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William Hope Hodgson (15 November 1877 – 19 April 1918) was an English author. He produced a large body of work, consisting of essays, short fiction, and novels, spanning several overlapping genres including horror,
fantastic fiction Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. F ...
, and science fiction.Alder, Emily. "Passing the Barrier or Life: Spiritualism, Psychical Research and Boundaries in William Hope Hodgson's "The Night Land"". in Ramone, Jenni and Twitchen, Gemma, eds. ''Boundaries''. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2007. (pp. 120-139). Stableford, Brian, "Hodgson, William Hope", in Pringle, David ed., ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost & Gothic Writers''. London: St. James Press, 1998. (pp. 273-275). Hodgson used his experiences at sea to lend authentic detail to his short horror stories, many of which are set on the ocean, including his series of linked tales forming the " Sargasso Sea Stories". His novels, such as ''
The House on the Borderland ''The House on the Borderland'' (1908) is a supernatural horror novel by British fantasist William Hope Hodgson. The novel is a hallucinatory account of a recluse's stay at a remote house, and his experiences of supernatural creatures and o ...
'' (1908) and ''
The Night Land ''The Night Land'' is a horror/ fantasy novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1912. As a work of fantasy it belongs to the Dying Earth subgenre. Hodgson also published a much shorter version of the novel, entitled ' ...
'' (1912), feature more cosmic themes, but several of his novels also focus on horrors associated with the sea. Early in his writing career Hodgson dedicated effort to poetry, although few of his poems were published during his lifetime. He also attracted some notice as a photographer and achieved renown as a
bodybuilder Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...
. He died in World War I at age 40.


Life


Early years and life at sea

Hodgson was born in the hamlet of Blackmore End near Braintree in Essex, the son of the Reverend Samuel Hodgson, an
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...
priest, and Lissie Sarah Brown. He was the second of 12 children, three of whom died in infancy. The death of a child is a theme in several of Hodgson's works including the short stories "The Valley of Lost Children", "The Sea-Horses", and "The Searcher of the End House". Hodgson's father was moved frequently and served 11 different parishes in 21 years, including one in
Ardrahan Ardrahan () is a village in County Galway, Ireland. History Richard de Burgo conquered Galway in 1236, and granted the land to Maurice Fitzgerald who built the castle whose ruins still stand today. The churchyard wall contains the remains o ...
,
County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...
, Ireland. This setting was later featured in Hodgson's novel ''
The House on the Borderland ''The House on the Borderland'' (1908) is a supernatural horror novel by British fantasist William Hope Hodgson. The novel is a hallucinatory account of a recluse's stay at a remote house, and his experiences of supernatural creatures and o ...
''. Hodgson ran away from his boarding school at age 13, in an effort to become a sailor. He was caught and returned to his family, but eventually received his father's permission to be apprenticed as a
cabin boy ''Cabin Boy'' is a 1994 American fantasy comedy film, directed by Adam Resnick and co-produced by Tim Burton, which starred comedian Chris Elliott. Elliott co-wrote the film with Resnick. Both Elliott and Resnick worked for '' Late Night with D ...
and began a four-year apprenticeship in 1891. Hodgson's father died shortly thereafter, of throat cancer, leaving the family impoverished; while William was away, the family subsisted largely on charity. After his apprenticeship ended in 1895, Hodgson began two years of study in
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
and was then able to pass the tests and receive his mate's certificate; he then began several more years as a sailor. At sea, Hodgson experienced bullying. This led him to begin a program of personal training. Anderson, Douglas A. "Introduction", in ''Adrift on the haunted seas : the best short stories of William Hope Hodgson''. Cold Springs Harbor, NY : Cold Spring Press, 2005. (pp. 7-11) According to
Sam Moskowitz Sam Moskowitz (June 30, 1920 – April 15, 1997) was an American writer, critic, and historian of science fiction. Biography As a child, Moskowitz greatly enjoyed reading science fiction pulp magazines. As a teenager, he organized a branch of ...
,
The primary motivation of his body development was not health, but self-defence. His relatively short height and sensitive, almost beautiful face made him an irresistible target for bullying seamen. When they moved in to pulverize him, they would learn too late that they had come to grips with easily one of the most powerful men, pound for pound, in all England.
The theme of bullying of an apprentice by older seamen, and revenge taken, appeared frequently in his sea stories. While away at sea, in addition to his exercises with weights and with a punching bag, Hodgson also practised his photography, taking photographs of
aurora borealis An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
, cyclones, lightning, sharks, and the maggots that infested the food given to sailors. He also built up a stamp collection, practised his marksmanship while hunting, and kept journals of his experiences at sea. In November 1898, he was awarded the
Royal Humane Society The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned'', for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near dro ...
medal for heroism for saving another sailor who, in March of the same year, had fallen from the topmast into the sea in shark-infested waters off the coast of New Zealand.


