Weird Fiction
It's just got that ... feeling. (The Bus 3.11)
Welcome aboard The Bus!
The Stop
Weird fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction that combines elements of ‘fantasy, horror, and [the] supernatural … while often featuring non-traditional alien monsters.’ One of its most famous practitioners, H. P. Lovecraft, defined a work of weird fiction in his essay ‘Supernatural Horror in Literature’ (1927) as one that creates a ‘certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces.’ Rather than relying on ‘threats to physical safety or straightforward revulsion,’ weird fiction instead is interested in provoking a more ‘conceptual fear’ that permeates the entire tale.1
Emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, weird fiction became quickly noted for a number of differences from more traditional dark fiction. Further described by Lovecraft as a story with a ‘supernatural element but does not fall into the category of traditional ghost story or Gothic tale,’ weird tales were by necessity composed of more than merely ‘secret murder, bloody bones, or a sheeted form clanking chains.’ Instead, they frighten and terrify because they deal with the unsettling, shadowy side of fantasy. Weird tales reflected their authors’ creation of an ‘indefinable and perhaps maddeningly unreachable’ world beyond the everyday, enhanced by a close ‘atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread.’
Exploring ‘strange, supernatural and often terrifying phenomena,’ authors such as Lovecraft, Algernon Blackwood, M. R. James and Arthur Machen created narratives that featured ‘uncanny or otherworldly beings, [and] mysterious and ominous settings’ to create a sense of dread or unease throughout the story. Avoiding common, archetypical supernatural tropes such as zombies, werewolves and vampires, they chose instead ‘paths less trodden and went to places less visited.’ As a result, weird fiction’s characters either enter into unfamiliar places or have a sense of the unusual or otherworldly which over the course of the story grows in strength until it becomes an obsession.
Though it peaked in popularity in the early 20th century,2 weird fiction has nevertheless had a lasting influence on popular culture, particularly in the horror and science fiction genres. Ideas such as the existence of the unknown and uncanny presence of vast, cosmic forces beyond human comprehension can be traced throughout these genres, most recently updated as the popular genre of cosmic horror. Interchangeably known as Lovecraftian horror or even ‘New Weird Fiction,’ cosmic horror locates its source of dread in the idea of a vast, uncaring universe that is wholly indifferent to human existence - a concept fully rooted in weird fiction.
Weird fiction wasn’t - and isn’t - for everyone, and that - for weird fiction authors and readers - is perfectly fine and part of its allure. Responding to and shaped by social, cultural, historical and scientific changes and attitudes for over 170 years, the genre shows no signs of slowing. What exactly weird fiction - or its next manifestation - ‘holds next for readers is unclear, but … we can be sure it will adaptable, idiosyncratic, and involve some of our best stylists. It will also continue to be at times discredited, misunderstood, and denigrated for being unapologetically transgressive, imaginative, and strange.’ Which will, of course, ensure its popularity - just as it has all along.
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to a brilliant video (6:01) of Supertramp’s ‘Goodbye Stranger’ - which featured on Monday’s Playlist. While scrolling through YouTube to see what Supertramp actually looked like (!), I stumbled across this cover version - and it’s fantastic. Performed by Dave Loss from Aqueous and Ryan Nogle (former Aqueous drummer who’s now with Funktional Flow), it’s a testament not only to the quality of their musicianship - but what’s possible to do in someone’s basement with today’s technology. It’s very cool and certainly worth a watch.
'Goodbye Stranger' Cover Video
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is a classic of weird fiction, Complete Ghost Stories by M. R. James (1862-1936). James was an English author, medievalist and Cambridge University professor considered by many to be the ‘finest writer of ghost stories in the English language.’ This book collects all of the stories from his four collections which were published between 1904 - 1925. Short and to the point, they’re exquisite examples of the form. And some are very, very creepy.
From the back:
'Where is it? Who is it? Am I going out of my mind?'
