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The Loved Dead And Other Tales
This second collection of C. M. Eddy, Jr.'s thirteen short stories showcases his Weird Tales creations together with a variety of other tales from that era. Taken from the original handwritten manuscripts, they demonstrate the diversity and range he displayed as an author. The thirteen stories in this volume run the gamut from horror - "The Loved Dead" to detective mystery - "Sign of the Dragon" to the supernatural - "Deaf, Dumb and Blind" to name a few. Many are reprinted together here for the first time since they graced the pages of the pulp magazines back in the early part of the 20th century.
257 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1924
About the author
C.M. Eddy Jr.
35 books5 followersClifford Martin Eddy Jr. was an American author known for his horror, mystery and supernatural short stories. He is best remembered for his work in Weird Tales magazine and his friendship with H.P. Lovecraft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._M._E....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._M._E....
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 30, 2019
If Eddy hadn't been H.P. Lovecraft's fellow ghost writer, walking buddy, and friend, he would be little more that a brief footnote to the history of horror fiction. But, since C.M. and H.P. were friends, he warrants a long footnote at least.
Clifford Martin ("C.M.") Eddy, Jr.--vaudeville booking agent, song-writer, proof-reader, and life-long pulp fiction hobbyist--was a Providence, Rhode Island boy who met fellow native H.P. Lovecraft in 1923. Although they had corresponded as early as 1918, they never encountered each other in person until their mothers introduced them at a party. (C.M. was 27 years old, H.P. 35.) They edited each other's stories, worked as ghostwriters for Harry Houdini, and took long, rambling walks together. (On one of these occasions, they explored the Newport Tower, which became the inspiration for H.P.'s "The Lurker at the Threshold.")
Eddy is not a memorable writer, but he is notorious for one particular piece: "The Loved Dead," a story about necrophilia, so outraged the public that local school boards brought lawsuits against "Weird Tales" and all copies of the offending issue were removed from the shelves. The publishers feared the magazine would be forced out of business, but the adage that "all publicity is good publicity" served to be true in this case, and total sales soon increased.
Now, almost a century later, "The Loved Dead" doesn't seem horrible or scary, just a little icky and bathetic, and its uncharacteristic Latinate vocabulary in the manner of Poe makes things even sillier. (H.P. deserves some blame for this, since he revised it for publication.) And yet, the tale is rather likable in its quaint, outdated way. I think this is because Eddy's amiable personality shines through even in this mannered, deliberately repulsive work: E.M. is just a little boy who loves pulp magazines for their adventure and excitement, and loves to see his name in print.
The other stories in this collection affected me in a similar way. The simplistic male-female relationships in the caveman tales and the hint of sado-masochism in the domestic crime stories don't make me tremble for Mrs. Eddy; they are merely touches of perversity a good man might add to a bad story to make it marketable. The detective novella "Sign of the Dragon"--Eddy's first published piece--is an enjoyable collection of genre cliches, and two tales of the supernatural ("The Ghost Eater" and "Deaf, Dumb and Blind") are memorable and effective, even if they are much too redolent of H.P.
I recommend this book to those who wish to know what mediocre weird pulp fiction was like in the '20's and '30's, and for those whose interest in H.P. is so great that it extends to his social circle. The rest of you probably have better things to read.
November 12, 2018
Sometimes, it seems, a little notoriety can be a good thing. Take, for example, the case of the legendary pulp magazine "Weird Tales." Though famously cash strapped for most of its 32-year run, during its earliest days, in 1923, things looked especially bleak for the nascent publication. On the very brink of bankruptcy, editor Edwin Baird decided to purchase, against his better judgment, a story by a Providence, Rhode Island-born writer named C.M. Eddy, Jr. Eddy had already had a few of his weird tales released in the pages of "Weird Tales," but this latest one was a real envelope pusher, dealing as it did with the highly distasteful and borderline taboo subject of necrophilia. But Baird did indeed print the story, the now-classic tale "The Loved Dead," with the result that the Richmond, Indiana PTA tried to shut the magazine down completely! The eventual brouhaha led to a surge in sales, warding off the magazine's imminent financial collapse and allowing it to continue. I had previously encountered "the story that saved 'Weird Tales'" in one of the many anthologies dedicated to the magazine, had hugely enjoyed it, and was curious to read more by Mr. Eddy...especially inasmuch as not only was the author a member of the so-called Lovecraft Circle, but was indeed a close personal friend of Howard Phillips Lovecraft himself, as well as of Harry Houdini. (Eddy's wife, Muriel, would go on to write several memoirs about "the Sage of Providence").
