in Sac Prairie of the 1920s and can thus be considered in its own right a part of the Sac Prairie Saga, as well as an extension of Derleth's body of mystery fiction. Robert Hood, writing in the New York Times said: "Steve and Sim, the major characters, are twentieth-century cousins of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer; Derleth's minor characters, little gems of comic drawing." The first novel in the series, The Moon Tenders, does, in fact, involve a rafting adventure down the Wisconsin River, which led regional writer Jesse Stuart to suggest the novel was one that "older people might read to recapture the spirit and dream of youth." The connection to the Sac Prairie Saga was noted by the Chicago Tribune: "Once again a small midwest community in 1920s is depicted with perception, skill, and dry humor." Arkham House and the "Cthulhu Mythos" Derleth was a correspondent and friend of H. P. Lovecraft – when Lovecraft wrote about "le Comte d'Erlette" in his fiction, it was in homage to Derleth. Derleth invented the term "Cthulhu Mythos" to describe the fictional universe depicted in the series of stories shared by Lovecraft and other writers in his circle. When Lovecraft died in 1937, Derleth and Donald Wandrei assembled a collection of Lovecraft's stories and tried to get them published. Existing publishers showed little interest, so Derleth and Wandrei founded Arkham House in 1939 for that purpose. The name of the company derived from Lovecraft's fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts, which features in many of his stories. In 1939, Arkham House published The Outsider and Others, a huge collection that contained most of Lovecraft's known short stories. Derleth and Wandrei soon expanded Arkham House and began a regular publishing schedule after its second book, Someone in the Dark, a collection of some of Derleth's own horror stories, was published in 1941. Following Lovecraft's death, Derleth wrote a number of stories based on fragments and notes left by Lovecraft. These were published in Weird Tales and later in book form, under the byline "H. P. Lovecraft and August Derleth", with Derleth calling himself a "posthumous collaborator." This practice has raised objections in some quarters that Derleth simply used Lovecraft's name to market what was essentially his own fiction; S. T. Joshi refers to the "posthumous collaborations" as marking the beginning of "perhaps the most disreputable phase of Derleth's activities". Dirk W. Mosig,
{
        'QUESTION: What is the main theme of the Sac Prairie Saga?': 'The main theme of the Sac Prairie Saga is life in a small Midwestern community during the 1920s.',
        'QUESTION: Who are Steve and Sim in the Sac Prairie Saga?': 'Steve and Sim are the major characters in the Sac Prairie Saga. They are described as twentieth-century cousins of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer.',
        'QUESTION: Which author is associated with the creation of the term "Cthulhu Mythos"?': 'August Derleth is associated with the creation of the term "Cthulhu Mythos"',
        'QUESTION: What is Arkham House?': 'Arkham House is a publisher of horror and supernatural fiction, founded by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei in 1939.',
        'QUESTION: How did August Derleth become involved with H.P. Lovecraft\'s work?': 'Derleth became involved with Lovecraft’s work through their correspondence and friendship. After Lovecraft’s death, he continued Lovecraft’s works using the "posthumous collaboration" method.',
        'QUESTION: What is the significance of the name "Arkham House"?': 'The name "Arkham House" comes from Lovecraft’s fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts, featured in many of his stories.',
        'QUESTION: What is the controversy surrounding Derleth’s “posthumous collaborations” with Lovecraft?': 'Some critics argue that Derleth used Lovecraft’s name to market his own fiction rather than genuinely continuing Lovecraft’s work.',
        'QUESTION: Can you provide examples of Derleth’s contributions to the "Cthulhu Mythos"?': 'Yes, Derleth contributed significantly to the "Cthulhu Mythos" through his writings, including novels such as "The Lurking Fear," "The Trail of Cthulhu," and "The Watchers out of Time." He also edited several anthologies featuring Lovecraftian tales.',
        'QUESTION: What is the relationship between August Derleth and H.P. Lovecraft?': 'August Derleth was a correspondent and friend of H.P. Lovecraft. After Lovecraft’s death, Derleth continued his works and helped establish him as a significant figure in literature.',
        'QUESTION: What role did Arkham House play in the publication of Lovecraft’s stories?': 'Arkham House played a crucial role in the publication of Lovecraft’s stories, particularly after Derleth and Wandrei founded the company in response to existing publishers showing little interest.'
    }