Rare copy of Tryout (June 1917)

The seller states: THE TRYOUT Vol. 3, No., 7. 1917Edited & published by the ageless indefatiguable C. W. (Tryout) Smith, "The Tryout" remains one of the legendary HPL amateur papers and HPL published more within its pages than any other paper. This issue contains Lovecraft's intelligent, canny , admonishing and neutering four-page response to attacks by "The Lingerer" editor, Rev. Graeme Davis upon both Lovecraft and the United Amateur Organization of which HPL was then President. "To refute Mr. Davis' none too generous suggestion that my own loyalty to the United is caused by a conceited desire to stand out against a background even more mediocre than myself , I need only mention the names of a score of fellow members to each of whom I can justly and and gladly concede the palm of vastly superior genius, scholarship and expression." There is also a poem by HPL alter-ego Lewis Theobald Jr., and admiring comments upon both Lovecraft and Winifred Virginia Jordan. Very scarce from this era!

Interlude: 1200-th post

I like to pause and reflect as I pass each 100 posts. The time goes by so quickly. Still, when one enjoys something it's not a hard task. I'm still astonished that my little "tuck it away for later" blog for my Lovecraft references has begun to accumulate such a wonderful readership. I continue to meet so many nice folks. I look forward to each new email sent, and I try to respond in as prompt a manner as I can. If it's a question, I make every effort to help.

It was January 25th when we passed 1100 and I believe the first blog post was 16 Dec 2005. So I guess that makes 1200 posts in 27 months. I have little idea where we'll go from here, but stay tuned and let's find out together!

As always, THANK YOU for reading. :)

-Chrispy

Lovecraft's Legacy: 1949

I was able to obtain a copy of The Arkham Sampler of Winter 1949.

It's now weakly bound, so I almost hate to read it. That's one reason I sometimes shun buying a relic because I like to read things and share them, but if I wreck it by scanning or have an accident, I feel guiilty. :\

Anyway, here's what David H Keller says: At the Mountains of Madness ... currently available in Strange Ports of Call, ed. August Derleth ... one of the few science-fiction tales by Lovecraft. The Old Gods come from a distant planet to the Earth and create new forms of life. These work for a while as slaves, but finally rebel and drive their former masters into the ocean. These Old Gods also create man and start him on his heroic, though hectic career. Here is the struggle of good and evil; it can be considered the beginning of Lovecraft's thesis that forces of evil are very terrible and would destroy mankind if ever liberated. As this story tells of the creation of the human race, it is chronologically one of the earliest time-backward tales.

Wow. It is Derleth's magazine, but I'm astonished that in just 12 years, the dualism of Mythos was so firmly entrenched. In no way do I read this kind of thing into Lovecraft, however, Keller certainly had a strong opinion - the dominant one today.

While many mention Lovecraft in this same long article (A Basic Science-Fiction Library), only Wandrei also speaks at length about Lovecraft. The Outsider and Others, by H P Lovecraft, Lovecraft's tales are unique, in that while nearly all emphasize a mood of fantasy or horror, they are based on scientific fact or principle, the violation of which forms the story-theme. Lovecraft is the most distinguished literary name among the writers who could be classified equally well among science-fiction or fantasy. His short novel At The Mountains of Madness, is the only work whose cosmic-mindedness rivals {Olaf} Stapledon's, and whose prose style is superior.

Many mention John Campbell's Who Goes There as an instant classic. Not one hint at it's nearly identical concept and theme as Lovecraft's Mountains. I have been struck by it for years, now. The idea of an alien landing in Antarctica is so similar to Lovecraft, they could be twins. Often Who Goes There is considered the third of the trilogy with Poe's Gordon Pym and Lovecraft's Mountains.

Anyway, those are some interesting excerpts from near-60 years ago.