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Weird Tales: 32 Unearthed Terrors
1988 1st ed. Bonanza
665 pages, Hardcover
First published June 8, 1988
8 people are currently reading
1121 people want to read
About the author
Stefan R. Dziemianowicz
81 books32 followersBorn in 1957, Stefan Dziemianowicz works for the publisher Barnes & Noble as an editor.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 13, 2024
Really nice collection stories for this iconic magazine. Very enjoyable read. Recommended
August 18, 2011
Though hardly a runaway success in its day, and a publication that faced financial hardships for much of its existence, the pulp magazine known as "Weird Tales" is today revered by fans and collectors alike as one of the most influential and prestigious. Anthologies without number have used stories from its pages, and the roster of authors who got their start therein reads like a "Who's Who" of 20th century horror and fantasy literature. During its 32-year run, from 1923-1954, and in its 279 issues, "Weird Tales" catered to a select readership that could not help but be impressed by early efforts from the likes of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, C.L. Moore, Henry Kuttner, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson and dozens of others. "Weird Tales: 32 Unearthed Terrors," unlike some of the other books that have cherry picked the best from the magazine's pages, takes a slightly different approach. Its editors have selected one story from each year of the magazine's run; not necessarily the "best" story of that year, but the one that the editors felt has been the most unjustly underappreciated, or too rarely anthologized, or simply most in need of a reappraisal. The result is 655 pages of some of the finest imaginative writing that any reader could ask for. Simply put, this is one helluva collection.
Several of the stories here are fairly well known. Lovecraft's complete posthumous novel, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," an offshoot of his "Cthulhu Mythos," has generously been offered as the token tale from 1941. Fredric Brown's "Come and Go Mad," a gripping tale of paranoia; "Dust of Gods," a C.L. Moore story featuring spaceman Northwest Smith; and Robert E. Howard's "The Shadow Kingdom," featuring the first appearance of King Kull, are all here, and are welcome presences, always. But there are also lesser-known works from writers who would one day become quite well known; "Weird Tales" was as much an incubator and proving ground for horror and fantasy writers as "Astounding Science-Fiction" was for the sci-fi author. Thus, we have stories here such as 1946's "Let's Play Poison," an eerie tale of some devilish children, by a bloke named Ray Bradbury. Richard Matheson, in what can almost be seen as a warm-up for his later, terrific novel "Hell House," here gives us "Slaughter House" (one of the scariest stories in the whole collection, I might add). Isaac Asimov and Frederik Pohl appeared only once in "Weird Tales," in 1950, with their very amusing tale of a ghostly court case, "Legal Rites," and that story is here, too. Other well-known names in this volume include Edmond Hamilton, with a wonderful story of evolution run amok, "Evolution Island"; Jack Williamson, telling the story of a scientist's matter materialization experiments gone horribly wrong, in "The Wand of Doom"; Fritz Leiber, and his very humorous story of a supernatural firearm, "The Automatic Pistol"; and Robert Bloch's hilarious tale of a witch, a mermaid, a werewolf, a tree nymph and a vampire, "Black Barter."
Even nicer than encountering unknown works from old friends, however, is making the acquaintance of new ones, and this anthology should serve as an introduction to many readers of some terrific authors whose reputations died with "Weird Tale"'s demise. C.M. Eddy's notorious story "The Loved Dead," with its creepy necrophiliac protagonist, should long linger in the memory (it caused a scandalous sensation back in 1924). Nictzin Dyalhis (I LOVE that name!) contributes here a sci-fi tale of the Venhezians saving the men of Aerth from some particularly nasty Lunarians, and pulpy and primitive as "When the Green Star Waned" is...well, I just loved it. C. Hall Thompson, in his 1947 story "The Will of Claude Ashur," attempted a Lovecraft pastiche that, if no Lovecraft, is still awfully darn good. Seabury Quinn, the author who appeared in more issues of "Weird Tales" than any other (165!), is of course represented here, with one of his wildly popular Jules de Grandin adventures, "Satan's Stepson," a tale of demon things and the Black Mass. Another new author here (for this reader, anyway) is Gans T. Field, whose 1938 story "The Hairy Ones Shall Dance" (a modern-day werewolf thriller) made me an instant fan. H. Warner Munn provides an unforgettable story of atrocious torture, "The Chain," and Robert Barbour Johnson, in his story "Far Below," tells a tale sure to chill the bones of anyone who has ever ridden the N.Y.C. subway. (I, unfortunately, do so every day!)
