It was a recent rereading of Paul Selonke's
Beast Of The Island in Peter Haining's
Werewolf: Horror Stories Of The Man-Beast revived my interest in
Strange Stories, Better Publications short-lived rival to
Weird Tales. I remembered Robert Weinberg had indexed the stories and knew i'd read more than a few, but who by and how many?
Sam Moskowitz once described Bernarr Macfadden's
Ghost Stories as a "neglected repository Of Supernatural Fiction" and the same might be said with some justification of
Strange Stories. Launched by Better Publications in February 1939 with the intention of providing serious competition to
Weird Tales,
Strange Tales was masterminded by Mort Weisinger, a SF superfan turned literary agent who'd taken over at
Thrilling Wonder Stories in 1936 and quickly launched a raft of pulp titles,
Strange Stories being his first foray into supernatural fiction. When the magazine bowed out on its second anniversary, by which time it had racked up thirteen issues and 147 stories, it's unlikely Mort Weisinger was too disappointed about it's demise as he still had a sideline. Shortly after the magazine's launch he'd already teamed up with Jack Schiff and Whitney Ellsworth to take over the editorship of DC comics'
Superman!
Between then Robert Bloch, August Derleth, Henry Kuttner and the trusty 'Will Garth' accounted for a third of the stories, maybe more, and other name contributors included such
Weird Tales stalwarts as Seabury Quinn, Manly Wade Wellman, C. L. Moore, Eric Frank Russell, Eli
The Last Horror Colter and Dorothy Quick, weird menace maestro's Wyatt Blassingame and Arthur J. Burks, and the odd purveyor of gritty dime detective pulp like John L. Benton. Chief among the cover artists were Rudolph Belarski and
Thrilling Wonder Stories regular Earle K. Bergey, the latter feted/ despised as something of a busty beauties in peril specialist. According to
SF encyclopia, "Bergey has often been dismissed as the "inventor of the brass brassière" and reviled for having given sf a trashy reputation, [but] the truth is that he and Rudolph Belarski were brought in by Standard Magazines/Thrilling Publications, .... precisely to give their publications a bit of overt sex appeal in order to attract youthful male news-stand browsers." Whether this strategy succeeded or otherwise is not something i can help you with, but it's probably fair to say that, lacking the hipness factor of
Strange Tales or the inspired lunacy of the weird menaces,
Strange Stories struggled to find a unique identity and has yet to be plundered by anthologists to anything like the same degree.
Perhaps it's typical of the magazine's fortunes that the sixth and final issue of Robert Weinberg's
Weird Tales Collector was originally conceived as a
Strange Stories special only for Stephen Gresham's informative interview with Mary E. Counselman and a celebration of E. Hoffman Price to take precedence. Throw in Chet Williamson's startling revelation about just where Virgil Finlay found the inspiration for his iconic portraits of Jules De Grandin and Dr. Trowbridge, and all that survived of the 'special' was Mr. Weinberg's index!
The following index - but for the most minuscule amount of tarting up - is the work of
Robert Weinberg and first appeared in the sixth and final issue of
The Weird Tales Collector (Robert Weinberg, 1980). I hope he will not mind me reviving it for the purpose of this article. The cover scans were nabbed from the indispensable
Galactic Central.
Mortimer Weisinger (ed.) STRANGE STORIES (Better Publications, Feb. 1939 - Feb 1941.
Don Alviso - Death is Forbidden
(#5. Oct. 1939)_________ - The Hunchback of Hanover
(#9. June 1940)_________ - The Mask of the Marionette
(#7. Feb. 1940)_________ - The Missing Mirage
(#12. Dec. 1940)John L. Benton - A Sentence of Death
(#4. Aug. 1939)_________ - Vengeance By Proxy
(#7. Feb. 1940)David Bernard - Dread Command
(#6. Dec. 1939)Wyatt Blassingame - Appointment With a Lady
(#13. Feb. 1941)Robert Bloch - Be Yourself
(#11. Oct. 1940)_________ - The Curse of the House
(#1. Feb. 1939)_________ - Death Has Five Guesses
(#2. Apr. 1939)_________ - The Grip of Death
(#6. Dec. 1939)_________ - Pink Elephants
(#4. Aug. 1939)_________ - Power of the Druid
(#9. June 1940)_________ - Unheavenly Twin
(#3. June 1939)Carol Boyd - The Man Who Looked Beyond
(#6. Dec. 1939)Leigh Brackett -The Tapestry Gate
(#10. Aug 1940)Bernard Breslauer - Ghost Knife
(#7. Feb. 1940)_________ - He Who Spoke
(#6. Dec. 1939)_________ - Song of the Sun
(#8. Apr. 1940)Arthur J. Burks - Death, I Want to Dance!
