Weird Tales October 1939 [ Lovecraft – In The Walls Of Eryx ]

Description

Original Issue of Weird Tales Pulp Magazine With First Appearance of “In The Walls of Eryx ” by HP Lovecraft and Kenneth Sterling

 

Lovecraft, H.P. and Sterling, Kenneth. Howard, Robert E. Quinn, Seabury. Wright, Farnsworth, ed. Weird Tales Vol 34 No 4, October 1939. Weird Tales : New York. 1939.

 

Contains the first appearance of one of the only straight science fiction stories by HP Lovecraft , “In The Walls of Eryx “, a collaboration with Providence, RI high school student Kenneth Sterling which appeared in Weird Tales after Lovecraft’s death. Arguably a space western, the story was brought to Lovecraft in draft form in 1936 who then effectively reworked and rewrote it to match his particular proclivities. Rejected throughout the remainder of his life, even by Weird Tales, the story was finally published more than 2 years after his death. The narrative details an attempt by a leather-suited human explorer to steal valuable crystals from the native man-lizards of Venus armed with a flame pistol, recording cylinder, and oxygen provided by potassium chlorate cubes. This issue also features the first appearance of Seabury Quinn’s “The Lady of the Bells” and Manly Wade Wellman’s “The Witch’s Cat” as well as original artwork from pioneering pulp and dark fantasy illustrator Virgil Finlay, including his full page interpretation of Clark Ashton Smith’s poem “The Hashish Eater“. The cover illustration of an alchemist was provided by Harold S De Lay.

 

8vo, 127pp, original printed paper wraps. Stain to front wrap at top joint edge. Some creasing with chip loss to front lower fore corner. Pages toned. Minor staining, darkening to text block and some later page margins. Moisture stain to back wrap lower quarter affecting interior advertisement. Good.

 

If you liked this issue of Weird Tales you might also enjoy this original Robert Bloch letter with HP Lovecraft cartoon.