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The author of Skulls in the Stars is an associate professor of physics, specializing in optical science, at UNC Charlotte. The blog covers topics in physics and optics, the history of science, classic pulp fantasy and horror fiction, and the surprising intersections between these areas. -
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Category Archives: Lovecraft
The Shadowy Thing, by H.B. Drake
I’ve been having a lot of good luck with my fiction reading lately, and have a backlog of really good (and weird) fiction to blog about. One that actually gave me a pleasant surprise is The Shadowy Thing (1928), by … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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Sesqua Valley and Other Haunts, by W.H. Pugmire
One of H.P. Lovecraft’s enduring legacies as a writer is the creation of a cosmology that could and would be imitated by his followers. Many great authors of horror fiction got their start writing Lovecraft pastiches, such as Brian Lumley … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
7 Comments
Lord Dunsany’s Pegana
A bit over a month ago, I decided to read a few of Lord Dunsany’s plays after reading Lovecraft’s glowing review of them in Supernatural Horror in Literature. The plays are wonderfully eerie and capture the spirit of ancient myths … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy fiction, Lovecraft
4 Comments
Herbert S. Gorman’s The Place Called Dagon
As I’ve noted previously, H.P. Lovecraft had a voluminous library of weird fiction, and basically defined himself as the foremost expert on such tales in his time with his essay Supernatural Horror in Literature. Hippocampus Press, in collaboration with Lovecraft … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
4 Comments
William Beckford’s Vathek
I’ve been working my way through a number of weird fiction tales that weird fiction writer and enthusiast H.P. Lovecraft was fond of. Vathek, by William Beckford (1760-1844), is the type of story I find nearly irresistible: a proud, arrogant … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
3 Comments
M.P. Shiel’s The House of Sounds and Others
H.P. Lovecraft was not only a writer of weird fiction, but a voracious reader of the genre, as evidenced by his classic essay, Supernatural Horror in Literature. He collected a voluminous library of weird titles, many of which have not … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
2 Comments
Is it worse, or better, than a creationist on the school board?
Once again the folks at The Onion have demonstrated their satirical genius! They ‘report’ on an Arkham, MA school board member who is pushing to add the unspeakable, sanity-shattering dark arts to the curriculum: “Fools!” said West, his clenched fist … Continue reading
Posted in Lovecraft, Silliness
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A. Merritt’s Dwellers in the Mirage
Abraham Merritt (1888-1943) was one of the greats of pulp fiction, although up until recently his work was largely forgotten. Recently, two of his novels were reprinted, The Moon Pool (1919) and The Metal Monster (1920), both of which I’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure fiction, Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Weird fiction
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A. Merritt’s The Metal Monster
Last week I discussed A. Merritt’s book The Moon Pool (1919), an adventure/horror novel showing genuine flashes of weird brilliance but marred by some rather stereotypical pulp conventions. Merritt’s next novel, The Metal Monster (1920), is something else entirely! Perhaps … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft, Weird fiction
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A. Merritt’s The Moon Pool
Occasionally my random impulse buys at the bookstore turn out to be unusually fruitful! After Christmas, I was looking to spend some of my gift card money and happened across a copy of A. Merritt’s The Moon Pool (1919): I … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft, Weird fiction
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