The William Hope Hodgson thread

Quote Originally Posted by Druidic

Try "The Derelict" "The Call in the Dawn" "The Wild Man of the Sea" "The Stone Ship". You'll be surprised at how good they are.

The Derelict was great. Hodgson's description of the mould-covered deck 'veined with irregular, dull, purplish markings' was so eerie and weird. The 'spongy, puddingy' feel of the thing was creepy also. What sealed it was the ingenious touch of the rise and fall of the lamp as the mouldy surface rippled. What a great imagination Hodgson had.

At first I was worried this would just be a retread of The Voice in the Night, but it had its own flavour. I'd love to rework this and set it somewhere more mundane, such as my local Tesco.

Rivals of S Hlms Donald Pleasence - YouTube

Donald Pleasence as Carnacki. I haven't watched it yet, but it's surely worth a curious glance.

I think my favourite thing about Hodgson's Carnacki was how he would be so stolid during his opening investigation, then as the supernatural events kicked in he would lose his cool completely and end up as terrified as a novice would be. Very fun stories, for the formulaic kind they are. I enjoyed them more than Lovecraft did, even if they're clearly not up to the same standard of Hodgson's very best work.

I was thinking about The Night Land earlier and why I can never stop obsessing over it. I think that like Machen's The White People it works so well because we the reader are brought in very close to the story in a highly impressionistic manner with the true grand scheme at work then reaching unfathomably far due to the contrast in our minds. The at first seemingly ridiculous prose (people did not write like this in the period Hodgson was emulating) almost becomes admirable when I realise how sheerly artistic the methodology was of Hodgson inventing his own bizarre, unique way of writing for the purpose of this bizarre, unique story.

My Hodgson obsession has reached fever pitch. I am interested in obtaining his poetry.

[Druidic]

Maybe, James, one can view the prose of the hero in the Night Land as a melding of the Past he remembers and the Future he lives in, eh? Glad you liked The Derelict! Thanks for Donald P.!

The second chapter of The Night Land is one I find myself returning to often. The weirdness and menace is so abstract and allusive. Strange associations and combinations of words like the 'House of Silence' seem to emanate a brooding depth, despite being given no real development beyond their incantatory sound on the page.

My goal one day is to marry form and content in such an abstract manner that the piece of work is nigh plotless and merely an association of precisely chosen words in free association; ones that when enmeshed create a feeling of profound awe and dread. I believe this is the key to the best works of Aickman, de la Mare (The Listeners is a perfect example), Machen, Ligotti and the weird poetry of CAS.

Tonight I shall read Hodgson's The Stone Ship, as per Druidic's recommendation. I have a copy of The Wild Man of the Sea; however, I am missing The Call in the Dawn so that shall elude me for the time being.

[Druidic]

Fancies s Journal

Some thoughts on The Night Land.

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

I'm sure I've read that before but Wright is one of the last people I'd ask about depictions of women. He's nuts.

[Druidic]

Well, in response to your comment, I would say at least that gentleman doesn't patronize women. He made some interesting observations on Hodgson's novel.

Joanna Russ used to become furious when a critic would write "...one of the best female writers around..."

An artist should be judged on merit, not gender. So should human beings LOL.

Mark Samuels | Author of Weird Fiction

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

Come again?

Quote

“Girls who do not like love stories are well advised to learn to like them, because such stories deal with the essential and paramount realities on which much or most of that girl’s happiness in life will hinge.” “when women dress and speak and act like men, some joy is erased from both sexes” "Also, a woman who is crude inspires contempt, because she has contempt for God and man. The difference is that a woman who loses her native delicacy and modesty does not become an object of fear and respect, but an object of contempt and loathing, because the aura of sanctity women naturally inspire in men is tossed away."

Saving Science Fiction from Strong Female Characters s Journal

Also see his views on homosexuality, modern art, non-Christians and his whole involvment in the sad puppy phenomenon. Bonkers stuff.

I'd still like to read some of his work because it's apparently very imaginative in places.

I've agreed with many of Mark's opinions but not that blog post. I don't think it's so simple as that.

And lo! I think the old fashioned white knight romance element works well for The Night Land and adds to the strange archaic futurism Hodgson is crafting. It is the repetition Hodgson indulges in when describing it that leaves something to be desired.

I don't know anything about this article's writer, but it's nice to see somebody similarly passionate about this novel.

[Druidic]

"The Night Land" and "The Purple Cloud" are among my favorite "end of the world as we know it" novels. Both, interestingly enough, suffer from uneven second parts.

If we believe Sam Gafford's literary detective work--and many critics do-- Hodgson's novels were actually published in reverse order of their writing; "The Night Land" being his first, "Glen Carrig" being his last. If you accept this, it's easy to see that Hodgson's prose was becoming "contemporary"--i.e., more modern--with each novel.

I find all four remarkable performances. "The House..." is my favorite but "The Night Land" is a close second, certainly one of the most incredible books I've ever read. It's a pity the somewhat ponderous second half prevents some readers from experiencing the book's fine and thrilling conclusion.