▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁Der le th ' s ▁body ▁of ▁mystery ▁fiction . ▁ ▁Robert ▁H ood , ▁writing ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁said : ▁" Ste ve ▁and ▁Sim , ▁the ▁major ▁characters , ▁are ▁tw enti eth - century ▁c ous ins ▁of ▁H uck ▁Finn ▁and ▁Tom ▁S aw yer ; ▁Der le th ' s ▁minor ▁characters , ▁little ▁g ems ▁of ▁com ic ▁drawing ." ▁The ▁first ▁novel ▁in ▁the ▁series , ▁The ▁Moon ▁T enders , ▁does , ▁in ▁fact , ▁involve ▁a ▁ra ft ing ▁advent ure ▁down ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁River , ▁which ▁led ▁regional ▁writer ▁J esse ▁Stuart ▁to ▁suggest ▁the ▁novel ▁was ▁one ▁that ▁" older ▁people ▁might ▁read ▁to ▁re capt ure ▁the ▁spirit ▁and ▁dream ▁of ▁youth ." ▁The ▁connection ▁to ▁the ▁Sac ▁Pra irie ▁S aga ▁was ▁noted ▁by ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Trib une : ▁" Once ▁again ▁a ▁small ▁mid west ▁community ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁is ▁dep icted ▁with ▁per ception , ▁skill , ▁and ▁dry ▁humor ." ▁ ▁Ark ham ▁House ▁and ▁the ▁" C th ul hu ▁M yth os " ▁Der le th ▁was ▁a ▁correspond ent ▁and ▁friend ▁of ▁H . ▁P . ▁Love craft ▁– ▁when ▁Love craft ▁wrote ▁about ▁" le ▁Com te ▁d ' Er lette " ▁in ▁his ▁fiction , ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁hom age ▁to ▁Der le th . ▁ ▁Der le th ▁invent ed ▁the ▁term ▁" C th ul hu ▁M yth os " ▁to