[3] Several of his novels contain fantastic elements, including the afterlife fantasy Julian Grant Loses His Way and the borderline science-fictional This Was Ivor Trent, about an author who has a vision of a future human being.

[1][4] Houghton stated that all his fiction was based on the belief that modern civilization would collapse "because it no longer believes it has a destiny".

[6] Henry Miller was particularly partial to Houghton's Hudson Rejoins the Herd, of which he wrote: "What so startled me, in reading this book, was that it appeared to give a picture of my most intimate life during a certain crucial period.

"[7] In 1995, some of the correspondence between Miller, Houghton, and the Chicago bookseller Ben Abramson was published in Writers Three: A Literary Exchange.

[8] Houghton's novels were translated into French, German, and Czech, and President Tomáš Masaryk of Czechoslovakia was another admirer of his work.