FAN TASY REVI F v[/ Yol. I, No. 6 SIXPENCE - DEC. '47. JAN.'48 REYIV E R With this issue FANTASY R,EVInW completes a year of publication within iLs new tease of life. Dudns that time it has gained a staunch following of readers which is still grorv- ing and extending to many parts ol the 'irorld. There is evidence that atl have found it of inestimable value in their pursuance of fantasy-fiction as an abiding interest, or as one which some had neglected for lack of a reliable source of information and guidance in the fleld. To others it has made apparent for the flrst time the full exbent, of the medium and aroused in them an enthusiasm which has been reflected in their letters. FANTASY REVIEW is, manifestly, fulfiUing a unique service, not only to its devotees but to fantasy-fiction itself. T'hrough its critical arttcles and reviews it is performing a desirable function in rnaintaining and improving the stan- dards of the literature it covers. By providing a contacr be- tween writ€rs, editors, publishers and readers it is assisting all concerned towards a better appreciation of their activities and their varying points of view. As a means whereby all may ventilate their opinions, it has already proved itsetf an essential to the healthy developm€nt of the medium on both sides of the Atlantic. For the future, FANTASY REVIEW has many plans for the further expansion of the interests it fosters and cateis for as adequately as it can in these days of austerity. As we proceed we shall introduca new features whenever space allows, and continue to present the best availabje articles to interest our widening circle of readers. Our book reviews, which have brought couniless expressions of appreciation for their discerning and informative character, wiU always be an important feature of each issue. In the series of intef- views with famous fantasy writers, we have many interesting personalities to present, including Dr. Edward E. Smith, creator of the popular "Lensman" stories. If a subscription blank is enclosed, it means that your subscriptio{r has expired with this issue. you would be well advised to renew it without delay, before you run the risk of missing our next or subsequent issues-and please note the new address to which all communications should be sent. We look forward to hearing from any of our readers who have not yet sent us their suggestions or criticisms, and to the letters we invite from all for the new feature we have introduced in this issue-Fantasv Form. THE EDITOR. 2 FANTASY Dr. DAYID H. KELLER on his HALF A CENTU RY OF VVRITING Though he has alrnost disappearetl from tetlay's rn^agauines, the tales of Dr- David H. I(eller linger in the memory .of oltl reatlers of fantasy. At the age of 67 he can look back on 50 years of literary endeavoiur-anrl he is still writing, In this articlex h€ tells his own story of his life as a physician and a writer, and of his effcrts to b€ worthy of the name of author. I feel there is a vast void between the Before men wrobe stories, they told wriier and the author. The writer's stolies, and very early in life I put my- stories are usually pubiished and read self to.sleep with stories in which I was once. The author's work can be judged the hero. At the age of 15 I wrote one, by the number of reprints and its ap- and had it pttblished in a country news- preciation by the discriminating rather paper. It was "Aunt Martha." At the than average reader. I must admit same age, while at high school, I wrote that when the spur of nec€ssity drove my firsb long mystery story, "Lif€ after me, I deliberately assumed the position Death." The manuscript-in longhand of writer, but I abandoned the role as still in my library, having survived soon as I coulC. For I've always wanted -is50 years. of extensive travel. and tlied to be an author. The fall of 1899 fcund me a fresh- I was born in 1880, in PhiladelPhia. man at the University of Pennsylvania When I was six I was diagnosed an iMedical Sihooi-to my regret. Had I idiot for being unable to balk intell! followed my own wishes tr believe I gentty in any language. Three Years would have gone through life as a col- were spent in a private school where I lege professor. But I studied medicine learned English very much as a travel- and was. graduated in 1903. In mY ler from Mars. Thrx words became Iibrary, too, is a bound volume of stories very important a"s a means of convey- written and published while I was at ing thought. Psychologists would say college. An unpublished short novel I had a "block." Much of this back- shows the influence of Marvel on mY ground you wiII flnd in my story, "The style. Frank R,. Stockton was another Lost Language." of my favourite authors, and we were beginning to hear of the de Maupassant short story and the O. Henry ending. REVIEW In 1901 I feil in with a group of Uter- FANTASY ary optimists who believed they could (fncorporating SCIENTIFICTION start a new magazine. We named our and TO-MORROW-Magazine of the Future) venture The White Owl. It lasted seven issues-long enough to print flve of my A Journal for Readers, Writers and pen-narne Fiction stories, for which I used the Coltectors of Imaginative of Henrv Cecil. BI-IIIONTHLY: SIXPENCE Eventirallv I began the great adven- Editorial, Advertising and Pub- tule of being a horse-and-buggy doctor lishing office: 115 Wanstead Park in a Pennsylvania small town. There Road, Ilford, Essex. are two marruscript novels in mY Subscription rates: In Great library which tell how and why I'trent Britain and Dominions (except During per year. Single cop- there and what I accomplished. canada) 3/6 those eight years of country practise I ies. ?d.. post free. fn Canada and great U.S.A., ?5c. per year. Single copies. wrote very little but read a deaJ. 15c., post free. I could never find time enough to read t48 all I v/anted to; this desire has been Vol. 1, No. 6 Dec. '47-Jan. bofh a beneflt and curse to me all mY Erlitor: Walter Gillings. 1ife. Associate Dditors: John Carnell, year as phYsician in J. Michael Rosenblum, D. R. Smith' Fouowing a a Arthur I'. Hillman. Fred C. Brown, New Jersey, I joined the staff of the Nigel Lindsay, Frank Edward Ar- Sfate Hospital of Iilinois. There I nold, J. O. Newman. *Condensed from Fantasy Commen- A m eri c an Correspondents: tator, 19 East 235th St., New York David Kishi (New York), f'orrest 66, U.S.A. Copyright bY A. Lang (Hollywood). City, J. Ackerman ley Searles, 194?. REVIEW 3 Henry Cecil pseudonym for this book of poems some of which were, I confess, foisLed on readers as being "translated from the Chinese." A11 these and later writings were writ- ten for pure self-expression and the satisfaction of seeing them in prinb. Then, Iate in '26, my wife showed me a copy of Amazing Stories and sug- gested I try to sell some work. So I wrote "Tl:e Revolt of the Pedestrians" and submitted it; Gernsback promptly accepted it and ofiered to take a dozen mole of my stories. I accepted, though at the time I had no idea that I couid wlite more and was not certa.in that Gernsback thought I could, either. He told me later he felt every writer had only one good story in him. That story appeared in Amazlng in February '28. During the rest of that year it prinied six more of my stories. "The Menace" initiated a series about Taine of San Francisco, my favourite detective. He has appeared in print DR. DAVID H. KELLEIT frequently since, working in his quiet, unassumrng way. wrote stories about the abnormals. Some of my experiences with Gerns- Then came World War I, when I served back were happy; some were not. In in the Medical Corps. On my discharge the fall of '28 I visited him in New I went to Pineville, Louisiana, to spend York and met his brother Sidney, who ten years in the State.Hospital there. was starting a new magaaine along When Huey Long came in, I resigned. popular medical lines and asked me for It was while there that I became ob- a series of ei,rticles on psycho-analysls. sessed with the idea of writing the Thus began my writing of medical great American novel. I wrote prodigi- articles that could be understood by ously-over 5,000 pages of manuscript. the common man. In the course of Two of these noveis were later consoli- several years I produced nearly ?00 of dated as "The Devil and the Doctor," them, a Len-volume set of books, and published in 1940. It received favour- thousands of letters. During s, period able reviews, but was quickly dropped of 49 consecutive days I wrote some as though it contained T.N.T.