Weird Tales Icons

37-page book catalogue that includes 4 illustrated pages. BOOKS from ARKHAM HOUSE 1949 and later. Printed by Arkham House Catalogue measured 5 3/4" x 4" w/ Stapled binding

Robert Bloch on Heinlein (1949)

Robert Bloch on Heinlein
Frank Merriwell on Venus, Space Cadet, by Robert Heinlein, Scribner's, NY 342 pp $2.50
Excerpts:
The publishers of Mr. Heinlein's book have craftily refrained from labeling it "juvenile"; apparently it was their intention to capture the adolescent market and at the same time sell the book to adult science-fiction fans.
As a juvenile, Space Cadet is reminiscent of the early Frank Merriwell books ... Heinlein's Merriwell is named Matt Dodson. He spends his time in the rocket ship training school of the Solar Patrol during the year 2075. His chief sidekick is a Texan ... Heinlein takes a more daring modern view in permitting the comic Texan to take three drinks ... If there are any adolescent boys who prefer reading to the practices ascribed to them in the Kinsey report, they will probably find the combination of Merriwell-plus-science quite satisfactory.
The Science Fiction fan will ... concentrate on Mr. Heinlein's generous use of mathematical theorization. The framework ... is quite simple ... conditioning cadets in rocket training ships ... the patrol acts as a sort of galactic police ... the Venetians constitute a matriarchy and speak with the simplicity of Mr. Kipling's Mowgli.
Heinlein ... paints a clear picture of a military caste gallantly carrying the white man's burden (atomic destruction) to the lesser breeds of space. Heinlein's is a sad new world ... a world of scientific freedom containing the same old slaves ... the mighty white race in its God-given mission to colonize ... the universe. Money and organized religion play their familiar roles ... and good manly chaps snap to attention when the Oberleutenant cracks the whip. Heinlein, as always, writes well - but his characterization and subject-matter is to be regretted in this instance.
Arkham Sampler: Winter 1949

Another Machen autograph

More Arthur Machen

1924

autograph with bleed

Some Old 1930's Pulps Interiors.

Weird Tales, no front cover . Volume 32 No. 5 , Nov 1938 // The Nameless City by H. P. LOVECRAFT // A verse Recompense by Robert E. Howard .

Weird Tales, no front cover . Volume 32 No. 6 , Dec 1938 // Beetles by Robert Bloch // A verse The Ghost Kings by Robert E. Howard .

Weird Tales, no front cover . Volume 30 No. 2 , Aug 1937 // The Jest of Droom Avista by Henry Kuttner // The Soul-Eater by Robert E. Howard .

Weird Tales, no front cover Volume 33 No. 5 , Sept. 1939 // Almuric Part 1 by Robert E. Howard. // Harbor Whistles Verse by H. P. Lovecraft // Plenty more stories and features from the 1930's!!!!

Weird Tales no front cover Volume 34 No. 4 , Oct. 1939 // Worms of the Earth by Robert E. Howard. // In the Walls of Eryx by Kenneth Sterling and H. P. Lovecraft // Plenty more stories and features from the 1930's!!!!

Reader Copy no front cover . Volume 1 No. 12 , Fall 1942 // War-Gods of the Void by Henry Kuttner // Vamphire Queen by Thorton Ayre .

Arkham Samplers

I'm not sure I've ever seen a complete set of Arkham Sampler. Here is what was recently posted on the "ebayeum" {ebay museum, as I call it}

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The Arkham Sampler MAGAZINE from Autumn 1949. Holiday by Ray Bradbury/The Triumph Of Death by H. Russell Wakefield/Sidney Sime Of Worplesdon by Martin Gardner.

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The Arkham Sampler MAGAZINE from Summer 1949. The One Who Waits by Ray Bradbury/In The Year 2889 by Jules Verne/The Door by David H. Keller.

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The Arkham Sampler MAGAZINE from Spring 1949. The Root Of Ampoi by Clark Ashton Smith/Lovecraft And The Stars by E. Hoffmann Price/Technical Slip by John Benyon Harris.

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The Arkham Sampler MAGAZINE from Winter 1949. All science fiction issue.

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The Arkham Sampler MAGAZINE from Autumn 1948. The Sign by Lord Dunsany/Change Of Heart by Robert Bloch/Nut Bush Farm by Mrs. J.H. Riddell.

