Edward Lucas White
Encyclopedia
Edward Lucas White was an American
author and poet. Born in Bergen
, New Jersey
, he attended Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore
, in which city he did most of his work. From 1915 until his retirement in 1930, he was a teacher at the University School for Boys in Baltimore.
He wrote a number of historical novels
, including The Unwilling Vestal (1918), Andivius Hedulio (1921) and Helen (1926); but he is best remembered as a fantasist, for stories such as "The House of Nightmare" and "Lukundoo" These short horror stories were based on his own nightmares. Two collections of his short fiction were published in his lifetime, The Song of the Sirens (1919) and Lukundoo and Other Stories (1927). He died by his own hand on March 30, 1934, seven years to the day after the death of his wife, Agnes Gerry. His last book, Matrimony (1932) was a memoir of his happy marriage to her.
"Lukundoo", Lucas's most frequently anthologized story, is the tale of an American explorer in a remote section of Africa who incurs the wrath of the local witch doctor
, who casts a spell on him. Hundreds of sore pustules erupt all over the explorer's body. As these develop, it becomes clear that each sore is actually a sort of homunculus
: a tiny African man, emerging head-first from within the explorer's flesh. He is able to terminate the development of individual homunculi by beheading them as they develop, but there are too many for him to defeat them all – and some of them are on portions of his back which he cannot reach. The explorer's only option is suicide.
Two posthumous collections of his fiction have been published by Midnight House: The House of the Nightmare (1999) edited by John Pelan
and Sesta and Other Strange Stories (2001) edited by Lee Weinstein. The latter contains mostly previously unpublished and uncollected material.
A much-revised utopia
n science fiction
novel, Plus Ultra, was begun in 1885; White destroyed this draft, but began a rewrite in 1901. In 1918-19 he produced a novella, From Behind the Stars, which he later incorporated into the massive (S. T. Joshi
estimates it at 500,000 words) completed version of Plus Ultra, which remains unpublished.
A critical essay on White's work, with particular reference to his fantasy and horror fiction, appears in Joshi's book, The Evolution of the Weird Tale (2004).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author and poet. Born in Bergen
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, he attended Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, in which city he did most of his work. From 1915 until his retirement in 1930, he was a teacher at the University School for Boys in Baltimore.
He wrote a number of historical novels
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
, including The Unwilling Vestal (1918), Andivius Hedulio (1921) and Helen (1926); but he is best remembered as a fantasist, for stories such as "The House of Nightmare" and "Lukundoo" These short horror stories were based on his own nightmares. Two collections of his short fiction were published in his lifetime, The Song of the Sirens (1919) and Lukundoo and Other Stories (1927). He died by his own hand on March 30, 1934, seven years to the day after the death of his wife, Agnes Gerry. His last book, Matrimony (1932) was a memoir of his happy marriage to her.
"Lukundoo", Lucas's most frequently anthologized story, is the tale of an American explorer in a remote section of Africa who incurs the wrath of the local witch doctor
Witch doctor
A witch doctor originally referred to a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. It is currently used to refer to healers in some third world regions, who use traditional healing rather than contemporary medicine...
, who casts a spell on him. Hundreds of sore pustules erupt all over the explorer's body. As these develop, it becomes clear that each sore is actually a sort of homunculus
Homunculus
Homunculus is a term used, generally, in various fields of study to refer to any representation of a human being. Historically, it referred specifically to the concept of a miniature though fully formed human body, for example, in the studies of alchemy and preformationism...
: a tiny African man, emerging head-first from within the explorer's flesh. He is able to terminate the development of individual homunculi by beheading them as they develop, but there are too many for him to defeat them all – and some of them are on portions of his back which he cannot reach. The explorer's only option is suicide.
Two posthumous collections of his fiction have been published by Midnight House: The House of the Nightmare (1999) edited by John Pelan
John Pelan
John C. Pelan is an American author, editor and publisher in the small press science-fiction, weird and horror fiction genres.He first founded Axolotl Press in 1986 and published several volumes by authors such as Tim Powers, Charles de Lint, Michael Shea and James P. Blaylock. Following this, he...
and Sesta and Other Strange Stories (2001) edited by Lee Weinstein. The latter contains mostly previously unpublished and uncollected material.
A much-revised utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel, Plus Ultra, was begun in 1885; White destroyed this draft, but began a rewrite in 1901. In 1918-19 he produced a novella, From Behind the Stars, which he later incorporated into the massive (S. T. Joshi
S. T. Joshi
Sunand Tryambak Joshi — known as S. T. Joshi — is an award-winning Indian American literary critic, novelist, and a leading figure in the study of Howard Phillips Lovecraft and other authors of weird and fantastic fiction...
estimates it at 500,000 words) completed version of Plus Ultra, which remains unpublished.
A critical essay on White's work, with particular reference to his fantasy and horror fiction, appears in Joshi's book, The Evolution of the Weird Tale (2004).
Novels
- El Supremo: A Romance of the Great Dictator of Paraguay (1916)
- The Unwilling Vestal: A Tale of Rome Under the Caesars (1918)
- Andivius Hedulio: Adventures of a Roman Nobleman in the Days of the Empire (1921)
- Helen (1926)
Short Story Collections
- The Song of the Sirens (1919)
- Lukundoo and Other Stories (1927)