-why, I 300,000 words. don't know. Possibly applied pressure About this time I found myself turn- by orthodox religious groups stopped ing out some flction that did not nt into distribution of ihe book. I think it de- any category at which I had previously served a better fate. tried my hand. One piece, "The Little Another nov€l of that period, "The Husbands," I sent to Farnsworth Sign of the Burning Hart," is composed Wright of Weird Tales. He bought i!, of four connected stories. The leading and the next ihree stories I submitted. one I submitted to a Harper's Magazine Then I sent him the first three of my prize contest. They wanted to print it, Cornwall stories, which were inspired but said I would have Lo tell them what by a branch of my mother's family it meant for no two of their readers saw coming from Cornwall in England. the same thing in it. I refused to draw Wright accepted these, too. When I blueprints, and thus lost my only met him afterwards he told me he had chance of appearing in a slick maga- taken my first stories as flIlers, think- zine. Later. in'38. all four stories were ing they did not show much ability, but published in Frane€. that the Cornwall stories deflnitely A family history, "The l{ellers of established me as an author. I always Hamilton Township," uras privately remembered his words, for no one had published in Louisiana in '22. In'24 ever called me an author before, my "Songs of a Spanish Lover" ap- From then on. Wright published any- peared in a limited edition. I used the thing worthwhile I sent him Once hav- 4 FA NTASY ing started in this fleld, I found it as interesting as sclence fiction, some- MAKE A NOTE OF IT times Twenty-two my stories more. of The address of FANTASY REVIEW appeared in Weird Tales; some have has been reprinted in the "Not at Night" been changed to: anthologies in England. The most 115 Wa.nstead Park Road. popular is "The Thing in the Cellar," Ilford. Essex. which has been reprinted flve times. All communications should now be When I first started writing science sent to this address. flction one of my ardent fans was Regis Messac, then a professor in Montreal. My army duties left me litUe time On his return to Ftance he helped to for writing, and what I produced had found the periodical Les Premieres to difficulty in finding a market. Wright present to the cultured French a com- and Sloane had gone, and the new prehensive view of literature by living editors either did not know me or were aufhors. Each editor had a certain unwilling to see anything worthwhile field; Messac's was to pick out the best in my plots or style. Nov/, back in my Iiving science flction author, choose his home at South Stroudsbe|g, possessed best story and translate it. He selected as always by the demon of composition, me and "Stenographer's Hands." Ttris I am writing a novel round an idea magazine published four more of my that, as far as I know, is absolutely new stories, financed a book containing to modern literature. This brings me three of them, and started to print my up to date-exactly 51 years since my novel, "T'lre Eternal Conflict," in serial flrst story was printed. form. Before this was concluded World How do I write a story? To my mind, War II started; Messac was interned, there are three essential parts. Ffust, and later died. Les Premieres came to an idea; sometimes it's hard to get a an end, and that flnished my Ftench new one, but once you have it you've literary adventure. gone half the distance. Most of mine Ftom Louisiana I went to Tennessee; have answered apparently simple ques- thence I anived at the State Hospital tions. What would happen to civilisa- for the feeble-minded at Pennhurst, tion if all metal disappeared? What Pennsylvania, where I was assistant would be the result of lifo without superintendent for four ye4rs. Much of disease, crime or death? my spare time was spent in medical Second, a story must have a good be- writing, but I continued to produce ginning if the reader is to be immedi- stories and occasional poetry, ately interested. Third, the ending to By late '29 I began to wonder about me is equally important. I must have the questionable prophecies of science all three requirements clearly in mind flction and the beautiful fancies of before I start. Mv newest novel waited weird flction. It seemed to me I wasn't a year to get written because I had no writing enough about real life and real ending for it; then one night I got it people. So I began a series of stories through a dream. The rest of mv about such people as salesmen and formula is to avoid unnecessary wordi, bank clerks, which found a place in trying always to keep the reader inter- Ten Story Book magazine under the ested. pen-name of Amy Worth. They were so P€rhaps, too, there should be an ele- utterly different from my usual style ment of suspense. The new editors that no one ever identifi.ed Amy with- want scripts timed to radio, air travel out my help. and the cinema. Personally, I do not After leaving Pennhurst I came back care for such a style; occasionaUy I do to my ancestral home in Pennsyl- write rapid action, but in my novels I vania's Monroe County, where the am inclined to meander. ft appears to Kellers have iived since 1736. Ttrere I be the custom of schools for writers to determined to finish my days spoiling encourage pupils to read "type" stories many pages of white paper with black of known writers, then try to imitate letters. I wrote a long account of my their styles, but I have found that if a 25 years with abnormals of society, man hopes to anive in literature he "Through the Back Door." I was then must create his own style. And when called to active duty, and served as my critics say mv work is hopeless be- Medical Professor on the facultv of the cause no other "pulp" writer writes as Army Chaplains' School at Harvard, I do, I consider I have attained one of where I taught over 6,000 clerg5rmen. my objectives. REVIEW Wa,lter GillinEst FANTASIA Paper faJnine, now crabbing u.s. fantasy publishers' plans. Donald A. wollheim. Avon Publications, repork two new projected magazines (see Aug. - Sept. issue) delayed by pulp supply hold-up. They'll still appear, but not just yet; meantime no more stories being accepted . , . Third issue Avon Detective Mysteries, part-edited by Wollheim, has fantastic tales by Frank Owen, Anthony Boucher, Sax Rohmer Ftench fantasy expert Georges Gauet, science editor of V, pianning flying visit to New York, also almanac featuring science ficbion to which Jacques (,,Sever the Earth,,) Spiiz will contribute Answering criticisms that Fantasy Foundation library, situated in Los Angeles, is inaccessible to Eastern fans, manager Forrest J. Ackerman promises: "Soon as nilgrav is developed I'U put it on flying platform, send it up in the air" . . . ReaI macabre touch to Emlyn Williams' ghost play, "Trespass," running at Apollo Theatre, presented on radio. Theme is possession of fake medium by dead man RKO Pictures producing anti-war fantasy titied "The Boy with Green Hair" . . . Next Abbott and Costello vehicie is "The Brain of Frankensteini" in which the Monster wants to recover it from loopy Lou American recording of "Music Out of the Moon," including "Lunar Rhapsody" and "Celestial Nocturne," features scientific instrument, the Theremin, used in "Spellbound" and other films . . . Merseyside Unity Theatre presented "Fantasy in FiIm" programme including "Birth of a Robot" KELLER BOOM DUE? Claiming Dr David H. Keller's stories have "quality to charm millions," Sam Moskowitz predicts Keller boom may foilow popularisation of Lovecraft. New Keller novel, "The Abyss," to appear with reprint of "The Solitary Hunters" from Weird Talee; his Cornwall series purchased for publication by Hadley . Second mystery thriller by former s-f fan Wilson (Bob) Tucker, "To Keep or Kill" (Rinehart: $2.00), has pocket-size atom bomb as phoney murder weapon . . . "Alias J. J. Connington," by A. W. Stewart, D.Sc. (Hollis & Carter: 15/-), is book of "escapist" essays in science and literature by "Nordenholt's Miilion" author . . . Daily Worker critic on Stapledon's l'atest, "The Flames": "contemporary literature's most ingenious rnaster of fantasy has excelled himseif." Hmmm English publication of his "Shadow Girl" said to come as surprise to Ray Cummings . . . New Amazing collaborators, John and Dorothy de Courcy, also coming up in Wonder and Planet, visited Portland (Oregon) fans, told how they started by vowing to better Richard shaver's Lemurian tales . Arkham House's August Der- leth guest speaker at Eastern s-F society meet, besieged by autographed copy hunters . . . r,ester del Ray addressed Philadelphia fans on his coming Prime Press collection, ,,And some were Human" . . . N.Y. Daily News interviewed Edgar Rice Burroughs on his T2nd birthday, extracted confession that background of flrst Tatzan book came from Stanley's "In Darkest Africa" . . . HOPEI,ESS AI}DICTS ALL Is fantasy a drug? Dr. Thomas s. Gardner, old-time writer and present-day observer of fletd, diagnoses thus: "Ttre reading of s-f and fantasy is a form of narcotic addiction. Try-to induce or force a fan not to read it any more' Only a few can Mystery Club Magazine serialising life of Christ-according break away" . Shaver (usN, to shaver . . . c"lti".'" fea,tured article on space-rockets by Lt. F,obert lr€inlein Ret.) and caleb Lanning . . . Look had piece on "TTip to the Moon," with lllustrations of space-stations Arthur c. clarke lectured British Interplanetary society on in""trotti"s and space-nicht" . . Algernon Blackwood radio-talking on "T'he Fear ofHeights"... Several fantasies in .,Premiaj R,omanetoj,', collection of tales ln Esperanto (British Esperanto publishers: 2/6i, inclucling one by F. G. Rayer,-whose "Realm of th" e]i.rr,''urrd ,.Attack from Luna" issued by Grafton Publications, Dublin splurge for John Russell Fearn's "Liners ol Time" (reviewed Aug'-sept' american in the issue): "All aboard for Fuburity! Struggle in the Age of Problems'-Wonder " ' isolates you in the Geologic Age when , *."""i"g masi'e"rrnind from time-to-come pt.tti".to"i"-past . . . " Sounds something like Britain in'47''' 6 FANTASY Among the Magazines