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The Arkham Sampler MAGAZINE from Summer 1948. A Kink In Space-Time by H. Russell Wakefield/The Novels Of M. P. Shiel by A. Reynolds Morse/Howard Phillips Lovecraft by Samuel Loveman.

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The Arkham Sampler MAGAZINE from Spring 1948. A Group Of Letters by H.P. Lovecraft/A Memoir Of Lovecraft by Rheinhart Kleiner/A Damsel With A Dulcimer by Malcolm Ferguson.

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The Arkham Sampler MAGAZINE from Winter 1948. Mara by Stephen Grendon/Messrs. Turkes & Talbot by H. Russell Wakefield/The Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath by H.P. Lovecraft. {Stephen Grendon = August Derleth, pseudonym - Chrispy}

Amazingly Rare Sonia Greene Ephemera

Amazingly, epegana is selling this item. What an amazing history to append to the Lovecraft biography. The image should open with a click. In any event, the address is: 368 East 17th Street, Brooklyn, at Cortelyou Road.

(FYI: There are a number of Sonia Greene surprises if you do a blog search on the HPL blog).

The seller states:

SONIA GREENE MILLINERY - circa 1924 Now here's a piece of extremely interesting and rare Lovecraft ephemera - a commercially printed "Opening" announcement for (Mrs. H. P. Lovecraft) Sonia Greene's millinery shop! S. T. Joshi, in his biography "H. P. Lovecraft: A Life", never found out where Sonia's shop was located, as he states - ..."I am not certain whether Sonia's shop was in Manhatten or Brooklyn, there is no city directory of Brooklyn at this time". - p. 335 Interestingly as hinted at in Sonia's advertisement, women's hats must've been prohibitively expensive for the middle class - "P. S. Last year's hats may be remodelled in today's flattering lines" - this also gives us a clear insight into Sonia's expertise that she was able to cut, resew and tailor an existing hat to suit the wearer's need.This ephemeral piece comes with the original mailing envelope - and please note that this one was never mailed because it was Sonia's copy and found among her few remaining possessions that had not been rifled thru by certain collectors in her later years just before her death. These possessions remained unclaimed by any of Sonia's friends or her daughter and the Convalescent home contacted Roy Squires that they would be destroyed if he had no use for them because they were taking up space. This may well be the only known copy of this fascinating ephemera!

THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH : Visionary Publishing Company 1936.

The seller states:

H. P. Lovecraft's classic THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH published by Visionary Publishing Company in Everett, PA. in 1936.
A rare book, the publisher has stated that around 200 copies were bound (see publisher William H. Crawford’s article "Lovecraft's First Book" in THE SHUTTERED ROOM by Lovecraft published by Arkham House in 1959).
Publisher Crawford is noted for a lifetime of eccentric printing, often evidenced by many different states of bindings & typography, with the finished product usually not up to a professional book publishing standard of quality. This title is no exception. According to bibliographies 2 different styles of stamping on the front cover have been seen (this copy being one of those printed in silver in both upper & lower case type). Also, variants of the dust jacket have been noted by science fiction bibliographer L. W. Currey, the one on this copy being white paper with the name "H. P. LOVECRAFT" printed horizontally under the title. There is no priority as to either the bindings or the dust jackets, and according to sources the dust jackets were printed after the book was published, and came on some of the later sold copies as well as being sent to some of those who had earlier purchased jacketless copies. Furthermore, after publication Crawford printed a one-sheet errata page correcting some of his printing errors.
This copy looks about as nice as possible given the publisher's professional capabilities. There is a slight wrinkling to the cloth on the spine (due to publisher's hand binding), and the silver stamping to the publisher’s name on the spine appears somewhat rubbed, probably due to handling during binding in the production process. Otherwise there is very little noticeable wear to the book. This copy comes with a slightly dusty dust wrapper and with the scarce errata slip, as shown in the photographs.

August Derleth (1934)

The seller states the following about this rare item ...

AMERICAN POETRY JOURNAL

February 1934

Including the poem “Epitaph a Century After” by August W. Derleth – the prolific writer, friend of H.P. Lovecraft and co-founder of Arkham House Publishers.

