Just a brief bit of clarification. My response was to your mentioning Joshi having either already done or working on something about HPL's ideology; something I'd be very interested in were a new book on the way. I have read the one I mentioned (The Decline of the West), but was not aware of anything new in this line; hence my request for more information. I brought up the above in case you have not read it and would be interested; it is a very valuable addition to this aspect of Lovecraftian studies, and raises some very interesting issues concerning his fiction (and, for that matter, verse). If you are interested, it can be found for sale online, though it appears (if I'm reading things aright) that it is not currently in print after all.

At any rate, you are right that my questions on this particular issue probably belong in a different place, so I will leave it at this rather than derail the subject further; but I do wish to stress that the only reason I ask these questions is to further the conversation; they are in no way intended to "string you along", but rather to clarify communication. As to the articles from the e-magazine you mention: yes, I've seen these and enjoyed them as well, and I agree that this is exactly the sort of thing which would have tickled Lovecraft, and quite possibly sparked his imagination. So, for my part, thanks for bringing this up, especially for others who may not be aware of it.

Thank you, I could not find a copy of the book online but I looked at Wiki (which I do not use for any documention or analysis except their Librovox forumn, which I believe Librovox writes the information and uses it along side their forum)
I am intetested in a editorial Joshua is supposedly writing about Artur Machen. He seems to bring out the inner child in me that is not afraid to explore, mix sticks and mud creating charm dolls, dancing in shadows, snd talking to god's, and testing the limit the mind can endure: through surgery"removing. A small_ part of the brain or through a mislabeled prescription for a expired white powder.
Machen's world is a wonderfull place.I have never known anybody who reads this material so I am glad that thed internet can bring those together.

I read (and collect) Machen, and have about fifty items by & containing his work.

May I recommend hunting down and joining the Friends of Arthur Machen before their Spring mailing, since they will be distributing a special edition of Eleusinia then to mark the 150th anniversary of Machen. I'm planning on issuing an item or two to mark the occasion, as well.

Decline of the West can be purchased, it seems, from Wildside Press -- see here

Is it be possible to find online texts of Machen's "Rus In Urbe", "Out of the Picture", "Ritual", and "Wichcraft"? These are the only remaining texts I need for my Machen collection.

I realize they are included in Tartarus's The Ritual, but have decided not to purchase that massive volume, since it would dominate my Machen collection too much, and much of the material in it I am not eager to read.

Smith of Wotton Major by Tolkien. A rather pleasant tale. It seems to have touches of influence from both Lindsay's "Arcturus" and Dunsany.

I agree with gesturestear's mentioning of CAS and Lindsay in the same breath. Neither author may have read the other, but there is a similarity of artistic vision. Maybe an effect of the era. Both display the weird and cosmic as overwhelming and operatic.

Excellent news for those interested in reading Ronald Fraser's Flower Phantom, Valancourt Books (who are new to me) are republishing it...

[www.valancourtbooks.com]

...looks like they've got an interesting catalogue of titles including Oliver Onion's The Hand of Kornelius Voyt, which is something I've been wanting to check out.

I immediately ordered Flower Phantoms! Wish it would have had a reproduction of the original dust jacket. But this paperback looks nice enough, if a little formal.

I think I was all wrong about Tartarus's The Ritual. I more or less thought it was a scrapbook of rejected lesser material. But reading samples from it shows the kind of writing I love most in Machen: Detailed descriptions of crumbling and sparkling reminiscences of old rustic culture, the sort of sensuality that Lovecraft loved in Marblehead and elsewhere, and Poe also sometimes stirred up from the even remoter past. It's the best kind of remedy and revitalization literature can offer, bringing me back to our ancient roots. A tonic from the liberalism, cultural Marxism and relativism, that so dominates all of today's society.

Smith of Wotton Major is more than merely a "rather pleasant tale". It's great! Tolkien has a wonderful understanding of faery.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 4 Feb 13 | 01:10PM by Knygatin.

Knygatin Wrote:
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> Detailed descriptions of crumbling

The next best thing to watching paint dry! Literally.

Jojo Lapin X Wrote:
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> Knygatin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Detailed descriptions of crumbling
>
> The next best thing to watching paint dry!
> Literally.



". . . And midway along the lane, as it sloped down the hill, lay the old wagon.
It was a very symbol of past uses and forgetfulness. The hood to keep off the rain from passengers was patched and torn to infinity, and the very patches stood in need of patching. The paint on the wood had faded to a sort of neutral tint, varied by the green of dampness and decay. One could see that the wood was mouldering to dust; it was soft to the touch, and full of wormholes. One of the shafts had broken long ago, and had been strengthened with two splints of wood and half a dozen nails; but the splints had broken too, and then there had been an operation performed with rope. About half the spokes had fallen out, and the rest had been put in at odd times, according to the fancy of various wheelwrights. The very bolts and nuts of iron were rapidly rusting, and the two long seats inside looked as if they would not have supported a sparrow. The whole wagon was quite hopeless."

Jojo Lapin X Wrote:
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> Knygatin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Detailed descriptions of crumbling
>
> The next best thing to watching paint dry!
> Literally.