with NIGEL LINDSAY and KENNETH SLATER .NEW WORLDS' GOES AtIEAD New Worlds No. 3 was so long in and we were glad to see Ray Bradbury materialising-we previewed it here among those present with a short story over eight months ago--that when at somewhat reminiscent of I{eIIer. But last it appeared at the end of Octotrer second place is taken by Margaret St. it came as a surprise even to those who Clair's unusual piece, "Piety"; the rest had subscribed. Our information is are good reading only if you don't in- that it soon sold out cornpletely, and sist on genuine science fiction. there is little doubt that with such a Next issue bdngs a novel o sus- demand for the mag. the publishers pended animation, "The Sleeper is a won't be long in following up with a R,ebel," by Bryce Walton; Edmond fourth issue; indeed, bi-monthly ap Hamilton wiII be back with "Transur- pearance, at the least, is indicated. The anic," a tale of nuclear research with reader-reaction, Editor Carnell reports, the Moon as its locale, and the Bud has been more encouraging than ever. Gregory series will continue with The issue shows a decided breakaway "Seven Deadly Moons." Bradbury will from the more elementary type of be in again with "The Shape of material designed to initiate the con- Things," a story of multi-dimehsions servative British reader. and if this . and what's the betting about the policy of development is followed to its shape of things on the cover? An] i,vay logical conclusion New Worlds will we'll see. eventually be able to hold its head The best covers these days, both from above most of iis American cousins. the point of view of imaginative con- For No. 3 we are promised "World ception and artistic execution, would in Shadow," by John Brody, who took seem to be those of Famo,us Fantastic, second place in No. 2, and "Edge of which is foftunate in having Virgil Fin- Night," by John K. Aiken, whose "Dra- lay as illustrator. December issue fea- gon's Teeth" will probabiy come out tures Warwick Deeping's novel of "The top in the new number. Patrick S. Man Who Went Back', to Floman Selby will be back: new British writer Britain, with Cyril Hume's "AUantis' Norman Lazenby, who made his debut Exile" and Conan Doyle's rare "Horror in Fantasy, will be among the new- of the Heights." Next (Feb.) number comers with William de Koven and E. will be reviving C. S. Forrester's "The Everett Evans. Peacemaker," concerning a man who Arrival of December Thrilling Won- was master of the world for a dav. der also gave us a mild shock. On Laurels are due to Editor Marv tearing off the wrapper we found, in- Gnaedinger for keeping up her selei- stead of the usual Bergey beauty and tion of novels which have never ap- BEM, Nostradamus and his hourglass peared in a magazine before, but which from Manlv Wade Wellmanb "The have sufficient of the right atmosphere Timeless To-morrow." This shordd to make the'n palatable to her readers. satisfy the no-near-nudes-on-the+over Thanks, Mr. Campbell, for another agitators, who otherwise have nothing new-type Alejandro cover on the latest to complain of in this mag., whose (Dec.) Astollnding to hand, which steady improvement is bringing it marks the resumption of Clifiord close to the top in popularity. Henry Simak's "City" series; the title is Kuttner's novel. "The Power and the "Aesop." There's also anofher in the Glory," is quite up to his usual mark, van Vogt "Gods" series, which goes ofi REVI EW 7 on a new tack with "Barbaria,n." We've of the Lemurian set-up: all the result not read any further as yet, and we,re of "scientific investigation" and pre- saving up Doc Smith's new serial unLil senied as sober fact, amen. Apart from $e can read it aII at one sitting; but we this, rumour hath it that RAP has a thoroughly enjoyed the rest of bhe Nov. 1ot of really good fiction coming up, issue,' with the exception of Eric and has expressed the hope that his Tinde's "Boomelang.', Lewis padgett's critics wiil give him a break and read "Margin for Er]'or" has a novel super- it. WeIl, we're game if you are, man theme, and there's a sad, haunting January Weird Tales has some good atmosph,ere to Theodore Stul.geon's reading to offer, witb. a nice Dolgov post-atomic-war story,,,Thunder and cover illustrating Ed Hamilton's "Ser- Roses." Rene Lafayette's "The Ex- pent Princess," a tale of hidden temples pensive Slaves" is another piece con- and undersea civilisations. Ted Stur- cerning the Soldiers of Light, those de- geon has an it{ould-happen-to-you lightlul M.O.'s of the spaCeways we piece called "The Deadly Rafio,,' and met in "Old Doc Methuselah,, in the Allison V. Harding tells of entities deep October number. ,,The within the Earth in "The FTightened In December Amazing is Green Engineer." No-they're not the deros! Man R,e[urns," a foliow-up to Harold Something for everybody in Fantasy M. Sherman's popula.r pi€ce of a couple Reader No. 5, which reprints O. L, of years ago wNch has srnce seen Moore's "Scarlet Dream,', Robert pocket-book publication; but apart Bloch's "Fane of . the Black Pharoah,,, from having a spaceship or two and the Clare Winger Harris' "Miracle of the usual "scientiflc" flim-flam, it might be LiIy," Robert W. Chambers, "In the a piece of revivalist propaganda. In- Court ,,Of of the Red Dlagon," and other evitable, there's a Straver tale, rare pieces by Stephen Vincent Beneb, Gods and Goats," full of dero-tero and I'r'ank Owen, W. F. Harvey and C. M. Greek mythology-an odd concoction. Kornbluth, as well as presenting a new Chester S. Geier's "Light of Life', is a story by CarI Jacobi. Coming up are short piece worthy of attention; he aJso Dr. Keller's "The Thing in the Cellar', contributes an interplanetery tale, and other revivals from the work of "F]ight of the StarlinB,,, to the January Lovecraft, Williarnson, Merritt and Iine-up. Flank B. Long. No need now for new- For the near future Editor Palmer comers to complain they can't get at promises a sensational true story the wonderfui stories of the "good old which will, incidentally, provide proof days."

Science Fiction Inspires Longevity Find From DAVID K|SHI What the Press did not record is that Former science fiction writer Thomas Dr. Gardner was inspired to follow a S. Galdner, Ph.D., who is now a geron- career of research in the science of age- tologisf, gave details of his research ing by reading science flction: the into longevity factors stofies of Dr. David H. Keller and to the American Laurence Manning particularly. Chemical Society in New Yor.k. Keller,s "The Boneless Horror," in Scienco U.S. newspapers and magazines, in- Wonder Stories, July '29, actually cluding Time, Newsweek and the pointed the way to the possibilities of American Weekly, were full of his dis- queen bee jelly, which he suggested as covery that one of the lesser-known B having the elements of immortality. vitamins found in "royai jelly', eaten "After a good deal of research, I by queen bees, whose lifespan is many found that royal jelly did possass a times that of ordinary bees, has a iongevity factor," says Dr. Gardner. marked influence towards longer life. "Keller's story and, later, Manning's Experimenting with the jelly, he found Wonder Stories series were primarily it increased the average life of fruit responsible for my interest in this type flies by 46 per cent. Proper use of the of resea.rch. ?hw science fiction has. vitamin, rvhich is highly concentrated in at least one case, materially afiected in human miik and young tissue, may civilisation in the sense that my dis- therefore bring about an increase in covery may eventually affect the lives man's longevity. of everyone." 8 FANTASY lBook Beviews How The Author Does It OF WORLDS BEYOND: The Science of Science Fiction Writing. A sympos- ium edited by Lloyd Arthur Eshba ch. Fanfasy Press, Reading Pa. $2.00. Reviewed by Walter Gillings its noted auLhor should be sufficient in- pay For a long time we have wondered ducement to all who homage to why somebody didn't write a book on these seven masters of science-fantasy, how to write science flction. so that even if they feel no urge to follow in would-be Willia,msons and van Vogts their footsteps. might realise their ambitions with a Though they may be tempted to try minimum of rejection slips. Though after reading a general dissertation on the field has always drawn most of its the writing of speculative fiction by creabive talent from the ranks of its that colossus of the fleld whose name more literate readers, it is big enough (or names) is specially secred to them to attract writers skilled in oLher types A. Heinlein. It was he who, of flction; yet they must be at a loss -Iioberthaving done so much to make science when it comes to mastering such a fiction respectabie with his well{on- highly-developed medium with so many sidered pieces of "history-to-be, retailed brilliant exponents who have. so to by Astounding Stories, achieved the speak, grown up with it. Indeed, it is ambition of every American "pulp" more often that the fantasy reader wliter by "crashing the slicks"-with learns how to write tha,n the author science flction. But, declining to deal succeeds in writing fantasy-nction. solely with this section of the market, Now, out of the blue, has come the he considers the whole fleld from the book we had thought we would have to standpoint of human interest, and flnds write ourselves, if only to simplify our it