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Fantasy Fan, v. 1, issue 7, March 1934
Page 105
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March, 1934 THE FANTASY FAN 105 SUPERNATURAL HORROR IN LITERATURE Part Six by H. P. Lovecraft (Copyright 1927, W. Paul Cook) Through the seventeenth and into the eighteenth century, we behold a growing mass of fugitive legendry and balladry of darksome cast; still, however, held down beneath the surface of polite and accepted literature. Chapbooks of horror and weirdness multiplied, and we glimpse the eager interest of the people through fragments like DeFoe's Apparition of Mrs. Veal, a homely tale of a dead woman's spectral visit to a distant friend, written to advertise covertly a badly selling theological disquisition on death. The upper orders of society were now losing faith in the supernatural, and indulging in a period of classic ratonalism. Then, beginning with the translations of Eastern tales in Queen Annes reign and taking definite form toward the middle of the century, comes the revival of romantic feeling -- the era of new joy in Nature, and in the radiance of past times, strange scenes, bold deeds, and incredible marvels. We feel it first in the poets, whose utterances take on new qualities of wonder, strangeness, and shuddering. And finally, after the timid appearance of a few weird scenes in the novels of the day -- such as Smollett's Adventures of Ferdinand, Count Fathom -- the released instinct precipitates itself in the birth of a new school of writing; the "Gothic" school of horrible and fantastic prose fiction, long and short, [continued on page 112} YOUR VIEWS You will remember that, in the closing statement in the last department of "The Boiling Point" last month, we asked you, the readers, to tell us what you think of horror stories. Is there any virture to them? Who do people delight in being horrified? -- etc suggested by Forrest J. Ackerman. H. P. Lovecraft honors us with the first opinion, which we present to you as follows: "It can be said that anything which vividly embodies a basic human emotion or captures a definite and typical human mood is genuine art. The subject matter is immaterial. It requires an especial morbidity to enjoy any authentic word-depiction, whether it is conventionally 'pleasant' or not. Indeed. it argues a somewhat immature and narrow prospection when our judgment is by the mere conventional appeal of its subject-matter or its supposed social effects. The question to ask is not whether it is 'healthy' or 'pleasant,' but whether it is genuine and powerful." Have you another idea concerning the horror story? If so, let us know what it is. However, if your opinion differs, don't tell Mr. Lovecraft that he is crazy or has a deceased mind for thinking as he does, or this department will just become another 'Boiling Point.' Or bring up something new, if you will. This is your department, and anything you wish to say concerning weird fiction in general or any of its branches in particular will be printed here. Here's hoping to hear fron you.
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March, 1934 THE FANTASY FAN 105 SUPERNATURAL HORROR IN LITERATURE Part Six by H. P. Lovecraft (Copyright 1927, W. Paul Cook) Through the seventeenth and into the eighteenth century, we behold a growing mass of fugitive legendry and balladry of darksome cast; still, however, held down beneath the surface of polite and accepted literature. Chapbooks of horror and weirdness multiplied, and we glimpse the eager interest of the people through fragments like DeFoe's Apparition of Mrs. Veal, a homely tale of a dead woman's spectral visit to a distant friend, written to advertise covertly a badly selling theological disquisition on death. The upper orders of society were now losing faith in the supernatural, and indulging in a period of classic ratonalism. Then, beginning with the translations of Eastern tales in Queen Annes reign and taking definite form toward the middle of the century, comes the revival of romantic feeling -- the era of new joy in Nature, and in the radiance of past times, strange scenes, bold deeds, and incredible marvels. We feel it first in the poets, whose utterances take on new qualities of wonder, strangeness, and shuddering. And finally, after the timid appearance of a few weird scenes in the novels of the day -- such as Smollett's Adventures of Ferdinand, Count Fathom -- the released instinct precipitates itself in the birth of a new school of writing; the "Gothic" school of horrible and fantastic prose fiction, long and short, [continued on page 112} YOUR VIEWS You will remember that, in the closing statement in the last department of "The Boiling Point" last month, we asked you, the readers, to tell us what you think of horror stories. Is there any virture to them? Who do people delight in being horrified? -- etc suggested by Forrest J. Ackerman. H. P. Lovecraft honors us with the first opinion, which we present to you as follows: "It can be said that anything which vividly embodies a basic human emotion or captures a definite and typical human mood is genuine art. The subject matter is immaterial. It requires an especial morbidity to enjoy any authentic word-depiction, whether it is conventionally 'pleasant' or not. Indeed. it argues a somewhat immature and narrow prospection when our judgment is by the mere conventional appeal of its subject-matter or its supposed social effects. The question to ask is not whether it is 'healthy' or 'pleasant,' but whether it is genuine and powerful." Have you another idea concerning the horror story? If so, let us know what it is. However, if your opinion differs, don't tell Mr. Lovecraft that he is crazy or has a deceased mind for thinking as he does, or this department will just become another 'Boiling Point.' Or bring up something new, if you will. This is your department, and anything you wish to say concerning weird fiction in general or any of its branches in particular will be printed here. Here's hoping to hear fron you.
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