Hugh B. Cave
Encyclopedia
Hugh Barnett Cave was a prolific writer of pulp fiction
who also excelled in other genres.
. His first name was in honor of Hugh Walpole
, a favorite author of his mother, a nurse, who
had once known Rudyard Kipling
.
Cave attended Brookline High School
. After graduating, Cave attended Boston University
on a scholarship but had to leave when his father was severely injured. He worked initially for a vanity press
, the only regular job he would ever have. He quit this position at age 20 to write for a living.
From 1932 until his death in 1997, Cave corresponded extensively with fellow pulp writer Carl Richard Jacobi
. Selections of this correspondence can be found in Cave's memoir Magazines I Remember. Relations with his fellow pulp writers were not always so cordial. In the 1930s, Cave lived in Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, but he never met H.P. Lovecraft, who lived in nearby Providence
. The two engaged in a heated exchange of correspondence (non-extant) regarding the ethics and aesthetics of writing for the pulps.
During World War II
Cave travelled as a reporter around the Pacific
and in Southeast Asia
. Following the war he moved to the Caribbean
, spending five years in Haiti
, after which he rebuilt and managed a successful coffee plantation in Jamaica
. He returned to the United States
in the early 1970s after the Jamaican government stole his plantation.
Hugh Cave was twice married, first to Margaret Long in a union that produced two sons before the couple began living apart, and Peggy (or Peggie) Thompson, who died in 2001. Cave was 93 when he died in Vero Beach, Florida
, in 2004. His remains were cremated
.
A photograph of Cave can be found at: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/hugh-b-cave/
, others cite "Island Ordeal", written at age 19 in 1929 while still working for the vanity press..
In his early career he contributed to such pulp magazines as Astounding, Black Mask, and Weird Tales
. By his own estimate, in the 1930s alone, he published roughly 800 short stories
in nearly 100 periodicals under a number of pseudonym
s. Of particular interest during this time was his series featuring an independent gentleman of courageous action and questionable morals called simply The Eel
. These adventures appeared in the late 1930s and early 40s under the pen name Justin Case. Cave was also one of the most successful contributors to the weird menace
or "shudder pulps" of the 1930s.
In 1943, drawing on his experience as a war reporter, he authored one of his most highly regarded works, Long Were the Nights, telling of the first PT boats at Guadalcanal
. He also wrote a number of other books on the war in the Pacific during this period.
During his post-war sojourn in Haiti
, he became so familiar with the religion of Voodoo that he published Haiti: High Road to Adventure, a nonfiction work critically acclaimed as the "best report on voodoo in English." His Caribbean
experiences led to his best-selling Voodoo-themed novel, The Cross On The Drum (1959), an interracial
story in which a white Christian
missionary
falls in love with a black Voodoo priest's sister.
During this midpoint in his career Cave advanced his writing to the "slick" magazines, including Collier's
, Family Circle
, Ladies' Home Journal
, Redbook
, and the Saturday Evening Post. It was in this latter publication, in 1959, that "The Mission," his most popular short story, appeared—subsequently issued in hardcover by Doubleday, reprinted in textbooks, and translated into a number of languages.
But his career took a dip in the early 1970s. According to The Guardian
, with the golden era of pulp fiction now in the past, Cave's "only regular market was writing romance for women's magazines." He was rediscovered, however, by Karl Edward Wagner
, who published Murgunstrumm and Others, a horror story collection that won Cave the 1978 World Fantasy Award
. Other collections followed and Cave also published new horror fiction.
His later career included the publication in the late 1970s and early 1980s of four successful fantasy novels: Legion of the Dead (1979), The Nebulon Horror (1980), The Evil (1981), and Shades of Evil (1982). Two other notable late works are Lucifer's Eye (1991) and The Mountains of Madness (2004). Moreover, Cave took naturally to the Internet
, championing the e-book
to such an extent that electronic versions of his stories can readily be purchased online.
Over his entire career he wrote more than 1,000 short stories in nearly all genres (though he is best remembered for his horror and crime pieces), approximately forty novels, and a notable body of nonfiction. He received the Phoenix Award
as well as lifetime achievement awards from the International Horror Guild
, the Horror Writers Association
, and the World Fantasy Convention
.
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
who also excelled in other genres.
Life
Born in Chester, England, Hugh B. Cave moved during his childhood with his family to Boston, Massachusetts, following the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. His first name was in honor of Hugh Walpole
Hugh Walpole
Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole, CBE was an English novelist. A prolific writer, he published thirty-six novels, five volumes of short stories, two plays and three volumes of memoirs. His skill at scene-setting, his vivid plots, his high profile as a lecturer and his driving ambition brought him a large...
, a favorite author of his mother, a nurse, who
had once known Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
.
Cave attended Brookline High School
Brookline High School
Brookline High School is a four-year public high school in the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, in the United States.As of the 2007-08 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,826 students and 136 teachers , for a student-teacher ratio of 13.4 to 1 teacher.-Education:Almost every senior in...
. After graduating, Cave attended Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
on a scholarship but had to leave when his father was severely injured. He worked initially for a vanity press
Vanity press
A vanity press or vanity publisher is a term describing a publishing house that publishes books at the author's expense. Publisher Johnathon Clifford claims to have coined the term in 1959. However, the term appears in mainstream U.S...
, the only regular job he would ever have. He quit this position at age 20 to write for a living.
From 1932 until his death in 1997, Cave corresponded extensively with fellow pulp writer Carl Richard Jacobi
Carl Richard Jacobi
Carl Richard Jacobi was an American author. He wrote short stories in the horror, fantasy, science fiction and crime genres for the pulp magazine market.-Biography:...
. Selections of this correspondence can be found in Cave's memoir Magazines I Remember. Relations with his fellow pulp writers were not always so cordial. In the 1930s, Cave lived in Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, but he never met H.P. Lovecraft, who lived in nearby Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. The two engaged in a heated exchange of correspondence (non-extant) regarding the ethics and aesthetics of writing for the pulps.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Cave travelled as a reporter around the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. Following the war he moved to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, spending five years in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, after which he rebuilt and managed a successful coffee plantation in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. He returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the early 1970s after the Jamaican government stole his plantation.
Hugh Cave was twice married, first to Margaret Long in a union that produced two sons before the couple began living apart, and Peggy (or Peggie) Thompson, who died in 2001. Cave was 93 when he died in Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
, in 2004. His remains were cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
.
A photograph of Cave can be found at: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/hugh-b-cave/
Writing career
Sources differ as to when Cave sold his first story: some say it was while he still attended Brookline High SchoolBrookline High School
Brookline High School is a four-year public high school in the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, in the United States.As of the 2007-08 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,826 students and 136 teachers , for a student-teacher ratio of 13.4 to 1 teacher.-Education:Almost every senior in...
, others cite "Island Ordeal", written at age 19 in 1929 while still working for the vanity press..
In his early career he contributed to such pulp magazines as Astounding, Black Mask, and Weird Tales
Weird Tales
Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in March 1923. It ceased its original run in September 1954, after 279 issues, but has since been revived. The magazine was set up in Chicago by J. C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre....
. By his own estimate, in the 1930s alone, he published roughly 800 short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
in nearly 100 periodicals under a number of pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s. Of particular interest during this time was his series featuring an independent gentleman of courageous action and questionable morals called simply The Eel
The Eel (fictional character)
The Eel is a pulp fiction character, a gentleman thief of "courageous action and questionable morals," created by Hugh B. Cave, writing under the pseudonym Justin Case...
. These adventures appeared in the late 1930s and early 40s under the pen name Justin Case. Cave was also one of the most successful contributors to the weird menace
Weird menace
Weird menace is the name given to a sub-genre of horror fiction that was popular in the pulp magazines of the 1930s and early 1940s. The weird menace pulps, also known as "shudder pulps", generally featured stories in which the hero was pitted against sadistic villains, with graphic scenes of...
or "shudder pulps" of the 1930s.
In 1943, drawing on his experience as a war reporter, he authored one of his most highly regarded works, Long Were the Nights, telling of the first PT boats at Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
. He also wrote a number of other books on the war in the Pacific during this period.
During his post-war sojourn in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, he became so familiar with the religion of Voodoo that he published Haiti: High Road to Adventure, a nonfiction work critically acclaimed as the "best report on voodoo in English." His Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
experiences led to his best-selling Voodoo-themed novel, The Cross On The Drum (1959), an interracial
Interracial
Interracial is an adjective related to a supposed racial group. It can have different connotations in different contexts:* Interracial marriage is marriage between two people of different races....
story in which a white Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
falls in love with a black Voodoo priest's sister.
During this midpoint in his career Cave advanced his writing to the "slick" magazines, including Collier's
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
, Family Circle
Family Circle
Family Circle is an American women's magazine published 15 times a year by Meredith Corporation. It began publication in 1932 as a magazine distributed at supermarkets such as Piggly Wiggly and Safeway. Cowles Magazines and Broadcasting bought the magazine in 1962. The New York Times Company bought...
, Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
, Redbook
Redbook
Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
, and the Saturday Evening Post. It was in this latter publication, in 1959, that "The Mission," his most popular short story, appeared—subsequently issued in hardcover by Doubleday, reprinted in textbooks, and translated into a number of languages.
But his career took a dip in the early 1970s. According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, with the golden era of pulp fiction now in the past, Cave's "only regular market was writing romance for women's magazines." He was rediscovered, however, by Karl Edward Wagner
Karl Edward Wagner
Karl Edward Wagner was an American writer, editor and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist. His disillusionment with the medical profession can be seen in the stories "The Fourth Seal" and "Into...
, who published Murgunstrumm and Others, a horror story collection that won Cave the 1978 World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
. Other collections followed and Cave also published new horror fiction.
His later career included the publication in the late 1970s and early 1980s of four successful fantasy novels: Legion of the Dead (1979), The Nebulon Horror (1980), The Evil (1981), and Shades of Evil (1982). Two other notable late works are Lucifer's Eye (1991) and The Mountains of Madness (2004). Moreover, Cave took naturally to the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, championing the e-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
to such an extent that electronic versions of his stories can readily be purchased online.
Over his entire career he wrote more than 1,000 short stories in nearly all genres (though he is best remembered for his horror and crime pieces), approximately forty novels, and a notable body of nonfiction. He received the Phoenix Award
Phoenix Award
The Phoenix Award is awarded annually to a book originally published in English twenty years previously which did not receive a major award at the time of its publication....
as well as lifetime achievement awards from the International Horror Guild
International Horror Guild
The International Horror Guild was created in 1995 as a way to recognize the achievements of those who create in the field of Horror and Dark Fantasy. The IHG presented the International Horror Guild Award. Nancy A. Collins, the founder of the award, felt there was a need for an award granted by...
, the Horror Writers Association
Horror Writers Association
The Horror Writers Association is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark Fantasy writers. It was formed in the 1980s with the help of many of the field's greats, including Joe Lansdale, Robert...
, and the World Fantasy Convention
World Fantasy Convention
The World Fantasy Convention is an annual convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. It places emphasis on literature and art, while de-emphasizing dramatic presentation, gaming, masquerade, and the like. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the...
.
Novels
- Fishermen Four; an Outdoor Adventure Story (1942)
- The Cross on the Drum (1955)
- Drums of Revolt (1957)
- Black Sun (1960)
- The Mission (1960)
- Run, Shadow, Run (1968)
- Larks Will Sing (1969)
- Legion of the Dead (1979)
- The Nebulon Horror (1980)
- The Evil (1981)
- Shades of Evil (1982)
- Disciples of Dread (1988)
- Uncharted Voyage (1989)
- The Lower Deep (1990)
- Lucifer's Eye (1991)
- Isle of the Whisperers (1999)
- The Dawning (2000)
- The Evil Returns (2001)
- The Restless Dead (2002)
- The Mountains of Madness (2004)
Collections
- The Witching Lands; Tales of the West Indies (1962)
- Murgunstrumm and OthersMurgunstrumm and OthersMurgunstrumm and Others is a collection of horror short stories by author Hugh B. Cave. It was released in 1977 by Carcosa in an edition of 2,578 copies of which the 597 copies, that were pre-ordered, were signed by the author and artist...
(1977) - The Corpse Maker (1988) (with Sheldon JafferySheldon JafferySheldon Jaffery was an American bibliographer. An attorney by profession, he was an aficionado of Weird Tales magazine, Arkham House books, the weird menace pulps, and related topics. Born April 22, 1934, he died on July 10, 2003 of septic shock contracted while being treated for lung cancer....
) - Death Stalks the NightDeath Stalks the NightDeath Stalks the Night is a collection of fantasy and horror and Mystery short stories by author Hugh B. Cave. It was released in 1995 by Fedogan & Bremer in an edition of 2,000 copies, of which 100 were signed by the author...
(1995) - Bitter/Sweet (1996)
- Escapades of the Eel (1997) (as Justin Case)
- The Door BelowThe Door BelowThe Door Below is a collection of fantasy and horror and mystery short stories by author Hugh B. Cave. It was released in 1997 by Fedogan & Bremer in an edition of 1,100 copies, of which 100 were signed by the author...
(1997) - Bottled in Blonde; the Peter Kane Detective StoriesBottled in BlondeBottled in Blonde is a collection of Detective fiction stories by author Hugh B. Cave. It was released in 2000 by F & B Mystery in an edition of 1,100 copies of which 100 were signed by the author and artist. The collection was released in honor of Cave's 90th birthday and features stories about...
(2000) - The Lady Wore Black, and Other Weird Cat Tails (2000)
- Long Live the Dead; Tales from Black Mask (2000)
- Officer Coffey Stories (2000)
- Come Into My Parlor; Tales from Detective Fiction Weekly (2002)
Nonfiction
- Long Were the Nights; the Saga of PT Squadron "X" in the Solomons (1943)
- "Eure-cave!": A New Direction in Geology (1944)
- "The Fightn'est Ship"; the Story of the Cruiser "Helena" (1944)
- We Build, We Fight! The Story of the Seabees (1944)
- I Took the Sky Road (1945) (with Norman Mickey Miller)
- Wings Across the World; the Story of the Air Transport Command (1945)
- Haiti, Highroad to Adventure (1952)
- Four Paths to Paradise; a Book About Jamaica (1961)
- Magazines I Remember; Some Pulps, Their Editors, and What It Was Like to Write for Them (1994)