Physical culture, essays and poetry

In 1899, at age 22, he opened a School of Physical Culture in Ainsworth Street,
Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...
, England, as "the inventor and teacher of a system that will cure indigestion". The School offered tailored exercise regimes for personal training.Kalush, William, and Sloman, Larry. ''The Secret Life of Houdini : the Making of America's First Superhero''. London : Simon & Schuster, Limited, 2008. (pp. 143-146). Among his customers were members of the Blackburn police force. In 1902, Hodgson himself appeared on stage with handcuffs and other restraining devices supplied by the Blackburn police department and applied the restraints to
Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American Escapology, escape artist, Magic (illusion), magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his Escapology, escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to ...
, who had previously escaped from the Blackburn jail. His behavior towards Houdini generated controversy; the escape artist had some difficulty removing his restraints, complaining that Hodgson had deliberately injured him and jammed the locks of his handcuffs. Hodgson was not shy of publicity, and in another notable stunt, rode a bicycle down a street so steep that it had stairs, an event written up in the local paper. Despite his reputation, he eventually found that he could not earn a living running his personal training business, which was seasonal in nature, and shut it down. He began instead writing articles such as "Physical Culture versus Recreative Exercises" (published in 1903). One of these articles, "Health from Scientific Exercise", featured photographs of Hodgson himself demonstrating his exercises. The market for such articles seemed to be limited, however; so, inspired by authors such as
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...
, H. G. Wells,
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the '' Voyages extra ...
and
Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...
, Hodgson turned his attention to fiction, publishing his first short story, "The Goddess of Death", in 1904, followed shortly by "
A Tropical Horror "A Tropical Horror" is a short story by William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1905. Plot summary In this story, a ship at sea is attacked by a giant, eel-like sea monster. The story is told from the point of view of the sole survivor, a young ...
" (1905). He also contributed to an article in ''
The Grand Magazine ''The Grand Magazine'' was the first British pulp magazine. It was published monthly between February 1905 and April 1940. Published by George Newnes Ltd, it initially emulated Newnes's highly successful ''Strand Magazine'', featuring a mix of f ...
'', taking the "No" side in a debate on the topic "Is the Mercantile Navy Worth Joining?" In this piece, Hodgson laid out in detail his negative experiences at sea, including facts and figures about salaries. This led to a second article in ''
The Nautical Magazine ''The Nautical Magazine'' was a monthly magazine containing articles of general interest to seafarers. The magazine was first published in 1832 by Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. (London) as ''The Nautical Magazine: A Journal of Papers on Subjects C ...
'', an exposé on the subject of apprenticeships; at the time, families often were forced to pay to have boys accepted as apprentices. Hodgson began to give paid lectures, illustrated with his photography in the form of colorized slides, about his experiences at sea. Although he wrote a number of poems, only a handful were published during his lifetime; several, such as " Madre Mia" (1907), appeared as dedications to his novels. Apparently cynical about the prospects of publishing his poetry, in 1906 he published an article in ''The Author'' magazine, suggesting that poets could earn money by writing inscriptions for tombstones. Many of his poems were published by his widow in two posthumous collections, but some 48 poems were not published until their appearance in the collection ''The Lost Poetry of William Hope Hodgson'' (2005).


