Abraham Merritt

[D_Davis]

A. Merritt has been a recent discovery for me this year, and I am absolutely loving him. Why he isn't as popular as authors like Lovecraft today is baffling to me; this is especially true because I believe that Merritt is the superior writer and storyteller.

In the edition of The Moon Pool I am reading now, Robert Silverberg expresses the same frustration, and wonders why Merritt has gone forgotten for so long. At one time he was considered one of the greats of fantasy, even scoring an entirely impressive review from the New York Times Book Review which said, "...[The Moon Pool] marks the debut of a writer possessed of a very unusual, perhaps one might almost call it extraordinary, richness of the imagination."

"The People of the Pit" is, without a doubt, one of the best weird tales I've ever read, and it must have been a huge influence on Lovecraft's later work, especially the mythos stories.

I'd love to see more discussion of his work, and perhaps gather some suggestions from those more versed in Merritt than I am.

Reputation

Merritt's literary reputation has not stood up well over the years among speculative fiction fans and critics[citation needed] (with the singular exception of The Ship of Ishtar, a universally hailed classic of the fantasy genre),[citation needed] but at one time he was a major influence on H. P. Lovecraft[5][6] and Richard Shaver,[7] and highly esteemed by his friend and frequent collaborator Hannes Bok, by then a noted SF illustrator. Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorn list The Ship of Ishtar and Dwellers in the Mirage as two of the novels in their book Fantasy:the 100 Best Books, describing the former book as Merritt "at the peak of his powers", and Merritt's work as a whole being full of "memorable images".[8] In the Lensman series by E.E. Smith, there is a reference to the novel "Dwellers in the Mirage" in which the protagonist Kimball Kinnison references the book and a quotation from it "Luka--turn your wheel so I need not slay this woman!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Merritt

 

[JustPassingThrough]

Do you know I picked up the Moon Pool (back when there was rumor that it had at least in some way inspired Lost) but I have never read it. No particular reason, just so much stuff to read that's ahead of it.

 

[D_Davis]

Do you know I picked up the Moon Pool (back when there was rumor that it had at least in some way inspired Lost) but I have never read it. No particular reason, just so much stuff to read that's ahead of it.

Huh, now that you mention it I bet it was at least somewhat inspirational on Lost, but I'm sure a lot of the old pulp stuff was as well.

I'm only about 50 pages in, so I can't really say. The first six chapters are amazing. Merritt wastes no time in getting to the good stuff. I really can't wait to see where it all goes.

 

[merritt]

I read his books as a young man and enjoyed them, also enjoyed"the metal Monster".

Tried to pick up "the moon pool" last year but found it slow going.

Check out a couple scans for 50's U.S. paperbacks of his books.

 

[Fried Egg]

There has been quite a good discussion thread on Merritt here: A. Merritt

I've only read "Dweller's in the Mirage" and while it was good, I'm yet to be convinced that he is one of the greats. I've had "The Face in the Abyss" lined up to read for quite a while now. Perhaps I should get around to it soon...

 

[D_Davis]

There has been quite a good discussion thread on Merritt here: A. Merritt

I've only read "Dweller's in the Mirage" and while it was good, I'm yet to be convinced that he is one of the greats. I've had "The Face in the Abyss" lined up to read for quite a while now. Perhaps I should get around to it soon...

Dangit - I tried to search for an older thread but couldn't find one.

Mods - could you please move the posts from this thread into that one?

Thanks!

Track down "The People of the Pit." If that story doesn't convince you, I doubt anything will.

 

[JustPassingThrough]

Wait. I hate moving. I don't like change.

 

[dask]

Thumbs up for THE METAL MONSTER. But the guy can be boss of verbose.

 

[GOLLUM]

I have by a stroke of fortune all of Merrit's work This is not to say I've read everything by Merrit yet but I did like Dwellers In The Mirage and Face in the Abyss. I'm not sure I would say Merrit was a GREAT author in the mould of say a Machen, Dunsany, Clark Ashton Smith, Lovecraft etc. from what I've so far read but he's still very good more often than not and sometimes GREAT and certainly someone worth reading if you are interested in trying out some of the classic SFF works of the past or a student of the Genre.

 

[D_Davis]

I actually like his prose and style a lot more than Smith's or Lovecraft's. I think Merritt is more elegant. He may not be as imaginative as Smith or Lovecraft, but both of those guys can be, IMO, incredibly clunky.

Of course I haven't read a ton of Merritt, but that has been my impression thus far.

Also, of course, I like all three, but there is something that is really drawing my towards Merritt's work.

 

[Elflock]

'The Metal Monster' is hard to beat,but they're all excellent. I can live without the voodoo doll ones,but I think Merritt was a definite 'great' myself. The usual Darwinism/race stuff is a bit hard to take sometimes,but no more so than most of his contemporaries.
Anyone who likes Merritt should also check out Francis Stevens.

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&s...sg=AFQjCNH-pbE0diCIYOKA7rSJWey9-uIlFQ&cad=rja

Here you go,it's all free...

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&s...sg=AFQjCNFaUdNC8_XVdFGaT8kYbJ1DT5U4xg&cad=rja

http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty-n-z.html#letterS

 

[D_Davis]

'The Metal Monster' is hard to beat,but they're all excellent. I can live without the voodoo doll ones,but I think Merritt was a definite 'great' myself. The usual Darwinism/race stuff is a bit hard to take sometimes,but no more so than most of his contemporaries.
Anyone who likes Merritt should also check out Francis Stevens.http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&s...sg=AFQjCNH-pbE0diCIYOKA7rSJWey9-uIlFQ&cad=rja

Huh, never heard of Stevens before. I'll check out his stuff - thanks for the links.

 

[Elflock]

Huh, never heard of Stevens before. I'll check out his stuff - thanks for the links.

Ok,Stevens was a 'her' actually,Gertrude Barrows Bennett.

 

[D_Davis]

Ok,Stevens was a 'her' actually,Gertrude Barrows Bennett.

Alright!

 

[GOLLUM]

Interesting observation so far on Merrit Mr. Davis but yes, he's definitely someone worth reading, no argument there. One of these days I'll have to read his entire ouevre to provide a complete assessment. I shall watch your progress through Merrit's work with interest.

I've heard of Bennett by her reputation alone which seems considerable but I've never read anything of hers either. I will have to check out those links provided by Elflock.

Cheers.

 

[D_Davis]

Interesting observation so far on Merrit Mr. Davis but yes, he's definitely someone worth reading, no argument there. One of these days I'll have to read his entire ouevre to provide a complete assessment. I shall watch your progress through Merrit's work with interest.

I'm looking forward to it, too. Merritt and Wellman are my two current obsessions.

Have you read "The People of the Pit"?

 

[Elflock]

Why he isn't as popular as authors like Lovecraft today is baffling to me; this is especially true because I believe that Merritt is the superior writer and storyteller.

That makes two of us then...no,three counting Michael Moorcock

 

[D_Davis]

That makes two of us then...no,three counting Michael Moorcock

Was Moorcock a big fan?

 

[Connavar]

You convinced me with your comments about The Moon Pool and i saw it costing £0.64 in abebooks+ £6 i could not refuse that offer.

I have wanted to try Merritt for the last two years.

 

[Elflock]

Was Moorcock a big fan?

Yes,this is Moorcock writing about E R Burroughs,'...but the American writer to learn most from Haggard,and in my opinion,write better romances,was A Merritt...etc'.
Then there's this about Lovecraft,'...produced some of the most powerful infantile pathological imagery and some of the most astonishingly awful prose ever to gain popularity...etc'.
Couldn't agree more...