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Dawnward Spire, Lonely Hill: The Letters of H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith: 1922-1931
The publication of the complete extant correspondence of H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith is a landmark in the study of weird fiction. These two titans remained close colleagues for fifteen years, and their letters shed light not only on each writer's interest in the other's work but also on the literary culture in which they produced their distinctive work.
Lovecraft began the correspondence by writing what can only be termed a fan letter to Smith in 1922, after receiving several volumes of Smith's early poetry volumes. At this time, Lovecraft had only begun his explorations in weird prose narrative, while Smith was exclusively devoted to poetry. The founding of Weird Tales in 1923 changed all that, as Lovecraft quickly became a fixture in the fledgling pulp magazine.
As they continued to correspond, the two writers learned much about each other: Lovecraft, the solitary New Englander who unexpectedly uprooted himself to marry Sonia H. Greene and move to New York in 1924; Smith, the equally solitary Californian who was still under the poetic mentorship of George Sterling.
In 1929-30, as Smith now took up the writing of fantasy and science fiction, the two authors engaged in a profound debate as to the nature of weird fiction. Lovecraft admitted that he was a "prose realist," while Smith claimed that "I am far happier when I can create everything in a story." Their discussions on the theory of the weird tale are some of the most illuminating pages in this book.
The volume--the result of decades of research in accumulating and annotating the letters--has been meticulously edited by David E. Schultz and S. T. Joshi, two of the leading authorities on Lovecraft.
Lovecraft began the correspondence by writing what can only be termed a fan letter to Smith in 1922, after receiving several volumes of Smith's early poetry volumes. At this time, Lovecraft had only begun his explorations in weird prose narrative, while Smith was exclusively devoted to poetry. The founding of Weird Tales in 1923 changed all that, as Lovecraft quickly became a fixture in the fledgling pulp magazine.
As they continued to correspond, the two writers learned much about each other: Lovecraft, the solitary New Englander who unexpectedly uprooted himself to marry Sonia H. Greene and move to New York in 1924; Smith, the equally solitary Californian who was still under the poetic mentorship of George Sterling.
In 1929-30, as Smith now took up the writing of fantasy and science fiction, the two authors engaged in a profound debate as to the nature of weird fiction. Lovecraft admitted that he was a "prose realist," while Smith claimed that "I am far happier when I can create everything in a story." Their discussions on the theory of the weird tale are some of the most illuminating pages in this book.
The volume--the result of decades of research in accumulating and annotating the letters--has been meticulously edited by David E. Schultz and S. T. Joshi, two of the leading authorities on Lovecraft.
400 pages, Paperback
Published July 14, 2020
About the author
H.P. Lovecraft
7,058 books19.9k followersHoward Phillips Lovecraft, of Providence, Rhode Island, was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction.
Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.
Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, his reputation has grown over the decades. He is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting widespread and indirect influence, and frequently compared to Edgar Allan Poe.
See also Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
— Wikipedia
Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.
Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, his reputation has grown over the decades. He is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting widespread and indirect influence, and frequently compared to Edgar Allan Poe.
See also Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
— Wikipedia
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July 20, 2021
Rewarding and revealing, as these fantastic pen-pals exchange letters, encouragement, praise, ideas, and manuscripts over the course of 15 years. Through these letters, a profound, playful and supportive friendship developed and matured.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review