Ethereal Eldritchness!
This is another of ye final volumes in this exceptional series of Lovecraft's fiction, illustrated by Pete Von Sholly.
Contents:
Introduction by S. T. Joshi
The Tomb
Polaris
Beyond the Wall of Sleep
The White Ship
The Doom That Came to Sarnath
The Tree
The Cats of Ulthar
Some of these stories have been mistakenly referred to as Lovecraft's "dream stories", although ye only one that can perhaps be authentically so labelled is "The White Ship". Of this tale, S. T. Joshi writes: "This story was written in November 1919, shortly after Lovecraft attended a lecture by Lord Dunsany in Boston (October 20) and read several of Dunsany's early volumes of tales. In a letter Lovecraft wrote: 'As you infer, "The White Ship" is in part influenced by my new Dunsanian studies." It is superficially similar to Dunsany's "Idle Days on the Yann" (in A Dreamer's Takes, 1910) in its depiction of a sea voyage where many different lands are visited, but Lovecraft's story has a powerful allegorical element lacking in Dunsany's tale."
These stories are vividly "visual" and will lend themselves superbly to the artistic talents of Pete Von Sholly. I am uncertain when these final volumes in this series are scheduled to be publish'd, but hopefully it will happen before year's end.
"The White Ship" is one of my favourite HPL tales, linking "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath", "Nyarlathotep" and even "At the Mountains of Madness" and I truly love it. As a solitary wanderer's tale it resonates with my journeys in this life. "Kadath" too - the jouney is long but the answer is within - all the memories, love and feelings wrought by a lifetime's wanderings. Keep well. G ;-)=
ReplyDeleteA great series. PVS rocks!
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