Claimed! | 
pickBennett, under the pseudonym Francis Stevens, was an early writer of weird fiction, admired in the 1920s (Lovecraft), but long eclipsed by others in the genre (Lovecraft), and not included in a seminal overview of the weird, "Supernatural Horror in Literature" (Lovecraft). Even some photos of her are of doubted authenticity (the one I've posted is held as genuine). She is belatedly being seen as an originator of dark fantasy, so it's nice to ⬇️
I read "Claimed!" in a recent Penguin edition, which sadly has no critical apparatus, but does have excellent cover art (see previous post).
The story was first published in 1920, and is pulp rather than high literature. This doesn't have the characterisation and philosophy of slightly earlier writers, such as Blackwood, but does capture the atmosphere of the strange and otherworldly ⬇️ 2w
In "Claimed!", we have an ancient, eldritch artefact found on a mysteriously appearing then vanishing island that causes delirium and fearful visions, is associated with strange sacrifices to a sleeping deity, whose gradual awakening is heralded by madness and natural catastrophes. Lovecraft fans will recognise these as elements from his story "The Call of Cthulhu," written five years after Bennett's ⬇️ 2w
The main characters are in service to their roles in the plot, despite which I don't think they are entirely cardboard. One of the minor players had promise as a potential Psychic Detective, but sadly that fizzled out. Otherwise an engaging genre story: 4🔱 2w