Fortunately, two collections of Eddy's work can be had easily enough today from the fine folks at Fenham Publishing. Just as August Derleth had started Arkham House to preserve the works of Lovecraft in 1939, Eddy's grandson, Jim Dyer, started Fenham in Narragansett, R. I., in 2000, to preserve and present the works of his grandparents. On a whim, I sprang for the volume entitled "The Loved Dead and Other Tales," and what an interesting and varied collection it has turned out to be! Ranging over the fields of horror, fantasy, sci-fi and even detective thriller, and with more than half of its 13 stories drawn from the pages of "Weird Tales" magazine, the volume shows off its author as a more-than-competent journeyman in all four genres. And if this particular volume unfortunately contains more typographical errors than any one book should reasonably be expected to contain, it yet remains a wonderful investment for all fans of pulp fiction.
As might be expected, the volume kicks off with its most famous story, "The Loved Dead" (from the May/June/July 1924 issue). Here, our narrator, in deliciously morbid language, tells of his sorry childhood in, uh, Fenham, his growing realization that he is attracted to the dead, his apprenticeship in a funeral parlor, his relishing the scenes of slaughter from his WW1 trenches, and, upon his return home, his escalating awareness that he is now compelled to kill, so as to be close to the life-giving aura of the dead that he craves. Our nameless narrator, as sick a puppy as has ever been depicted in the pages of early 20th century horror, yet has a way with words, as here, when he describes his wartime experience: "…four years of blood-red charnel Hell...sickening slime of rain-rotten trenches...deafening bursting of hysterical shells...monotonous droning of sardonic bullets...smoking frenzies of Phlegethon's fountains...stifling fumes of murderous gases...grotesque remnants of smashed and shredded bodies...four years of transcendent satisfaction...." Is it any wonder that the Richmond PTA was so appalled?
Next up, Eddy gives us a story from the mists of prehistory, in "With Weapons of Stone" (from the 12/24 "Weird Tales"). Here, two troglodyte men, to win the hand of the beautiful Zo-Na, compete to be the one who can slay the vicious sabertooth. Ra-nor plays fair, whereas the shifty Gra--son of the tribal chieftain Gra--is a contemptible weasel. How it all works out I leave to you to discover, as this simply written but engrossing story hurtles to its conclusion.
"Red Cap of the Mara" shifts gears a bit, presenting us with a pleasing modern-day fantasy. Here, a young man, frustrated in love and fed up with women, seems to find the gal of his dreams one summer evening. This story conflates the werewolf legend, swan maidens, 1920s flappers, jazz halls, romance, infidelity and theft into one fascinating stew, indeed.
In "An Arbiter of Destiny," two men, both doctors, meet in a railroad car. One of them, Congdon, claims that hypnosis is utter rot, while the other, Prof. Sonpyh, avers that he can easily put the first man under. As it turns out, Congdon is indeed put into a hypnotic trance, awakening to an increasingly nightmarish world, with himself in prison and accused of a crime that he does not remember committing. An interesting double twist of sorts culminates this short but gripping tale.
"The Cur" is a decidedly nasty entry in this anthology, almost as shocking (for this reader, anyway) as "The Loved Dead." Here, an aspiring author takes the old adage about writing from experience a little too closely to heart. As his current story is about a man tormenting and torturing his unfaithful wife, our nutzy author, Gerald, ties up his own wife, Rose, locks her in the attic, and subjects her to all manner of abuse...all in an effort to improve his own writing skills, you understand. A blazing mishap leads to an unexpectedly downbeat conclusion in this truly unpleasant little tale.
A pleasing mix of fantasy and sci-fi, "The Better Choice" (3/25 "Weird Tales") presents us with John Castle, a scientist who has come up with a method of reviving the dead! He commits suicide in the hopes that his friend will be able to bring him back, and once dead, is escorted to the ethereal regions by a supernal guide. Castle is ultimately allowed a chance for a kind of cosmic do-over, but as the scientist learns in this highly pleasing story, some things really are best left alone....
The most overt example of sci-fi in this collection, "Ashes" (3/24 "Weird Tales") gives us a mad-scientist sort who invents a method of transforming any substance, with the exception of glass, instantaneously into ash! All is well and good, until his two love-struck assistants realize that the loony inventor wishes to now experiment on some human subjects! Great fun, this one, including the line "Many a weird tale I had listened to over that self-same table"!
In "Eterna," a homeless man explains the chain of events that have led him to his current miserable lot. A former painter, he had become involved with a singularly beautiful woman; a true woman of mystery, who had previously caused the destruction of many men. But this female, named Eterna, is no average gold digger, as the reader discovers in this most spellbinding fantasy.