Montague Rhodes James was born in 1862 at Goodnestone Parsonage, Kent, where his father was a curate, but the family moved soon afterwards to Great Livermere in Suffolk. James attended Eton College and later King's College Cambridge where he won many awards and scholarships. From 1894 to 1908 he was Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and from 1905 to 1918 was Provost of King's College. In 1913, he became Vice-Chancellor of the University for two years. In 1918 he was installed as Provost of Eton. A distinguished medievalist and scholar of international status, James published many works on biblical and historical antiquarian subjects. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 1930. His ghost story writing began almost as a divertissement from his academic work and as a form of entertainment for his colleagues. His first collection, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary was published in 1904. He never married and died in 1936.
David Stuart Davies is an author, playwright and editor and is regarded as an authority on Sherlock Holmes. His fiction includes novels featuring his wartime detective Johnny Hawke and several Sherlock Holmes novels - including Sherlock Holmes and the Devil's Promise. He is a committee member of the Crime Writers' Association, editing their monthly publication, Red Herrings, and is a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund.
Remember: though you can buy Complete Ghost Stories from Amazon, you can also get it from your local new or used bookstore - or even check it out from the library. And those options are better for everyone.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is composed of five tracks that - well, are kind of weird. Not in a ‘weird fiction’ sort of way, but weird musically, thematically or both: ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us’ (Sparks, 1974), ‘Ode to Billie Joe’ (Bobbie Gentry, 1967), ‘Nesbitt’s Lime Soda Song’ (Negativland, 1987), ‘Squelch the Weasel’ (Ween, 1990) and ‘Christiansands’ (Tricky, 1996).3 Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from the French author and philosopher, Albert Camus:4
‘To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
I first heard the term ‘weird fiction’ many years ago and immediately thought ‘weird’ was being used as an adjective. Which, in some ways it is, but in the case of weird fiction, ‘weird’ is also used as a noun - as in this is fiction about ‘the weird.’ Interesting stuff, I thought - and ever since I’ve dabbled in a bit of these texts. M. R. James (today’s Recommendation) is especially good. Sources for today’s stop include M. R. James, The Weird: An Introduction and Weird Fiction (Penguin/Random House).
Although ‘weird fiction’ as a category did not exist until the 20th century, Edgar Allan Poe is usually considered its first author with his supernatural, otherworldly tales. Other early American practitioners include Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ambrose Bierce. All three of these authors are future Bus Stops, but in the meantime: Edgar Allan Poe (Britannica), Nathaniel Hawthorne (Britannica) and Ambrose Bierce (Britannica).
And I’m using ‘weird’ as an adjective here. I’m a big fan of early Ween - hearing them live in 1994 changed my life in many ways - and this is a great track off of their first album, GodWeenSatan: The Oneness. Negativland is also worth checking out, though the album this is from - Escape from Noise - is the only one you might consider ‘musical.’
Camus (1913-1960) is becoming a regular contributor to The Thought - check him out in Issues 2.4 (Jet) and 2.45 (Anubis). For more information about him, see: Albert Camus (Britannica).
Let's add King Crimson's 'The Mincer' (1974) to your list of weird tracks. I was an early and often Lovecraft fan, but the most intimate portrait comes from a collection of correspondence with Willis Conover, who was a major radio personality in adult life but in the interwar period a young person attracted to 'Weird Tales', the now highly collectible serial. https://www.amazon.com/Lovecraft-Last-Master-Horror-Words/dp/0815412126 Stephen King has often acknowledged Lovecraft as his literary avatar, but mine , H.G. Wells, was also someone who put a creepy tale together quite well himself. Wells' creep was in some ways even more disturbing, as it always inveigled itself into the quite human condition, implying that we humans are, after all, the scariest of creatures in existence. 'The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes', 'The Plattner Story', 'The Inexperienced Ghost', and 'The Stolen Body' are all good examples of authentic weirdness, to which Wells' preferred the phrase 'the unexpected'.
Not sure if Wilkie Collins falls in the “weird fiction” category, but “Lady in White” is definitely unsettling. And if anyone has opinions about “Moonstone”, we can talk after I finish reading it!