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The Cancer of Superstition

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81:. Soon after, he also enlisted the talents of C. M. Eddy, Jr. and in the course of their work together Houdini outlined sketchily a book he thought ought to be done on the origins, growth and fallacy of superstition. He suggested that Eddy might prepare the book, and furnished him with voluminous notes and ideas that he wanted incorporated in the book; he suggested also that perhaps H. P. Lovecraft could put the notes into shape so that Eddy could work from the outline Lovecraft prepared. 1323: 51:
The incomplete 31-page manuscript was discovered in a collection of materials procured by a private collector from a magic shop that had closed. Houdini and Lovecraft scholars knew of the book previously, but until this incomplete manuscript (which has pages missing) was found in 2016, no version of
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At the time of his death, Houdini had been corresponding with Lovecraft regarding a book on which they intended to collaborate, along with writer C.M. Eddy Jr., which was to be entitled "The Cancer of Superstition". Lovecraft prepared a detailed outline of the work, which is extant, and Barlow
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actually began the writing and completed three chapters, but Houdini's widow cancelled the project – perhaps because she was herself more inclined to believe in the reality of spiritualists phenomena than her skeptical late husband.
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the work was known to exist. It remains unclear what parts were written by Eddy and what by Lovecraft. A synopsis of the book, as well as a single chapter titled "The Genesis of Superstition", was published in the 1966 as part of the book
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relied on people's superstitions in their careers, playing on audiences' and readers' senses of the unknown for heightened entertainment, while also advocating for greater skepticism in society.
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states: "all superstitious beliefs are relics of a common 'prehistoric ignorance' in humans", which lays a foundational sense of the book's
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Early in the 1920s Harry Houdini retained H. P. Lovecraft to ghost-write for him, and one of Lovecraft's ghost-written tales appeared in
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that investigates ideas and trends of superstition throughout history. They were commissioned to write a book on the subject by famed
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In April 2016, the typewritten manuscript sold at auction for $ 33,600.
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Tyson misidentifies Eddy as Barlow in the above quote and book.
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Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family
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The 13 Gates of the Necronomican: A Workbook of Magic
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Guarde-Paz, CĂ©sar (August 2022). "The Authorship of