"Arhl-a of the Caves" (from the 1/25 "Weird Tales") returns us to the mists of prehistory. Here, the cowardly and randy troglodyte Zurd kidnaps the titular heroine and brings her to his hidden cave. Thus, it is up to Arhl-a's lover, Wagh the Mighty, to follow the spoor of the two and bring his cavegal back. As was "With Weapons of Stone," this story is simply written but moves along briskly, supplying the reader with some pleasing action bursts, including a dukeout with a monstrous ape. Great fun!
A haunted house story of no small impact, "The Ghost-Eater" (4/24 "Weird Tales") combines an eerie abode in the deep woods of Maine (decades before Stephen King ever came on the scene), a young and callow forest hiker, a mysterious and "strikingly handsome" host, an incorporeal visitor, legends of the werewolf (once again), and local folklore into one spooky brew.
And this horror tale is followed by one that is this anthology's most indebted to the work of H. P. Lovecraft himself, "Deaf, Dumb and Blind" (4/25 "Weird Tales"). In this one, the titular deaf, dumb and blind author-poet leaves a typewritten manuscript that gives clues to the horrible occurrences leading up to his demise. Richard Blake had been living for some time in the abode once occupied by Simeon Tanner, who had been burned by the local townfolk as recently as 1819, for practicing witchcraft. And now, as the poor handicapped man's final words make abundantly clear, something evil is stirring in the house yet again, plainly visible to the blind man as "impious revelations of soul-sickening Saturnalia...." Great fun, again...for the reader, at least.
This collection takes an abrupt shift with its next story, "Souls & Heels," an out-and-out murder mystery, in which the wealthy host of a ritzy party is poisoned in his study while his guests happily cavort downstairs. Fortunately, one of those guests just happens to be Jasper Elliott, a famed criminologist and detective. But Elliott, due to his studies abroad, is also able to leave his body, perform feats of astral projection, and converse with the dead...truly, a character whom Eddy could very well have developed into the star of his own series!
At 80+ pages, this anthology's final story, "Sign of the Dragon," is more of a novella than anything else. An exciting crime mystery with thriller elements, this tale conflates twin Chinese dragon rings, a decades-old pact, a mysterious damsel or two, car chases, gunplay, blackmail, foreign spies, protonoir tough talk, enigmatic documents and a few surprises into one fast-moving affair. This was Eddy's very first magazine sale (for the 9/19 issue of "Mystery Magazine"), and a bravura early effort, to be sure.
So there you have it...a baker's dozen of well-executed pulp wonders, in a variety of genres. I was pleased enough with this Eddy collection from Fenham that I am now tempted to seek out that other volume that I mentioned earlier, called "Exit Into Eternity: Tales of the Bizarre and Supernatural." Stay tuned....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of C. M. Eddy, Jr....)
Fortunately, two collections of Eddy's work can be had easily enough today from the fine folks at Fenham Publishing. Just as August Derleth had started Arkham House to preserve the works of Lovecraft in 1939, Eddy's grandson, Jim Dyer, started Fenham in Narragansett, R. I., in 2000, to preserve and present the works of his grandparents. On a whim, I sprang for the volume entitled "The Loved Dead and Other Tales," and what an interesting and varied collection it has turned out to be! Ranging over the fields of horror, fantasy, sci-fi and even detective thriller, and with more than half of its 13 stories drawn from the pages of "Weird Tales" magazine, the volume shows off its author as a more-than-competent journeyman in all four genres. And if this particular volume unfortunately contains more typographical errors than any one book should reasonably be expected to contain, it yet remains a wonderful investment for all fans of pulp fiction.
As might be expected, the volume kicks off with its most famous story, "The Loved Dead" (from the May/June/July 1924 issue). Here, our narrator, in deliciously morbid language, tells of his sorry childhood in, uh, Fenham, his growing realization that he is attracted to the dead, his apprenticeship in a funeral parlor, his relishing the scenes of slaughter from his WW1 trenches, and, upon his return home, his escalating awareness that he is now compelled to kill, so as to be close to the life-giving aura of the dead that he craves. Our nameless narrator, as sick a puppy as has ever been depicted in the pages of early 20th century horror, yet has a way with words, as here, when he describes his wartime experience: "…four years of blood-red charnel Hell...sickening slime of rain-rotten trenches...deafening bursting of hysterical shells...monotonous droning of sardonic bullets...smoking frenzies of Phlegethon's fountains...stifling fumes of murderous gases...grotesque remnants of smashed and shredded bodies...four years of transcendent satisfaction...." Is it any wonder that the Richmond PTA was so appalled?
