Saturday, November 10, 2012

More Lesser-Known Writers Entries

I think I've added more than two dozen new entries to my Lesser-Known Writers blog since last I posted here (on April 16th) a roundup of some of the more interesting ones.  (There are a bunch more entries in the queue to be automatically published.) So it's time to call attention to some of the newer ones.

Weird Tales writers include:
M. Humphreys, [not M.L. Humphreys], author of "The Floor Above" praised by Lovecraft;
Allison V. Harding, stalwart contributor of the 1940s under Dorothy McIlwraith;
Robert Nelson, poet and correspondent of Lovecraft's;
Royal W. Jimerson, author of one tale in 1928

obscure British writers of horror stories include:
Uel Key
Clive Pemberton
The Countess of Munster
Francis C. Prevot

Writers of romantic scholarship:
Clark B. Firestone, author of Coasts of Illusion;
Maximilian J. Rudwin, authority on the European fantastic, and on the Devil in literature

Entries of interest to Tolkienists:
E.F.A. Geach, one of whose poems inspired Tolkien;
S. Matthewman, founder of the Swan Press in Leeds;
Laverne Gay, whose reuse of unusual medieval words rates a comparison by Oxford lexicographers with Tolkien

Off-trail European writers of the fantastic:
Wolfheinrich von der Mülbe
Morley Troman
Eva-lis Wuorio
George Blink, a dramatist of vampires;
Margaret Armour
Sir Harold Boulton

Truly obscure fantasists:
Henry Iliowizi
Andrew James 
Jane Pentzer Myers 

Writers with interesting associations:
Harriet Works Corley, wife (for a short while) of fantasist Donald Corley 
Elinore Blaisdell, illustrator, who compiled an early vampire anthology

And let's not omit real cranks (you can't make up people like this!):
Benson Bidwell, author of The Flying Cows of Biloxi

Future entries scheduled for posting include Mitchell S. Buck, and some other writers in the family of fantasist E.R. Eddison, and more. 










Sunday, November 4, 2012

R.I.P. John D. Squires (1948-2012)

John D. Squires at Pulpfest 2010*
I'm very saddened to note here the passing of the eminent Shielian, John D. Squires, on 2 November 2012, at the age of sixty-four.  He had been in ill-health for several years.  Our condolences go out to his daughter and other family members, and to his many friends.  John was one of the world authorities on the life and writings of M.P. Shiel, among his many other interests. Professionally he practiced law, having received his advanced degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, after his undergraduate degree from Harvard University. A number of John's essays related to M.P. Shiel can be found online here (scroll down, where they can be found in a special section). A memorial service will be held in Greensboro, North Carolina.

*Photo from Morgan Holmes's report of Pulpfest 2010.