And there are many other wonders to be found in this generous collection; I haven't even mentioned the excellent contributions from August Derleth, Theodore Sturgeon, Henry Kuttner, Clark Ashton Smith and so many others. The book is indeed a treasure trove of fantastic literature, with concise introductions AND illustrations for each story. There is only one quibble that I would like to register here, and that is the inordinate number of typos--hundreds of them, I'd say--scattered throughout the book's almost 700 pages. As a proofreader and copy editor myself, I find it deplorable that such a wonderful collection was so carelessly composed. Had I known, I would have volunteered my services for free back in 1988, to help guarantee that this tribute to such a legendary magazine could have received the immaculate presentation that it so well deserves. Still, the presence of these regrettable printer's errors should in no wise deter any potential readers. The book is still amazing, and remains a very fine introduction and tribute to "The Unique Magazine."
Several of the stories here are fairly well known. Lovecraft's complete posthumous novel, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," an offshoot of his "Cthulhu Mythos," has generously been offered as the token tale from 1941. Fredric Brown's "Come and Go Mad," a gripping tale of paranoia; "Dust of Gods," a C.L. Moore story featuring spaceman Northwest Smith; and Robert E. Howard's "The Shadow Kingdom," featuring the first appearance of King Kull, are all here, and are welcome presences, always. But there are also lesser-known works from writers who would one day become quite well known; "Weird Tales" was as much an incubator and proving ground for horror and fantasy writers as "Astounding Science-Fiction" was for the sci-fi author. Thus, we have stories here such as 1946's "Let's Play Poison," an eerie tale of some devilish children, by a bloke named Ray Bradbury. Richard Matheson, in what can almost be seen as a warm-up for his later, terrific novel "Hell House," here gives us "Slaughter House" (one of the scariest stories in the whole collection, I might add). Isaac Asimov and Frederik Pohl appeared only once in "Weird Tales," in 1950, with their very amusing tale of a ghostly court case, "Legal Rites," and that story is here, too. Other well-known names in this volume include Edmond Hamilton, with a wonderful story of evolution run amok, "Evolution Island"; Jack Williamson, telling the story of a scientist's matter materialization experiments gone horribly wrong, in "The Wand of Doom"; Fritz Leiber, and his very humorous story of a supernatural firearm, "The Automatic Pistol"; and Robert Bloch's hilarious tale of a witch, a mermaid, a werewolf, a tree nymph and a vampire, "Black Barter."
Even nicer than encountering unknown works from old friends, however, is making the acquaintance of new ones, and this anthology should serve as an introduction to many readers of some terrific authors whose reputations died with "Weird Tale"'s demise. C.M. Eddy's notorious story "The Loved Dead," with its creepy necrophiliac protagonist, should long linger in the memory (it caused a scandalous sensation back in 1924). Nictzin Dyalhis (I LOVE that name!) contributes here a sci-fi tale of the Venhezians saving the men of Aerth from some particularly nasty Lunarians, and pulpy and primitive as "When the Green Star Waned" is...well, I just loved it. C. Hall Thompson, in his 1947 story "The Will of Claude Ashur," attempted a Lovecraft pastiche that, if no Lovecraft, is still awfully darn good. Seabury Quinn, the author who appeared in more issues of "Weird Tales" than any other (165!), is of course represented here, with one of his wildly popular Jules de Grandin adventures, "Satan's Stepson," a tale of demon things and the Black Mass. Another new author here (for this reader, anyway) is Gans T. Field, whose 1938 story "The Hairy Ones Shall Dance" (a modern-day werewolf thriller) made me an instant fan. H. Warner Munn provides an unforgettable story of atrocious torture, "The Chain," and Robert Barbour Johnson, in his story "Far Below," tells a tale sure to chill the bones of anyone who has ever ridden the N.Y.C. subway. (I, unfortunately, do so every day!)
