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Banshee, whole no. 4, March 1944

Page 6

6 * * * Banshee

Meadow," and others; and two spendid novels: "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" and the previously unpublished "Dream - Quest of Unknown Kadath." And there are great gobs of fascinating background material -- HPL's own "Notes on a Nonenity," "History of the Necronomicon," and "The Commonplace Book" (oddest reading imaginable!), plus W. Paul Cook's rambling but informative Appreciation and Frank Laney's Cthulhu Glossary. Also, of course, there is the poetry, for them as like.
The volume's major attraction, for me at least, is "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath." This is to my mind one of Lovecraft's most satisfactory tales; although the influence of Dunsany is very obvious, it never eclipses HPL's own style and method. Moreover, it avoids the over-writing and melodrama which so often cheapen's HPL's; indeed, I think it hard to imagine the story's being written any better.
The plot is simple: Randolph Carter dreams of an achingly beautiful city, but each time is snatched away from it before he can enter; consumed by longing for this lovely vision, he sets about, in his dreams, contacting Earth's gods to secure from them help in reaching the city. But the gods dwell in an onyx castle atop Kadath, the wrold's greatest mountain, and even in dreamland the location of Kadath is not very generally known. Carter's adventures on his quest are unrestricted by waking logic, and hence fantastic in the extreme; the Dunsanian type of quietly exotic fantasy is combined with Lovecraft's uneasy innuendos in a surprisingly effective way. The whole long pageant of dreamland (incorporating elements of such stories as "The Cats of Ulthar," "Celephais," "Pickman's Model," etc., as well as the "Fungi from Yuggoth") is top-knotch Lovecraft, sure to warm the heart of all lovers of pure fantasy. "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" is a Grade A classic. Don't miss it!
The format of the volume is similar to that of "The Outsider and Others!; the dust-jacket is of unusual interest for two reasons: first, because it bears photos of four C.A. Smith sculptures from the Cthulhu mythos, and secondly because it announces among fourthcoming Arkham House publications a Robert E. Howard anthology.
                                 ***
To Frank Laney, heartfelt thanks for the Lovecraft bibliography; just before the mailing arrived I was thinking of writing to Laney suggesting such a project. In view of its value to all interested in tracing Lovecraft's literary career, it certainly should be included in the third volume of th HPL trilogy.
                                 ***
Though I'm anything but clever
I could write like this forever
But I won't.
                                ******
THE READER (HOW VEDDY SINGULAR!) SEZ:
Don Wollheim had some comments on the third Banshee.....

Thanks for the post-mailing and the latest Nebula. enjoyed Spence's comments very much--in particular his views on Merritt and his wonder at the peculiar ostracism of Howard. Derleth has always seemed somewhat reluctant about considering a REH work--I've asked him a couple times I believe in the past couple years--and other parties show the same odd indifference. Writing to his father about details or asking to get out some of REH's poetry never gets any response. It becomes a subject for mystery after a while.

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6 * * * Banshee Meadow," and others; and two spendid novels: "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" and the previously unpublished "Dream - Quest of Unknown Kadath." And there are great gobs of fascinating background material -- HPL's own "Notes on a Nonenity," "History of the Necronomicon," and "The Commonplace Book" (oddest reading imaginable!), plus W. Paul Cook's rambling but informative Appreciation and Frank Laney's Cthulhu Glossary. Also, of course, there is the poetry, for them as like. The volume's major attraction, for me at least, is "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath." This is to my mind one of Lovecraft's most satisfactory tales; although the influence of Dunsany is very obvious, it never eclipses HPL's own style and method. Moreover, it avoids the over-writing and melodrama which so often cheapen's HPL's; indeed, I think it hard to imagine the story's being written any better. The plot is simple: Randolph Carter dreams of an achingly beautiful city, but each time is snatched away from it before he can enter; consumed by longing for this lovely vision, he sets about, in his dreams, contacting Earth's gods to secure from them help in reaching the city. But the gods dwell in an onyx castle atop Kadath, the wrold's greatest mountain, and even in dreamland the location of Kadath is not very generally known. Carter's adventures on his quest are unrestricted by waking logic, and hence fantastic in the extreme; the Dunsanian type of quietly exotic fantasy is combined with Lovecraft's uneasy innuendos in a surprisingly effective way. The whole long pageant of dreamland (incorporating elements of such stories as "The Cats of Ulthar," "Celephais," "Pickman's Model," etc., as well as the "Fungi from Yuggoth") is top-knotch Lovecraft, sure to warm the heart of all lovers of pure fantasy. "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" is a Grade A classic. Don't miss it! The format of the volume is similar to that of "The Outsider and Others!; the dust-jacket is of unusual interest for two reasons: first, because it bears photos of four C.A. Smith sculptures from the Cthulhu mythos, and secondly because it announces among fourthcoming Arkham House publications a Robert E. Howard anthology. *** To Frank Laney, heartfelt thanks for the Lovecraft bibliography; just before the mailing arrived I was thinking of writing to Laney suggesting such a project. In view of its value to all interested in tracing Lovecraft's literary career, it certainly should be included in the third volume of th HPL trilogy. *** Though I'm anything but clever I could write like this forever But I won't. ****** THE READER (HOW VEDDY SINGULAR!) SEZ: Don Wollheim had some comments on the third Banshee..... Thanks for the post-mailing and the latest Nebula. enjoyed Spence's comments very much--in particular his views on Merritt and his wonder at the peculiar ostracism of Howard. Derleth has always seemed somewhat reluctant about considering a REH work--I've asked him a couple times I believe in the past couple years--and other parties show the same odd indifference. Writing to his father about details or asking to get out some of REH's poetry never gets any response. It becomes a subject for mystery after a while.