I resent that, I was a proffesional paint
salesman for twenty years, often heating complaints of paint drying characteristics that required my actual observance. Just joking though; about the resentment. Thankefully I.am no longer employed in such.a fast-paced and exciting environment. NOT!!!

I love learning about new authors, especially dead ones. Reading the synopsis.of.

Jojo Lapin X Wrote:
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> Knygatin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Detailed descriptions of crumbling
>
> The next best thing to watching paint dry!
> Literally.

I resent that, I was a proffesional paint
salesman for twenty years, often hearing complaints of paint drying characteristics that required my actual observance. Just joking though; about the resentment. Thankefully I.am no longer employed in such.a fast-paced and exciting environment. NOT!!!

I love learning about new authors, especially dead ones.Reading the synopsis of Flower.Phantoms,.reminds me of CAS's menacing vampire flowers that menaced the magician
Maal Dweeb who became bored with turning beautiful women into statues and their lovers into ape like creatures. Underestimating the stealth and appetite of vegetation,
CAS used vegetation as a means of predator often in his Lost Worlds stories, again in "Letter_ from the Mohaun Los"'.with a time traveling crystal that lands.on a world.of.strange vegetation based insects. It seems the only current use if maloveant. plant life is sprouting tree roots that entagle and violate horrified women. Done excellantly in the Evil Dead movies.

Second the story of a mysterious young girl communicating with nature gone wrong is Arthur Machen in the dancing naked man in stories like "Great God Pan" and poetically frightening in "The White People" plus his use of ancient greek statues that still possess magic.
Kudo's to the invitation ( or reference) to FoAM, friends of Arthur Machen, which I am now a member.
Meanwhile on Arcturus, Maskul has killed Oseax's husband and finds out that he was a pylagamist whose second wife has discovered the pairs beside her dead husband and questions them both, although I think she can read minds. Although seemingly old and harmeless she has sent Madkul's female guide off on a hypnotic walk over the cliffs to her assumed death, leaving the two alone now. I now sense fear for our journeyman, which is what I was originally inquiring about any forebidding danger.
I hope you enjoy Flower Phantoms and let us know your opppinion.
By the way, I came across a poet who writez poetry of hatred toezrd his lover and continues his love letters of uncompentable horror.Algernon Charles Swimburne's Satia Te Santigune is a horribly benign piece of hatred.

Still learning the ropes here, I duplicated part of my submittal. I pressed preview, made corrections and pressed the top.arrow back button, and submitted. It not only posted my partial comment. but also my original draft without corrections.
For a gifted reader, Nick Gisburn's. YouTube channel Gisburne2000 has.some excellent audio.versions of various strange writers. I.have no.affiliation with.him. Also.In the.last.edition of Lovecraft's ezine their.is.a.link.for.a audiophile.of free Lovecraft audio books,.about twenty stories. If anyone would like the link I.will use.my PC to activate a direct li.k.
I.use.to dismiss audio books, but I find them indespenable. Like
Lovecraft's (and others)
strange writings and incantions take on a whole new depth when read by a professional reader or several readers for different characters.

Knygatin Wrote:
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> I immediately ordered Flower Phantoms! Wish it
> would have had a reproduction of the original dust
> jacket. But this paperback looks nice enough, if a
> little formal.

yeah, I prefer the original cover, but still, they've done a nice job with this one. Hope you enjoy it!

"The Beckoning Fair One", my first one by Oliver Onions. Very intelligent. Almost too perfect. For university students of ghostology, this story could well serve as the study foundation. If one reads it attentively, it chills the bones; I nearly, just nearly, had a synthetic nervous breakdown from it.

The first half is especially good. The second half is somewhat a letdown, turning it into sad tragedy. Nevertheless, an excellent account of a man's gradual descent into madness.

The drip of the tap water and its follow-up consequence, I thought was the best account of ghostliness. It is more than ambiguity, for it works as actual proof of ghostly happenings - and yet is too subtle for anyone to grab at afterwards for sustaining evidence. That's how ghosts (or other visiting spirits) work, they give you undeniable evidence, but nothing of it will remain for you to convince other people with.
The subtle sound of 'hair combed' was also a good effect. And the 'forgotten nail' was ok too.
However, Onions lost it a bit, I felt, with the 'hovering comb'. That was too coarse. Ghosts don't do telekinesis, or break Natural physic laws - instead they flow with it, manipulating subtly.

The story felt too conventional in subject for me. It fell short of genius, even though very intelligent and insightful.

Oliver Onion's own private person was quite attractive, manly, good-looking. A normal functioning man, surely well regarded and respected. (I guess he had some hidden hang-ups though, to write such a story.) I generally prefer ugly, or oddly unsymetric looking, writers. Their fiction is often more perverted and imaginative - in their obsessive efforts to build up an alternative world, to compensate for the deficiency in their personal lives. Oliver Onions is more a guy I would like to have had as a psychiatrist, when I'm really miserable.

I will try a few more of his stories. But not right now.

I have a reading-list of 56 ghost story writers, I have not read before. Yes sir, fifty-six unique individuals, waiting on my book-shelf. 56 mustachioed Victorian gentlemen writing ghost stories; Well, that's not exactly true, a few of them are women.

But now I will read something completely different. My first book by Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars. My instinct tells me it will be splendid. It is set in the extremely remote future, and reputedly full of weird and novel concepts.