Author Archives: Keith West

A. Merritt and “The Pool of the Stone God”

Abraham Merritt (1884-1943), who as A. Merritt, was born on this day, January 20.

Merritt’s influence on the field was vastly disproportionate to his output. He worked as a full-time editor, so time for writing was not exactly plentiful. He only completed eight novels and about as many short stories.

In spite of this small output, his work was highly regarded and for a number of years there was a fantasy magazine named after him. Merritt influenced a number of writers in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

In honor of his birthday, I’m going to look at “The Pool of the Stone God”. SPOILERS TO FOLLOW Continue reading →

C. M. Eddy, Jr.’s Notorious Love

Clare Winger Harris and the Original Planet of the Apes

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There are two birthdays of note today, January 18. Normally I would write one post about both of them. In this case, though, I’m going to write separate posts because the contributions of the two authors were so different. This post will focus on Clare Winger Harris. The post about C. M Eddy, Jr can be found here. Continue reading →

Of Kisses and Seeds and Klarkash-Ton

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Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961) was born on this date, January 13. Along with Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft, Smith was considered one of the Big Three of Weird Tales. Smith lived the longest of these three gentlemen, but his writing career wasn’t much longer. He wrote during the 1920s and 30s but stopped writing around 1937. Smith was a poet as well as a short story writer, and it shows in his lush, baroque prose. In fact, one of the more common criticisms of Smith is that reading him requires too much work and too large of a vocabulary. His stories were often set in imaginary worlds such as Hyperborea, Poseidonis, and Zothique. They are well worth seeking out. Fortunately they are available in inexpensive electronic editions.

In observance of his birth, let’s look at two of his stories set in more modern times. Mild spoiler warning. Continue reading →

With Friends of the Library Like These…

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The local friends of the library had another sale today. Here are a few things I picked up. These are the ones I made a conscious decision to buy. Continue reading →

RIP, Mike Resnick

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It is with great sorrow that I write this post. Laura Resnick is reporting that her father Mike passed away in his sleep early this morning (Jan. 10, 2020). Mike spent most of 2019 ill, and as a result accumulated some substantial medical bills. A fundraiser has been set up to help pay off the bills.

Adventures Fantastic would like to extend condolences to Carol, Laura, the rest of the family, and all of Mike’s many friends and fans.

I’ve read many of Mike’s books over the years. I only met him one time, at Fencon II in 2005. He was professional, approachable, and a joy to talk to. Mike was a great writer and editor. His work is worth seeking out.

Rest in Peace, Mike.

The Shadow of Tolkien

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J. R. R. Tolkien was born on this date, January 3, in 1892. He needs no introduction. I’ve written several tributes to him in the past. I’m not sure what I can say.

Last year I started rereading The Lord of the Rings and took it with me on a business trip to Costa Rica. My father-in-law passed away while I was there. I read as much as I could, or tried to, on the flight back. I managed to get somewhere in the first half of The Two Towers. I want to finish it this spring.

I also want to read some of the other works which deal with other Ages in MIddle Earth.

Tolkien’s world is so rich and detailed, I want to experience as much as I can. He casts a long shadow over the field of fantasy, longer than either Lovecraft or Howard. I think part of the reason his works have endured for so long is because he writes about universal virtues, such as courage, loyalty, and sacrifice. We need more of that these days.

So tonight, Professor Tolkien, I’ll raise a glass in your honor. The world is a better place because of your life and your writings. I am glad to work in your shadow.

Ruminations on Charles Beaumont

Happy Birthday, Seabury Quinn

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Seabury Quinn was born on this date, January 1, in 1889. He passed away Christmas Eve, 1969. Quinn wrote for Weird Tales in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. He is best remembered for his occult detective Jules de Grandin.

I don’t have a review to mark the occasion. It’s been a while since I read any of his works. I’m traveling today, so I don’t know if I will get a chance to read anything he wrote today. If it doesn’t happen today, it may be a few days. The rest of the week is going to be pretty packed with work and other obligations.

I do want to read more Quinn this year. I have the Night Shade editions of the complete Jules de Grandin, as well as the Battered Silicon Dispatch edition and a collection of non-de Grandin stories from Ash-Tree Press. I’ll let you know what I think when I do read some.

2019 in Review

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Not to put too blunt a point on it, but 2019 sucked, and it started at the end of 2018. There were some good moments, plus a few (mostly but not entirely work related) I’m still trying to figure out whether they’re going to end up good or bad in the long run. For the most part, though, I’m glad to put the year behind me.

Not that I’m thrilled with 2020 starting. It’s an election year, which means the political stupidity is only going to get worse. If anyone has a time machine I can borrow to skip ahead to 2021, I’d appreciate your letting me borrow it.