Next up, Eddy gives us a story from the mists of prehistory, in "With Weapons of Stone" (from the 12/24 "Weird Tales"). Here, two troglodyte men, to win the hand of the beautiful Zo-Na, compete to be the one who can slay the vicious sabertooth. Ra-nor plays fair, whereas the shifty Gra--son of the tribal chieftain Gra--is a contemptible weasel. How it all works out I leave to you to discover, as this simply written but engrossing story hurtles to its conclusion.
"Red Cap of the Mara" shifts gears a bit, presenting us with a pleasing modern-day fantasy. Here, a young man, frustrated in love and fed up with women, seems to find the gal of his dreams one summer evening. This story conflates the werewolf legend, swan maidens, 1920s flappers, jazz halls, romance, infidelity and theft into one fascinating stew, indeed.
In "An Arbiter of Destiny," two men, both doctors, meet in a railroad car. One of them, Congdon, claims that hypnosis is utter rot, while the other, Prof. Sonpyh, avers that he can easily put the first man under. As it turns out, Congdon is indeed put into a hypnotic trance, awakening to an increasingly nightmarish world, with himself in prison and accused of a crime that he does not remember committing. An interesting double twist of sorts culminates this short but gripping tale.
"The Cur" is a decidedly nasty entry in this anthology, almost as shocking (for this reader, anyway) as "The Loved Dead." Here, an aspiring author takes the old adage about writing from experience a little too closely to heart. As his current story is about a man tormenting and torturing his unfaithful wife, our nutzy author, Gerald, ties up his own wife, Rose, locks her in the attic, and subjects her to all manner of abuse...all in an effort to improve his own writing skills, you understand. A blazing mishap leads to an unexpectedly downbeat conclusion in this truly unpleasant little tale.
A pleasing mix of fantasy and sci-fi, "The Better Choice" (3/25 "Weird Tales") presents us with John Castle, a scientist who has come up with a method of reviving the dead! He commits suicide in the hopes that his friend will be able to bring him back, and once dead, is escorted to the ethereal regions by a supernal guide. Castle is ultimately allowed a chance for a kind of cosmic do-over, but as the scientist learns in this highly pleasing story, some things really are best left alone....
The most overt example of sci-fi in this collection, "Ashes" (3/24 "Weird Tales") gives us a mad-scientist sort who invents a method of transforming any substance, with the exception of glass, instantaneously into ash! All is well and good, until his two love-struck assistants realize that the loony inventor wishes to now experiment on some human subjects! Great fun, this one, including the line "Many a weird tale I had listened to over that self-same table"!
In "Eterna," a homeless man explains the chain of events that have led him to his current miserable lot. A former painter, he had become involved with a singularly beautiful woman; a true woman of mystery, who had previously caused the destruction of many men. But this female, named Eterna, is no average gold digger, as the reader discovers in this most spellbinding fantasy.
"Arhl-a of the Caves" (from the 1/25 "Weird Tales") returns us to the mists of prehistory. Here, the cowardly and randy troglodyte Zurd kidnaps the titular heroine and brings her to his hidden cave. Thus, it is up to Arhl-a's lover, Wagh the Mighty, to follow the spoor of the two and bring his cavegal back. As was "With Weapons of Stone," this story is simply written but moves along briskly, supplying the reader with some pleasing action bursts, including a dukeout with a monstrous ape. Great fun!
A haunted house story of no small impact, "The Ghost-Eater" (4/24 "Weird Tales") combines an eerie abode in the deep woods of Maine (decades before Stephen King ever came on the scene), a young and callow forest hiker, a mysterious and "strikingly handsome" host, an incorporeal visitor, legends of the werewolf (once again), and local folklore into one spooky brew.
And this horror tale is followed by one that is this anthology's most indebted to the work of H. P. Lovecraft himself, "Deaf, Dumb and Blind" (4/25 "Weird Tales"). In this one, the titular deaf, dumb and blind author-poet leaves a typewritten manuscript that gives clues to the horrible occurrences leading up to his demise. Richard Blake had been living for some time in the abode once occupied by Simeon Tanner, who had been burned by the local townfolk as recently as 1819, for practicing witchcraft. And now, as the poor handicapped man's final words make abundantly clear, something evil is stirring in the house yet again, plainly visible to the blind man as "impious revelations of soul-sickening Saturnalia...." Great fun, again...for the reader, at least.
This collection takes an abrupt shift with its next story, "Souls & Heels," an out-and-out murder mystery, in which the wealthy host of a ritzy party is poisoned in his study while his guests happily cavort downstairs. Fortunately, one of those guests just happens to be Jasper Elliott, a famed criminologist and detective. But Elliott, due to his studies abroad, is also able to leave his body, perform feats of astral projection, and converse with the dead...truly, a character whom Eddy could very well have developed into the star of his own series!
