H.P. Lovecraft: Master of the Weird Tale (and REH fan)

[Jason Aiken]

Mar 4, 2016 21:26:50 GMT -5 deuce said:

Mar 3, 2016 2:04:38 GMT -5 Jason Aiken said:

pulpcrazy.com/podcast/142.mp3

(Sticking this here as it's not really Cthulhu Mythos)

Hey Jason! Another good episode. I thought you brought up some interesting points.

As far as this tale being "Mythos" or not, there's nothing in it that would preclude it happening in the same world/universe as Dreams in the Witch House or Whisperer in the Darkness. If it's an HPL story, that's how I categorize such things.

BTW, even if it was a full-blown "Mythos" tale, posting it on this thread would be fine. The "Cthulhu Mythos" thread is basically for non-HPL Mythos stuff.

In this week's episode I'll be discussing an early H. P. Lovecraft tale, "The Tree." While it doesn't fit as snugly into Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos as some of his other tales, it does have some interesting elements going for it. The setting of Ancient Rome, circa 4th Century B.C. being the most prominent in my opinion.

This tale is definitely set in ancient Greece, centuries before Rome conquered it. You can read all the clues as enumerated by Joshi here:

books.google.com/books?id=efmXAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA255&lpg=PA255&dq=lovecraft+%22the+tree%22+mausolus+tyrant&source=bl&ots=nLRel6ePHz&sig=1IExlDFtLsLoPxybHDcl6q4d0hM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOtq7TqqjLAhXmu4MKHZJjAgoQ6AEIMDAD#v=onepage&q=lovecraft%20%22the%20tree%22%20mausolus%20tyrant&f=false

Damn, I wrote Ancient Rome in both my script and in the description. Good call that should have been Ancient Greece. Tyche is a greek goddess after all. Thanks for pointing that out Deuce.

[deuce]

Good news for HPL fans:


www.hippocampuspress.com/h.p-lovecraft/poetry/fungi-from-yuggoth-an-annotated-edition

A project that has been more than forty years in the making, David E. Schultz’s

long-awaited annotated edition of Lovecraft’s Fungi from Yuggoth is a hugely

significant release for Lovecraftians worldwide.





Schultz’s commentary illuminates both the literary sources of each poem and their

influence on subsequent works by Lovecraft. In addition to the commentary, the

current edition will include facsimile pages of Lovecraft’s own manuscript, the

musical score written for the sonnets by Lovecraft associate Harold S. Farnese, and

a full chronology, bibliography and index.

Robert E. Howard loved those sonnets. A few of them may have inspired some of REH's own tales.

[Jason Aiken]

From: www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine_books_blog/2016/03/found-lovecraft-manuscript-with-connection-to-houdini.phtml

Whispered about by hopeful collectors and scholars for decades, the manuscript of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Cancer of Superstition, commisssioned and co-written by magician Harry Houdini, has finally come to light. It was rather incredibly “discovered by a private collector among the records of a now-defunct magic shop,” according to Chicago’s Potter & Potter Auctions, which will auction the 31-page typewritten story on April 9.
Lovecraft.jpgIn the manuscript, the sci-fi master and the magician delve into ancient and modern superstitions, writing about werewolves, cannibals, and black magic, and advancing a “primitivist theory of the development of superstition.” The proposed book-length project came to a halt when Houdini unexpectedly died in 1926 at the age of 52. Prior to this discovery, only an outline and part of a first chapter were known to exist.
Potter & Potter will open the bidding at $13,000, although it is estimated to make $25,000-40,000.
The two-part auction of Houdiniana and the Davenport Magic Collection will also feature personal scrapbooks annotated by Houdini, rare photos and posters of him, handcuffs, keys, autographs, lockpicks, and original film footage. An archive of early correspondence to Houdini from the vaudeville impresario Martin Beck, who helped transform Houdini into the “Handcuff King,” is another highlight.

Ning, what do you think? Could this be legit?