Career in fiction, and marriage

Hodgson's first short story was "The Goddess of Death" (1904), in which he utilised a statue of Flora which stood in
Corporation Park, Blackburn Corporation Park is a traditional Victorian park in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. It was landscaped by William Henderson and opened in 1857.
, as the focus of a tale in which a Hindu statue, seized from an Indian temple, stood in a small English town. The statue comes alive to take its revenge on the people who stole it. ''The Royal Magazine'' published the story in April 1904. In 1906, the American magazine ''The Monthly Story Magazine'' published "From the Tideless Sea", the first of Hodgson's
Sargasso Sea The Sargasso Sea () is a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents forming an ocean gyre. Unlike all other regions called seas, it has no land boundaries. It is distinguished from other parts of the Atlantic Ocean by its charac ...
stories. Hodgson continued to sell stories to American magazines as well as British magazines for the remainder of his career, carefully managing the rights to his work in order to maximize his remuneration. While he still lived with his mother in relative poverty, his first published novel, ''
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" ''The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"'' is a horror novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1907.Keith Neilson, in Frank N. Magill (ed.), ''Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature'', Volume One. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Pre ...
'', appeared in 1907, to positive reviews. Hodgson also published "
The Voice in the Night "The Voice in the Night" is a short story by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in the November 1907 edition of ''Blue Book Magazine''. The story has been adapted a number of times, most prominently in the 1963 Japanese film '' ...
" the same year, as well as "Through the Vortex of a Cyclone", a realistic story inspired by Hodgson's experiences at sea and illustrated with tinted slides made from his own photographs; Hodgson had previously used these slides to illustrate a "lantern lecture" entitled "Through the Heart of a Cyclone", which he had given at the Trinity Wesleyan School in Montague Street, Blackburn, on 16 November 1906. Hodgson also explored the subject of ships and cyclones in his story "The Shamraken Homeward-Bounder" (1908). Also in 1908, Hodgson published his second novel, ''
The House on the Borderland ''The House on the Borderland'' (1908) is a supernatural horror novel by British fantasist William Hope Hodgson. The novel is a hallucinatory account of a recluse's stay at a remote house, and his experiences of supernatural creatures and o ...
'', again to positive reviews, as well as an unusual satirical science fiction story, "Date 1965: Modern Warfare", a Swiftian satire in which it is suggested that war should be carried out by men fighting in pens with knives, and the corpses carefully salvaged for food, although in letters to the editor published at the time, Hodgson expressed strong patriotic sentiments. In 1909, he published "Out of the Storm", a short horror story about "the death-side of the sea", in which the protagonist drowning in a storm rants about the horrors of a storm at sea. According to Moskowitz,
This story proved an emotional testament beyond all other evidence. Hodgson, whose literary success would be in a large measure based on the impressions he received at sea, actually hated and feared the waters with an intensity that was the passion of his life.
Also in 1909, Hodgson published another novel, '' The Ghost Pirates''. In the foreword, he wrote that it
... completes what, perhaps, may be termed a trilogy; for, though very different in scope, each of the three books deals with certain conceptions that have an elemental kinship. With this book, the author believes that he closes the door, so far as he is concerned, on a particular phase of constructive thought.
'' The Bookman'' magazine in its review of the novel in 1909 concluded with the comment:
We can only hope that Mr. Hodgson may be induced to reconsider his decision, for we know of nothing like the author's previous work in the whole of present-day literature.
Despite the critical success of his novels, Hodgson remained relatively poor. To try to bolster his income from short story sales, he began working on the first of his recurring characters, Thomas
Carnacki Thomas Carnacki is a fictional occult detective created by English fantasy writer William Hope Hodgson. Carnacki was the protagonist of a series of six short stories published between 1910 and 1912 in '' The Idler'' magazine and ''The New Magaz ...
, featured in several of his most famous stories and partly inspired by
Algernon Blackwood Algernon Henry Blackwood, CBE (14 March 1869 – 10 December 1951) was an English broadcasting narrator, journalist, novelist and short story writer, and among the most prolific ghost story writers in the history of the genre. The literary crit ...
's occult detective
John Silence John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
. The first of these, "The Gateway of the Monster", was published in '' The Idler'' (1910). In 1910, Hodgson also published "The Captain of the Onion Boat", an unusual story that combines a nautical tale and a romance. He continued to publish many stories and non-fiction pieces, occasionally resorting to the use of recycled plot elements and situations, sometimes to the annoyance of his publishers. His last novel to see publication, ''
The Night Land ''The Night Land'' is a horror/ fantasy novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1912. As a work of fantasy it belongs to the Dying Earth subgenre. Hodgson also published a much shorter version of the novel, entitled ' ...
'', was published in 1912, although it likely had its genesis a number of years earlier. Hodgson also worked on a 10,000-word novelette version of the novel, now known as ''
The Dream of X ''The Dream of X'' is a novella by English writer William Hope Hodgson, an abridged version of his 1912 science fiction novel ''The Night Land''. The abridgment was originally published as part of the chapbook collection ''Poems and the Dream ...
'' (1912). He continued to branch out into related genres, publishing "Judge Barclay's Wife", a
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
adventure, in the United States, as well as several non-supernatural mystery stories and the science fiction story " The Derelict" (1912), and even war stories (several of the
Captain Gault ''Captain Gault'' is a fictional sea captain created by English writer William Hope Hodgson. Many of the Captain Gault stories were collected in the book ''Captain Gault, Being the Exceedingly Private Log of a Sea-Captain'', published in 1917. Note ...
tales feature wartime themes). In 1912, Hodgson married Betty Farnworth, known also as Bessie, a girl from
Cheadle Hulme Cheadle Hulme () is a suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England,. Historically in Cheshire, it is south-west of Stockport and south-east of Manchester. It lies in the Ladybrook Valley, on the Cheshire Pla ...
and a staff member who wrote the "agony" column for the women's magazine ''Home Notes''. Both were 35. She gave up her job after they married on 26 February 1913, in the London borough of Kensington. They moved to the south of France and took up residence there, owing in part to the low cost of living. Hodgson began a work entitled "Captain Dang (An account of certain peculiar and somewhat memorable adventures)" and continued to publish stories in multiple genres, although financial security continued to elude him. When war broke out in Europe, the Hodgsons returned to England.


Later life, World War I experience

Hodgson joined the University of London's
Officers' Training Corps The Officers' Training Corps (OTC), more fully called the University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), are military leadership training units operated by the British Army. Their focus is to develop the leadership abilities of their members whilst ...
. Refusing to have anything to do with the sea despite his experience and Third Mate's certificate, he received a commission as a lieutenant in the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
. In 1916, he was thrown from a horse and suffered a broken jaw and a serious head injury; he received a mandatory discharge, and returned to writing. Refusing to remain on the sidelines of WWI, Hodgson recovered sufficiently to re-enlist. His published articles and stories from the time reflect his experience in war.