(#13. Feb. 1941)_________ - Kanaima
(#8. Apr. 1940)O. M. Cabral - Tiger! Tiger!
(#9. June 1940)Arch Carr - Shadows
(#12. Dec. 1940)John Clemons - Chameleon Eyes
(#3. June 1939)_________ - Death Bridge
(#4. Aug. 1939) _________ - The Panting Beast
(#9. June 1940)_________ - Path to Perdition
(#8. Apr. 1940) Eli Colter - The Band of Death
(#13. Feb. 1941)_________ - The Crawling Corpse
(#6. Dec. 1939)_________ - Design for Doom
(#10. Aug 1940)_________ - One Man's Hell
(#8. Apr. 1940) Vincent Cornier - The Singing Shadows
(#1. Feb. 1939)Hamilton Craigie - The Vengeance of Hanuman
(#9. June 1940)Jack B. Creamer - The Terror Mummy
(#9. June 1940)Ray Cummings - The Man Who Knew Everything
(#7. Feb. 1940)Marian Stearns Curry - Kaapi
(#5. Oct. 1939)Norman A. Daniels - The Dead Know All
(#10. Aug 1940)_________ - The Man Who Was Death
(#3. June 1939)_________ - The Wine of Hera
(#12. Dec. 1940)August W. Derleth - After You, Mr. Henderson
(#9. June 1940)_________ - Birkett's Twelfth Corpse
(#10. Aug 1940)_________ - A Gift for Uncle Herman
(#6. Dec. 1939)_________ - Ithaqua
(#13. Feb. 1941)_________ - Logoda's Heads
(#2. Apr. 1939)_________ - The Man from Dark Valley
(#7. Feb. 1940)_________ - Man in the Dark
(#3. June 1939)_________ - Memoir for Lucas Payne
(#4. Aug. 1939)_________ - A Message for His Majesty
(#5. Oct. 1939)_________ - The Slanting Shadow
(#8. Apr. 1940)August W. Derleth & Mark Schorer - The Evil Ones
(#11. Oct. 1940)_________ - Eyes of the Serpent
(#1. Feb. 1939)Earle Dow - The Gallows Geist
(#8. Apr. 1940)_________ - The Sailor Quits the Sea
(#9. June 1940)Fenton W. Earnshaw - Silent is the Clock
(#4. Aug. 1939)Robert Emerick - Voices in the Wind
(#6. Dec. 1939)Lloyd Arthur Eshbach - The Cauldron
(#8. Apr. 1940)_________ - Singing Blades
(#7. Feb. 1940)Ralph Milne Farley - The Bottomless Pool
(#2. Apr. 1939)_________ - Major McCary's Vision
(#1. Feb. 1939)Tarleton Fiske (Robert Bloch) - Flowers From the Moon
(#4. Aug. 1939)_________ - He Waits Beneath the Sea
(#5. Oct. 1939)_________ - A Question of Identity
(#2. Apr. 1939)_________ - The Seal of the Satyr
(#3. June 1939)_________ - The Sorcerer's Jewel
(#1. Feb. 1939)Oscar J. Friend - Jessamin's Death
(#11. Oct. 1940)Will Garth
* - Astral Newspaper
(#11. Oct. 1940)_________ - The Dead Shall Rise Up
(#10. Aug 1940)_________ - Double Ring
(#3. June 1939)_________ - Fulfillment
(#2. Apr. 1939)_________ - Hate's Handiwork
(#13. Feb. 1941)_________ - House of the Griffin
(#5. Oct. 1939)_________ - Passing of Eric Holm
(#6. Dec. 1939)_________ - Sea Vision
(#4. Aug. 1939)Shelton Goodall - The Master
(#5. Oct. 1939)Keith Hammond (Henry Kuttner) - Bells of Horror
(#2. Apr. 1939)_________ - The Body and the Brain
(#3. June 1939)_________ - The Invaders
(#1. Feb. 1939)_________ - The Room of Souls
(#9. June 1940)C. William Harrison - I Killed Him! Remember?