219:"Houdini, Lovecraft, and The Cancer of Superstition" 1276: 1230: 1194: 1161: 1115: 1074: 1043: 1017: 978: 960: 851: 833: 787: 353: 1131:H. P. Lovecraft: Against the World, Against Life 91: 71: 318: 8: 278:and Lovecraft's Late Readings on Folklore". 114: 1152:Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos 325: 311: 303: 1008:Autobiography: Some Notes on a Nonentity 151: 149: 145: 43:from an outline provided by Lovecraft. 1243:Works influenced by the Cthulhu Mythos 62:The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces 54:The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces 7: 1353:Non-fiction books by H. P. Lovecraft 390:A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson 168:from the original on 8 October 2016. 923:Through the Gates of the Silver Key 260:from the original on 11 April 2016. 1253:H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society 698:The Strange High House in the Mist 229:from the original on 19 March 2016 191:from the original on 2 April 2016. 14: 994:Supernatural Horror in Literature 796:The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath 1322: 1321: 453:The Statement of Randolph Carter 179:Mikula, Jeremy (31 March 2016). 121:. Both Lovecraft as a writer of 16:Unfinished book of H.P Lovecraft 1138:An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia 842:The Case of Charles Dexter Ward 248:Naylor, Donita (9 April 2016). 156:Flood, Alison (16 March 2016). 1295:Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown 217:Cox, John (12 February 2011). 202:Hart, Mathew (18 March 2016). 1: 750:The Dreams in the Witch House 446:The Doom That Came to Sarnath 425:The Transition of Juan Romero 881:The Horror at Martin's Beach 256:. Providence, Rhode Island. 79:Imprisoned with the Pharaohs 810:At the Mountains of Madness 1379: 1308:The Thing in the Moonlight 987:The Cancer of Superstition 276:The Cancer of Superstition 107:The Cancer of Superstition 21:The Cancer of Superstition 1317: 817:The Shadow over Innsmouth 803:The Whisperer in Darkness 757:The Thing on the Doorstep 340: 24:is an unfinished book by 916:The Horror in the Museum 516:The Picture in the House 404:Beyond the Wall of Sleep 77:in 1924 under the title 1124:H. P. Lovecraft: A Life 1001:To Quebec and the Stars 778:The Haunter of the Dark 705:The Colour Out of Space 579:Herbert West–Reanimator 572:The Music of Erich Zann 1248:H. P. Lovecraft (band) 1145:Lovecraft: A Biography 824:The Shadow Out of Time 649:The Horror at Red Hook 115: 96: 83: 621:The Rats in the Walls 362:The Beast in the Cave 951:In the Walls of Eryx 937:The Tree on the Hill 593:What the Moon Brings 460:The Terrible Old Man 1302:Sonia Greene (wife) 1179:Lovecraftian horror 867:Poetry and the Gods 677:The Call of Cthulhu 544:The Quest of Iranon 1263:Lovecraft (crater) 1222:Frank Belknap Long 1207:Clark Ashton Smith 969:Fungi from Yuggoth 888:Under the Pyramids 874:The Crawling Chaos 764:The Evil Clergyman 743:The Dunwich Horror 474:The Cats of Ulthar 254:Providence Journal 125:and Houdini as an 1335: 1334: 1238:Lovecraft studies 1030:Lovecraft Country 729:The Very Old Folk 642:The Shunned House 537:The Nameless City 1370: 1363:Unfinished books 1325: 1324: 1217:Robert E. Howard 1195:Lovecraft Circle 944:Till A' the Seas 930:Out of the Aeons 895:The Curse of Yig 860:The Green Meadow 614:The Lurking Fear 530:Sweet Ermengarde 327: 320: 313: 304: 299: 280:Lovecraft Annual 262: 261: 245: 239: 238: 236: 234: 223:Wild About Harry 214: 208: 207: 199: 193: 192: 176: 170: 169: 153: 120: 1378: 1377: 1373: 1372: 1371: 1369: 1368: 1367: 1348:American essays 1338: 1337: 1336: 1331: 1313: 1272: 1226: 1190: 1162:Themes/Concepts 1157: 1111: 1070: 1061:Randolph Carter 1039: 1013: 974: 956: 847: 829: 783: 719:History of the 684:Pickman's Model 349: 336: 334:H. P. Lovecraft 331: 301: 282:(16): 166–190. 