Death

Hodgson was killed by the direct impact of an artillery shell at the Fourth Battle of Ypres in April 1918; sources suggest either the 17th or 19th. He was eulogized in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...
'' on 2 May 1918. The American magazine ''
Adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...
'', to which Hodgson had contributed fiction, also ran an obituary which reprinted a clipping from his widow, describing how Hodgson led a group of
NCOs A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
to safety under heavy fire.


Most famous works

Hodgson is most widely known for two works. ''
The House on the Borderland ''The House on the Borderland'' (1908) is a supernatural horror novel by British fantasist William Hope Hodgson. The novel is a hallucinatory account of a recluse's stay at a remote house, and his experiences of supernatural creatures and o ...
'' (1908) is a novel of which H. P. Lovecraft, in his long essay "
Supernatural Horror in Literature "Supernatural Horror in Literature" is a 28,000 word essay by American writer H. P. Lovecraft, surveying the development and achievements of horror fiction as the field stood in the 1920s and 30s. The essay was researched and written between Nove ...
", wrote "but for a few touches of commonplace sentimentality twould be a classic of the first water". ''
The Night Land ''The Night Land'' is a horror/ fantasy novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1912. As a work of fantasy it belongs to the Dying Earth subgenre. Hodgson also published a much shorter version of the novel, entitled ' ...
'' (1912) is a much longer novel, written in an archaic style and expressing a sombre vision of a sunless far-future world; Lovecraft described it as "one of the most potent pieces of macabre imagination ever written". These works both contain elements of science fiction, although they also partake of horror and the
occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
. According to critical consensus, in these works, despite his often laboured and clumsy language, Hodgson achieves a deep power of expression which focuses on a sense not only of terror but as well of the ubiquity of ''potential'' terror, of the thinness of the invisible boundary between the world of normality and an underlying, unaccountable reality for which humans are not suited. '' The Ghost Pirates'' (1909) has less of a reputation than ''The House on the Borderland'', but is an effective seafaring horror story of a ship attacked and ultimately dragged down to its doom by supernatural creatures. The book purports to be the spoken testimony of the sole survivor, and the style lacks the pseudo-
archaism In language, an archaism (from the grc, ἀρχαϊκός, ''archaïkós'', 'old-fashioned, antiquated', ultimately , ''archaîos'', 'from the beginning, ancient') is a word, a sense of a word, or a style of speech or writing that belongs to a hi ...
which makes ''
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" ''The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"'' is a horror novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1907.Keith Neilson, in Frank N. Magill (ed.), ''Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature'', Volume One. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Pre ...
'' (1907) and ''The Night Land'' tedious reading for many. Hodgson is also known for his short stories featuring recurring characters: the "detective of the occult"
Thomas Carnacki Thomas Carnacki is a fictional occult detective created by English fantasy writer William Hope Hodgson. Carnacki was the protagonist of a series of six short stories published between 1910 and 1912 in '' The Idler'' magazine and ''The New Maga ...
, and the smuggler
Captain Gault ''Captain Gault'' is a fictional sea captain created by English writer William Hope Hodgson. Many of the Captain Gault stories were collected in the book ''Captain Gault, Being the Exceedingly Private Log of a Sea-Captain'', published in 1917. Note ...
. The Carnacki story "The Whistling Room" has been reprinted in numerous anthologies, including collections introduced by
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
. Hodgson's single most famous short story is probably "
The Voice in the Night "The Voice in the Night" is a short story by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in the November 1907 edition of ''Blue Book Magazine''. The story has been adapted a number of times, most prominently in the 1963 Japanese film '' ...
" (1907), which has been adapted for film twice. Another story regarded highly by critics is "The Shamraken Homeward-Bounder". Hodgson's work is said to have had an influence on H.P. Lovecraft, even though Lovecraft did not read his works until 1934. In a 2009 essay,
China Miéville China Tom Miéville ( ; born 6 September 1972) is a British speculative fiction writer and literary critic. He often describes his work as '' weird fiction'' and is allied to the loosely associated movement of writers called '' New Weird''. M ...
traces the origin of "the tentacle" as an object of horror to Hodgson's ''
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" ''The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"'' is a horror novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1907.Keith Neilson, in Frank N. Magill (ed.), ''Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature'', Volume One. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Pre ...
'', but the motif had already been used by
M. R. James Montague Rhodes James (1 August 1862 – 12 June 1936) was an English author, medievalist scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918), and of Eton College (1918–1936). He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambrid ...
in "
Count Magnus "Count Magnus" is a ghost story by British writer M. R. James, first published in 1904. It was included in his first collection '' Ghost Stories of an Antiquary''. Plot A traveller in Sweden stumbles upon the history of a mysterious and ominou ...
", which Lovecraft first read shortly before employing the motif.