merely an extension of ofher types of task of initiating British writers into flction where the same basic principles the mysteries of the medium, of which apply-except that most of them may most of them are blissfully unaware. be violated in the case of science flc- But the seven successful authors who tion. So he makes it all sound much contribute to this symposium have fur- easier than it is, especially when he nished a mor€ authoritative guide to says "it isn't necessary to know how- the fi.eld ttran we could ever do. They just go ahead and do it." were chosen by Mr. Eshbach (himself More genuine guidance is forthcom- a fantasy writer of long standing) from ing from fhe editor of the magazine a short list of fifteen experts, and each which featured Mr. Heinlein's excellent of them presents a differ.ent approach work from the beginning, who has to the mechanics of the subject or ex- helped many other writers climb to the plains his own method of producing the top since he gained his own reputation stories which have made him pre- in the fleld, both under his real name eminent in the fleld. of John W. Campbell Jnr. and the Thus the writer wishing to develop pseudonym of Don A. Stuart. While his capacities in this direction may now emphasising that stories of p€ople have at his elbow a record of practical rather than Machines or Great Ideas achievement which will enable him to are the vogue to-day, he gets down to grasp the subtleties of the medium in the scien6 of science flction writing in all its phases and to avoid the mistakes eaffrest, enabling the author to see to which the newcomer has been Iiable things from the editor's point of view- in the past. The tyro authorwho knows which is the only way to get accept- science flction as an inveterate reader ances. He deals wi[h the intricacies of will flnd it equally valuable (and prob- technique, showing that the treatment ably aU the more interesting) in reach- of ideas is more important than the ing the status of contributor; and since ideas themselves, however original, and it exposes the business of providing him giving examples to prove it. He also with the material he relishes, it is has something to say about the styles hardly of less concern to the mere of some of his contributors, and makes reader himseu. That each section has this pertinenf point: that in spite of all a photograph and potted biography of the courses and coaching, authors are REVIEW I born, not made. "Many of Astound- are not €nough." In other words, sin- ing's best authors sold us the flrst story cerity is as important to success as a they submitted. If you lack that subUe vivid imagination. Is that why fans critical understanding (of what makes make the best authors? a story), it can't, apparently, be 'Ihat other oldster who enlarged the taught." scope of the interplaneta.ry theme, A. E. van Vogt ls anoLher writer who, Edward E. Smith, Ph.D., offers a con- once he had fhe knack of Mr. Camp- sideration of "The Epic of Spac€" which bell's requirements, was able to sell him wiil be of absorbing interest to the a whole string of stories of ihe highly "Lensman's" followers; especially srhen esoteric type which Astounding fea- he tells of the part played by the GaI- tures, and who introduced into them a actic Roamers, a group of Michigan degree of complication whiclr made fans, in the production of his popular them quite enthralling to its devot€d series. He also has some enlightening fans if somewhat bewildeling to the comments to make on the elements of casual reader. Hence, Mr. Eshbach calls good science flction, and about other him the Master of Confusion. This writers' work as well as his own. He is factor of complication in the science an advocate of the free use of words to fiction story forms the special topic of convey atmosphere; in this respect, he van Vogt's contribution to this book, in thinks Lovecraft was the master cra,fts- which he expiains the pecuiiar tech- rnan. He himself plots graphs to help nique from which he never departs-a him in the construction of his epics; process of writing in 800-word they are "beautiful things," but he can- replete with all the ideas he can mus- not keep to Lhem. "My characters get ter, each of which tre contends is essen- away from me and do exactly as th€y tial to the whole. But he also intro- please, which accounts for my Iaborious duces "character, atmosphere, insight method of writing." and science," and does a great deal of You prefer to write a science novel, "manipulation" before he has his story. to gain the distinction of ha"rd covers He invites you to adopt this method- rather than pulp pages? No less an and he has sold a million words in eight authority than Dr. Eric Templ,e Bell, years. What are you waiting for? who as John Taine is responsible for some book-lengbh pieces which a,re Humour in science flction? By all among the finest in the genre, is at means, say the moderns. But it was a your service here. But, coming aft€r vexed question in "the good old days," Mr. Heinlein's light-hearted adura- perhaps because it was invariably done tions to hesiiant aspirants, his sound so badly. Here it is discussed in analysis of the difficulties of all fantasy general terms by L. Sprague de Camp, writing make them seem almost in- whose influence on the "wacky" trend sup€rable. represented by Unknown Worlds has According to him, Verne missed many made him a favourit€ with those whose ideas for better stories than he ever sense of humour has not been atro- wrote by reading the wrong science phied kry long contemplation of the journals; and he maintains that Eng- marvellous and morbid. For strict Iogic lish writers are more fortunate in this in fantasy we refer to Jack Wiiliamson, pioneers matter than those of America. But he one oI the of magazine science doesn't name the periodical he nnds so flction who is yet able to keep pace with much more reliable-and, presumably, the younger school of writers. inspirational-than theirs (we think it But for him it is necessary that a is Nature). Nor are text-books more single imaginative concept should be than two or three years old of any use constantly developed and all other to him as reference: "fossil science is wonders carefully excluded, if the dead for purposes of romance." This we reader is to be convinced. He does not are inclined to doubt; there are more say if he excepts that secfion of the science fiction plots in "The Books of field which "caters to sheer paranoia," Charles Fort" than ever came out of but he illustrates his argunients with the latest edition of the "Encyclopedia several indications of "the logic of Britannica." premise and character" in his o\ryn com- We dare to question, too, if Mr. Taine pe0ent work. "Any successful story," has not allowed himseH to get behind he says, "even for a pulp magazine, the times-or been too immersed in must express some genuine feeling, and Astounding to notice what has been no formula will do that. Rules alone happening elsewhere-when he spea,ks 10 FA NTASY of "the dark ages of science fiction, better, but whether science fiction has when any crackpot with a crazy idea "graduated fron the kindergarten', en- could work it up into an impossibie tirely is not qnite so obvious. None the story, execrably written, and sell it to less, Mr. Taine gives the aspiring writer an editor of little discrimination and and novelist sorne us'eful tips, if not too less taste." Writing standards have much enconiagement, in what is one of certainly changed, in most cases for the the most valuable parts of this book. Mainly For Technicians YENUS EoUILATERAL, by George O. Lhese and other contributions of Mr, Smith. Prime Press, Philadelphia. Smith have probably done most, of $3.00. recent yeal's, to earn Astounding the Reviewed by Thomas Sheridan unofficiai sub-tifle of "The Magazine of Technician's Bedtime Stories.', For Towards the end of '42 Astoundlng they have been acclaimed the more en- editor John W. Campbell introduced a thusiasticallS' by the type of reader new writer who was fascinated by the whom it has been Editor Campbell's idea of interplanebary radio. As a ladio prime aim to interest-the professional engineer himself, he was particularly scientist and technician who demands intrigued by the technical problems something more of science fiction than which one day would have to be mere flights of fancy, and v;ho does not wresbled with by those charged with flinch from dialogue like this: the task of mainfaining communication "Take it easy, sport. This charges between the worlds and with the space- only to a hundred volts. We get vessels plying between them. thirteen hundred micro-farads at one So, with "QRM-Interplanetary," b€- hundred volts. Then we drain off the gan the series of stories by George O. dielectric fluid, and get one billion Smith whieh form the substance of three hundred million volts' charge into this second book from the Prime Pr'ess. a condenser of only one hundred micro- It's a solid volume of 450-odd pages, for farads. It's an idea for the nuclear which Mr. Campbell has written physics boys. I think it may tend to another Introduction and a new artist, solidify some of the uncontrollables in Sol Levin. has done some illustrations the present system of developing high in his own peculiar style. In addition electron velocities." to nine stories of the magazine