[deuce]

HPL passed on 79yrs ago today. His "Notes on Writing Weird Fiction":

lovecraftzine.com/2014/03/15/lovecraft-died-on-this-date-in-1937-here-is-his-essay-notes-on-writing-weird-fiction/

[KiramidHead]

Mar 15, 2016 22:25:50 GMT -5 deuce said:

HPL passed on 79yrs ago today. His "Notes on Writing Weird Fiction":

lovecraftzine.com/2014/03/15/lovecraft-died-on-this-date-in-1937-here-is-his-essay-notes-on-writing-weird-fiction/

Amen.

[deuce]

Mar 15, 2016 13:00:49 GMT -5 Jason Aiken said:

From: www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine_books_blog/2016/03/found-lovecraft-manuscript-with-connection-to-houdini.phtml

Whispered about by hopeful collectors and scholars for decades, the manuscript of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Cancer of Superstition, commisssioned and co-written by magician Harry Houdini, has finally come to light. It was rather incredibly “discovered by a private collector among the records of a now-defunct magic shop,” according to Chicago’s Potter & Potter Auctions, which will auction the 31-page typewritten story on April 9.
Lovecraft.jpgIn the manuscript, the sci-fi master and the magician delve into ancient and modern superstitions, writing about werewolves, cannibals, and black magic, and advancing a “primitivist theory of the development of superstition.” The proposed book-length project came to a halt when Houdini unexpectedly died in 1926 at the age of 52. Prior to this discovery, only an outline and part of a first chapter were known to exist.
Potter & Potter will open the bidding at $13,000, although it is estimated to make $25,000-40,000.
The two-part auction of Houdiniana and the Davenport Magic Collection will also feature personal scrapbooks annotated by Houdini, rare photos and posters of him, handcuffs, keys, autographs, lockpicks, and original film footage. An archive of early correspondence to Houdini from the vaudeville impresario Martin Beck, who helped transform Houdini into the “Handcuff King,” is another highlight.

Ning, what do you think? Could this be legit?

The concensus seems to favor it being legitimate. BTW, here's a letter from HPL to Houdini:


lovecraftzine.com/2015/05/05/letter-from-lovecraft-to-houdini-about-edgar-allan-poes-desk/

[KiramidHead]

Mar 16, 2016 8:06:08 GMT -5 deuce said:

Mar 15, 2016 13:00:49 GMT -5 Jason Aiken said:

From: www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine_books_blog/2016/03/found-lovecraft-manuscript-with-connection-to-houdini.phtml

Ning, what do you think? Could this be legit?

The concensus seems to favor it being legitimate. BTW, here's a letter from HPL to Houdini:


lovecraftzine.com/2015/05/05/letter-from-lovecraft-to-houdini-about-edgar-allan-poes-desk/

I'll be counting down the days until publication, then. Gotta add to the HPL collection.

[deuce]

Mar 15, 2016 22:28:23 GMT -5 KiramidHead said:

Mar 15, 2016 22:25:50 GMT -5 deuce said:

HPL passed on 79yrs ago today. His "Notes on Writing Weird Fiction":

lovecraftzine.com/2014/03/15/lovecraft-died-on-this-date-in-1937-here-is-his-essay-notes-on-writing-weird-fiction/

Amen.

I think they placed the plaque at HPL's birthplace yesterday. They were supposed to, anyway.

[Ningauble]

Mar 16, 2016 10:38:40 GMT -5 deuce said:

Yup. I got an update from the Kickstarter earlier today.

[Ningauble]

Mar 15, 2016 13:00:49 GMT -5 Jason Aiken said:

Ning, what do you think? Could this be legit?

Everything points to that, yes. I thought that C. M. Eddy wrote this from HPL's synopsis (Houdini being involved only as their employer), but this

www.ebay.com/itm/Holographic-H-P-LOVECRAFT-Manuscript-Page-HARRY-HOUDINI-ASTROLOGY-Amateur-Press-/370716061710?nma=true&si=rYzUVNBWuFtKWUuDQELQHYm3%252FfU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

seems to indicate that there may have been an HPL manuscript as well, in which case this is even more interesting.