(#8. Apr. 1940)Eldon Heath (August W. Derleth) - Joliper's Gift
(#8. Apr. 1940) Joseph H. Hernandez - Adventure in Valhalla
(#12. Dec. 1940)Carl Jacobi - Sagasta's Last
(#4. Aug. 1939)_________ - Spawn of Blackness
(#5. Oct. 1939)Carson Judson - Satan's Sideshow
(#10. Aug 1940)Dr. David Keller - The Dead Woman
(#2. Apr. 1939)_________ - The Toad God
(#3. June 1939)Otis Adelbert Kline - Servant of Satan
(#1. Feb. 1939)Henry Kuttner - The Citadel of Darkness
(#4. Aug. 1939)_________ - Cursed Be the City
(#2. Apr. 1939)_________ - The Frog
(#1. Feb. 1939)_________ - The Hunt
(#3. June 1939)_________ - The Seal of Sin
(#10. Aug 1940)_________ - Time to Kill
(#9. June 1940)_________ - To Boat and Back
(#11. Oct. 1940) Frank Belknap Long, Jr. - The Creeper In Darkness
(#2. Apr. 1939)Amelia Reynolds Long - The Box From the Stars
(#2. Apr. 1939)Lucifer - The Black Arts: A Department
(#1. Feb. 1939),
(#2. Apr. 1939),
(#3. June 1939),
(#4. Aug. 1939),
(#5. Oct. 1939),
(#6. Dec. 1939),
(#7. Feb. 1940),
(#8. Apr. 1940),
(#9. June 1940),
(#10. Aug 1940),
(#11. Oct. 1940),
(#12. Dec. 1940),
(#13. Feb. 1941).
James Macfie - The Immortal Voice
(#7. Feb. 1940) Tally Mason (August W. Derleth) - The Four Who Came Back
(#9. June 1940) _________ - Lord of Evil
(#2. Apr. 1939)_________ - Mrs. Elting Does Her Part
(#4. Aug. 1939) _________ - The Room in the Annex
(#6. Dec. 1939)Thorp McClusky - Dirge
(#7. Feb. 1940)C. L. Moore - Miracle In Three Dimensions
(#2. Apr. 1939)Maria Moraysky - The Great Release
(#3. June 1939)_________ - The Hydroponic Monster
(#9. June 1940)_________ - I Am Going to Cracow!
(#10. Aug 1940)_________ - Let Me Out!
(#5. Oct. 1939)_________ - The Soul of the Cello
(#6. Dec. 1939)_________ - Spider Woman
(#8. Apr. 1940) Earl Peirce, Jr. - The Shadow of Nirvana
(#13. Feb. 1941)E. Hoffman Price - One More River
(#13. Feb. 1941)_________ - Snake Goddess
(#4. Aug. 1939)Robert D. Price - Soldier, Rest
(#9. June 1940)Dorothy Quick - The Bag of Skin
(#7. Feb. 1940)_________ - The Manci Curse
(#12. Dec. 1940)Seabury Quinn - Doomed
(#12. Dec. 1940)_________ - The Lesser Brethren Mourn
(#11. Oct. 1940)_________ - Some Day I'll Kill You
(#13. Feb. 1941)(Capt.) George J. Rawlins - Hound of the Haunted Trail
(#7. Feb. 1940)_________ - The House of Stanley
(#10. Aug 1940)_________ - The Light Must Burn
(#5. Oct. 1939)_________ - The Third Life of Nine
(#12. Dec. 1940)_________ - The Thirteenth Boat
(#8. Apr. 1940)Olga L. Rosmanith - Séance
(#8. Apr. 1940)Eric Frank Russell - Me and My Shadow
(#7. Feb. 1940)Alexander Samalman - Misty Island
(#12. Dec. 1940) Heydorn Schleh - The Bohemian
(#4. Aug. 1939)Mark Schorer - A Bottle From Corezzi
(#6. Dec. 1939)_________ - The Vengeance of AI
(#2. Apr. 1939)Paul Selonke - Beast of the Island
(#11. Oct. 1940)Charles S. Strong - The Djinn of El Mohrab
(#7. Feb. 1940)Don Tracy - The Bald-Headed Man
(#11. Oct. 1940)Hal G. Vermes - The Day I Die
(#7. Feb. 1940)A. Hyatt Verrill - The Flying Head
(#3. June 1939)_________ - The Ghostly Vengeance
(#5. Oct. 1939)Bruce Walker - I've Got to Believe It
(#11. Oct. 1940)Mordred Weir (Amelia Reynolds Long) - Bride of the Antarctic
(#3. June 1939)Manly Wade Wellman - Changeling
(#1. Feb. 1939)_________ - For Fear of Little Men
(#3. June 1939)_________ - For Love of a Witch
(#6. Dec. 1939)_________ - Half Bull
(#5. Oct. 1939)_________ - His Name on a Bullet
(#8. Apr. 1940)Hampton Wells - Vigil
(#6. Dec. 1939)Bertram W. Williams - The Curse of the Crocodile
(#4. Aug. 1939) Gabriel Wilson - The Cult of the Dead
(#5. Oct. 1939) R. R. Winterbotham - The Geist of the Jungle
(#5. Oct. 1939)*****************
* The near ever-present 'Will Garth' was the house psuedonym. August Derleth has been outed as entirely responsible for
Passing of Eric Holm, and you'd not bet against him having a hand in others. Henry Kuttner may or may not be responsible for
Hate's Handiwork.
