The book arrived in the mail---fresh for the weekend and I am already devouring and thoroughly enjoying, I might add, the essays found therein. I actually hadn't cottoned onto the significance of "edited by Robert H. Waugh" as apposed to "by Robert H. Waugh" on the cover, which of course means that this is an anthology of essays primarily by other writers.
Besides editing the book, Waugh himself contributes only the introduction (more of an outline, really) and one essay (but sure to be a doozy), "Lovecraft's Influence in Science Fiction: The Tides of his Dark Star in the Work of Arthur C. Clarke, Fritz Leiber and Philip K. Dick".
For those unaware, the book is divided into two sections of essays, those devoted to Lovecraft's personal influences by way of his "Predecessors", The Bible, Poe, Dunsany, etc., and Lovecraft's influence upon his "Successors" Belknap Long, Campbell, King, Ligotti (!), etc.
The first essay and (despite the fact that since reading "Monster in the Mirror" I will be reading everything by Waugh in conjunction with HPL) my primary reason for buying the book was to read into HPL's influence on one of my favorite writers (and point of (pop) cultural intersection), Mr. William Burroughs, thinking it was going to be by Waugh---but no--guess who? Imagine my surprise and elation when I find that it is none other than the esteemed Mr. Michael Cisco! I won't spoil the essay for potential readers of the anthology by going into the specifics but it suffices, for the time being, to say that the essay by Cisco represents an incisive and interesting parallel between two of the most renowned, yet marginalized popular writers of our times--very enjoyable for someone well acquainted (a fan, if you will) of both writers. Although I did notice one (or two) trifling typographical or perhaps factual errors at the beginning of the essay, it did not deter from the beautiful contrasts made with great sweep and the one-two punch of the ending--a real kicker; I'll bet the writer was well-chuffed with it himself, if I am any judge
. Just great writing.
The other essay, I managed to read just now, was by Robert M. Price on two of his favorite topics: Lovecraft and The Bible and it was well-written, if folksy, and yet very much "to the point"--I wouldn't say it was the last word on subject of religion in Lovecraft but a nice one about his use of Biblical imagery in his fiction.
Essayist and master editor? If these two essays are any indication of Mr. Waugh's strengths as an editor: a keen knack for selecting essays by contributors with an obvious passion for their respective subjects, this will be a landmark in Lovecraft studies (incidentally, this is the first of a seemingly projected series of "Studies in Supernatural Literature" by Scarecrow Press with who else but S.T. Joshi as series editor) which will hopefully herald many more future anthologies with Robert H. Waugh at the helm.
I urge you to order this book which promises many more delights and illuminations.
Next up for me will be the Ligotti essay, "Easy as Falling Off Logic: A Consideration of Lovecraft and Ligotti as "Weird Realists"", by a writer previously unknown to me (but who must be around here someplace, surely?), Steven J. Mariconda.