[deuce]

HPL's original sketch of Cthulhu:

[Ningauble]

Mar 16, 2016 12:38:02 GMT -5 Ningauble said:

Mar 15, 2016 13:00:49 GMT -5 Jason Aiken said:

Ning, what do you think? Could this be legit?

Everything points to that, yes. I thought that C. M. Eddy wrote this from HPL's synopsis (Houdini being involved only as their employer), but this

www.ebay.com/itm/Holographic-H-P-LOVECRAFT-Manuscript-Page-HARRY-HOUDINI-ASTROLOGY-Amateur-Press-/370716061710?nma=true&si=rYzUVNBWuFtKWUuDQELQHYm3%252FfU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

seems to indicate that there may have been an HPL manuscript as well, in which case this is even more interesting.

I checked with S. T. and he is of the opinion that the document in the ebay link is another text entirely, an article on astrology that HPL wrote for Houdini. So the TMs on auction is in all likelihood an Eddy text, hence slightly less exciting than most news media (and the auction catalogue) will have it.

[Jason Aiken]

Mar 21, 2016 15:45:27 GMT -5 Ningauble said:

Mar 16, 2016 12:38:02 GMT -5 Ningauble said:

Everything points to that, yes. I thought that C. M. Eddy wrote this from HPL's synopsis (Houdini being involved only as their employer), but this

www.ebay.com/itm/Holographic-H-P-LOVECRAFT-Manuscript-Page-HARRY-HOUDINI-ASTROLOGY-Amateur-Press-/370716061710?nma=true&si=rYzUVNBWuFtKWUuDQELQHYm3%252FfU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

seems to indicate that there may have been an HPL manuscript as well, in which case this is even more interesting.

I checked with S. T. and he is of the opinion that the document in the ebay link is another text entirely, an article on astrology that HPL wrote for Houdini. So the TMs on auction is in all likelihood an Eddy text, hence slightly less exciting than most news media (and the auction catalogue) will have it.

Bummer if that's the case. Might still be interesting reading, though.

I was hoping to see HPL write something about werewolves. I'm not an HPL scholar, but I like how his letter to Weird Tales querying why no one had written a werewolf tale from the werewolf's pov, inspired Munn to write his Tales of the Werewolf Clan stories.

[deuce]

Mar 22, 2016 21:56:28 GMT -5 Jason Aiken said:

Mar 21, 2016 15:45:27 GMT -5 Ningauble said:

I checked with S. T. and he is of the opinion that the document in the ebay link is another text entirely, an article on astrology that HPL wrote for Houdini. So the TMs on auction is in all likelihood an Eddy text, hence slightly less exciting than most news media (and the auction catalogue) will have it.

Bummer if that's the case. Might still be interesting reading, though.

I was hoping to see HPL write something about werewolves. I'm not an HPL scholar, but I like how his letter to Weird Tales querying why no one had written a werewolf tale from the werewolf's pov, inspired Munn to write his Tales of the Werewolf Clan stories.

REH almost did that with Wolfshead. His werewolves are earth-bound creatures possessed by "demons of the Outer Dark", as are his vampires and other monsters. Very Lovecraftian and something Lumley appropriated for his "Necroscope" series.

HPL noted that reading Wolfshead was when he started taking REH seriously.

[Jason Aiken]

Mar 22, 2016 22:02:09 GMT -5 deuce said:

Mar 22, 2016 21:56:28 GMT -5 Jason Aiken said:

Bummer if that's the case. Might still be interesting reading, though.

I was hoping to see HPL write something about werewolves. I'm not an HPL scholar, but I like how his letter to Weird Tales querying why no one had written a werewolf tale from the werewolf's pov, inspired Munn to write his Tales of the Werewolf Clan stories.

REH almost did that with Wolfshead. His werewolves are earth-bound creatures possessed by "demons of the Outer Dark", as are his vampires and other monsters. Very Lovecraftian and something Lumley appropriated for his "Necroscope" series.

HPL noted that reading Wolfshead was when he started taking REH seriously.

I really need to give Wolfshead a reread. It's been over 4 or 5 years since I first read that in The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard. I can remember some parts of it, but definitely need a refresher. Heck, I might grab the audio book from audible. I have a few credits.