Weird Tales Books-Worlds of Weird

Worlds of Weird edited by Leo Margulies

In Worlds of Weird from 1965, Leo Margulies added an introduction from science fiction historian Sam Moskowitz and interior illustrations by Virgil Finlay. As with Weird Tales (1964), the cover was also by Virgil Finlay. In his introduction, Moskowitz related the story of Jacob Clark Henneberger, founder and publisher of Weird Tales. There are seven stories in the book beginning with Seabury Quinn's well-known and much admired tale of Christmas, "Roads." Other writers include Nictzin Dyalhis, Robert E. Howard, Edmond Hamilton, Clark Ashton Smith, David H. Keller, and Frank Belknap Long. The women are still absent, as is H.P. Lovecraft. Three stories in this collection repeat the standard Weird Tales construction for titles: "The _____ in the _____," or "The _____ of the _____." Lovers of pulp fiction wonder why their favorite genres are not taken very seriously by literary critics. Reliance on clichés is one of the reasons.

Worlds of Weird edited by Leo Margulies

(Pyramid Books, 1965, 158 pp.)

"The Forgotten Creator of Weird Tales, An Introduction . . ." by Sam Moskowitz

"Roads" by Seabury Quinn (Weird Tales, Jan. 1938)

"The Sapphire Goddess" by Nictzin Dyalhis (Feb. 1934)

"The Valley of the Worm" by Robert E. Howard (Feb. 1934)

"He That Hath Wings" by Edmond Hamilton (July 1938)

"Mother of Toads" by Clark Ashton Smith (July 1938)

"The Thing in the Cellar" by David H. Keller, M.D. (Mar. 1932)

"Giants in the Sky" by Frank Belknap Long (Aug. 1939)

Worlds of Weird (Pyramid Books V4471, 1965, second printing, 1977), with cover art by Virgil Finlay.

Text copyright 2012, 2023 Terence E. Hanley