Re: Was A. Merritt the greatest fantasist of all time?
Posted by:
Knygatin (IP Logged)
Date: 27 October, 2020 02:00AM
Kipling Wrote:
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> I've read all of Merritt except for "Burn, Witch,
> Burn", and "The Snake Mother". The novelette
> version of "The Moon Pool" and "The Ship of
> Ishtar" are the best, "Creep, Shadow", and "Seven
> Footprints to Satan" are also excellent.
I tried The Face In the Abyss (a book merging two novellas), but could not read very far for it didn't make much sense to me (that is because it was so heavily edited). Later on I read both the original magazine versions of "The Face In the Abyss" and "The Snake Mother", and enjoyed them very much. A blend of pulpish and fine writing, wildly spiring imagination, and has a strong perspective against dullness and mundanity.
I must read The Ship of Ishtar! I tried when younger, but could not get into it. Since then I have been lucky to find a paperback edition (Collier) that reproduces the 1949 Memorial edition with Virgil Finlay's illustrations. This version follows the original magazine serial text, and appears to be much longer than other paperback editions.
Thanks for putting Merritt into context alongside the other great writers. Encouraging that someone other than me is willing to give him credit.
I have also read Darker Than You Think, but don't remember much from it. What drew me were Edd Cartier's illustrations.