set'ies, A similar passage-and they abound which have been ingeniously linked, in th€se pages-was quoted by Grofi there is a new one called "Mad Holi- Conklin in a Science lllustrated article day" which poses the reaction to Ure on science flction as an instance of the state of affairs broughb about by uni- loading of such sto|ies "with pseudo- versal matter duplication in "Pan- scientific detail until the reader gropes dora's Millions." and rounds ofi Lhe re- helplessly for meaning." If you sub- cord of Don Channing's exploits with scribe to Mr. Conklin's view that the the inevitable obsolescence of Venus funcLion of science flction is to enter- Equilateral. tain, and you are unable to derive But for those-if there are anY-who amusement from tech^ticalities even are unfamiliar with these tales, Iet us when they are presented in the flippani explain that bheir general title is the style of Mr. Smith, you would be well name of a commercial organisation of advised to leave this book alone. But the future, the owners of the man- for the religious Astounding-rather, made relay station in space which our Science Fiction-reader, it is, of course, technician-hero and his friends have a must. And if you are at all inter- the difficult job of maintaining in effi- ested in investigating the really scien- cient working order. Dificult because, Liflc treatment of such concepts as Mr. not only do very tickiish technical prob. Smith develops, with the full a.pproval lems keep cropping up, but they have of Mr. Carnpbell ("Smith's series reple- also to overcome the opposition of big sents an excellent progressive develop- business rivalry and crooked politics ment of a single line of extrapolation"), in their constant fight to better inter- 'ile strongly recommend you to take a planetary communications. crack at it. When they become too AII of which makes for capturing the overwhelming, you can always short-cir- interest of the average reader, even if cuit a couple of hundred micro-farads, REVIEW 11 The Return of John Taine THE FORBIDDEN GARDEN, by John In thlg the flrst new story we have Taine. Fantasy Press, Reading, had from him since '39, his grasp of a Pa. $3.00. dozen sciences, his forceful nalrative Reviewed by Frank Edward Arnold ability and his capacity to evoke won- der are all evident as before. But there As most fantasy readers well know, quife John Taine is not only one of the best is, unfortunately, not so much of novelists the field possesses but an the plausibiiity which in most of his eminent scientist and writer of more earlier work makes even his loftiest serious books on mathematics. A new inaginative flights thoroughly convinc. Taine novel is an event. for he is not a ing. His theme is, indeed, so enthrall- proliflc writer; though this is his thir- ing that it is unforgivable to any bu| teenth published work of this sort. All his most ardent admirers that he his stories are, however, in the tradi- should have wound up his mysteries in tion of the best scientiflc romance and s, flurry of minor improbabilities in the acc,eptable to aII who can appreciate last chapter of what oLherwise might Wells or Stapledon. have been a flrst-rate story. In the general atmosphere of mys- Born in Scotland in 1883. Eric (his tery, suspicious peopie with peculiar Temple BeIl real name, under ambitions are surrounded by a network which he publishes his non-flction of spying, intrigue and treacherous in- books) went to the U.S.A. in 1902. bent, while everyone's motives an€ Graduating from SLanford University, ulterior and even their identities un- he took his Master's degree at the Uni- certain, though no actual crime is com- versity of Washington, and his doctor's mitted or appears to be contemplated. degr€e in mathematics at Columbia The great London seed flrm of Brassey University. Since '26 he has been Pro- House ofiers a big reward to two fessor of Mathematics at the California American expiorer-geologists if they Institute of Technology, devoting his will bring back a shovelful of soil from time to teaching and resea.rch, to the a remote part of Asia,. Courteously but writing of technical and not-so-tech- evasively, Brassey avoids telling exactly nical works on his beloved mathematics why he needs the soil, though it has and, as a hobby, to science ficfion. Not something to do with a rare del- being mathematically-inclined, we can phinium. imagine that the wriling of those fas- fn Bomloay, the two explorers meet cinating pieces he has given to fantas- the flrm's agent-the beautiful heroine tic literature, and which we hope he is to give them their sealed will continue to add to, must have come -whoorders, but not until all three of them as a relief after the production of such are well advanced into the high Hima,- volumes as "The 'Cyclofomic Quinary laya, supposedly remote from spies who Quintic," or even "The Magic of Num- have plagued Brassey House for thir- bers." teen years-an exceptional period if Though his has been the peaceful if oniy commercial rivalry is at work. But artive life of a varsity professor, Dr. mystely and rrrisadventure follow the Bell prefers the wildest, most inacces- searchers across the roof of the worid sible parts of the earth as the settings into the forbidden garden itself, to of his novels. His flrst, "The Purple work out a theme in which hereditary Sapphire," published in 1924, had its insanily and radioactivity combin€ scene in Tibet: "The Greatest Ad.ven- with an interstellar visitant, black ice ture" ('29) unearthed a race of dino- and other Tainean phenomena which saurs in the Antarctic; "The Iron Star" ('30) do not lose their interest in spite of the tells of a search of darkest Africa unsatisfying ending. for the source of a mysterious reversal Fantasy Press have done another ex- of-evolution; and "The Forbidden Gar- cellent job of production, and the illus- den" Iies somewhere on the borders of trations of A. J. Donneil are a valu- India, China and Tibet.* able adornment. *His other novels published in book form in magazines are "White Lily'r (Arnazing are "Quayle's Invention" ('27), "The GoId Stories Quarterly), " Seeds of Life " Tooth" ('27), "Green Fire" ('28), "Before (Amazing Quartei.ly), "Twelve Eighty- the Dawn" ('34), and "The Time Stream" Seven" (Astounding), and "TG.morrow" ('46). Novel-length stories presented only (Marvel Science Stories). 12 FA NTASY Curiouser and Curiouser AT CLOSE OF EVEr an Anthology of fantastic, horriflc and imaginative as New Curious Stories, selected by weil as the curlous and humorous. JeIemy Scott. Jarrolds, London, Especially after Daniel George, in his L5l-. fntroduction, had seemed to jibe at the Reviewed by Gooffrey Gllos horror story, even in its more modern forms, quoting Donald Wandrei's com- Some time ago Mr. Scott gave us ments in "The Eye and the Finger" as "The Mandrake Root," which he "excuses for writing, though not for f|ankly labelled "An Anthology of Fb.n- Ieading, such odd diversions." As for tastic Tales" and flIled with pieces the boasted superiority of technique, wiih which we were mostly familiar. were w€ unreasonable in expecting any His new selection has a more subtle ap- semblance of plot or coherency of pi'oach, and consists of 22 storles only theme, let alone the qualify of atmo. one of which has ever seen print be- sphere we usually look for in such fore. AII of them are by living authors, stories ? many of whom we have com€ to associ- But after enduring such pure indul- ate rvith the so-called "new writing"; gences of €xpression as James Hantrey's and most of their contlibutions would in the and complete qualify inclusion "Walk Wilderness" seem to for in a col- obscurities as Louis Marlow's "Time Iection of this nature more by reason Can Frisk," we were relieved to en- of their affinity to its sub-title than any counter somefhing more intelligible relation to the fantastic as we know it. and genuinely macabre, and in the Indeed, when we had ploughed nearly mood to excuse the unoriginality of halfway through this book, we began to James Laver's "Chateau of the Singing wonder jf the whole thing wasn't a Stream" when we reached Reginald snare and a delusion as far as we were Moore's "The One Who Was Waiting" concerned, in spite of the publisher's psychological piece about a mur- claim that it covered the fleld of the derer-a which is at least mystifying in a satisfying sort of way. Dorothy K. Haynes' ingenious tale of witchcraft we found even more enjoyable, and Nolah Lofts' "Mr. Edward" a ghost story NEW BOOKS worthy of the name, only to be bettered by Frank Baker's "Art Thou Languid?" Now ovoiloble But the b€st of the lot, in our estima- tion, is L. J. Daventry's sensitive tale Check List of Fantastic Literature about the deathly beauty idiot over 5,000 book titles of an -Listing5Vt- girl, "AuLumnal Equinox," which is per- haps only fantasy if you like to regard The Mightiest Machin€-Campbell: it as such. For the rest, with the ex- l6/ 6 ception of David Green's "Nine Days' Of Worlds Beyond-A symposium: Wonder" and John Atkins' "The Souls lI/- That Gob Mixed Up," which alone Venus Equilateral-G. O. Smith: among the intentionally trumorous 16/6 pieces made us chuckle, we can only The Forbiclilen Garclen Taine: marvel at Mr. Scott's having accepted 16/6 - most of them, particularly when in at Travellers in Time-Science Fiction least two