Long was an avid reader as a youth, especially of natural history and horror. He was educated at New York University and Columbia University, but left without a degree. He suffered an appendicitis in 1921 which almost led to his death due to peritonitis. In 1924, then only 22, he sold his first story, The Desert Lick to Weird Tales magazine. In 1926, he published A Man From Genoa and Other Poems, which was critically acclaimed. During the 1930s, Long began writing science fiction and began contributing to Astounding Science Fiction and wrote horror works for Unknown Worlds. Due to a minor disability, Long avoided military service during the Second World War and was able to continue writing, including some works for comic books. During the 1950s, he was involved in editing five different magazines. He continued contributing SF and horror during the 1950s and 1960s. In all, he produced 29 novels, over 150 short stories, three collections of poetry and a variety of other work. His output slowed after 1977 and so did his income. For the next twenty years, he and his wife, Lyda, lived in extreme poverty. He was awarded the Bram Stoker Award in 1987 and was Guest of Honor at the H.P. Lovecraft Centennial Conference in 1990, where he reminisced about his great friend. By this time, he was confined to a wheelchair. He contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 93. Because of his poverty, he was buried in a pauper's grave. However, friends, colleagues and fans had his remains moved to Woodlawn Cemetary. His works include The Goblin Tower (1935), The Hounds of Tindalos (1946), John Carstairs: Space Detective (1949), The Horror Expert (1961), So Dark a Heritage (1966), The Rim of the Unknown (1972), Night Fear (1979) and Rehearsal Night (1981). |
