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Home | Info | Books | Authors | Biblio | Feedback Short Bios about the AuthorsWeird Tales: The Unique Magazine.One of the most popular pulp magazines of it's day dedicated to weird fiction and an outlet for authors who might not be able to crack the more established markets. The magazines hey day was from March 1923 to September 1954 and has been revived periodically since and is again is in print. The magazines most famous editor was Farnsworth Wright who reigned at the helm for many decades until ill health forced him to resign. Many famous authors are associated with the magazine and include: H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E Howard, Robert Bloch (author of Psycho), Ray Bradbury, Fritz Lieber, Henry Kuttner, Seabury Quinn, C L Moore, August Derleth, E Hoffmann Price and Frank Belknap Long. Howard Phillips Lovecraft AKA: H. P. Lovecraft, HPL Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) lived most of his life in relative poverty in the New England city of Providence, Rhode Island in America. A keen student of science he published a small regional periodical on astronomy before turning his writing talent to getting published in the popular pulp magazines of the day. His first sale to Weird Tales was just before the 1920s and he sold most of his short stories that esteemed pulp magazine. After his death, his fans demanded that Weird Tales publish as many of HPL's as then unpublished stories as possible. Another key work is his "Supernatural Horror in Fiction" a non-fiction analysis of horror fiction before and during his time. Stephen King, noted and admired horror writer has this to say of H. P. Lovecraft: "The 20th century horror story's dark and baroque prince." A word on the Cthulhu Mythos The Cthulhu Mythos was truly born with the friendship of H. P Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E Howard. HPL encouraged other authors and colleagues to use his characters, events and entities from his stories, in their own. This cross fertilisation of short stories of a weird nature gave the Cthulhu Mythos its definite form. The Cthulhu Mythos is very basically about a group of fictional entities who supposed to have arrived on Earth millions of years ago and will one day return "when the stars are right." The tradition of the Cthulhu Mythos continues today and continues to be popular. Robert Edwin Howard AKA: Robert E Howard, REH Robert E Howard (1903?-1936) lived most of his short life in a small oil mining town of Cross Plains in Texas, USA. A "weakling" during his school years he took up bodybuilding often personifying the musclebound heroes he would portray from his fiction. He took up writing while at high school and his first character to gain any recognition was Solomon Kane, a Puritan adventurer. Some early Kane stories were published in Weird Tales and REH soon took to writing many barbarian-type characters namely: Bran Mak Morn, Kull of Valusia, Turlogh O'Brien before turning his typewriter to Conan. REH wrote fiction in many different genres such as boxing, oriental tales, cowboys mainly to support himself and his family, particularly in the later stages of his life. His mother was suffering from ill-health and being a "mummy's boy" didn't want to see his beloved mother die, he committed suicide. A few hours later his mother died also. Howard left this on his person that fateful day: Clark Ashton Smith AKA: CAS Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961) was born in Auburn, California, and living most of his life there. At an early age he displayed a gift of poetry and was nicknamed Keats of the Pacific Coast and gained recognition from such luminary a person as Ambrose Bierce, and Arthur Machen. Clark received a letter from an admirer, H. P. Lovecraft and urged him to submit stories to Weird Tales. So began a lasting friendship. Clark's main weird fiction and super-science fiction was written during the year 1929 until 1937, the year HPL died. He spent most of his life afterwards as a recluse marrying late, 1954 and moving with his wife to Pacific Grove where he lived the rest of his life. Clark's fiction was mainly written in cycles, the most recognised being: Averognie, Hyperborea and Zothique. Each cycle was used as setting with his stories using these settings as a backdrop. Averognie was about a small nation within the south of France during the middle ages; Hyperborea was about a place in Earth's remote past just before the last Ice Age; and Zothique, Zothique is Earth's last continent before it and the planet finally slips into the abyss. Arthur MachenPopularly known for: The Bowmen aka The Angels of Mons. Arthur Machen (1863-1947) was born in a small village in Wales used in remote times during the Roman Empire as a fort. Arthur was clearly fascinated with his local area, setting a few stories here. He failed the test to enter the Royal College of Surgeons, so he went to London to look for work. His translation of Casanova's memoirs, a standard for many years was a highlight. The inheritance of his priest father enabled Machen to write whatever he wished for the next 14 years. His most popular tales The Great God Pan (1890), The Inmost Light (1894), The Three Impostors (1895), and the White People (1904) date from this time. During the outbreak of WW1 Machen was employed by an Evening Newspaper. His publication of The Bowmen caused a sensation. His fiction was that during the battle of Mons the BEF was helped to victory by divine assistance from Saint George himself and the Agincourt Bowmen! The story was reprinted as true by many church organizations at the time and it's author explained the background he was deemed a disbelieving heretic. Machen spent the rest of his life publishing a few books and short stories here and there. He remained a Celtic Christian for much of his life, and remained life long close friends with W B Yeats. H. P. Lovecraft deemed Machen's 'The White People' the second greatest weird tale, Algernon Blackwood's 'The Willows' getting the top honour. Algernon BlackwoodPopularly known for: Largely forgotten. Algernon Blackwood (1869-1951) was born in Kent of a "well to do" family. Algernon completed his education at Cambridge. He entered university at Edinburgh but did not complete his studies. Algernon travelled widely during his life, including visiting Canada, America, Egypt, the region of the Danube and Germany. He like Arthur Machen, joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn at the turn of the Twentieth Century. During the First World War he served as an undercover agent for British Military Intelligence. Circa 1923 Algernon felt that his weird fiction ghost writing days were over and turned his talent to writing children's books and novels. He started a new career reading ghost stories on BBC and received the Television Society medal in 1948 and was made a Commander in the British Empire in 1949. Algernon Blackwood, affectionately known as "Ghost Man" died in 1951. Algernon Blackwood is a well respected author in the weird fiction / supernatural horror genre. It has been said that if anyone created the genre of the ghost story as we now know it, it was he. His two most known short stories are The Willows and The Wendigo. For those who saw the movie Blair Witch project will find a sense of deja vu reading The Wendigo. Other notable stories are 'The Centaur', 'The Human Chord', 'The Listener,' 'The Man Whom the Trees Loved' and the character John Silence, Physician Extraordinary. H. P. Lovecraft deemed Blackwood's 'The Willows' the greatest weird tale and has been called the foremost supernatural fictionist of them all. Robert William Chambers AKA: Robert W Chambers Robert W Chambers (1865-1933) was a popular author in his day, writing historical adventures and romance novels but now largely forgotten. Chambers wrote a couple of horror stories but it is collection of short stories The King in Yellow (1895) which he is today remembered for. A voluminous author, writing over 80 novels but today are hard to find. Other notable works include 'The Maker of Moons' and 'In Search of the Unknown'. Many other writers of fantastic fiction have been influenced and/or cited The King in Yellow as an influence. Lord Dunsany AKA: Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett (1878-1957) was born in London, the son of a peer of the British Empire, a title he inherited in 1899. A noted chess player (Irish national champion), hunter, artist, novelist, playwright, and writer of short stories. Lord Dunsany fought during the Boer War and was wounded during the First World War and served again in World War Two. He married the daughter of the Earl of Jersey in 1904. One notable achievement, reminiscent of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lord Dunsany had 5 plays on stage in 4 capital cities and New York including Broadway. His first popular short story collection 'The Gods of Pegana' was followed soon after by further volumes. His fairy tales The King of Elfland Daughter and The Charwoman's Shadow appeared in 1924 and 1926 respectably. Neil Gaimen has said of him "many authors [today] would have less to say had [Lord] Dunsany not said it first." William Hope HodgsonPopularly known for: Nothing specific but his The Night Land was one of the first "Earth's last days" stories. William Hope Hodgson (1877-1918), from Essex ran away to sea at an early age, thirteen and spent the next eight years as a cabin boy, mate, unofficial marine photographer merchant seaman. He travelled around the world three times and was awarded the Royal Humane Society's award for saving a life at sea. Returning to merry England he buffed himself up and taught as a gym instructor. He enlisted into the army and was killed during the the First World War. Hodgson published his first novel 'The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"' in 1907. His most widely read novel 'The House on the Borderland' was published next (1908); followed by 'The Ghost Pirates' (1909) and 'The Night Land' (1910). In the tradition of Sherlock Holmes and Algernon Blackwood's John Silence, Hodgson wrote a series of short stories about 'Carnacki the Ghost Finder'. It is easy to see the influence of Hodgson's 'The Night Land' on the authors Clark Ashton Smith and Jack Vance. Smith wrote his cycle of stories about Earth's last continent Zothique and Vance's first notable book, a collection of short stories, was about 'The Dying Earth'. Go to the top of the page |