Gerald Canevin

Gerald Canevin is a fictional character created by Henry S. Whitehead for a series of supernatural stories, first appearing in the 1926 tale "The Projection of Armand Dubois". One of these stories, "The Trap", was co-written by H. P. Lovecraft. As with many other collaborations, Lovecraft revised Whitehead's draft and rewrote it into the final version, receiving no credit for it during his lifetime. Another Canevin story, "Cassius", was based on one of Lovecraft's plot outlines from the commonplace book.
Most of the Canevin stories were published in fantasy themed magazines such as Weird Tales and Strange Tales, although the last one, "Scar-Tissue", was published in the science fiction themed Amazing Stories. This story is also notable for introducing the Atlantean character Bothon, who would have a much larger role in the Lovecraft-Whitehead collaboration "Bothon", thus connecting that yarn to the Canevin series, even though Canevin himself is absent.
==Biography==
In the series, Gerald Canevin is an American writer of supernatural fiction who spends most of his time in the US Virgin Islands, alternating between Santa Cruz (a.k.a. St. Croix) and St. Thomas. The earlier stories tended to take place in Santa Cruz, while later ones more commonly find him in St. Thomas. Some tales move away from the Caribbean and take place in other locations, such as the continental USA (: "The Trap", : "The Chadbourne Episode"), Mexico (: The Great Circle), and even the United Kingdom (: "The Shut Room", "The Napier Limousine").
Canevin is always the first person narrator in his series. However, while most stories were experienced by Canevin himself as the main character, there are also some that he heard from his acquaintances and merely relates to the reader, acting only as a narrator rather than a participant. The latter includes Canevin's debut story, "The Projection of Armand Dubois", as well as "The People of Pan".
The first two stories in the Canevin series ("The Projection of Armand Dubois" and "West India Lights") are not part of the same continuity as the rest. The first story takes place in 1881 and presents Canevin as an established author, whereas all the others take place in the 1920s, and some have him as "a young fellow" and not yet known as a writer (: "The Tree-Man").
In "West India Lights", Canevin falls in love with a woman named Gertrude Maclane and the two get married, his marriage having been mentioned in passing in "The Projection of Armand Dubois" as well. This is never mentioned again in the series. In fact, the novella Seven Turns in a Hangman's Rope is a complete rewrite of "West India Lights" that uses exactly the same plot, but makes no mention of Gertrude or any other love interest.
A recurring character in the Canevin series is Dr. Pelletier, a navy surgeon who provides scientific commentary on the fantastic events experienced while also showcasing a knowledgeable and open-minded attitude towards the supernatural. Spirits, deities, elementals, ghouls, magic rituals and psychic emanations are all real in the series, although Canevin, reflecting Whitehead's status as an ordained minister, expresses his belief that the power of God exceeds all of these, which is demonstrated by the successful use of exorcisms and holy water to dispel some of the apparitions (: "The Black Beast", "Mrs. Lorriquer").
Canevin's family is from Virginia. His father was Alexander Canevin. (: "The Chadbourne Episode)
==Personality==
Canevin is a jovial man with many friends, and is very knowledgeable about occult matters. He is generally brave and level-headed, although he admits to being "fussy" about his belongings. Another aspect of his personality is that he always speaks the truth, even when he concedes that he shouldn't. He hates waking up early, but always attends church. He also gets along well with children. (: "Black Tancrède", "The Shut Room", : "The Trap")
Despite being a church-going Christian, Canevin is both knowledgeable about, and respectful towards, other religions. He is particularly interested in learning about the culture of the Virgin Islands' non-Caucasian populations, and respects their beliefs and customs. (: "The Tree-Man")
Canevin is physically fit and regards himself as a man of action, going as far as to claim that he has kept his body "in the highest possible degree of physical fitness". (: The Great Circle)
Category:Characters Originating From Lovecraft Circle Works
Category:Characters Originating From Mythos-Adjacent Works
Category:Humans