 175-77". LL#679

Leo Perutz: The Master of the Day of Judgment (trans. by Hedwig Singer; 1930). LL#687

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch: Noughts and Crosses: Stories, Studies, and Sketches (1893). LL#715

____________________: Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts: A Book of Stories (1900). LL#716

____________________: Wandering Heath: Stories, Studies, and Sketches (1896). LL#717

W. Clark Russell: The Flying Dutchman; or, The Dutch Ship [1888]. LL#751

_____________: The Frozen Pirate [1887]. LL#752

Frank Mackenzie Savile: Beyond the Great South Wall: The Secret of the Antarctic [1899]. LL#759

M. P. Shiel: The Lord of the Sea [1901]. LL#798

May Sinclair: The Intercessor and Other Stories (1932). LL#803

Sir Osbert Sitwell: The Man Who Lost Himself (1929). LL#805

Signe Toksvig: The Last Devil (1927). LL#887\

J. Provand Webster: The Oracle of Baal: A Narrative of Some Curious Events in the Life of Professor Horatio Charmichael, M.A. (1896). LL#928

S. Fowler Wright: Deluge: A Romance (1928). LL#973

______________: The World Below (1930). LL#974

Dolf Wyllarde: Stories of Strange Happenings (1930). LL#975

There are also sections on anthologies, treatises, and on myth, folklore, and the occult as well....

I don't always agree with his assessments of various writers; some (such as Le Fanu) whom he felt rather coldly toward, have long been recognized as among the great contributors to the field, and I would agree. HPL did have his blind spots, too. Some of the above volumes are back in print, such as The Frozen Pirate; while the books by "Q" (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch), though sometimes traditional, are certainly high on the list of Victorian spectral lore.

19th June 2008, 09:45 PM	#78 (permalink)
j. d. worthington Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 13,183	Re: General Weird discusion thread The reason I come on so strong on this matter is that I've seen the sort of thing I describe above an awful lot, and the trend does seem to be growing. It never seems to occur to most people involved in this that, without selling the material, there's no reason for publishers to print it in the first place, nor for writers to attempt to get published. And with something as specialized as this, it doesn't take much of a diminishment in sales to make such a thing simply non-viable; which would be a great loss for Lovecraft scholarship. As for specifics here: the listing of "Weird &c Items in Library of H. P. Lovecraft", as included in the book, amounts to five pages of material, which is quite a bit. As you've asked for lesser-known items (or ones not so well known today), these are what I'll include... though with many of these, I know little or nothing about them. They are: Leonid Nikolaevich Andreyev: The Seven That Were Hanged (also includes The Red Laugh), with an introduction by Thomas Seltzer, published by Boni & Liveright (Modern Library). Joshi dates this to "[1918] or [1925]". LL#29 Michael Arlen: Ghost Stories [1927] (which Lovecraft, however, describes as "unbelievably lacking in every possible element of the truly weird"). LL#41 John Jacob Astor: A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future (1894). LL#46 F. Britten Austin: On the Borderland (1923). Lovecraft describes this as "mediocre". LL#51 Mary Bligh-Blond: Avernus (1924). LL#107 Frank Cowan: Revi-Lona: A Romance of Love in a Marvellous Land [188?]. LL#198 Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly: The Story without a Name (trans. by Edgar Saltus; 1891). LL#65 James De Mille: A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder [1888]. LL#230 Benjamin Disraeli: Alroy [1833]. LL#252 Esther Forbes: A Mirror for Witches in Which is Reflected the Life, Machinations, and Death of Famous Doll Bilby (1928). LL#322 Friedrich Heinrich Karl La Motte-Fouqué: Undine and Sintram (includes Undine, The Two Captains, Auslauga's Knight, Sintram and His Companions). LL#513 Charles Loring Jackson: The Gold Point and Other Strange Stories (1926) LL#466 Basil King: The Spreading Dawn: Stories of the Great Transition (1927). LL#495 Stephen McKenna: The Oldest God (1926). Joshi labels this a "Weird novel". LL#579 Fred Lewis Pattee: The House of the Black Ring (1916). Joshi notes that "Pattee reviewed HPL's Supernatural Horror in Literature in American Literature 18, No. 2 (May 1946): 175-77". LL#679 Leo Perutz: The Master of the Day of Judgment (trans. by Hedwig Singer; 1930). LL#687 Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch: Noughts and Crosses: Stories, Studies, and Sketches (1893). LL#715 ____________________: Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts: A Book of Stories (1900). LL#716 ____________________: Wandering Heath: Stories, Studies, and Sketches (1896). LL#717 W. Clark Russell: The Flying Dutchman; or, The Dutch Ship [1888]. LL#751 _____________: The Frozen Pirate [1887]. LL#752 Frank Mackenzie Savile: Beyond the Great South Wall: The Secret of the Antarctic [1899]. LL#759 M. P. Shiel: The Lord of the Sea [1901]. LL#798 May Sinclair: The Intercessor and Other Stories (1932). LL#803 Sir Osbert Sitwell: The Man Who Lost Himself (1929). LL#805 Signe Toksvig: The Last Devil (1927). LL#887\ J. Provand Webster: The Oracle of Baal: A Narrative of Some Curious Events in the Life of Professor Horatio Charmichael, M.A. (1896). LL#928 S. Fowler Wright: Deluge: A Romance (1928). LL#973 ______________: The World Below (1930). LL#974 Dolf Wyllarde: Stories of Strange Happenings (1930). LL#975 There are also sections on anthologies, treatises, and on myth, folklore, and the occult as well.... I don't always agree with his assessments of various writers; some (such as Le Fanu) whom he felt rather coldly toward, have long been recognized as among the great contributors to the field, and I would agree. HPL did have his blind spots, too. Some of the above volumes are back in print, such as The Frozen Pirate; while the books by "Q" (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch), though sometimes traditional, are certainly high on the list of Victorian spectral lore.