At 80+ pages, this anthology's final story, "Sign of the Dragon," is more of a novella than anything else. An exciting crime mystery with thriller elements, this tale conflates twin Chinese dragon rings, a decades-old pact, a mysterious damsel or two, car chases, gunplay, blackmail, foreign spies, protonoir tough talk, enigmatic documents and a few surprises into one fast-moving affair. This was Eddy's very first magazine sale (for the 9/19 issue of "Mystery Magazine"), and a bravura early effort, to be sure.
So there you have it...a baker's dozen of well-executed pulp wonders, in a variety of genres. I was pleased enough with this Eddy collection from Fenham that I am now tempted to seek out that other volume that I mentioned earlier, called "Exit Into Eternity: Tales of the Bizarre and Supernatural." Stay tuned....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of C. M. Eddy, Jr....)
August 16, 2016
TBR for Audio Book Blast.
This is a tale about a young boy who isn’t like the rest. He can’t seem to find joy, emotional connection, or excitement in any of the pursuits that occupy his peers. That all changes once he attends his first funeral and finds an insatiable lust for the dead.
This story isn’t called “The Loved Dead” for nothing!
I listened to this story as an audiobook production complete with spooky sound effects that added to the already creepy as hell atmosphere. The narrator spoke in a sinister tone but at times got a little whispery and was sometimes drowned out by the sound effects. He also stumbled a little here and there over the words. I caught it which is rare but good because it means the story hooked me. I’d advise listening to this version with headphones and not in your car.
I bet it’s terribly difficult suffering from necrophilia in the civilized world. You get a job in the morgue and there’s bliss, oh-sweet- bliss, but then you’re fired and must become a murderer to sate your needs. Can you imagine the bother, the additional stress, the covering up? Thus, I’ll have to give our protagonist a little pass for spewing out such overwrought lines such as “unbearable hunger of my starving soul” even though he reminded me a bit of that whiny fool from The Phantom of the Opera a time or two.
After some confusion about the co-authoring credits on the title, I did my usual 30 seconds of internet research and learned that this story was written by C.M. Eddy and revised by H.P. Lovecraft. It was written in 1919 and I imagine it was quite scandalous back then. But, now? Well I can only speak for myself, but I fear I am too jaded to get too bothered by the vaguely disturbing writings of a serial killing perv who enjoys purple prose. It had some creepy moments, to be sure, and I am certainly glad I am finished spending time in this guy’s head.
If you’re looking for something to get under your skin for 48 minutes this story might be meant for you.
*I received a free copy of this audio from the publisher/author/narrator in exchange for an honest review and that's what you're getting.
This is a tale about a young boy who isn’t like the rest. He can’t seem to find joy, emotional connection, or excitement in any of the pursuits that occupy his peers. That all changes once he attends his first funeral and finds an insatiable lust for the dead.
This story isn’t called “The Loved Dead” for nothing!
I listened to this story as an audiobook production complete with spooky sound effects that added to the already creepy as hell atmosphere. The narrator spoke in a sinister tone but at times got a little whispery and was sometimes drowned out by the sound effects. He also stumbled a little here and there over the words. I caught it which is rare but good because it means the story hooked me. I’d advise listening to this version with headphones and not in your car.
I bet it’s terribly difficult suffering from necrophilia in the civilized world. You get a job in the morgue and there’s bliss, oh-sweet- bliss, but then you’re fired and must become a murderer to sate your needs. Can you imagine the bother, the additional stress, the covering up? Thus, I’ll have to give our protagonist a little pass for spewing out such overwrought lines such as “unbearable hunger of my starving soul” even though he reminded me a bit of that whiny fool from The Phantom of the Opera a time or two.
After some confusion about the co-authoring credits on the title, I did my usual 30 seconds of internet research and learned that this story was written by C.M. Eddy and revised by H.P. Lovecraft. It was written in 1919 and I imagine it was quite scandalous back then. But, now? Well I can only speak for myself, but I fear I am too jaded to get too bothered by the vaguely disturbing writings of a serial killing perv who enjoys purple prose. It had some creepy moments, to be sure, and I am certainly glad I am finished spending time in this guy’s head.
If you’re looking for something to get under your skin for 48 minutes this story might be meant for you.
*I received a free copy of this audio from the publisher/author/narrator in exchange for an honest review and that's what you're getting.
August 8, 2013
“It’s midnight. Before dawn they will find me and take me to a black cell where I shall languish interminably, while insatiable desires gnaw at my vitals and wither up my heart, till at last I become one with the dead that I love.”