Literary influence

After his death, Hodgson's work was largely forgotten. In the 1930s, however, Hodgson's supernatural fiction was anthologised in both Colin de la Mare's ''They Walk Again'' (1931) and
Dennis Wheatley Dennis Yeats Wheatley (8 January 1897 – 10 November 1977) was a British writer whose prolific output of thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s. His Gregory Sallust series w ...
's ''A Century of Horror Stories'' (1935); this began a revival of interest in Hodgson's work. Hodgson's work was inspirational to many science fiction and fantasy writers. In Britain,
Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes (23 December 1859 – 11 September 1933), better known under the pseudonym Adrian Ross, was a prolific writer of lyrics, contributing songs to more than sixty British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries ...
,
Olaf Stapledon William Olaf Stapledon (10 May 1886 – 6 September 1950) – known as Olaf Stapledon – was a British philosopher and author of science fiction.Andy Sawyer, " illiamOlaf Stapledon (1886-1950)", in Bould, Mark, et al, eds. ''Fifty Key Figures ...
and Dennis Wheatley were all influenced by Hodgson's work. Across the Atlantic,
Clark Ashton Smith Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Swinburne. As a poet, Smi ...
and Henry S. Whitehead were also influenced by Hodgson's writings. Modern authors who cite Hodgson as an influence include
Iain Sinclair Iain Sinclair FRSL (born 11 June 1943) is a writer and filmmaker. Much of his work is rooted in London, recently within the influences of psychogeography. Biography Education Sinclair was born in Cardiff in 1943. From 1956 to 1961, he was educate ...
,
Gene Wolfe Gene Rodman Wolfe (May 7, 1931 – April 14, 2019) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and nove ...
,
Greg Bear Gregory Dale Bear (August 20, 1951 – November 19, 2022) was an American writer and illustrator best known for science fiction. His work covered themes of galactic conflict ('' Forge of God'' books), parallel universes ('' The Way'' series), c ...
,
China Miéville China Tom Miéville ( ; born 6 September 1972) is a British speculative fiction writer and literary critic. He often describes his work as '' weird fiction'' and is allied to the loosely associated movement of writers called '' New Weird''. M ...
, Simon Clark,
Elizabeth Massie Elizabeth Spilman Massie is an American author. She lives outside Waynesboro, Virginia with illustrator Cortney Skinner. Career Elizabeth Massie is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of horror novels and short fiction. She won the award ...
,
Tim Lebbon Tim Lebbon (born 28 July 1969, London) is a British horror and dark fantasy writer. Life Lebbon was born in London. He lived in Devon until he was eight and then in Newport until the age of 26. He now lives in Goytre, Monmouthshire with his ...
, and
Brian Keene Brian Keene (born September 22, 1967) is an American author and podcaster, primarily known for his work in horror, dark fantasy, crime fiction, and comic books. He has won the 2014 World Horror Grandmaster Award and two Bram Stoker Awards. In a ...
.


Hodgson's literary estate

Hodgson's widow, Bessie, worked to keep his books in print and to publish works he was not able to get published during his lifetime, including two books of poetry. After Bessie Hodgson died in 1943, Hodgson's sister Lissie took over his literary estate. While the first six
Carnacki Thomas Carnacki is a fictional occult detective created by English fantasy writer William Hope Hodgson. Carnacki was the protagonist of a series of six short stories published between 1910 and 1912 in '' The Idler'' magazine and ''The New Magaz ...
stories were collected during Hodgson's lifetime, "The Haunted Jarvee" appeared posthumously in 1929, and two more Carnacki stories, "The Find" and "The Hog," were published in 1947 by
August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...
. Some critics suspected that Derleth might actually be the author of these two stories, but that theory has been discounted. One
Captain Gault ''Captain Gault'' is a fictional sea captain created by English writer William Hope Hodgson. Many of the Captain Gault stories were collected in the book ''Captain Gault, Being the Exceedingly Private Log of a Sea-Captain'', published in 1917. Note ...
story, "The Plans of the Reefing Bi-Plane", was not published until 1996, when it was included in the short story collection ''Terrors of the Sea''. Some of Hodgson's poems were first published in 2005, when they appeared in ''The Lost Poetry of William Hope Hodgson''. A number of other Hodgson works are reprinted for the first time since their original publication in the five-volume ''Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson'' series published by
Night Shade Books Night Shade Books is an American, San Francisco–based imprint, formerly an independent publishing company, that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Among its publications have been the U.S. edition of Iain M. Banks' novel ...
. Copyright protection has now expired on most of Hodgson's work, , including many of his poems.


