Weird Tales volume 28 number 02 (24 page)

I wished to place before the world the whole facts contingent upon the mystery and the solution, but Remson prevailed upon me to hold my peace.

Some years later Remson died a Christian death, and with him went the only confirmation of my tale. However, ten miles from the little town of Charing there sits an old house, forgotten these many years, and near it is a little gray crypt. Within are four coffins; and in each lies a wooden stake stained a brownish hue, and bearing the finger prints of the deceased Remson Holroyd.

BACK COPIES

Because of the many requests for bade issues of Weird Tales, the publishers do their best to keep a sufficient supply on hand to meet all demands. This magazine was established early in 1923 and there has been a steady drain on (he supply of back copies ever since. At present, we have the following back numbers on hand for sale:

These back numbers contain many fascinating stories. If you arc interested in obtaining any of the hack copies on this list please hurry your order because we can not guarantee that the list will be as complete as it now is within the next 30 days. The price on all back issues is 25c per copy. Mail all orders to:

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YOU, the readers of Weird Tales, will notice that this issue is dated August-September, instead of merely August. The change in dating is made in accordance with the current trend in magazine dating, so that Weird Tales will be on sale during the month preceding the date printed on the cover. Our next issue (October) will appear on the stands the first of September; so there will be no break in continuity. All subscriptions will be automatically extended one month.

Death of Robert E. Howard

As this issue goes to press, we are saddened by the news of the sudden death of Robert E. Howard at Cross Plains, Texas. Mr. Howard for years has been one of the most popular magazine authors in the country. He was master of a vivid literary style and possessed an inexhaustible imagination. His poems were works of sheer genius. His fictional characters—the dour Puritan adventurer and redresser of wrongs, Solomon Kane; the ancient battle-chief King Kull from the shadowy kingdoms of the dawn of history; the doughty barbarian soldier of fortune, Conan—were so convincingly and vividly drawn that they seemed to step out from the printed page and grip the sym-

?athies of the readers. It was in Weird 'ales that the cream of his writing appeared. Mr. Howard was one of our literary discoveries. He made his literary debut in Weird Tales of July, 1925, while he was still a student in the University of Texas. Since then sixty works from his hand have appeared in this magazine. Prolific though he was, his genius shone through everything he wrote, and he did not lower his high literary standard for the sake of mere volume. Red Nails, his current serial in Weird , Tales, is the last of the stories about Conan,

250

though several of Mr. Howard's stories witH other heroes will appear in this magazine* His loss will be keenly felt.

An Ace Issue

Robert A, Madle, of Philadelphia, writes: "The June Weird Tales was another ace issue. Everything composing it was good* The cover was the weirdest Margaret Brun-dage ever did. The Count looks as weird and uncanny as Dracula himself. Loot of { the Vampire was an excellent piece of fantastic fiction. Thorp McClusky surely has "what it takes.' His first story ranks as my favorite in the current issue. Hugh Davidson's House of the Evil Eye closely follows Mr. McGusky's yarn. I recognized Doctor Dale as one of the chief characters of The Vampire-Master, published a few years back. The other stories were all good, especially Black Canaan."

Strange Interval

Wilfred Wright, of Toronto, writes: "All stories in the current issue show the usual fine literary style, although this issue is markedly lacking in weirdness. I await with keen interest your readers' comment on Sea-bury Quinn's Strange Interval —a splendid horror story of unrefined brutality; but remembering this author's de Grandin yarns one must forgive the lapse from weirdness. While I enjoyed it immensely, and would unhesitatingly give it first place, it automatically disqualifies itself, and Burks' The Room of Shadows gets the call, followed closely by Hamilton's Child of the Winds. The Graveyard Rats by Kuttner was the most gruesome weird tale this year. Generally WT progresses splendidly over the many years I have been a reader, and I wish you continued success,"

WEIRD TALES

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Miss Hemken's Comments

Gertrude Hemken, of Chicago, writes: "June comments as follows, to wit: Thorp McCIusky is a new author to me, but his Loot of the Vampire promises something very, ray interesting. The fact that a detective detail is involved should bring no unfavorable comment, inasmuch as it is a vampire story. I feel that it shows an example of the modern police system against something far more ancient and deep than any form of public protection. It is truly a spine-free2ing tale. Another new note in vampire tales—the Count, if he is the vampire, resorts to robbery. I never knew them to do that. Aaaahh! Black Canaan was also perfect, the kind one reads with eyes popping and mouth agape. Is this a form of voodoo one reads so much of, or is it something more ancient? And then I learned something' more, of which I had only a smattering knowledge—that of the evil eye. Somehow I had believed the evil eye was used only on such persons as the possessor wished to harm. So—you are proving educational to me as well. It seems I have not been fair in not including comments on the poetry in my monthly letter, inasmuch as I am a lover of poetry. This Ballad of the Wolf I found pleasant reading. There was a rhythmic swing to it, and although it spoke of olden days, I found no obsolete words. I have no objections to such words in prose, but they seem to jar the rhythm of poetry. Invariably I don't know what they mean, I'm not sure of my pronunciation, and that ldnda spoils it. I think Henry Kuttner is a pretty good rimester. I hope to see more of his work. The Ruler of Fate ended to my satisfaction. Narsty Aru was killed dead and lovely Athonee was left to control her machine of destiny with kindliness to the man of Earth. And I s'pose the hero and heroine were married and lived happily ever afterward. I found The Harbor of Ghosts very interesting. Somehow it was different from what I had been reading, and when the young sailor entered the harbor of ghost ships, I had the impression of the fabled elephants' graveyard. There was a similarity in that the lost ship sought a final resting-place with others of its kind. The reprint, The Brain in the far, surprized me. I had figured it to be a brain wielding malignant power and cruel devastating horror. However, it was a very nice brain and sought

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only to destroy the man who had tortured

the man of whom the disembodied brain was once a part. I wouldn't call that operation weird surgery—merely cold-blooded unfeeling science. Nuff sed-—will greet you again next month. Mayhap you will have some real chillers, which will be doubly welcome, if I know Chicago's summers."

**A Punch in the Nose"

William L. Ebelein, of Baltimore, writes: "My seven favorite authors in order are Quinn, Moore, Kline, Williamson, Davidson, Hamilton and Howard. The Jules de Grandin stories by Quinn are very good. Please try your best to make Quinn write more de Grandin stories. It has been nearly six months since you published the last one. 1 have noticed, with very much regret, that during the past three years Quinn has given us only about ten de Grandin stories. A few years ago I remember Quinn wrote about six or seven de Grandin stories per year. Make him produce or I will feel like giving him a good punch in the nose. I think it about time for Kline to give us one of his fantastic novels about Mars, Venus, or any other planet very soon. What say?" [A superb story about Jules de Grandin, entitled Witch-House, will be published soon.— The Editor.]

Weirder Than Ever

Nils Helmer Frome, of East Orange, New Jersey, writes: "I halted as I sped past a magazine stand—1 always do that—magazines have a fascination for me. Weird Tales wasn't the only one I looked at, but it held my gaze the longest. I lingered and languished—my purse wasn't exactly blooded. I bought it. That is the synopsis on the repeating incident that is among the most important in my years. Weird Tales has become weird again—or else my appreciation has risen. The covers of the last two fssues were wonderfully weird. Great credit due to Brundage—she's really quite competent when she gets started—if she would only quit those nothing-on dames—she has no idea what a female figure looks like, even if she is a woman herself. Although I am far from an authority in that line myself, I know that a figure true to life is far from what can be effected by even a skilled guess-er. And that external sadness in those eyebrows lifted in between the temples gets me with its monotony; why not a pointed pair