janney@unm-cvax.UUCP (08/16/84)
I believe Fritz Leiber was the first to write stories based on the
notion that people people create gods appropriate to their environment
and that these gods then forcefully demand worship. Thus, the high
concentrations of people in cities create powerful gods appropriate to
cities: generally rather unpleasant ones. Two of these stories are
_Smoke Ghost_ and _The Hound_. Harlan Ellison's collection _Deathbird
Stories_ is based on the same idea.
Another novel by Fritz Leiber which I highly recommend is
_Conjure Wife_, which deals with the practise of witchcraft in the
anthropology department of a small college. As in _Our Lady of Darkness_,
Leiber is able to sustain a mood of increasing suspense and horror for
hundreds of pages, finally bringing it to a climax. Don't be put off
by the packaging of the current Ace edition--it's not what it looks
like. (Note to the people at universities: if you think you have
trouble with department politics, you ain't seen nuthin' yet.)
Jim Janney
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