Occult fiction
From Theosophy Wiki
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Occult fiction is a genre influenced by Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, Anthroposophy, Alchemy, Spiritualism, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Magic, and other forms of esotericism. Many works of science fiction and fantasy include elements of the occult. See also:
Occult novels and short stories
- Blavatsky, H. P. Nightmare Tales. London: Theosophical Publishing Society; New York; The Path; Madras: Theosophical Society, 1892. Published posthumously. Digital editions at Theosophical University Press Online, Blavatsky Archives, Hathitrust, Biblioboard, Teopedia, and others.
- Bulwer-Lytton, Edward. The Coming Race. 1872.
- Bulwer-Lytton, Edward. Zanoni. 1842.
- Collins, Mabel. Idyll of the White Lotus.
- Crawford, Francis Marion. Mr. Isaacs. 1882.
- Warde, Robert Reginald. A Daughter of Indra. San Francisco: Essene Publishing Co., 1925. A society woman meets a Master, and finds her path and a soul mate. Discusses secret brotherhood of Masters of Wisdom, auras, visions, astral projection, looking within, spiritual path, and initiation. A reviewer wrote: "The Daughter of Indra is a much better story than most occult novels. It is not written to be sensational, but an effort is made, with deepest reverence, to help the Western world to become familiar with the idea of the Masters of the Wisdom and Their love and guidance." (M. K., The Messenger, May, 1926). Available at Google Books.
Themes in occult fiction
- Life after Death
- Reincarnation
- Phenomena
- Law of Correspondences, or the Hermetic principle of "as above, so below."
- Akasha or Vril
- Astral travel or astral projection
- Third Eye
- Adepts, Master of Wisdom, or Mahatmas
- Dugpas
- The Path
- Aura
- Initiation and Probation
- Intuition
- Psychism
- Telepathy
- Thought Power
- Universal Mind
- Atlantis
- Lemuria
- Fairies and nature spirits
Authors of occult works
These are writers who incorporated occult themes in their fiction. Many were students of Theosophy, Spiritualism, Rosicrucianism, and other occult traditions.
- L. Frank Baum (1856–1919). American Theosophist and author of the Wizard of Oz series.
- Algernon Blackwood (1869–1951). Canadian Theosophist and prolific writer of ghost stories.
- Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891). Russian-American founder of the Theosophical Society wrote some ghost stories but is best known for The Secret Doctrine and other works delineating Theosophy.
- Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873). English Rosicrucian and prolific fiction author known for his florid style.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950). American writer best known for the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres. Influenced by Theosophy.
- Mabel Collins (1851-1927).
- Francis Marion Crawford (1854–1909). American writer of many novels, including classic weird and fantastic stories.
- Edward Douglas Fawcett (1866-1960). English adventurer and writer who knew H. P. Blavatsky. His fiction incorporated metaphysics.
- Nicolas Camille Flammarion (1842-1925). French astronomer and Theosophist. His fiction included several notable early science fiction novels, and works on psychical research.
- Dion Fortune (1890-1946). English Theosophist and occultist. Her fiction works include Moon Magic, The Sea Priestess, The Winged Bull, and others
- H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925). English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa;a founder of the Lost World literary genre. Best known for King Solomon's Mines and She.
- Robert E. Howard (1906–1936). American author in a diverse range of genres. He is best known for his character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre. Howard was influenced by H. P. Lovecraft, and also by Theosophists H. P. Blavatsky and William Scott-Elliott.
- H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937). American author who achieved posthumous fame through his influential works of horror fiction.
- Kenneth Morris (1879-1937). Welsh fantasy writer and Point Loma Theosophist. He published such works as The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed, often using pseudonyms.
- Clark Ashton Smith (1893–1961). American author of fantasy, horror, and science fiction short stories. Along with Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft, Smith was one of the three main contributors to the American horror and fantasy pulp fiction magazine Weird Tales. He was influenced by H. P. Blavatsky.
- Violet Tweedale (1862–1936). Scottish Theosophist and author of many books, including novels with supernatural themes.
- Robert Reginald Warde. Born to an English family in Madras, India on October 24, 1878. He saw military service during World War I. Warde emigrated from London to the United States in 1921, living in Oakland, California. He was a broker, writer, and journalist who probably wrote mostly under pseudonyms. His wife Belle died in 1940, and daughter Margaret lived with him until his death on January 6, 1962 in Oakland. He was addressed as "Dr. Warde."
- Roger Zelazny (1937-1995). American writer of speculative fiction that draws from mythology. He is best known for Lord of Light, Creatures of LIght and Darkness, Eye of Cat, and many more. The Chronicles of Amber series of nine novels built on esoteric principles: "as above, so below;" rites of initiation; Tarot; the mind creating reality, etc.
Additional resources
Articles
- Edge, H. T. "The Occult Novels of Bulwer-Lytton" The Theosophical Forum 3 no. 1 (July, 1938): 19.
- Fellows, Alfred, "The Occult in Modern Fiction" The Occult Review 3 (April, 1906): 170.
- Sinnett, A. P. "Occultism in Fiction" Broad Views 4 (November, 1905): 372.
Books and pamphlets
- Ferguson, Christine. Open Secrets: The Popular Fiction of Britain's Occult Revival, 1842-1936. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2025. Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism series.
- Taylor, James. Occult Novels as Theosophical Propaganda.Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Press, [1929].
Bibliographies and reading lists
- Best Occult Fiction in Goodreads.
