William Lumley

A collaborator with H. P. Lovecraft, correspondent with Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith, and one of the original fans that thought the creators of the Cthulhu Mythos were tuned in to hidden occult truths, William Lumley today is something of a footnote in the annals of weird fiction - and still very much an enigma. I did a brief series tracing Lumley's connect - through Lovecraft, Smith, and *The Fantasy Fan* - with Lumley earlier this year, but I returned to collaborate on a short piece that goes into what we know - and don't know - about the life of this odd fellow: Some Notes on William Lumley.

Good one, Ancient! This post is quite interesting and shows some great detective work !

I especially appreciate it as I believe that I may be the world's only fan of the Lovecraft's short story, "The Diary of Alonzo Typer," co-authored by Lumley.

I agree with critics' views that the story has problems, but somehow I am still drawn to rereading it annually, with great appreciation for the brooding atmosphere of the cursed van der Heyl mansion.

Many thanks!

Aye. I hope one day they get around to publishing Lumley's letters to Lovecraft - a few survive at the John Hay Library.

You're not alone, Gnosticangel. I enjoy it just as I enjoy "Medusa's Coil" and "The Horror in the Museum." These stories are the origin of what August called the "Cthulhu Mythos." Light years away from Lovecraft at his best but great fun.