cases the authors seem not anthology: 19/6 even to have bothered to finish them. Leg'ion of Space-Williamson: 16i 6 We hope Mr. George's anticipations were realised, though we doubt it some- and olher titles how. He may be able to get along very well without holror tales, but this an- * thology wouldn't get very far under its E. J. GARNELL title if it were not for those pieces which, withor.rt any pretentiousness, set 17 Burwash Road, Plumsteed out to induce a shudder and tell a story London, S.E.18 into the bargain, and manage to suc- ceed in both. But they have a heavy and peculiar burden to carry. REVI EW 13 Off The Beaten Time-Track TRAVELLERS lN TIME' edited by it might just as weil have been omitted. Philip Van Doren Stern. Doubleday, But. in the main. these are sLories New York, $3.50. ',r'hich will probably come quite fresh to those who have been more concerned Reviewed by ,rohn Carnell with the type of time-travel tale that The announcement of this anthology has followed the Wells tradition. of stories on the well-worked theme of The book is divided into six sections time-travel, of which many flne ex- with titles such as "When Time Stood amples have been published of recent StiII," "Time out oI Joint," and "Visi- years, left us consumed wifh curiosity tors from Out of Time." Thus we flnd as to its contents; so much so that we Algernon Blackwood, Oliver Onions, played a gu,essing game with ourselves Max Beerbohm, A. M. Bulrage, LadY while waiting for it Lo arrive. The Eleanor Smith, Somerset Maugham, book came as a surprise, even on the and others, along with J. B. Priestley, ofher side of the Atlantic. It actually H. r'. Heard and Conan Doyle. We appear'ed before any of those who were publi- even have James Thurber. And in spite most likely to be interested in its of our initial disappointment, we have cation, the vigilant body of science flc- to confess that Mr. Va,n Doren Stern, tion fans, even knew of its conception in- preparaLion whose erudiLion in these matters is and by the well-known ternationally recognised, has used a critic who was responsible for "The deft hand to assemble such an array of Moonlight Traveller." reputable pieces under this particular Like most things one keenly antici- classiflcation. pates, it proved something of a disap- pointment, at least to us; and we sus- Stiu, we think there will hardly be pect that enthusiastic foilowers of any happy medium with this book, You magazine science flction, who have will either thoroughly enjoy it or come to appreciate the modern writers heartily dislike ib. in the medium, will share our feelings. The book is composed entir€ly of stories which have become almost stranded in time. They were written between 1893, as represenfed by l{ipling's "The Finest LI F E Story in the World," and 1933-D. H. Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Win- ner." And it has no time or space for EVERLASTING such as Heinlein or Schuyler Miller. There's another catch, too. These are not fales of wonderful machines whiclr and Other Tales of Science, transport travellers through the corri- Fantasy & Horror dors of Time to realms of astounding adventure. They are fantasies, many of DAVID H, KELLER, M,D. which would seem more fitting in an By anthology of stories from Unknown d. Worlds-only they were written long before the conception of that master- A novel and ten novelettes and magazine. However, one glance at the short stories, plus long introduc- page, contents with its two dozen items, and bibliography: pages. is enough to convince the more catholic tion 352 reader that this 483-page volume can- 9F not be dismissed as unworthy of his at- tention, especially if he be a collector. $3.50 from Not only ale some of the flnest of THE AVALON COMPANY the world's short story writers repre- sented here, but most of the contents P.O. Box 8052, Clinton Hill Station, has never been anlhologised before. Among the exceptions, Wells' "Time Newark, I, N,J., U.S.A. Machine," which almost inevitably opens the book, is so well-known that t4 FANTASY The Bare Bones Now and Forthcomlng Books from DARK MUSIC and Other Spectral Tales, by Jack Snow. Herald, New York, $i2.50. the prirne press Review€d by peter phillips xBox 2019, Mitldle Ctty Station, Simplicity of statement and clarity of siyle ale virtues it would seem invidi- Philadelphia, 3, Pa., U.S.A. ous to dispalage in any form of writ- ing; but these eighteen iales, four of which were orlginally published in AVAILABLE NOW: Weird Tales, invite the question THE MISLIIID CHARM-Alexantler M. whether sucir straightfor.wardness can Phillips. A captiveting fantasy, with ever be efiective in evokine an atmo- twelve iliustrations by Herschel Levit. sphere of horror, save in the hands of $1.75 (10/6). a master. And VENUS EQUILATERAL George O. Mr. Snow is not a master. I{e Srnith. Ten stories (456- pp.) of the seems to have ieaned over backwards in engineers who operate the interplane- his eagel'ness to avoid the tortuous syn- tary communications system. With six tax and flow of synonyms that mark fuli-page illusllaLions, $3.00 (16/6). many "tladitional" weird stories; yet Iris thematic material is insufficiently AVAILABLE SHORTLY: strong in ibself-with two excellent ex- ceptions- to stand alone without a EQUALITY OT A HISTORY OF LITH- touch of embroidei'y. There is even CONIA. A new edition of what we evidence of strain making explicit believe to be the nrst American Utop- in ian novel Limited edibion of a rare certain concepts that would be far book. $2.50 (13/6). more effectlve if merely hinted at or half-expressed. Even the uninventive THE TOR,CII-Jack Bechdolt. The story writer may sometimes provoke the of an atomic war. the descent to a imagination of the reader by this new Dark Age and man's stluggle back simple device-which, however, we'll to civilisation. A fulFlength novel. admit can be damnably irritating. 93.00 (16/6). FoI thos€ who don't recognise em- NOMAD-George O. Smith. The storY broidery when they see it, and would of a man made homeless because of thelefore deprecate our gentle advo- divided loyalties; one to the Earth cacy of its use in this genre: let them thai bore him, the other to Ertene, the re-write a medium-iength Le Fanu cosmic wanderer to which he owed hrs story in simple sentences, l'ationing life and his success. $3.00 (16/6). nouns to one adjective apiece, and see if fhey like the skeleton that remains. 300 YEAIIS HtrNCE Mary Griffiths. Snow's The second in our- series of rcprints Mr. "skeletons" need either of rare early American Utopias. $2.50 more flesh or stronger bones. No fewer (13/6). than eight of his tales end with varia- tions of a statement to which we are ... . . AND SO1UE WEEE HUMAN" becoming so allergic that we can Lester del Ray, Ten great tales, in-- rusually anticipate it, and groan, in the cluding the memorable "Nelves," Here- paragraph: he (16/6). f,rst "In the morning, afEer lnc.," etc. $3.00 (or she) was found dead." And a Collection of the short stories of Yet sometimes beauty appears in his Theodore Sturgeon, the title of which simplicity; and certainly all these tales will be announced later. $3.00 (16/6). are eminently readable, although they may noL leave a lasting impression on the mind. Those which are exceptions xSole British nepresentative: to the general thematic weakness are almost worth the price of the book in E. J. CARNELL themselves: "Coronation," in which an old queen is haunted by bhe spirit of 1? BURWASII ROAD, PLUMSTEAD, her youlhful self, and "Seed" (one of those from Weird Tales)' a botanical- LONDON. S.E. 18 biological horror that ga,ins vastly in efiect by its simple presentation. REV I EW 15 A Volume of Vampires TALES OF THE UNDEAD: Vampires Wel]man, "The Tomb," by H. P. Love- and Visitants. Collected and illus- craft, and "Second Night Out," by trated by Elinore Biaisdell. Crowell, Frank B. Long, are all products of New York. $3.50. vetelan Weird Tales writers who mea- Reviewed by Arthur F. Hillman sured up to the scrupulous standards of its discerning editor, FarnsworLtr The weird story anthologies which Wlight. In addition, there are tales by have come from the U.S.A. during the practically unknown writers which past few years have been as remarkable rnade a great impression at first ap- for their quality as for their numbers. pearance: "Brother Lucifer," by Chand- It has been a close race all round, but ler W. Whipple, and "Doom of the the Derleth-edited collections of Farrar House of Duryea," by EarI Pierce. The & Rinehart have just managed to keep Iatter story, with its blood-chilling plot, ahead of their rivals. Now there has is worth the book's pricd of itself ! reached these shores a collection that The volume is well - bound a,nd may be Said to breast the tape at the printed; the illusfrations and, espe- identical moment as those excellent cially, the jacket, bizaffe enough to suit volumes. the most singular taste. Get it and Assembled and illustrated by the read it-but resist the temptation to poet, author and artist, Elinore Blais- glance at your neighbour's teeth after- dell, "Tales of the Undead" shows the wards. You might notice how sharp same uncanny skill of selection and, and pointed they are! at the same time, boldness of explora- tion among the rich flelds of the pulp magazines as the anthologies of Mr. Writes Derleth. Miss Blaisdell, unlike most Mr. Bloch