Though primarily a writer of the mysteries and horrors of life at sea, William Hope Hodgson is best remembered for two apocalyptic fantasies that presaged the terminal landscapes of later twentieth-century literature. The House on the Borderland (1908) and The Nightland (1912) are widely regarded as classics of both the science-fiction and horror genres, and several of Hodgson's often-anthologized short stories have been acclaimed for their ability to sustain a steadily mounting pitch of terror. Though enthusiastically received by the press at the time of publication, Hodgson's novels sold poorly and fell into obscurity after his untimely death. Recent reprintings, however, have introduced the author's work to the wider readership he deserves.

William Hope Hodgson was born in Blackmore End, Essex, England, on 15 November 1877. He was the second of twelve children. His father, Samuel Hodgson, was an Anglican clergyman whose variance from official church doctrine resulted in the family's moving...