273: 270: 268:Further reading 265: 247: 246: 242: 232: 230: 216: 215: 211: 201: 200: 196: 185:Chicago Tribune 178: 177: 173: 155: 154: 147: 143: 135: 104: 49: 26:H. P. Lovecraft 17: 12: 11: 5: 1376: 1374: 1366: 1365: 1360: 1355: 1350: 1340: 1339: 1333: 1332: 1330: 1329: 1318: 1315: 1314: 1312: 1311: 1304: 1299: 1291: 1286: 1280: 1278: 1274: 1273: 1271: 1270: 1268:Cthulhu Macula 1265: 1260: 1255: 1250: 1245: 1240: 1234: 1232: 1228: 1227: 1225: 1224: 1219: 1214: 1209: 1204: 1202:August Derleth 1198: 1196: 1192: 1191: 1189: 1188: 1181: 1176: 1174:Cthulhu Mythos 1171: 1165: 1163: 1159: 1158: 1156: 1155: 1148: 1141: 1134: 1127: 1119: 1117: 1113: 1112: 1110: 1109: 1104: 1099: 1097:Shub-Niggurath 1094: 1089: 1084: 1078: 1076: 1072: 1071: 1069: 1068: 1063: 1058: 1053: 1051:Abdul Alhazred 1047: 1045: 1041: 1040: 1038: 1037: 1032: 1027: 1021: 1019: 1015: 1014: 1012: 1011: 1004: 997: 990: 982: 980: 976: 975: 973: 972: 964: 962: 958: 957: 955: 954: 947: 940: 933: 926: 919: 912: 905: 898: 891: 884: 877: 870: 863: 855: 853: 852:Collaborations 849: 848: 846: 845: 837: 835: 831: 830: 828: 827: 820: 813: 806: 799: 791: 789: 785: 784: 782: 781: 774: 767: 760: 753: 746: 739: 732: 725: 715: 712:The Descendant 708: 701: 694: 691:The Silver Key 687: 680: 673: 666: 659: 652: 645: 638: 631: 624: 617: 610: 603: 596: 589: 582: 575: 568: 565:The Other Gods 561: 554: 547: 540: 533: 526: 519: 512: 505: 498: 491: 484: 477: 470: 463: 456: 449: 442: 435: 432:The White Ship 428: 421: 414: 407: 400: 393: 386: 379: 372: 365: 357: 355: 351: 350: 348: 347: 341: 338: 337: 332: 330: 329: 322: 315: 307: 271: 269: 266: 264: 263: 240: 209: 206:. The Nerdist. 194: 171: 144: 142: 139: 134: 131: 123:horror fiction 103: 100: 67:August Derleth 48: 45: 30:C. M. Eddy Jr. 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1375: 1364: 1361: 1359: 1356: 1354: 1351: 1349: 1346: 1345: 1343: 1328: 1320: 1319: 1316: 1310: 1309: 1305: 1303: 1300: 1298: 1297:(documentary) 1296: 1292: 1290: 1287: 1285: 1282: 1281: 1279: 1275: 1269: 1266: 1264: 1261: 1259: 1256: 1254: 1251: 1249: 1246: 1244: 1241: 1239: 1236: 1235: 1233: 1229: 1223: 1220: 1218: 1215: 1213: 1210: 1208: 1205: 1203: 1200: 1199: 1197: 1193: 1187: 1186: 1182: 1180: 1177: 1175: 1172: 1170: 1167: 1166: 1164: 1160: 1154: 1153: 1149: 1147: 1146: 1142: 1140: 1139: 1135: 1133: 1132: 1128: 1126: 1125: 1121: 1120: 1118: 1114: 1108: 1105: 1103: 1100: 1098: 1095: 1093: 1090: 1088: 1085: 1083: 1080: 1079: 1077: 1073: 1067: 1066:Harley Warren 1064: 1062: 1059: 1057: 1054: 1052: 1049: 1048: 1046: 1042: 1036: 1033: 1031: 1028: 1026: 1023: 1022: 1020: 1016: 1010: 1009: 1005: 1003: 1002: 998: 995: 991: 989: 988: 984: 983: 981: 977: 971: 970: 966: 965: 963: 959: 952: 948: 945: 941: 938: 934: 931: 927: 924: 920: 917: 913: 910: 909:Medusa's Coil 906: 904: 903: 899: 896: 892: 889: 885: 882: 878: 875: 871: 868: 864: 861: 857: 856: 854: 850: 844: 843: 839: 838: 836: 832: 826: 825: 821: 819: 818: 814: 812: 811: 807: 805: 804: 800: 798: 797: 793: 792: 790: 786: 779: 775: 772: 768: 765: 761: 758: 754: 751: 747: 744: 740: 737: 733: 730: 726: 723: 722: 716: 713: 709: 706: 702: 699: 695: 692: 688: 685: 681: 678: 674: 671: 667: 664: 660: 657: 653: 650: 646: 643: 639: 636: 632: 629: 628:The Unnamable 625: 622: 618: 615: 611: 608: 604: 601: 597: 594: 590: 587: 583: 580: 576: 573: 569: 566: 562: 559: 555: 552: 548: 545: 541: 538: 534: 531: 527: 524: 520: 517: 513: 510: 506: 503: 499: 496: 492: 489: 485: 482: 478: 475: 471: 468: 464: 461: 457: 454: 450: 447: 443: 440: 436: 433: 429: 426: 422: 