other anthologists, has not been prey to snobbish conventions; she has sought A Novel to make a collection of good stories THE SCARF, by Robert Bloch. Dial, that stir the imagination, and their ori- New York, $2.50. gins have been of secondary considera,- tion. Reviewed by Walter Gillings Her book features a special brand of Ttris is the flrst published novel of supernatural horror, the vampire and a young man in his thirties who, trav- the undead. Count Dracula might well ing started writing weird tales at the be pleased at the advances his tribe has age of 17, encouraged by no less an made in a few decades; for there aJe adept than H. P. Lovecraft, has be- no less than 20 short stories, two long€r come known to all followers of Ameri- tales and one novelette on this single can fantasy. A few also know him as macebre theme. But the reader need an advertising copywriter, a ghost- not fear plot-limitations. Some striking writer of politicians' spoeches, and the variants have been made on the grue- author of a radio show with the title some motif, and it is not every vampire of "Stay Tuned for Terror," which has that stalks the streets at night in a featured much of his work in the fan- long black cape. For example, there is tastic medium. the tale of a vampire plant, Clark Ash- .The best of his shorter maga.zine tr:n Smith's "Seed from the Sepulchre," pieces was assembled by Arkham which will cause more than one uneasy House two or three years ago under ripple up and down the spine, and the title, "The Opener of the Way." In others of rare additons to an unholy his foreword to that book, Mr. Bloch brotherhood we pray must always be revealed himself as possessing a dual conflned to the realm of fiction. personality, one half of which inspired Old favourites are hete, such as Le the other to produce stories which Fanu's "Carmilla," James' "Count Mag- "ignored many literary niceties', as well nus," Benson's "Room in the Tower," as providing their underlying themes. and Theophile Gautier's "Clxrimonde." It was an ingeniou5 way of excusing But there are manv gems from the himself for the shortcomings of pages of Weird Tales to make the eYe material which he turns out slickly, as of ihe connoisseur glisten. "Uncanon- he says, for immediate reader-reaction. ised," by Seabury Quinn, "School for Now comes his novel, which is just the Unspeakables," by Manly Wade as slick if not more so, and in which IO FANTASY he has ignored many niceties apart from the liLerary. It needs a broad- lmportant to Subscribers minded approach, for it depicts life as sordid as it can be, and not only people If a subscription blank is enclosed, who aren't quit€ nice but their inner- you should renew your sutrscription immediately. Note the new adilrbss most thoughts. However, in spite of to whioh it should be sent: his declaration that any resemblance to FANTASY R,EVIEW persons living or dead-including the 115 Wanstead Park R,oad. author-must be coincidental, we can't Ilford, Ess€x help feeling that something of Mi. Bloch's own experienoe, or that of his an important part in his life. And other self, must have gone to make this when there's a third woman, who is "story of a man who was not quite more deserving of being treated as a normal" a,s fascinatingly realistic as lady, it looks as though anoLher best- it ls. seller is due. It is the tale of a wriLer's struggles But the most intriguing pa.rts of the to become a successful novelist, from book, which distinguish it from the the day he ran away from home after ordinary murder thriller and makes it a strange interlude with his schoolmis- right in our line, are the intervening tress to the day when retribution for passages of the notebook in which our his subsequent crimes overtakes him. psychopathic novelist puts down his I'or the only way Daniel Morley could secret tho,Lrghts and f€elings. Here Mr. make his characters real was to take Bloch's flair for fantasy shows itself to them from life and take life from perfection; not to mention his ex- them. Having put- them in his books, pressively taut writing style, which he murders two women, one after the makes the whole thing very readable other, with the scarf which plays such indeed. ARI(HADI IIOUSB BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE: NOItr AVAIIIIBLE: THE SLEEPING REVELATIONS AND THE DEAD IN BLACK Edited by August Derleth By Carl rlacobi A new anthology of 30 uncanny The first collectlon of stories by tales, by favourite authors such as the popular writer, culled from his Machen, Bradbury, Bloch, Duns- contributions to Weirtl Tales. any, Wandrei and Lovecraft. Wonder Stories and other masa- zines. 16 6. _ 518pp. 2216 ANNOUNCING: FOR,THCOMING: Night's Black Agents, by Fritz The Arkharn Leiber, Jnr., 16/6 (Dec. '4?). Ca,rnacki, the Ghost - Finder, by Wm. FI. Hodgson, 16/6 (early '48). Sa,rnpIer The Travelling Grave and. other Stories, by L. P, Hartley, 16/6 A quarterly magazine of 100 (Spring'48). pages containing rare flction and Strange Ports of Call: 20 Master- other material in the field of the pieces of Science-Fiction, edited by fantastic. First issue January '48. August Derleth, 25,/- (Spring '48). Limited printing. Place your sub- Something About Cats and other scription without delay. 20/- per Pieces, by H. P. Lovecraft, l6l6 yeax: 6/- each issue. (Spring '48).

G. KEN CHAPMAN (British Sales Representative), 23 Farnley Road, South Norwood, London, S,E.25 REVTEW 17 X'a,nJa,s!r X'orum

Readers' comments on any aspect of fantasy-fiction, or on the contents of FANTASY-REVIEIV, are welcomed for this feature. L€tters should be kepf as short as possible. Adrlress: The Editor, Fantasy Review, 115 Wansteatl Park Road, Ilford Essex. WEIRD TATES SELL BEST FANTASY REVIEW is a very good Mr. Derleth IitUe magazine; certainly the best of -Says its kind, without exception. But I note s-f, it is possible to produce for every one thing which must be corrected. In well-done s-f story at Ieast a score of the article you reprinted (Jun.-Jut.'47) excellent weird tales. I have had that from PSFS New$, Mr. Sam Moskowitz emphasised anew in my search for makes reference to anthologies of stories of literary value for "Strange weird, horror and fantasy stories, and Ports of CalI: Masterpieces of Science maintains that "they have actually Fiction." been purchased to a great extent by Among our clientele it is a common- dyed-in-the-wool science fiction readers piace to be told to send along any good who . . saddened by its generally low work, regardless of classiflcation. But quality, have taken to reading ghost our buyers of "Slan!" in a great many books as an alternative. This is evident cases write the equivalent of "Don't from the fact that both 'The Best in send me any of that weird stuff.', T'his Science Fiction' and 'Adventures in in itself is a direct refutation of Mr. Time and Space'have soared into the Moskowitz's absurb statement. But the best seller class. . . ." facts of publication disprove his asser- These statements are all in enor. tion even more indisputably. Long b€- Neithel' of the s-f anthologies men- fore any current s-f magazines were tioned has ever been listed anywhere born, anLhologies of weird and horror as in the best-seller class. Neither of stolies were selling very well; such them is "still selling at peak tempo," anthoiogies '"vill continue to out-sell nor has it been for well ovel year. My collections of science flction. information goes considerably beyond Here is the most recent flat fact for pubiicity releases, since among pub- the digestion of those who swallowed lishers there is greater freedom of in- Mr. Moskowitz's rash and ridiculous formation. That is not to disparage assertion. Neither of the s-f anthologies these fine anthologies, however. But mentioned has as yet r€ached 20,000 Mr. Moskowitz's greatest error is in the copies in sales, nor is it Likely to do so. presumptuous and utterly unwaranted "Sleep No More," now out of prinL, ha5 statement that the buyers of the sold 154,590 copies. Just where does horror anthologies have been disap- that leave Mr. Moskowitz's "dyed-in- polnted s-f fans. Nothing could be fur- the-wool" s-f fans who presumably ther from the truth. As a publisher of bought "Sleep No More" for lack of both weird and s-f material, I can make s-f? There are still a lot of them to be the following statements without being heard from in sales of the two s-f an- rebutted: thologi.es. The average reader of weird stories The plain fact is that Mr. Moskowitz likes and reads a good stoly whether it does not know what he is talking about; is horror, fantasy, whimsy, science flc- but his attitude is typical of some s-f tion or supernatural, as well as any ofi- readers who are ready to lay claim to trail story approaching the genre. The the world of literature with the same average s-f reader, on the other hand, enthusiasm and lack of discernment as tends to narrowness in his choice of a ten-year-o1d who has begun to read reading material. He ca.res nothing qt "Nick Carter" and imagines that it is all for literary value in a story, prefer- the top sfandard of literature through- ring straight story-that is, in most out the world. I suggest, Iest intelligent cases, glorifled or planetised adventure British readers of FANTASY REVIEW stuff. wonder what has happened to what is The average s-f story is not particu- left of literate America, you print this larly well-written. It may well be that, refutation in an early issue.