Leiber/Moskowitz: 1963

From LW Currey:

Leiber, Fritz. TYPED LETTER SIGNED (TLS). 2 pages, dated 7 December 1963, to "Dear Sam" [Moskowitz], signed, "Congrats! Fritz." Accompanied by the original envelope with a handwritten postscript on the back side. Written in response to an article on Leiber that Moskowitz wrote (with Leiber's cooperation) for the December issue of AMAZING STORIES. Leiber congratulates Moskowitz on "a good job of compacting a lot of diverse material." He praises his balanced treatment of the various stages of L's career and says, in the case of one topic at least, that "you may see deeper into my motives than I do." He offers some factual corrections of a few "tiny" matters, pointing out that his famous short story "Smoke Ghost" was rejected by WEIRD TALES before it was accepted by UNKNOWN; that his mother's British ancestry did not stop her from belonging to the Daughters of the American Revolution; and that he could not "recall living in a boarding house, theatrical or otherwise." Moskowitz made the point in his article that Leiber had not read WEIRD TALES regularly when he was growing up and suggests as a reason that L's "seeking rational explanations interfered with my enjoyment of such tales." All Leiber remembers is that he found the WT stories "too frightening and -- oddly -- too depressing!" and adds that he may have been "repelled by the element of fatalism in practically all supernatural horror fiction." And the adults in his household did not approve of such reading material. Stepping back, Leiber writes, "it's certainly odd to be on the inside of the story this time (the story being your profile, I the protagonist) and peer out of my cage in space-time, as it were, and see the author - you - describing what I do ..." He ponders the impossibility of a biographer's reproduction of the "exact truth" of the "welter of minutia" that constitutes a person's life. Leiber closes with some remarks about his alcoholism and membership in AA, subjects that were suppressed by the editors of AMAZING STORIES. A frank and revealing document that blends inward - and outward - looking speculation by and about one of the major post-WWII authors of fantasy and sf. Typed with narrow margins on a half-sheet of letter-size paper arranged in portrait mode, with name and address penciled in at top as an afterthought, and with an ink emendation (itself emended in pencil) near the end of the letter. Leiber wrote a postscript on the back side of the envelope, mentioning that he was working on a new novel, THE RED-HEADED NIGHTMARE, whose "gimmick" is "photonic booms." Accompanied by a carbon of short letter from Moskowitz to Leiber, dated 17 June 1964, saying that he has just ghost-edited an anthology for Leo Margulies in which he used Leiber's "Spider Mansion," and that he will be sending him $25 and a copy of the book (titled WEIRD TALES). Sam Moskowitz was one of the pioneers of genre science-fiction scholarship, approaching the subject from historical and sociological as well as literary vantage points; editing anthologies, magazines and book reprint series; and championing the work of obscure authors as well as the genre itself. Though not always meticulous in his research or discerning in his taste, he took seriously a field of literature that academic critics ignored until much later, and blazed many of the trails that they smoothed out later. In saying that he made up in enthusiasm what he lacked in rigor, it could be argued that the former virtue was, at the time, the more needed one. Leiber's letter has two faint creases where folded for mailing and is near fine, as is envelope; the Moskowitz letter, on pulpy browning paper, has some light carbon smudges, but is otherwise near fine. (#100292)

Fantasy Review Vol. 1 No 3 Jun-Jul 1947

Fantasy Review Vol. 1 No 3 Jun-Jul 1947

Walter Gillings' Fantasia

Noted American science fictionist Theodore Sturgeon carried off L250 prize offered by English Argosy is hort story contest. Winning piece, presented "with pride" in May issue, praised for its "strange imaginative quality," was "Bianca's Hands," reputedly spurned by several U.S. mags, including Unknown Worlds, in which Sturgeon started. British fantasy authors who entered contest feeling slightly piqued … "Homecoming." Story by Ray Bradbury originally in Street & Smith's Mademoiselle, selected for O. Henry Memorial Award, to be reprinted in Avon Fantasy Reader. His fantastic, "The Meadow" also won prize in radioscript contest. Collection of his weird tales, "Dark Carnival," forthcoming from Arkham House. … Recipient of Atlantic Award to encourage novel writers is C. S. Youd, editor New Frontiers, now suspended.

Television versions of "Mr. Mergenthwirker's Lobbies," much-radioed fantasy by Nelson S. Bond (see book reviews, last issue), presented recently from London. … Following death at 81 of M. P. Shiel, appreciation of his work, with special reference to "The Purple Cloud," given on Third Programme … H. P. Heard, author of "Doppelgangers" (reviewed this issue) and "The Great Fog and Other Weird Tales." Is – or was – famous British science writer Gerald Heard, now living in Hollywood …

Another Mag. Coming

New magazine to carry original s-f, fantasy, weird and ghost story material, with Donald Wolheim editing, being planned by Avon Publications, New York, producers of Fantasy Reader. First issue due before year's end … Leo Marguiles, Thrilling Wonder's editorial director, writing in American Writer on science fiction field, warned would-be specialists its readers were "most articulate group in the world." … Max J. Hertzberg, prominent U.S. educator, literary editor Newark Evening News, encourages reading of s-f among pupils … Saturday Review of Literature featured article by L. Sprague de Camp, "The Unwritten Classics," dealing with fictitious books invented by fantasy writers, e.g. Lovecraft's "Necronomicon" … Earlier issue carried letters from P. Schuyler Miller Frederick B. Shroyer, on current s-f book boom and efforts to compile bibliography of fantasy, now proceeding in various directions … /

Leo Marguiles

The selctions in Worlds of Weird were made by Leo Marguiles. Lovecraft was both fan, critic, and collector of all newsworthy information in the genre field. Most people know he had pet names for everyone - especially if you were on his bad side. "Hugo the Rat" was Hugo Gernsback.

[11 March 1936, HPL to RH Barlow] ...Wonder Stories sold by Hugo the Rat to the Marguiles group which {Frank} Belknap {Long, Jr.} likes so well. Had a letter from Marguiles asking for stuff {=stories} & promisng good rates, but just now I have nothing to submit.

ST Joshi & David Schultz say: Leo Marguiles (1900-1975) American editor and anthologist. He was editor-in-chief of Standard magazines, which purchased Wonder Stories from Hugo Gernsback in April 1936.