So begins the best short story I have ever read - The Loved Dead, by C.M. Eddy Jr. and revised by the master of macabre, H.P. Lovecraft. The Loved Dead is narrated by an unnamed necrophile, who details his love affair with corpses, starting from its sordid and disturbing beginnings at his grandfather’s funeral. The story feels almost confessional, with the narrator recounting his misdeeds as he awaits the dawn. The doomed protagonist is only suggestive in his recitation; there are no overt or explicit references to sexual engagement with the dead, but rather is implicit in the beautifully rendered prose. The writing in this story is fantastic, and the understated yet descriptive narrative style is disturbing and effective: it heightens the horror and creepiness of the tale, making the story both effortless and horrifying to read.
Read the full review on my blog: http://yellowhairedreviewer.blogspot....
So begins the best short story I have ever read - The Loved Dead, by C.M. Eddy Jr. and revised by the master of macabre, H.P. Lovecraft. The Loved Dead is narrated by an unnamed necrophile, who details his love affair with corpses, starting from its sordid and disturbing beginnings at his grandfather’s funeral. The story feels almost confessional, with the narrator recounting his misdeeds as he awaits the dawn. The doomed protagonist is only suggestive in his recitation; there are no overt or explicit references to sexual engagement with the dead, but rather is implicit in the beautifully rendered prose. The writing in this story is fantastic, and the understated yet descriptive narrative style is disturbing and effective: it heightens the horror and creepiness of the tale, making the story both effortless and horrifying to read.
Read the full review on my blog: http://yellowhairedreviewer.blogspot....
September 23, 2012
This book wasn't that BAD, it's more of a H. P. Lovecraft knockoff than anything. The stories are good, but dated; I would read it if I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE to do. I'd skip it (unless you're a Lovecraft fan). (PS: Eddy and Lovecraft were good friends and maintained a lengthy correspondence until death.)
March 10, 2024
Genuinely still don’t know what to make of this one at all.
It’s…well-written in a Lovecraftian, prose-so-purple-its-practically-ultraviolet kind of way. Despite the vagaries of that style, it is still VERY OBVIOUSLY about necrophilia. I can absolutely see why it caused the controversy it did on its first publication in Weird Tales.
It does, nonetheless, manage to create moments of a kind of sympathy for a horrifyingly necrophiliac serial killer character, which is quite impressive? It reminded me of Dexter in many ways.
The stylistic decisions are probably well-made; anything more obvious or graphic in its descriptions would probably be just too *icky* to read.
It’s…well-written in a Lovecraftian, prose-so-purple-its-practically-ultraviolet kind of way. Despite the vagaries of that style, it is still VERY OBVIOUSLY about necrophilia. I can absolutely see why it caused the controversy it did on its first publication in Weird Tales.
It does, nonetheless, manage to create moments of a kind of sympathy for a horrifyingly necrophiliac serial killer character, which is quite impressive? It reminded me of Dexter in many ways.
The stylistic decisions are probably well-made; anything more obvious or graphic in its descriptions would probably be just too *icky* to read.
April 7, 2018
Clifford Martin “C. M.” M. Eddy, Jr. was a pulp writer known today primarily for his tale “The Loved Dead”, which was extensively rewritten by H.P. Lovecraft. Eddy was a close friend both to Lovecraft and to Harry Houdini and even worked as a ghostwriter and investigator for the latter. After the pulps vanished, Eddy’s work was largely forgotten until recently when his stories were reprinted by his grandson, Jim Dyer, under the small press Fenham Publications.
It took me a bit to get used to Eddy’s style. After his first story, the titular, Lovecraft-reworked “Loved Dead”, the clichéd caveman-adventure “Weapons of Stone” and the supernaturally-tinged (or maybe not) “Red Cap of the Mara” seemed a bit of a come-down. But the speed and energy of the stories eventually warmed me to them. Eddy’s works are fairly typical of the stuff appearing in the pulps: thrilling adventures deliberately meant to be read quickly. “Pot-boilers” so to speak. To make a living as a pulp writer, one had to be fast. The most successful (though not necessarily most famous) authors could churn out multiple stories in a week. Eddy was one of these fast, successful authors and, as a result, his writing sounds very much like the expository dialogue of old-time radio programs. Characters talk out their emotions and inner monologues in what I can’t help hearing as that crackling, rapid-fire style common to films of the 1940s. Think of His Girl Friday or anything with Humphrey Bogart. Eddy’s stories may not have been particularly memorable, but they were never meant to be. They were created to be an evening’s entertainment, not enduring classics.