-August because of the comparative newness of Derleth, Sauk City, Wis., U.S.A. 18 FA NTASY f,'ra,nk Edwa,rd Arnold writes ABOI]T BOOT(S The amount of fantasy emerging l?th century. The volume comes from from British presses these days is prob- Dobson, who have also published Sieg- ably as great as it ever was before the fried Kracauer's "From Caligari to $rar; a signiflcant fact in view of the Hitler," an imaginative study of fhe paper shortage and other hold-ups in cerman fantasy fllm illustrated with production. If you include books 64 stiils which revive our memories of which, while not exactly the sort of "Metropolis" and "The Girl in the thing we like to get our teeth into, are Moon." nevertheless of some relatlon to our "Back to the Future," by Meaburn particular interests, dillgent searching Staniland (Vane, 8/6), is a new satire will bring to light enough reading to set in sevelal periods during the next keep you occupied while waiting for century, and although the author at- more completely satisfying volumes to tempts the tickiish task of poiitical pre- arrive, either direct from the fountain- diction it is described as "a riot of fun." head of fantasy or from British publish- A different type of volume is "Evidence ing houses who are reprinting some before Gabri.el" (Aldor, 9/6), lhe flrst ivhich have already appeared in novel of London writer Conrad Frost, America. whom the publishers cheerfully de- Such, for irxtance, as Gerald (H. r'.) scribe a's having "a Wellsian imagina- Heard's "The Great Fog and Other tion and 2 pen wolthy of a Maugham Weird Tales," which comes from Cassell or Hemingway." "The Three Tiers of Fantasy," by at 816. This is, with the exception of (Ward, one of its nine pieces, the same volume Norman Berrow Lock: 8/6), as appeared last year from Sun Dial, while having a strong fantastic slant, New York, under the title "Weird Tales is only irritating to such as us since it explains'it all away in the end, leaving of Terror and Detection," this being a just reprint of the edition published it an ordinary thriller. Of scarcely oliginal more interest, perhaps, in '44 by Vanguard. Mr. Heard, whose is "The Private (reviewed Memories and Confessions of a Justi- novel, "Doppelgangers" in (Cresset, the June-July issue) is also to be pub-. f,ed Sinner," by James Hogg lished on this side, has been widely ac- 8'6), which is a tale of a deal with the claimed for his work in the fantasy Devil originallv published in 1824. I field, and in "The Great Fog" you will mention it only because its title mysti- flnd more of scientiflc than super- fied an earlier writer of this column natural int€rest. when it was announced as due to ap- pear in the Gollancz "Library of There are some choice pieces of fan- Strange Fiction" series. Unless, of tasy. too, in "Sealskin Trousers," a col- course, you have a taste for these old- lection of stories by Erik Linklater timers. (Hart-Davis. 8i6). These include the title story; as a change from plays and RADIO ECHOES flIms about mermaids, Mr. Linklater In which case you may have observed gives us the tale of a merman and his that Home and van Thal have reissued, capacity for getting.people drowned of at 8,i6, "A Strange Adventure in the their own freewill. Life of Miss Laura Mildmay," by Sheri- dan LeFanu, whose novel. "Uncle Silas," THOSE FOX-WOMEN is the basis of a new British film. Or Incidentally, I noticed that "Chinese you may have heard "Miss Mildmay" Ghost and Love Stories," already men- being reviewed in the "Books and tioned in these pages, gives an insight Authors" programme of the B.B.C., in into the cult of the Fox - Women which the life and work of EnEland's '"vhich is the theme of the posthumous pioneer of the supernatural stoiy was Merritt novel I reviewed in the last the subject of some discussion. Fans issue. These delightful pieces, which of "The Man in Black" should also have also been published in an Ameri- make a note of the fact that a collec- can edition, are transiated by Rose tion of tales by Poe, Bierce, Jacobs and Quong from a selecLion of ancient tales others, which have been broadcast in collected from all over China in the the "Appointment With f'ear" series, REVIEW 19 has been published rinder that title by book and is now a news magazirre, a Flatteau at 21-. guide to current events and things to A non-flction book with a "Last and come which lives up to its fitle, and is First Men" aspect is "Mankind So Fb,r," worth every penny of 6/- per issue. by William Howells (Sigma, 16/-), Among latest aCditions to the trans- which presents an account of evolution atlantic stream are John W. Campbell's up to date and finally takes a specula- "The Mightiest Machlne," which is now tive look at man as he may develop dur- available Jl'om lladley, Rhode Island, ing the next inillion years. Some, too, and "The Checklist of Fsntastic Litera- may flnd the popular prophetic interest ture," ti-re flrst complete bibliography of of Professor A. M. Low's latest, "Your fantasy, which Shasta of Chicago have World Tomorrow" (Hutchinson, 16/-) provided. Of other American volumes worthy of Lheir aLtention. Personally, in prep'rration rve shgll have more to I flnd Future, which started life as a tell in the next issue.'

THE ATLANTIS BOOKSHOP SMATL ADYERTS (IVL HOUGHTON) Special Rate to Collectors:2d. pcr word (5c. Canada, and U.S.A.); mini- 49a MUSEUM STREET, mum 12 words. To Traders and others: W,G.l 3d, per word (7c. in Canada and U.S.A.). LONDON, All advertisements in this section must bc We are specialists in books on prepaid, (15c.) Box numbers 6d. extra. Occuttism and kindred subjects such TALES OF WONDER. A few good-as- new copies, Nos. 1-4, 6-10, 13-16 available as Astrology, Magic. Rosicrusianism, to U.S. collectors at $1.50 per copy, post Yoga, Alchemy, etc., etc. We shall free. Also a.t $1.00: Nos. 1, 4. 5, 7, I, L2, be pleased to advise you on any of in good condition. Fantasy Review (Service Dept.), 115- Wanstead PaIk these subjects. We buy books on the Road. Ilford, Essex, England above. Catalogue on application. WANTED: pre-'36 Astounding Stories, also wartime U.S. editions Astounding Phone: HOLBORN 2120. and Unknown Worlds.-A. V. Clarke, 16 wendover Way, Welling, Kent. I'LL EXCIIANGE "Lost Worlds" (Ark- ham) for "Marginalia" or any Arkham For Gollectors and Students book.-Box 110, Fantasy Review. BACI( NUMBERS of Fantasy Review of the Necromantic are still available at 7d. per copy, post free.-Fantasy R,evierv (Service Dept.), MALLEUS MALEFICAR,UM 115 Wanstead Park Road, Ilford, Essex. IF YOU are tllinking of insurance, con- DISCOVERIE OF WITCHCRAFT sult J. Michael Rosenblum, 4 Grange Terrace, Chapeltown, Leeds, 7. We under- Malleus Maleficaru,m: translated take all types of insurance: Iife, endow- into English from edn. of 1489 ment, fire and burglary, householder's, with introduction by Montague DroDertv owner"s. house purchase (via Summers. Pubd. Rodker, London, ?:ndbwment policy), iewellery, accident, 1928, in edition of 1275 llu:nbered etc. Inquiries invifed. copies of ivhich this is coPY No' EXCHANGE for American fan- 7266. Bound clotrr, quarter red VI/ILL ?jin. x 11;in., 278PP.- tasv-sood books: Newnes' Fantasy Nos. 1' 2' vellum, 3. condition, hard to get. What $60.00. hbve you?-Box 108, Fantasy Review.- Discoverie of Witchcraft, by SCIENTIFICTION The British - Reginald Scot, from edn. of 1584. Fantasy Revicw. A few- copies No. 1 and Introduction by Montague Sum- Nos. 3-i available at 1/6 (35c.) per copy' mers. Pubd. Rodker, London, 1930 Dost free.-Fantasv Review (Serviee in edition of 1275 numbered copies beot.t. 115 Wanstead Park Road. Ilford' of which tbis is No. 409. Bound Esdex.- cloth, quarter leather, 7fin. x WANTED: USA science flction maga- 1ljin.282pp.-$50.00 zines published during and since the war. Both these books are in excellent British reprints not required. State con- condition, and have been carefullY dition and Price. Box 10?' Fantasy opened, Review. - WANTED: American mags., including Box 111, Fantasy Review Horror Stories, Terror TaIes-BM/FRVV, London. W.C.l. It's Knowing Service for Fontosy Fons O Large stocks of Weird, Fantastic Where to look and Scientific Fiction. O Direct Maii Subscriptions (and However much time and patience Renewals) placed to American you expend in searching for some- Magazines including those in thing hard to get, it will elude you the Fantasy Field, e.g., Astound- unless you know where it is likelv ing Science Fiction. 16s.6d. per to be found. You may hunt high year. and low for the almost unobtain- O SeIl us yo ur Collection of able in the way of fantasy books, Science l+ist and still make no progress if you Fiction. Send stat- rely ing condition and get our Cash on hit-and-miss methods. We Offer. have not only the time and patience to do the searchinE for you. but what is more impoitant. O "Want Lists" receive individual we know just where to lodk. Our attention. special knowiedge is always at Orders welcomed from the Em- your pire and U.S.A. Send local cur- servrce. rency or International Money * Order. O Catalogue Flee on Request. E" WILLIAMS SCIENCE . FANTASY ll Clowders Road, PUBLICATIONS (Dept. FR,6) Catford, London, S.E.6 16 Rockville Road, Liverpool, 14

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