Reprint SourcesA great place to start is Robert E. Weinberg, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz & Martin H. Greenberg's
Rivals Of Weird Tales (Bonanza Books, 1990) which includes a seven story sampler of strange stories from moonlighting
Weird Tales regulars.
Henry Kuttner - Cursed Be the City
August Derleth - Logoda’s Heads
C. L. Moore - Miracle in Three Dimensions
Manly Wade Wellman - For Fear of Little Men
Carl Jacobi - Spawn of Blackness
Eric Frank Russell - Me and My Shadow
Seabury Quinn - DoomedThe samed editors would later exhume Carl Jacobi's
Sagasta's Last for inclusion in
100 Twisted Little Tales of Torment (Barnes & Noble, 1998)
For August Derleth and 'Tally Mason's your best bet is
Not Long For This World (Arkham House, 1948, and, in slightly abbreviated form, Ballantine c. 1961-2)
After You, Mr. Henderson
Birkett's Twelfth Corpse
Logoda's Heads
Lord Of Evil (retitled The Second Print)
Mrs. Elting Does Her Part Passing of Eric Holm (credited to the house psuedonym but written by Derleth) has resurfaced in a posthumos collection of Derleth's Lovecraftian horrors
The Cthulhu Mythos (Barnes & Noble, 1997)
Mrs Elting Does Her Part all over again in the W. H. Allen edition of Peter Haining's
Dr. Caligari's Black Book although it's unceremoniously dropped from the later NEL paperback. Haining made another raid on
Strange Stories for Paul Selonke's
Beast Of The Island, a minor highlight of the pleasingly diverse and entertaining
Werewolf: Horror Stories Of The Man-Beast (Severn House, 1987)
David H. Keller's
The Dead Woman had already appeared in Christine Campbell Thomson's
Nightmare By Daylight (Selwyn & Blount, April, 1936) three years before it made it's appearance in
Strange Stories making it the only non-original
Strange Story i've been able to identify to date. This minor classic is also available in Keller's collection,
Tales From Underwood (Neville Spearman, 1974).
'Keith Hammond' (Henry Kuttner) is well-served by issue #42 of Robert M. Price's 'Pulp Thriller & Theological Journal'
Crypt Of Cthulhu (Lammas 1986), which reprints
The Invaders,
Bells Of Horror and
The Hunt. Price would rerun the first two - and August Derleth's
Ithaqua - in
Tales of the Lovecraft Mythos (Fedogan & Bremer, 1992)
Stephen Jones & David Sutton revived 'Tarleton Fiske' (Robert Bloch)'s
The Sorcerer's Jewel in
Fantasy Tales # 13 (Winter 1984) and again in
The Best Horror From Fantasy Tales (Robinson, 1988). 'Mr. Fiske's
The Seal of the Satyr returned in
The Opener Of The Way (Panther, 1976). Of Bloch's remaining contributions to the magazine, three -
The Curse of the House,
Pink Elephants, and the vampire story
Unheavenly Twin - are available in Stefan R. Dziemianowicz's
The Skeleton in the Closet: the Reader's Bloch, volume 2 (Subterranean Press, 2008)
In 1980
Weird Tales made another of its sporadic returns from the grave, this time in paperback format and published by Zebra. Under Lin Carter's editorship, the new incarnation lasted all of four issues, time enough to include Seabury Quinn's
Some Day I'll Kill You in
Weird Tales #1.
That should be enough to be getting on with. will try hack out some comments on individual stories later.