419: 415: 412: 408: 405: 401: 398: 394: 391: 387: 384: 380: 377: 373: 370: 369:The Alchemist 366: 363: 359: 358: 356: 354:Short stories 352: 346: 343: 342: 339: 335: 328: 323: 321: 316: 314: 309: 308: 305: 300: 297: 293: 289: 285: 281: 277: 267: 259: 255: 251: 244: 241: 228: 224: 220: 213: 210: 205: 198: 195: 190: 186: 182: 175: 172: 167: 163: 159: 152: 150: 146: 140: 138: 132: 130: 128: 124: 119: 118: 117:raison d'ĂȘtre 112: 108: 101: 99: 95: 90: 88: 82: 80: 76: 70: 68: 64: 63: 57: 55: 46: 44: 42: 41:Harry Houdini 39: 35: 31: 27: 23: 22: 1306: 1294: 1212:Robert Bloch 1185:Necronomicon 1183: 1150: 1143: 1136: 1129: 1122: 1092:Nyarlathotep 1056:Herbert West 1006: 999: 986: 985: 967: 900: 840: 822: 815: 808: 801: 794: 721:Necronomicon 720: 663:In the Vault 635:The Festival 558:The Outsider 551:The Moon-Bog 523:Ex Oblivione 509:Nyarlathotep 345:Bibliography 279: 275: 272: 253: 243: 231:. Retrieved 222: 212: 197: 184: 174: 162:The Guardian 161: 136: 106: 105: 97: 92: 86: 84: 78: 72: 60: 58: 53: 50: 38:escapologist 20: 19: 18: 1358:Manuscripts 1289:Dream Cycle 1258:Adaptations 1116:Books about 502:From Beyond 127:illusionist 75:Weird Tales 1342:Categories 1044:Characters 481:The Temple 439:The Street 141:References 102:Conclusion 47:Background 1169:Cosmicism 1018:Locations 902:The Mound 607:The Hound 495:CelephaĂŻs 288:1935-6102 1327:Category 1082:Azathoth 788:Novellas 771:The Book 670:Cool Air 600:Azathoth 467:The Tree 418:Old Bugs 376:The Tomb 296:27204680 258:Archived 233:20 March 227:Archived 189:Archived 166:Archived 69:writes: 34:magician 1277:Related 1087:Cthulhu 1075:Deities 397:Polaris 1231:Legacy 1102:Hastur 1035:R'lyeh 1025:Arkham 979:Essays 961:Poetry 834:Novels 586:Hypnos 411:Memory 294:  286:  133:Legacy 111:thesis 1107:Dagon 383:Dagon 292:JSTOR 65:1966 1284:Aklo 736:Ibid 284:ISSN 235:2016 113:and 36:and 28:and 85:In 59:In 1344:: 656:He 290:. 252:. 225:. 221:. 187:. 183:. 164:. 160:. 148:^ 56:. 996:" 992:" 953:" 949:" 946:" 942:" 939:" 935:" 932:" 928:" 925:" 921:" 918:" 914:" 911:" 907:" 897:" 893:" 890:" 886:" 883:" 879:" 876:" 872:" 869:" 865:" 862:" 858:" 780:" 776:" 773:" 769:" 766:" 762:" 759:" 755:" 752:" 748:" 745:" 741:" 738:" 734:" 731:" 727:" 724:" 717:" 714:" 710:" 707:" 703:" 700:" 696:" 693:" 689:" 686:" 682:" 679:" 675:" 672:" 668:" 665:" 661:" 658:" 654:" 651:" 647:" 644:" 640:" 637:" 633:" 630:" 626:" 623:" 619:" 616:" 612:" 609:" 605:" 602:" 598:" 595:" 591:" 588:" 584:" 581:" 577:" 574:" 570:" 567:" 563:" 560:" 556:" 553:" 549:" 546:" 542:" 539:" 535:" 532:" 528:" 525:" 521:" 518:" 514:" 511:" 507:" 504:" 500:" 497:" 493:" 490:" 486:" 483:" 479:" 476:" 472:" 469:" 465:" 462:" 458:" 455:" 451:" 448:" 444:" 441:" 437:" 434:" 430:" 427:" 423:" 420:" 416:" 413:" 409:" 406:" 402:" 399:" 395:" 392:" 388:" 385:" 381:" 378:" 374:" 371:" 367:" 364:" 360:" 326:e 319:t 312:v 298:. 237:.

Index

H. P. Lovecraft
C. M. Eddy Jr.
magician
escapologist
Harry Houdini
The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces
August Derleth
Weird Tales
thesis
raison d'ĂȘtre
horror fiction
illusionist


"Lost HP Lovecraft work commissioned by Houdini escapes shackles of history"
Archived
"Houdini manuscript 'Cancer of Superstition' divides opinion over Lovecraft, Eddy ghostwriting"
Archived
"Found: H. P. Lovecraft Manuscript Commissioned by Houdini"
"Houdini, Lovecraft, and The Cancer of Superstition"
Archived
"Houdini-Lovecraft manuscript sells for $ 33,600 in Chicago auction"
Archived
ISSN
1935-6102
JSTOR
27204680
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