Novels

*''
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" ''The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"'' is a horror novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1907.Keith Neilson, in Frank N. Magill (ed.), ''Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature'', Volume One. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Pre ...
'' (1907) *''
The House on the Borderland ''The House on the Borderland'' (1908) is a supernatural horror novel by British fantasist William Hope Hodgson. The novel is a hallucinatory account of a recluse's stay at a remote house, and his experiences of supernatural creatures and o ...
'' (1908) *'' The Ghost Pirates'' (1909) *''
The Night Land ''The Night Land'' is a horror/ fantasy novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1912. As a work of fantasy it belongs to the Dying Earth subgenre. Hodgson also published a much shorter version of the novel, entitled ' ...
'' (1912) *''
The Dream of X ''The Dream of X'' is a novella by English writer William Hope Hodgson, an abridged version of his 1912 science fiction novel ''The Night Land''. The abridgment was originally published as part of the chapbook collection ''Poems and the Dream ...
'' (1912) (a 20,000-word abridgement of the 200,000-word novel ''The Night Land'') *'' The House on the Borderland and Other Novels'' (1946) (a posthumous collection of Hodgson's four major novels) *''Captain Dang'' (unfinished)


Order of writing versus order of publication

Sam Gafford, in his 1997 essay "Writing Backwards: The Novels of William Hope Hodgson" has suggested that Hodgson's four major novels may have been published in roughly the reverse order of their writing. If this is true, then ''
The Night Land ''The Night Land'' is a horror/ fantasy novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1912. As a work of fantasy it belongs to the Dying Earth subgenre. Hodgson also published a much shorter version of the novel, entitled ' ...
'' was Hodgson's first novel, in which he poured out his imagination at its most unbridled, and not his last. Gafford writes:
This concern over the order of composition of the novels may seem of little importance until we consider the implications toward Hodgson's work overall. .. in effect, Hodgson moved away from ''TNL'' quasi-science fiction scenario (which contained an astounding number of original conceptions) and toward ''BoGCs more basic adventure slant.
If we accept Gafford's thesis, then Hodgson actually wrote ''
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" ''The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"'' is a horror novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1907.Keith Neilson, in Frank N. Magill (ed.), ''Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature'', Volume One. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Pre ...
'' last, and it benefits from the modernization of style to the point where it is Hodgson's most accessible novel:
When he finishes the group with ''BoGC'', Hodgson has managed to rid himself of these affectations of style and produces a book written in a flat but serviceable tone. With each book, Hodgson learns better control of language and more writing savvy and eventually begins to develop his own voice.
But despite the excessively archaic prose style, which does make them less approachable, it is actually Hodgson's earlier works that are considered masterpieces today. And as Gafford says:
...we can only wonder what wonderfully imaginative excesses like ''The Night Land'' may have been lost because of an unappreciative public.


Short stories


Miscellaneous stories

''Note'': the following list of stories is based on the five-volume ''Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson'' published by
Night Shade Books Night Shade Books is an American, San Francisco–based imprint, formerly an independent publishing company, that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Among its publications have been the U.S. edition of Iain M. Banks' novel ...
, completed in late 2006. The list includes details of first publication, where known. * "The Goddess of Death". ''
Royal Magazine ''The Royal Magazine'' was a monthly British literary magazine that was published between 1898 and 1939. Its founder and publisher was Sir Arthur Pearson. ''The Royal Magazines first edition was published in November 1898. According to this issu ...
'', 1904 *"The Valley of Lost Children". Cornhill Magazine, February 1906 * "Terror of the Water-Tank". '' The Blue Book'', 1907 * "Bullion". ''Everybody's Weekly'', 1911 * "The Mystery of the Water-Logged Ship". ''Grand Magazine'', 1911 * "The Ghosts of the ''Glen Doon''". ''The Red Magazine'', 1911 * "My House Shall Be Called the House of Prayer". Cornhill Magazine, February 1911 * "Mr. Jock Danplank". ''The Red Magazine'', 1912 * "The Mystery of Captain Chappel". ''The Red Magazine'', 1917 * "The Home-Coming of Captain Dan". ''The Red Magazine'', 1918 * "Merciful Plunder" (first published in 1925 in '' Argosy-Allstory Weekly'') * "The Haunting of the ''Lady Shannon''" (''Out of the Storm'', 1975) * "The Heathen's Revenge" (first published in a chapbook as "The Way of the Heathen", 1988) *"
A Tropical Horror "A Tropical Horror" is a short story by William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1905. Plot summary In this story, a ship at sea is attacked by a giant, eel-like sea monster. The story is told from the point of view of the sole survivor, a young ...
" (first published in 1905) *"
The Voice in the Night "The Voice in the Night" is a short story by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in the November 1907 edition of ''Blue Book Magazine''. The story has been adapted a number of times, most prominently in the 1963 Japanese film '' ...
" (first published in 1907) *" The Derelict" (first published in 1912) *"Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani" (first published as " The Baumoff Explosive" in 1919) * "The Shamraken Homeward-Bounder" * "Out of the Storm" * "The Albatross" * "The 'Prentices' Mutiny" * "The Island of the Crossbones" * "The Stone Ship" * "The Regeneration of Captain Bully Keller" * "The Mystery of Missing Ships" * "We Two and Bully Dunkan" * "The Haunted Pampero" * "The Real Thing: 'S.O.S.'" * "Jack Grey, Second Mate" * "The Smugglers" * "In the Wailing Gully" * "The Girl with the Grey Eyes" * "Kind, Kind and Gentle Is She" * "A Timely Escape" * "The Homecoming of Captain Dan" * "On the Bridge" * "Through the Vortex of a Cyclone". Cornhill Magazine, November 1906 * "A Fight with a Submarine" * "In the Danger Zone" * "Old Golly" * "Demons of the Sea". ''Sea Stories'', 1923. Edited and renamed "The Crew of the Lancing" for ''Over the Edge'' (1964), edited by
August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...
. * "The Wild Man of the Sea" * "The Habitants of Middle Islet" * "The Riven Night" * "The Heaving of the Log" * "The Sharks of the St. Elmo" * "Sailormen" * "By the Lee" * "The Captain of the Onion Boat" * "The Sea-Horses" * "The Valley of Lost Children" * "Date 1965: Modern Warfare" * "Judge Barclay's Wife" * "How the Honorable Billy Darrell Raided the Wind" * "The Friendship of Monsieur Jeynois" * "The Inn of the Black Crow" * "What Happened in the Thunderbolt" * "How Sir Jerrold Treyn Dealt with the Dutch in Caunston Cove" * "Jem Binney and the Safe at Lockwood Hall" * "Diamond Cut Diamond with a Vengeance" * "The Room of Fear" * "The Promise"