Derleth provides the setting for the poem at the beginning:

Michel Brisbois, a Prarie du Chien pioneer, had himself buried on a slope far above the valley of the Mississippi so that he might look down in death upon the grave of his one-time rival, Joseph Rolette, another pioneer, buried in the city.

A very haunting and powerful piece…

AMERICAN POETRY JOURNAL (ed. Frances Frost)
Greater New York City, N.Y.
Copyright, 1934, by Leonard Twinem. 32 paged staple bound booklet in card covers.

The covers are slightly chipped and starting to split – starting from the bottom up to the first staple – but the insides are still in fine shape.

Other contributors to the journal include:

John Holmes
Robert P. Tristram Coffin
Geraldine Wolf
Harold Lewis Cook
Josephine Louise Byrne
John Murray Reynolds

Norman A Daniles in Startling Stories

&

TV credits


"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1 episode, 1987) - Conversation Over a Corpse (1987) TV episode (story and teleplay)
"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (2 episodes, 1956-1962) - The Door Without a Key (1962) TV episode (story) - Conversation Over a Corpse (1956) TV episode (story) (teleplay)
"The Restless Gun" (1 episode, 1959) - Lady by Law (1959) TV episode (writer)
"Sugarfoot" (1 episode, 1959)... aka Tenderfoot (UK) - The Giant Killer (1959) TV episode (writer)
"The Web" (1 episode, 1957) - A Matter of Degree (1957) TV episode (writer) (as Norman A. Daniels)
"Zane Grey Theater" (2 episodes, 1957)... aka Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater (USA: complete title) ... aka The Westerners (USA: rerun title) - No Man Living (1957) TV episode (television story) - Three Graves (1957) TV episode (television story)
"The Web" (1 episode, 1954) - Matter of Degree (1954) TV episode (writer)

Norman A Daniels

Norman A Daniels (??-??) was a prolific American writer of pulp fiction under many different names. He was born Norman Danberg and also wrote as John L Benton, William Dale, Peter Grady, Frank Johnson, G Wayman Jones, Harrison Judd, CMK Scanlon and Robert Wallace. He was educated at Columbia and Northwestern Universities and married Dorothy Smith in 1937. In addition to novels he wrote numerous short stories. His series characters were Bruce Baron, Kelly Carvel and John Keith.

Bibliography
The Mausoleum Key (1942)Mistress on A Deathbed (1952)The Captive (1959)The Deadly Game (1959)Lady For Sale (1960)Lover, Let Me Live (1960)Some Die Running (1960)Spy Hunt (1960)Suddenly by Shotgun (1961)The Detectives (1962)Something Burning (1963)Arrest and Trial (1963)The Hunt Club (1964)The Missing Witness (1964)Overkill (1964)The Secret War (1964)Spy Ghost (1965)A Killing in the Market (1967)

As William Dale
John Doe – Murderer (1942)

As Harrison Judd
Shadow of A Doubt (1961)

As Robert Wallace
Murder Under the Big Top (1965)

Fun to see an old interior

Startling Stories Volume 10 No. 3, Spring 1944 The Great Ego by Norman A. Daniels

