R. H. Barlow (1918-1951) was in every way a remarkable individual. An enthusiast of fantasy and horror fiction since childhood, he came in touch with H. P. Lovecraft when he was only 13. He was already attempting to write short fantasy tales, and Lovecraft took considerable pains to tutor Barlow in the principles of fiction writing. This volume, which for the first time gathers Barlow’s substantial body of weird fiction and poetry, contains all six of Barlow’s collaborations with Lovecraft, including such celebrated works as "The Battle That Ended the Century" and "The Night Ocean" (which new research has shown to be almost entirely Barlow’s work). Barlow went on to write superb short stories without Lovecraft’s assistance, including "A Dim-Remembered Story," "The Root-Gatherers," and "Return by Sunset." In the 1940s, when Barlow moved to Mexico (where he became a noted anthropologist), he turned to poetry, producing such scintillating volumes as Poems for a Competition (1942) and View from a Hill (1947). Barlow’s life was tragically cut short by suicide, but this volume shows that he had already fulfilled the promise of his early work by producing tales of a substance, maturity, and depth that few of Lovecraft’s colleagues could match. The gathering together of his collected weird fiction and poetry is an event that should be welcomed by all lovers of the weird and fantastic.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Fine Poet,
By A Customer
This review is from: Eyes of the God: The Weird Fiction and Poetry of R. H. Barlow (Paperback)
Barlow's best poetry is terrific. His tributes to Lovecraft are quite moving. The stories in this book, however, are juvenalia and for the most part not very good. The one exception is "The Night Ocean," a subtle and memorable fantasy.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Collection,
By
This review is from: Eyes of the God: The Weird Fiction and Poetry of R. H. Barlow (Paperback)
This slim volume of 211 pages collects the weird fiction and poetry of Robert H. Barlow (1918-1951), who as a teenager became one of H. P. Lovecraft's finest friends and was chosen by Lovecraft to be his literary executor. Many of the items in this book have not been reprinted since their initial appearance in amateur magazines of the era. The poetry is especially wonderful. Here is one of Barlow's poems in memory of Lovecraft:
H. P. L. I. March 1937 There is engrained in us the twisted truth Which, using as symbol the change from worms to wings Or slain year's birth ensuing eager springs, Makes parables to silence weeping with. Since it distracts the empty hand of grief, I set the scentless blossom in my soil And seek to mend with slow uneager toil The ravaged plot, the broken stem and leaf, And know I shall not fail, though wandering far To see the gulf which bounds my yesterday. Since Sorrow's word must hastily be drowned . . . They prate of Somewhere, call you highly crowned With Christian wreathes throughout throughout eternal day. You, who are crowned with Death's tremendous star! II. March 1938 And now a year recedes into the wash Of aimless centuries, and now my eyes Perceive the pattern of their fall and rise, Yet memories are the heart's incessant lash Like rain upon the cloudy ocean hurled. All past and future hours emerge as one-- Twin stars which swung about a perished sun In some far reach of night beyond the world. What thing makes gulls defy the pushing breeze Or iris bloom, what knife of silver flame Was bright in you, a year can scarcely tame. It flares up yet beyond the shipless seas. But I upon this beach, perplexed by night, Dare not advance bereft of your keen sight. Many of the stories were written when Barlow was very young, and six of them were highly polished by H. P. Lovecraft and may be considered Lovecraft-Barlow collaborations. One would have liked to have seen the Barlow essays that he penned on H. P. Lovecraft and others. He wrote a splendid introduction for the 1944 Arkham House collection of weird fiction by Henry S. Whitehead, JUMBEE AND OTHER UNCANNY TALES. This is a wonderful book nonetheless, and I am grateful to Hippocampus Press for its publication.
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