To make a living as a writer one also had to be diverse. There were dozens of genres to write in: Romance, Western, Science Fiction, Adventure, Crime, Sports, Weird, Horror, Sword and Sorcery, etc. Plus some genres that are uncommon or non-existent today such as Oriental stories- basically anything set east of Constantinople- or what could be called Paleolithic Adventures- stories about prehistoric men and women living in an age of stone tools and megafauna. Eddy, like most pulp authors, wrote in multiple categories.
Here’s a run-down of the stories contained within this collection.
The Loved Dead
The most well known of Eddy’s stories. When the tale was first printed in Weird Tales magazine, it quickly gained infamy for its alleged references to necrophilia. Several decency societies even tried to have the issue it appeared in banned- an effort that only succeeded in driving up sales of Weird Tales and actually saved the pulp from bankruptcy.
As for the plot itself, the Loved Dead is rather tame by modern standards. It is a lurid tale of a man’s obsession with death and corpses. The necrophilia elements are subtle if they’re even there at all.
With Weapons of Stone
Stories set in the Paleolithic age were popular in the old pulp magazines and this one seems pretty typical of the genre. Two men are competing for the right to take the same woman as their mate. To settle the matter, they must fight and defeat the dreaded Smilodon which is the enemy of their people. This story is notable in the fact that the woman who is the “prize” actually takes matters into her own hands to aid the man she prefers instead of waiting passively at home for the winner.
Red Cap of the Mara
A modern-day (well, 1920s) retelling of the myth of the swan maiden or selkie who becomes a man’s bride when he steals her magical garment. It’s one of those romances where the characters fall in love five minutes after meeting, then get married two months later, only for the man to find out his wife wasn’t at all what he was expecting. Reminds me a little of the Val Lewton 1940s version of the film Cat People.
An Arbiter of Destiny
An odd crime tale of hypnotism and long-delayed revenge. The explanation of what’s going on at the end gets kind of confusing.
The Cur
This story feels like 1920s “torture porn”. Certainly an extreme example of a “true crime thriller”. An unsuccessful writer goes crazy, ties up then torments his wife in order to write a story about a man who ties up and torments his wife.
The Better Choice
John Castle has perfected a machine that can return the dead to life. It only needs one final test, for which John goes to the extreme. He kills himself with poison, leaving instructions for his business partner to revive him with the machine in a few hours. But the being who greets John on the Other Side has different plans.
Ashes
Another tale of fearful science. Brilliant chemist Arthur Van Allister has developed a chemical that will reduce anything it touches besides glass to a pile of white ash. He knows this chemical will revolutionize the world. He just needs one final test subject. And unlike the protagonist of the previous story, he has no intention of testing his creation on himself...
Eterna
A strange vampire story with shades of Dorian Gray and perhaps even a bit of Asenath Waite from Lovecraft’s The Thing on the Doorstep.
Arhl-a of the Caves
Another paleolithic tale of two men fighting over a woman. Again, though, the titular woman, Arhl-a, takes matters into her own hands to be with the one she wants.
The Ghost-Eater
An eerie story of phantoms and werewolves in the vein of a Victorian ghost story. The Ghost-Eater was partially revised by Lovecraft, though his signature style is not nearly as apparent here as in The Loved Dead.
It took me a bit to get used to Eddy’s style. After his first story, the titular, Lovecraft-reworked “Loved Dead”, the clichéd caveman-adventure “Weapons of Stone” and the supernaturally-tinged (or maybe not) “Red Cap of the Mara” seemed a bit of a come-down. But the speed and energy of the stories eventually warmed me to them. Eddy’s works are fairly typical of the stuff appearing in the pulps: thrilling adventures deliberately meant to be read quickly. “Pot-boilers” so to speak. To make a living as a pulp writer, one had to be fast. The most successful (though not necessarily most famous) authors could churn out multiple stories in a week. Eddy was one of these fast, successful authors and, as a result, his writing sounds very much like the expository dialogue of old-time radio programs. Characters talk out their emotions and inner monologues in what I can’t help hearing as that crackling, rapid-fire style common to films of the 1940s. Think of His Girl Friday or anything with Humphrey Bogart. Eddy’s stories may not have been particularly memorable, but they were never meant to be. They were created to be an evening’s entertainment, not enduring classics.
To make a living as a writer one also had to be diverse. There were dozens of genres to write in: Romance, Western, Science Fiction, Adventure, Crime, Sports, Weird, Horror, Sword and Sorcery, etc. Plus some genres that are uncommon or non-existent today such as Oriental stories- basically anything set east of Constantinople- or what could be called Paleolithic Adventures- stories about prehistoric men and women living in an age of stone tools and megafauna. Eddy, like most pulp authors, wrote in multiple categories.
Here’s a run-down of the stories contained within this collection.