And there are many other wonders to be found in this generous collection; I haven't even mentioned the excellent contributions from August Derleth, Theodore Sturgeon, Henry Kuttner, Clark Ashton Smith and so many others. The book is indeed a treasure trove of fantastic literature, with concise introductions AND illustrations for each story. There is only one quibble that I would like to register here, and that is the inordinate number of typos--hundreds of them, I'd say--scattered throughout the book's almost 700 pages. As a proofreader and copy editor myself, I find it deplorable that such a wonderful collection was so carelessly composed. Had I known, I would have volunteered my services for free back in 1988, to help guarantee that this tribute to such a legendary magazine could have received the immaculate presentation that it so well deserves. Still, the presence of these regrettable printer's errors should in no wise deter any potential readers. The book is still amazing, and remains a very fine introduction and tribute to "The Unique Magazine."
April 19, 2009
A superb collection of short and some not-so-short horror stories from the pulp magazine. There's something for almost every taste here, and it's a good way to take a dip in the waters before diving headlong into the seas of Lovecraft, Clark Ashton-Smith, or Bloch, to name a few.
March 9, 2009
I can't recall if I ever finished this book so I'm starting it again. Some very creepy stories so perhaps not the best for bedtime reading but it sure serves the purpose--quieting my mind down so I can fall asleep.
June 26, 2012
Bookstore find - some stories very good - some not so good!
April 28, 2014
the second book of weird tales and i adored it. absolutely mesmerising!
January 28, 2020
Found this bit of gold at a used book store. It's the kind of book I will keep with me even if I lose all my other possessions. The pulp fiction contained within it is incredible, reminding us the pulps provided the most imaginative fiction America ever produced. The writing isn't always "literary," but who cares? Life is weird. The only way to deal with it is weird fiction!
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September 16, 2025Weird Tales: 32 Unearthed Terrors presents a single story from every year of the magazine's existence. Rather than a 'best of', this 1988 anthology presents the cream of tales that, for whatever reason, haven't been widely collected elsewhere. As the introduction states, "A good story bears retelling."
Anthony M. Rud, "A Square of Canvas" (1923)
The opening story is a tale of art and death, which treads similar ground to Poe’s The Oval Portrait. In Rud's tale, the artist finds his inspiration in the spilling of blood, with events escalating somewhat predictably towards the conclusion. Interesting in that it tackles a question that’s still relevant today: can you love the art and not the artist? 3/5
C. M. Eddy, "The Loved Dead" (1924)
The controversial tale of a man and his love for corpses, which may or may not have caused copies of Weird Tales to be withdrawn from sale in certain places. As with the previous tale, it benefits from not being overly graphic. 3/5
Nictzin Dyalhis, "When the Green Star Waned" (1925)
A science fiction tale about a planet invaded by 'evil intelligences' from the dark side of the 'Moun'. Yes, all the planets (and satellites) in this tale have names that are variations on those in our own solar system, which sounds cringeworthy but was actually helpful. Very readable, but not really my thing. 3/5
R. Anthony, "The Parasitic Hand" (1926)
A strange appendage growing from a man's ribcage. X-rays that reveal a further anomaly. I enjoyed this body horror, but there was an opportunity here to explore the psychological elements, and particularly the bond between twins, more deeply. The second half was unexpected, but I wanted it to go further. 3/5
Edmond Hamilton, "Evolution Island" (1927)
A machine that accelerates evolution. An uninhabited island in the West Indies. An experiment that threatens all of mankind. I'm not a scientist, but I'm confident the science in this tale is bonkers. And why not? This was an enjoyable, well-paced yarn that works as long as you don't think about it too much (or at all). 3/5