New Era Publishers

Here's another antiquarian item I typed up tonight. Other notes I found are included below.***The Arkham Sampler, Winter 1949, "Books of the Quarter" {Reviews}"Dr. Keller Again"The Solitary Hunters and The Abyss, by David H. Keller. New Era Publishers, Philadelphia, 265 pp. $3.00"The first to forge ahead of Lovecraft and Quinn" enthused an admirer of Dr. Keller fifteen years ago after reading the original publication of The Solitary Hunters in Weird Tales. And the first installment of the serial polled higher in reader appeal than the perennially popular Woman of the World by A. Merritt. Now, a decade and a lustrum later, Keller's novella of entymology, penology, psychology, and mystery has been put between hardcovers for fresh judgement. The wraiths of Lovecraft and Merritt need scarcely fear that their earthly laurels will be trampled in the mad rush to acclaim this story today, but it is a good one just the same.The story was laid in the future at the time (1934). Unfortunately, somebody slipped up and forgot to change 1943 to sometime in the 50's, so that it suffers anachronistic incompatibilities. But Dr. Keller's abilities as spinner of an outrageous, Collieresque tale minimize such temporal faults.Keller spoke, as a child, in an unknown tongue, and learned English as a foreign language, and he has always used it in its simplest form with extreme effectiveness. The appeal of The Solitary Hunters is heightened by the straight-forward, straight-faced manner in which its wildly improbable plot is unfolded.Even wilder and more improbable is The Abyss, which we are told is of more recent creation; a previously unpublished, somewhat longer novella which comprises the second half of the book. Here we are treated to the unlikely spectacle of eight million New Yorkers simultaneously descending into the hidden recesses of their subconscious minds and uninhibitedly reacting as their ancestors did one to five thousand years ago. Through the shambles this situation creates, Dr. Keller moves with pad, pencil, and a third eye of psychological insight, recording the revolting revelations of human nature with the beast barriers down.There is little of literary value in this book, but lotus lovers seeking escape from this mad world of today may lose themselves in these tow even madder ones of this mental magician's imaginings.-Weaver Wright***A reference indicates that Weaver Wright was a pseudonym of Forest J. Ackerman. (as well as Amaryllis Ackerman, S. F. Balboa)***I also found this: Dr. David H. Keller had been one of the most popular science fiction authors of the 1920's and 1930's. Thus it was not surprising that several small presses, composed mainly of fans who had begun reading science fiction during that time, chose a Keller book as their first publication. Unfortunately, Dr. Keller was no longer a name that could sell books and the Avalon Bokk Comapy, New Era Publishers and NFFF all ceased publication after producing one book by Dr. Keller. In: Science/fiction Collections: Fantasy, Supernatural & Weird Tales By Halbert W. Hall***And this is circulating. (Binding: Hardcover) Publisher: Philadelphia: New Era Publishers, Date Published: 1948 Description: For sale. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Signed by Keller. The only book published by New Era Publishers. 2000 copies were printed. 1000 copies were bound and eventually most copies circulated, although some were damp marked while in storage. The 1000 sets of unbound sheets were junked by the printer. A fine copy in very good dust jacket with faded spine panel, touch of wear at head and tail of spine panel and corner tips, and some offset of printing ink on rear panel. This one is formerly, Donald A. Wollheim's copy with his ownership stamp on rear free endpaper. Elsewhere is noted: Jacket design and two illustrations by J. V. Baltadonis. & Keller signed on the front free endpaper.I'm unable to find an image of the book online.

Arthur Machen

William Hope Hodgson

Hugo Gernsback

FORCAST 1958 SPACE REVIEW This offering is one of Hugo Gernsback's Christmas Greetings and a very important one it is, for in the year 1957 came the arrival of the space-age - man's first satellite - Sputnik is successfully launched and put into orbit.This forty-two page booklet reproduces the artwork of "Amazing Stories" artist Frank R. Paul on virtually every page, illustrating a myriad of subjects such as Atomic Planes, Martian Flying Saucers, Weightlessness, Space Ships, and many other topics.

Arkham House Ephemera

AUTOGRAPHED POSTCARDfrom RODERICK MENG After August Derleth's death in July, 1971, former Arkham House book-packer, Roderick Meng kept shipments and orders going while all the legalities surrounding Arkham House were being settled. This Arkham House postcard is from Meng to then Arkham collector Phil Mays - who's ephemerae collecting was the foundation of the Roy A. Squires booklet listing Arkham House Ephemerae.

August Derleth Rare Item

AMERICAN POETRY JOURNAL

February 1934

Including the poem “Epitaph a Century After” by August W. Derleth – the prolific writer, friend of H.P. Lovecraft and co-founder of Arkham House Publishers.

Derleth provides the setting for the poem at the beginning:

Michel Brisbois, a Prarie du Chien pioneer, had himself buried on a slope far above the valley of the Mississippi so that he might look down in death upon the grave of his one-time rival, Joseph Rolette, another pioneer, buried in the city.

A very haunting and powerful piece…

AMERICAN POETRY JOURNAL (ed. Frances Frost)
Greater New York City, N.Y.
Copyright, 1934, by Leonard Twinem. 32 paged staple bound booklet in card covers.

The covers are slightly chipped and starting to split – starting from the bottom up to the first staple – but the insides are still in fine shape.

Other contributors to the journal include:

John Holmes
Robert P. Tristram Coffin
Geraldine Wolf
Harold Lewis Cook
Josephine Louise Byrne
John Murray Reynolds

Vincent Starrett Signature