In `The Wendigo’, fear of the titular monster from Native American folklore is used to create a discombobulating atmosphere of dread. In both novellas, as in many other of Blackwood’s fictions, wild landscapes (a desolate island, a labyrinthine forest) act as more than enhancing backdrops to the action – they become essential elements to the generation of anxiety and metaphysical awe. Both stories have become staples of the weird literary tradition, of which Blackwood was undoubtedly a modern master.
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