H. Warner Munn, "The Chain" (1928)
A crippled cuckold. An arrogant lover. A rat-filled pit. Reminiscent of Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum, this was a dark, sadistic tale of torture and revenge. My third Munn short story and, like the others, it didn't disappoint. Climb! 4/5
Robert E. Howard, "The Shadow Kingdom" (1929)
Snake-headed men. A secret invasion. And Kull, the barbarian king of Valusia. Howard created the sword and sorcery subgenre with this tale of a barbarian battling supernatural beings. Three years later, he would rewrite a rejected Kull story, turning it into The Phoenix on the Sword and introducing readers to his new character, Conan. Not my thing, but undoubtedly an important work in the history of Weird Tales. 3/5
Henry S. Whitehead, "The Shut Room" (1930)
An old coaching inn. The legend of a notorious highwayman. The mystery of the disappearing leather. This was a relatively conventional British ghost story, which is a shame as Whitehead is known for his voodoo tales, having lived in the West Indies for the best part of a decade. 2/5
Seabury Quinn, "Satan's Stepson" (1931)
A car crash on an icy night. An hysterical scream. A woman, back from the dead. I'm a fan of Quinn's mystery-solving doctors, and this novelette, reprinted for the first time, is one of the reasons I purchased this anthology. Sadly, it didn't live up to expectations. After a promising start, the two doctors are largely removed from the action as we're subjected to the lengthy stories of several secondary characters, which grew tedious. A missed opportunity. 2/5
Jack Williamson, "The Wand of Doom" (1932)
The search for two brothers who've disappeared in the bayou swamps outside of New Orleans. Strange machinery and an acute fear of spiders. This sci-fi tale was in a similar vein to Evolution Island - daft but well-paced, and fun. 3/5
Clark Ashton Smith, "The Isle of Torturers" (1933)
A swift and fatal plague. A magical ring. A doomed sea crossing. This tale leaned too far into fantasy for my tastes, and was predictable from a few pages in, but the writing was evocative and ultimately satisfying. 3/5
C. L. Moore, "Dust of Gods" (1934)
Moore wasn't a fan of this sci-fi tale, the title of which came from a typo (she missed the 'l' when typing 'gold dust') - but when are artists ever truly satisfied with their art? Northwest Smith and his Venusian sidekick, Yarol, explore a cave on Mars in search of the titular god dust. Entertaining enough, although it would have worked just as well (and maybe better) as an Earth-based horror. 3/5
(To be continued)
Anthony M. Rud, "A Square of Canvas" (1923)
The opening story is a tale of art and death, which treads similar ground to Poe’s The Oval Portrait. In Rud's tale, the artist finds his inspiration in the spilling of blood, with events escalating somewhat predictably towards the conclusion. Interesting in that it tackles a question that’s still relevant today: can you love the art and not the artist? 3/5
C. M. Eddy, "The Loved Dead" (1924)
The controversial tale of a man and his love for corpses, which may or may not have caused copies of Weird Tales to be withdrawn from sale in certain places. As with the previous tale, it benefits from not being overly graphic. 3/5
Nictzin Dyalhis, "When the Green Star Waned" (1925)
A science fiction tale about a planet invaded by 'evil intelligences' from the dark side of the 'Moun'. Yes, all the planets (and satellites) in this tale have names that are variations on those in our own solar system, which sounds cringeworthy but was actually helpful. Very readable, but not really my thing. 3/5
R. Anthony, "The Parasitic Hand" (1926)
A strange appendage growing from a man's ribcage. X-rays that reveal a further anomaly. I enjoyed this body horror, but there was an opportunity here to explore the psychological elements, and particularly the bond between twins, more deeply. The second half was unexpected, but I wanted it to go further. 3/5
Edmond Hamilton, "Evolution Island" (1927)