Sargasso Sea stories

* "From the Tideless Sea Part One". ''Monthly Story Magazine'', 1906 * "From the Tideless Sea Part Two: Further News of the ''Homebird''". ''The Blue Book Magazine'', 1907 * "The Mystery of the Derelict". ''The Story-teller'', 1907 * "The Thing in the Weeds". ''The Story-teller'', 1912. Expanded as "An Adventure of the Deep Waters" in the magazine ''
Short Stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
'', 1916. * "The Finding of the ''Graiken''". ''The Red Magazine'', 1913 * "The Call in the Dawn". ''Premier Magazine'', 1920, as ''The Voice in the Dawn''


Carnacki stories

* "The Thing Invisible". ''The New Magazine'', MONTH UNKNOWN, 1912 * "The Gateway of the Monster". ''The Idler'', January 1910 * "The House Among the Laurels". ''The Idler'', February 1910 * "The Whistling Room". ''The Idler'', March 1910 * "The Horse of the Invisible". ''The Idler'', April 1910 * "The Searcher of the End House". ''The Idler'', June 1910 * "The Haunted ''Jarvee''". ''The Premier Magazine'', March 1929 * "The Find". First published in 1947 as part of the ''Carnacki the Ghost Finder''
Mycroft & Moran Mycroft & Moran was an imprint of Arkham House publishers and was created in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1945. The imprint was created to publish weird detective stories and the Solar Pons stories by August Derleth. Arkham retired the imprint in 1982 ...
collection * "The Hog". ''Weird Tales'', January 1947


Captain Jat stories

* "The Island of the Ud". ''The Red Magazine'', 1912 * "The Adventure of the Headland". ''The Red Magazine'', 1912


Captain Gault stories

* "Contraband of War". ''London Magazine'', 1914 * "The Diamond Spy". ''London Magazine'', 1914 * "The Red Herring". ''London Magazine'', 1914 * "The Case of the Chinese Curio Dealer". ''London Magazine'', 1914 * "The Drum of Saccharine". ''London Magazine'', 1914 * "From Information Received". ''London Magazine'', 1914 * "The German Spy". ''London Magazine'', 1915 * "The Problem of the Pearls". ''London Magazine'', 1915 * "The Painted Lady". ''London Magazine'', 1915 * "The Adventure of the Garter". ''London Magazine'', 1916 * "My Lady's Jewels". ''London Magazine'', 1916 * "Trading with the Enemy". ''London Magazine'', 1916 * "The Plans of the Reefing Bi-Plane" (not published until its inclusion in ''Terrors of the Sea'' in 1996)


D.C.O. Cargunka stories

* "The Bells of the Laughing Sally". ''The Red Magazine'', 1914 * "The Adventure with the Claim Jumpers". ''The Red Magazine'', 1915


Selected short story collections

*''Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder'' (1913) *''Men of the Deep Waters'' (1914) *''The Luck of the Strong'' (1916) *''
Captain Gault ''Captain Gault'' is a fictional sea captain created by English writer William Hope Hodgson. Many of the Captain Gault stories were collected in the book ''Captain Gault, Being the Exceedingly Private Log of a Sea-Captain'', published in 1917. Note ...
, Being the Exceedingly Private Log of a Sea-Captain'' (1917) *''
Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder ''Carnacki the Ghost-Finder'' is a collection of occult detective short stories by English writer William Hope Hodgson, featuring the titular protagonist. It was first published in 1913 by the English publisher Eveleigh Nash. In 1947, a new editio ...
'' (1947) (expanded from the 1913 edition)


Non-fiction

*''Health from Scientific Exercise''. Cassell's Magazine, November 1903 *''The Magic of Kipling''. The Bookman, November 1909


