Long Memories and Other Writings

Through this collection of five essays and eight fictional excerpts, H.P. Lovecraft scholar and PW senior reviews editor Cannon (The Lovecraft Chronicles) provides a window into his relationship with the late Frank Belknap Long, a science fiction and horror writer who was close friends with Lovecraft and an early collaborator in the construction of the Cthulhu Mythos. The short memoir pieces chronicle early interactions between Cannon and Belknap at speculative fiction conventions, recount the dynamics between Belknap and others in tightly knit Lovecraftian scholarship circles, and offer intimate (occasionally uncomfortably so) portraits of Belknap’s domestic life with his wife, Lyda. The fun, indulgent novella “Pulptime” imagines Lovecraft, Belknap, and their friends aiding Sherlock Holmes to solve a mystery, while other stories, including “It Was the Day of the Deep One” and “Gat-Time,” further explore Lovecraft’s cosmic horror mythology. The level of detail to Cannon’s recollections is admirable, though the rambling collection’s appeal will be restricted to the most esoteric corners of the weird fiction cognoscenti. Readers in search of a comprehensive understanding of Belknap’s part in Lovecraft’s literary legacy will find exactly what they’re looking for. (June)