A machine that accelerates evolution. An uninhabited island in the West Indies. An experiment that threatens all of mankind. I'm not a scientist, but I'm confident the science in this tale is bonkers. And why not? This was an enjoyable, well-paced yarn that works as long as you don't think about it too much (or at all). 3/5
H. Warner Munn, "The Chain" (1928)
A crippled cuckold. An arrogant lover. A rat-filled pit. Reminiscent of Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum, this was a dark, sadistic tale of torture and revenge. My third Munn short story and, like the others, it didn't disappoint. Climb! 4/5
Robert E. Howard, "The Shadow Kingdom" (1929)
Snake-headed men. A secret invasion. And Kull, the barbarian king of Valusia. Howard created the sword and sorcery subgenre with this tale of a barbarian battling supernatural beings. Three years later, he would rewrite a rejected Kull story, turning it into The Phoenix on the Sword and introducing readers to his new character, Conan. Not my thing, but undoubtedly an important work in the history of Weird Tales. 3/5
Henry S. Whitehead, "The Shut Room" (1930)
An old coaching inn. The legend of a notorious highwayman. The mystery of the disappearing leather. This was a relatively conventional British ghost story, which is a shame as Whitehead is known for his voodoo tales, having lived in the West Indies for the best part of a decade. 2/5
Seabury Quinn, "Satan's Stepson" (1931)
A car crash on an icy night. An hysterical scream. A woman, back from the dead. I'm a fan of Quinn's mystery-solving doctors, and this novelette, reprinted for the first time, is one of the reasons I purchased this anthology. Sadly, it didn't live up to expectations. After a promising start, the two doctors are largely removed from the action as we're subjected to the lengthy stories of several secondary characters, which grew tedious. A missed opportunity. 2/5
Jack Williamson, "The Wand of Doom" (1932)
The search for two brothers who've disappeared in the bayou swamps outside of New Orleans. Strange machinery and an acute fear of spiders. This sci-fi tale was in a similar vein to Evolution Island - daft but well-paced, and fun. 3/5
Clark Ashton Smith, "The Isle of Torturers" (1933)
A swift and fatal plague. A magical ring. A doomed sea crossing. This tale leaned too far into fantasy for my tastes, and was predictable from a few pages in, but the writing was evocative and ultimately satisfying. 3/5
C. L. Moore, "Dust of Gods" (1934)
Moore wasn't a fan of this sci-fi tale, the title of which came from a typo (she missed the 'l' when typing 'gold dust') - but when are artists ever truly satisfied with their art? Northwest Smith and his Venusian sidekick, Yarol, explore a cave on Mars in search of the titular god dust. Entertaining enough, although it would have worked just as well (and maybe better) as an Earth-based horror. 3/5
(To be continued)
December 5, 2011
Very good, I enjoy reading the old ones, often I see old friends in them and as often, the first time an idea has made it to print and by now we know it as some movie that little resembles the first time it hit the pages of a hit series like Weird Tales. Visiting the past in these is also interesting, the daily lives of past generations often reveal things most of us wouldn't even consider as part of daily life and some are actually interesting to puzzle out.
November 25, 2013
This collection some of the best tales from the magazine's glory years of the 1920s through the 1950s. Included are A SQUARE CANVAS, THE PARASITIC HAND, EVOLUTION ISLAND, THE SHADOW KINGDOM, THE ROOM OF SHADOWS, BLACK BARTER, CARNABY'S FISH, SOMETHING FROM OUT THERE, and SLAUGHTER HOUSE. I encourage you to read this collection with the lights on.
June 23, 2022
this book is the best thing you can do to reflect
April 18, 2016
Fantastic collection of stories. My favorite was probably C.M. Eddy's The Love Dead, a dark (and disturbing) comedy about a young necrophiliac who gets a job at a morgue to be with the kind of people he loves.
February 2, 2010
Too much fun!!!
September 30, 2015
Masterful collection! Must-read for fans of livid prose!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews