''The Cancer of Superstition'' is a manuscript by

C. M. Eddy, Jr. Clifford Martin Eddy Jr. (C. M. Eddy Jr.; January 18, 1896 – November 21, 1967)Fenham Publishing/ref> was an American writer known for his horror, mystery and supernatural short stories. He is best remembered for his work in ''Weird Tales'' m ...

that investigates ideas and trends of superstition throughout history.

and H. P. Lovecraft were commissioned to write a book on the subject by famed magician and escapologist

Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American Escapology, escape artist, Magic (illusion), magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his Escapology, escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to ...

from an outline provided by Lovecraft.

Background

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 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 ''The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces''. In ''

The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces ''The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces'' is a collection of stories, poems and essays by American author H. P. Lovecraft and others, edited by August Derleth. It was released in 1966 by Arkham House in an edition of 3,460 copies. The dustjacket ...

'' 1966

August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...

writes: In ''The 13 Gates of the Necronomican: A Workbook of Magic'' (2012) author Donald Tyson referred to the Lovecraft/Houdini collaboration as follows: Tyson misidentifies Eddy as Barlow in the above quote and book.

Conclusion

''The Cancer of Superstition'' states: “all superstitious beliefs are relics of a common ‘prehistoric ignorance’ in humans”, which lays a foundational sense of the book's

thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144 ...

and . Both Lovecraft as a writer of

horror fiction Horror is a genre of fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which is in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian ...

and Houdini as an illusionist 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.

Legacy

In April 2016, the typewritten manuscript sold at auction for $33,600.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cancer Of Superstition American essays Books by H. P. Lovecraft Manuscripts Unfinished books