Long, Frank Belknap

Frank Belknap Long Jr. (1901-1994) was an American writer whose career spanned seven decades, producing works in horror, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, and comic books. He is particularly recognized for his contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos, a shared fictional universe created by H.P. Lovecraft, with whom he maintained a significant friendship and correspondence. Long's early life in New York City, marked by a fascination with natural history and early exposure to speculative fiction, laid the groundwork for his literary pursuits. After a near-fatal illness in his early twenties, he dedicated himself to a freelance writing career, quickly establishing himself in the pulp magazine scene, especially with Weird Tales.

Throughout his career, Long explored various genres, writing for influential magazines like Astounding Science Fiction and Unknown. He also ventured into poetry, with early collections receiving critical acclaim. Beyond his fiction, he penned non-fiction articles and worked in comic book writing, adapting classic literature and contributing to established superhero titles. His later career saw a shift towards novels, including gothic romances and science fiction, while also engaging in magazine editing. Long received multiple lifetime achievement awards, including the World Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award, acknowledging his significant impact on the genres he served.

Born in Manhattan in 1901, Frank Belknap Long Jr. spent his formative years in New York City. His childhood was shaped by family vacations and a strong interest in natural history, alongside an early immersion in imaginative literature, including works by Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Oz books. This early exposure fueled a desire to explore the unknown, a theme that would resonate throughout his writing. Long's initial foray into writing began in amateur journalism, where his early stories, such as 'The Eye Above the Mantel,' caught the attention of H.P. Lovecraft. This encounter sparked a pivotal friendship and ongoing correspondence that profoundly influenced Long's literary direction, particularly his engagement with the burgeoning Cthulhu Mythos.

Long's professional writing career took off in the 1920s with the sale of his first short story to Weird Tales. He became a consistent contributor to prominent pulp magazines like Weird Tales and Astounding Science Fiction, earning a reputation for his tales of horror and science fiction. His 1931 serial 'The Horror from the Hills' for Weird Tales notably incorporated a dream shared by H.P. Lovecraft, and this story was later published as a novel, introducing the alien entity Chaugnar Faugn into the Cthulhu Mythos. Long's collaborative spirit extended to co-authoring the story 'The Challenge from Beyond' with other notable writers of the era.

As the pulp magazine era waned, Long adapted by shifting his focus to novels, producing science fiction and gothic romance throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He also explored other media, writing comic book scripts for various publishers and even contributing to the Man from UNCLE franchise. During the 1950s, he took on editorial roles for several magazines. Despite his prolific output across genres, Long maintained a degree of skepticism regarding the supernatural, mirroring Lovecraft's own views, though his fiction often delved into the strange and uncanny. His significant body of work was recognized with prestigious awards, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.

“After graduating from PS24, just north of Mt Morris Park in Harlem, I attended De Witt Clinton High School for four years and managed to graduate despite a spectacular lack of competence in algebra and geometry”

“away from home and explore the great rain forests of the Amazon.”

“important as writing is, I could have been completely happy if I had a secure position in a field that has always had a tremendous emotion and an imaginative appeal for me—that of natural history.”

“The Marriage of Sir John de Mandeville”

“In Hospital.”