I was going to do a review in honor of H. P. Lovecraft’s birthday (August 20, 1890-1937) , but then one of the usual suspects, a writer noted for ripping off writing in the styles of better writers from a previous generation ignited a small tempest in a teapot about the need of having a canon, or in his case, not having one. No, that’s not a typo in the title of this post. He wants to fire the canon, as in “You’re fired”. Those are my terms, not his, just to be clear.

So here are my thoughts, using the Gentleman From Providence as a key example since it’s become so fashionable to hate on him. And John W. Campbell, Jr., and Issac Asimov, and Robert E. Howard, and…

Let’s start by addressing the whole idea of a canon. In any field of literature, or I would suggest the arts in general, canons are essential. They establish the bedrock of the field, be it novels and short stories, symphonies and anthems  and musicals, paintings and sketches, sculptures, etc. They are the works that establish something new, represent high achievement, push the boundaries of the medium, develop a new style, or have a long-term impact on whatever field into which they fall. They can be formal or informal. A canon doesn’t have to be codified.

But they do and will exist. While there may not be a formally agreed upon canon in a particular field, you can be sure there will be one among the practitioners of that field, even if it isn’t formally codified.

For the purpose of this post, I’m going to go with a more informal canon rather than one selected and approved by English professors. Among science fiction, fantasy, and horror such a canon exists. Canonical works include but are not limited to the ghost stories of M. R. James, The Lord of the Rings, Dune, A Princess of Mars, The Foundation Trilogy, The Left Hand of Darkness, Conan, Ringworld, The Mythos, Jirel of Joiry. There are others; these are just a few I named off the top of my head. The list isn’t meant to be exhaustive.

These are works that broke new ground, have stood the test of time, have retained their popularity, and continue to influence the field. Some have been recognized by academia. Others not so much. But no one can deny their lasting impact. They are what new generations of writers are compared to by readers, and what those new writers often compare themselves to (whether to build upon them or rebel against them). Like it or not.

But the canon is a living thing. New works take their place. Old works are gradually forgotten. This is the way it is supposed to be as a field of artistic endeavor grows, evolves, and changes. A literary canon (or any other type of canon) should never be static. It has to change over time. But it always should be something those endeavoring to work in a field are familiar with.

Pay attention. I said “familiar with”, not have read in its entirety, and I most certainly didn’t say “like”. Let’s get that clear right now. To the best of my knowledge, no one has said read the entire canon nor has anyone said you should like it. If a canon is broad and diverse, there will be things in it that any given reader doesn’t like, just not the same things.  What has been said is that familiarity is an important thing. If you don’t know what has come before, you are likely to write derivative works without realizing that it’s been done before, and in many cases, done better.

John W. Campbell, Jr.

Recently a number of folks got their panties in a twist because John W. Campbell, Jr., and H. P. Lovecraft won Retro Hugo Awards. The howls of outrage in some circles were epic. The amount of misinformation being spewed was also epic. Campbell died in 1971. He didn’t edit Analog into the 1980’s. He also published stories in which people of color were prominently featured, including a series by Mack Reynolds.  Both of those statements were made on Twitter. This type of public ignorance shows a lack of knowledge of the field.

These two men, Campbell and Lovecraft, have had a lasting impact on the field, and whether good, bad, or neutral is a matter of debate. It seems to me that Lovecraft has been especially vilified lately. I’m not sure if that’s actually the case or if it’s just penetrated my awareness more than usual. Lovecraft’s works are some of the most important and influential of anything published in the fields of the fantastic in the last century.

Let me be clear on one point. I find Lovecraft’s views on race to be offensive. Fact of the matter is, I find very little in Lovecraft’s worldview that I agree with. Does that mean I shouldn’t read his works? Of course not. Does that mean I shouldn’t enjoy Lovecraft? Of course not. The very idea is idiotic. I can handle ideas that I don’t agree with or find offensive, even deeply offensive. That’s because I’m a grownup. I am capable of taking historical context into account. I’m going to continue reading Lovecraft, and I won’t tolerate anyone who tells me I can’t or shouldn’t.

The calls to do away with the canon justify this action by claiming the works in it are too white, male, heterosexual, etc. The authors should be cast into the dustbin because they didn’t have the proper skin color, sexual orientation, or dangly bits (or lack thereof) and their ideas on a variety of subjects weren’t the proper ideas.

I call Bullshit.

It is the height of hubris to expect writers and artists of prior generations to have the same enlightened ideas that you do. What these self-righteous wanks seem to forget is that the next generation will judge them by the standards of that generation, not our own, and the writers of this generation will surely be found wanting by those standards. Many of the writers attacking the very idea of the canon seem to forget that they are just as flawed as those they are attacking, because they are also human. They don’t consider that what they accept as commonplace or virtuous today could be considered beyond the pale in ten, twenty, or fifty years. What these people forget is that everyone is a product of their times.

I’m sure most of you who have read this far are familiar with the quote attributed to Isaac Newton to the effect that he accomplished what he did by standing on the shoulders of giants. There are too many mental midgets these days who want to topple the giants to make themselves look taller.

I have a suggestion, and I offer it in all seriousness and without malice or ill-intent. If you don’t like the canon, write something better. But at least be familiar with what it is you claim you don’t like. And don’t just take someone’s word for it. Check a little out for yourself. If you decide that something isn’t for you, that you just can’t finish a book or story, even that you want to throw the book against the wall, that’s fine. But at least you will be better read and might, just might, see why some people appreciate and enjoy those works, even if you don’t.

And if you want to do something completely opposite from what earlier writers have done, great. Go for for it. Write something you consider better. It may or may not be, but at least it won’t be a retread of what some else has done but something original that has your voice. Just keep in mind, if you don’t know what’s gone before, it will be harder to choose a direction to go that hasn’t already been trod upon a thousand times.

There is room enough in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror fields for a multitude of voices, both new and old. Some people need to remember that.