The Loved Dead
The most well known of Eddy’s stories. When the tale was first printed in Weird Tales magazine, it quickly gained infamy for its alleged references to necrophilia. Several decency societies even tried to have the issue it appeared in banned- an effort that only succeeded in driving up sales of Weird Tales and actually saved the pulp from bankruptcy.
As for the plot itself, the Loved Dead is rather tame by modern standards. It is a lurid tale of a man’s obsession with death and corpses. The necrophilia elements are subtle if they’re even there at all.
With Weapons of Stone
Stories set in the Paleolithic age were popular in the old pulp magazines and this one seems pretty typical of the genre. Two men are competing for the right to take the same woman as their mate. To settle the matter, they must fight and defeat the dreaded Smilodon which is the enemy of their people. This story is notable in the fact that the woman who is the “prize” actually takes matters into her own hands to aid the man she prefers instead of waiting passively at home for the winner.
Red Cap of the Mara
A modern-day (well, 1920s) retelling of the myth of the swan maiden or selkie who becomes a man’s bride when he steals her magical garment. It’s one of those romances where the characters fall in love five minutes after meeting, then get married two months later, only for the man to find out his wife wasn’t at all what he was expecting. Reminds me a little of the Val Lewton 1940s version of the film Cat People.
An Arbiter of Destiny
An odd crime tale of hypnotism and long-delayed revenge. The explanation of what’s going on at the end gets kind of confusing.
The Cur
This story feels like 1920s “torture porn”. Certainly an extreme example of a “true crime thriller”. An unsuccessful writer goes crazy, ties up then torments his wife in order to write a story about a man who ties up and torments his wife.
The Better Choice
John Castle has perfected a machine that can return the dead to life. It only needs one final test, for which John goes to the extreme. He kills himself with poison, leaving instructions for his business partner to revive him with the machine in a few hours. But the being who greets John on the Other Side has different plans.
Ashes
Another tale of fearful science. Brilliant chemist Arthur Van Allister has developed a chemical that will reduce anything it touches besides glass to a pile of white ash. He knows this chemical will revolutionize the world. He just needs one final test subject. And unlike the protagonist of the previous story, he has no intention of testing his creation on himself...
Eterna
A strange vampire story with shades of Dorian Gray and perhaps even a bit of Asenath Waite from Lovecraft’s The Thing on the Doorstep.
Arhl-a of the Caves
Another paleolithic tale of two men fighting over a woman. Again, though, the titular woman, Arhl-a, takes matters into her own hands to be with the one she wants.
The Ghost-Eater
An eerie story of phantoms and werewolves in the vein of a Victorian ghost story. The Ghost-Eater was partially revised by Lovecraft, though his signature style is not nearly as apparent here as in The Loved Dead.
March 28, 2019
Some really cheesy stories, and definitely a product of the times/themes and ideas of the times (as well as some plot points which were done just to be edgy for the early 20th century reader), but interesting for what it was worth.
April 28, 2024
Ok pulpy collection. The rather notorious eponymous story (supposedly co-written w/ Lovecraft) is probably the strongest entry in the book. Others (such as the two "caveman" stories) are way too shallow and dated, belying their pulp origins.
March 27, 2023
Read The Loved Dead.
January 28, 2025
Strange and weird story....Eddy's best.
February 22, 2025
As with most collections of a single author, a mixed bag. Most of the tales I didn't care for, they left little impression. Of those I did like, I'd have to even categorize them as only ok/fair.
February 19, 2013
From what I'd read & heard, I expected something far more sexually graphic than what I got in this story. As it is, any sexual conduct is really only hinted at. I suppose, for the late 19th century, it was quite a shock. Not quite so much for the Human Centipede generation.
I really enjoyed the story. It was only slightly off-putting in its theme, but well written enough for me to forgive its flaws. The last segment was especially nightmarish.
I really enjoyed the story. It was only slightly off-putting in its theme, but well written enough for me to forgive its flaws. The last segment was especially nightmarish.
June 15, 2013
For a guy that not only has relations with the dead but goes so far as to kill people to couple with, it was a little weak. I also thought that Lovecraft took the ending a little to far, farther than Dagon in the way the narrator keeps writing past an appropriate ending point and into absurdity. I can write no more.
September 5, 2016
Really cool horror short stories. This guy was close friends with H.P. Lovecraft. These were all published in "Weird Tales" magazine back in the 1920s. His family (Jim Dyer...Eddy's grandson) 'found' these stories up in the attic and self-published them together in this book. Cool and creepy stuff!
April 4, 2016
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com
March 9, 2016
It was interesting I listen to this on audible .
November 18, 2013
Though written during the 1920s, most of these stories are surprisingly not dated
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