Poems

*"Amanda Panda" *"Beyond the Dawning" *"Billy Ben" *"Bring Out Your Dead" *"The Calling of the Sea" *"Down the Long Coasts" *"Eight Bells" *"Grey Seas are Dreaming of My Death" *"The Hell! Oo! Chaunty" (appears in '' The Ghost Pirates'') *"I Come Again" *"I Have Borne My Lord a Son" *"Listening" *"Little Garments" *"Lost" *" Madre Mia" (appears as the dedication in ''
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" ''The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"'' is a horror novel by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1907.Keith Neilson, in Frank N. Magill (ed.), ''Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature'', Volume One. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Pre ...
'') *"Mimosa" *"The Morning Lands" *"My Babe, My Babe" *"Nevermore" *"The Night Wind" *"O Parent Sea" *"The Pirates" *" The Place of Storms" *"Rest" *"The Ship" *"The Sobbing of the Freshwater". ''London Magazine'', 1912 *"The Song of the Great Bull Whale". ''Grand Magazine'', 1912 *"Song of the Ship" *"Speak Well of the Dead" *"Storm" *"Thou Living Sea" *"To My Father" *"The Voice of the Ocean" *"Shoon of the Dead" (appears in ''
The House on the Borderland ''The House on the Borderland'' (1908) is a supernatural horror novel by British fantasist William Hope Hodgson. The novel is a hallucinatory account of a recluse's stay at a remote house, and his experiences of supernatural creatures and o ...
'') *"Who Make Their Bed in Deep Waters"


Poetry collections

* ''The Calling of the Sea'' (published posthumously by Hodgson's widow in 1920) * ''The Voice of the Ocean'' (published posthumously by Hodgson's widow in 1921) * ''Poems of the Sea'' (published in 1977 and collecting the poems from the two previously published collections) * ''The Lost Poetry of William Hope Hodgson'' (published in 2005, edited by Jane Frank, including 43 previously unpublished poems)


Recent publications of Hodgson's work

* '' Out of the Storm: Uncollected Fantasies'' (1975) (
Sam Moskowitz Sam Moskowitz (June 30, 1920 – April 15, 1997) was an American writer, critic, and historian of science fiction. Biography As a child, Moskowitz greatly enjoyed reading science fiction pulp magazines. As a teenager, he organized a branch of ...
, ed.) The 1975 hardcover edition contains an introductory 100-page essay by Moskowitz about Hodgson's life and work; the paperback reissue lacks the essay. * '' The Haunted "Pampero"'' (1992) (
Sam Moskowitz Sam Moskowitz (June 30, 1920 – April 15, 1997) was an American writer, critic, and historian of science fiction. Biography As a child, Moskowitz greatly enjoyed reading science fiction pulp magazines. As a teenager, he organized a branch of ...
, ed.) * ''Terrors of the Sea (Unpublished and Uncollected Fantasies)'' (1996) (
Sam Moskowitz Sam Moskowitz (June 30, 1920 – April 15, 1997) was an American writer, critic, and historian of science fiction. Biography As a child, Moskowitz greatly enjoyed reading science fiction pulp magazines. As a teenager, he organized a branch of ...
, ed.) *''The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" and Other Nautical Adventures: The Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson Volume 1'' (2004) *''The House on the Borderland and Other Mysterious Places: The Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson Volume 2'' (2004) *''The Ghost Pirates and Other Revenants of the Sea: The Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson Volume 3'' (2005) *''The Night Land and Other Romances: The Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson Volume 4'' (2005) *''The Dream of X and Other Fantastic Visions: The Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson Volume 5'' (2009) *''Adrift on The Haunted Seas: The Best Short Stories of William Hope Hodgson'' (2005) (
Douglas A. Anderson Douglas Allen Anderson (born December 30, 1959) is an American writer and editor on the subjects of fantasy and medieval literature, specializing in textual analysis of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. He is a winner of the Mythopoeic Award for sch ...
, ed.) * ''The Lost Poetry of William Hope Hodgson'' (published in 2005, edited by Jane Frank, including 43 previously unpublished poems) * ''The Wandering Soul: Glimpses of a Life: A Compendium of Rare and Unpublished Works'' (2005), edited by Jane Frank. This volume contains photographs, articles, and essays by and about Hodgson, including an essay on
bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...
, one of his sailing logs, and his obituary.


See also

*
List of horror fiction authors This is a list of some (not all) notable writers in the horror fiction genre. Note that some writers listed below have also written in other genres, especially fantasy and science fiction. A B C D E F G H I J K L M ...


Notes and references


Further reading

* * * *


External links

* * * * *
Works by William Hope Hodgson
at The University of Adelaide Library
William Hope Hodgson


* ttp://www.forgottenfutures.com/game/ff4/ ''Carnacki the Ghost Finder'' with its original illustrations
''Captain Gault; being the exceedingly private log of a sea-captain (1918)''
at Archive.org
H.P. Lovecraft on Hodgson in "Supernatural Horror in Literature"

H.P Lovecraft's letters mentioning Hodgson




* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hodgson, William Hope 1877 births 1918 deaths Military personnel from Essex 20th-century English novelists English fantasy writers English horror writers English science fiction writers English bodybuilders Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel killed in World War I People from Essex Weird fiction writers Ghost story writers 20th-century British short story writers English male novelists