William Hope Hodgson
William Hope Hodgson
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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William Hope Hodgson was a British author of horror, fantasy, and science fiction novels, as well as a sailor, soldier, and theatre actor. He is often referred to as W.H. Hodgson or H. Elmer Levingston.
Birth and Death Dates
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Hodgson was born on November 15, 1877, in Blackmore End, Essex, England, and died on May 19, 1927, off the coast of Norway while attempting to join the Norwegian merchant marine.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Nationality: British
Professions:
Author (horror, fantasy, science fiction)
Sailor
Soldier
Theatre actor
Early Life and Background
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Hodgson was raised in a poor but loving family. His early life was marked by hardship and struggle, which would later influence his writing. He left school at the age of 16 to work on a farm, but soon moved to London to pursue a career in acting.
Major Accomplishments
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Published over 30 novels and numerous short stories, many of which explored the genres of horror, fantasy, and science fiction.
His works often featured themes of existentialism, nihilism, and the human condition.
Known for his innovative use of atmospheric tension and exploration of psychological horror.Notable Works or Actions
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Some notable works include:
The House on the Borderland (1908): A novel that combines elements of horror, fantasy, and science fiction to explore themes of cosmic horror and existentialism.
Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder (1914): A collection of short stories featuring a detective who investigates paranormal phenomena.
The Night Land (1912): A post-apocalyptic novel that explores a world ravaged by an eternal night.
Impact and Legacy
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Hodgson's writing has had a significant impact on the genres of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. His innovative use of atmospheric tension and exploration of psychological horror have influenced authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and Arthur Machen. Today, Hodgson is recognized as one of the pioneers of cosmic horror.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Hodgson's writing continues to be widely quoted and remembered due to its timeless exploration of existentialism and nihilism. His works often feature themes that resonate with readers today, such as the human condition, mortality, and the unknown. His innovative use of atmospheric tension has also made him a master of psychological horror.
Quotes by William Hope Hodgson
I am what I might term an unprejudiced sceptic. I am not given to either believing or disbelieving things ‘on principle,’ as I have found many idiots prone to be, and what is more, some of them not ashamed to boast of the insane fact.
And oft I harked into the night of the Land; but there was nowhere any sound, or disturbing of the aether, to trouble me.
And, suddenly, it came home to me that I was a little man in a little ship, in the midst of a very great sea.
وقد كانت الصدفة، حين استيقظتْ على ذكرى كتابٍ قرأتْه في السنوات الأولى، لكنها لم تفهمْ ما به من كلام؛ إذ أنه كتابٌ قديمٌ كُتِبَ بطريقة قديمة. ذلك الكتاب كان يعرض قصة الحب بين رجل وخادمة يُطلق عليها (ميرداث). وهكذا، لأنها كانت على وعيٍ شاملٍ ومعرفةٍ بتلك العصور المعروفة بـ عصور الصمت، فقد قرأتْ ذلك الكتاب مرات عديدة، فازداد رونقُ القصةِ جمالًا بسبب ما فيه من حب عميق.
I am what I might term an unprejudiced sceptic. I am not given to either believing or disbelieving things 'on principle,' as I have found many idiots prone to be, and what is more, some of them not ashamed to boast of the insane fact.
To my right, which was to the North, there stood, very far away, the House of Silence, upon a low hill. And in that House were many lights, and no sound. And so had it been through an uncountable Eternity of Years.
To the North-West I looked, and in the wide field of my glass, saw plain the bright glare of the fire from the Red Pit, shine upwards against the underside of the vast chin of the North-West Watcher—The Watching Thing of the North-West…. "That which hath Watched from the Beginning, and until the opening of the Gateway of Eternity" came into my thoughts, as I looked through the glass ….
And, so to tell more about the South Watcher. A million years gone, as I have told, came it out from the blackness of the South, and grew steadily nearer through twenty thousand years; but so slow that in no one year could a man perceive that it had moved.