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WEIRD TALES: The Early Years; The Unique Magazine; Masters of Weird Fiction
WEIRD TALES: The Early Years [Volume 1]
VOLUME ONE - The Early Years
THE FIRST ISSUE of Weird Tales landed on American newsstands in early 1923. Many other periodicals had regularly featured horror, science fiction and weird fantasy but Weird Tales was the first title specifically devoted to “the bizarre and unusual”. The brainchild of entrepreneur and weird fiction fan Jacob Clark Henneberger, who co-founded the magazine with Jacob Marcus Lasinger, the new venture lost money under the editorship of Edwin Baird. By early 1924, Baird had been removed and, following a rejected offer to H.P Lovecraft to take over the reigns of the magazine, he was replaced by one of his assistants, Farnsworth Wright.
Although it would prove to be the best decision Weird Tales ever made, throughout the 1920s the magazine continued to struggle to survive, despite experiments in content, design, page-count, size and frequency. Henneberger eventually lost control of the periodical he had founded to his printer, to whom he owed most of his mounting debt.
This first volume celebrates the pulp’s rocky early years, during which the future of the title was still perilous. However, under the guiding hand of Farnsworth Wright (and with a little help from Otis Adelbert Kline), Weird Tales quickly began to establish itself as “The Unique Magazine”. It started to attract a regular readership with writers and artists that included H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Seabury Quinn, Frank Owen, Donald Wandrei and others who are forgotten today.
Weird Tales finally established itself as one of the most influential pulp magazines of the 20th century—a position it retains more than a century after it was first published.
THE FIRST ISSUE of Weird Tales landed on American newsstands in early 1923. Many other periodicals had regularly featured horror, science fiction and weird fantasy but Weird Tales was the first title specifically devoted to “the bizarre and unusual”. The brainchild of entrepreneur and weird fiction fan Jacob Clark Henneberger, who co-founded the magazine with Jacob Marcus Lasinger, the new venture lost money under the editorship of Edwin Baird. By early 1924, Baird had been removed and, following a rejected offer to H.P Lovecraft to take over the reigns of the magazine, he was replaced by one of his assistants, Farnsworth Wright.
Although it would prove to be the best decision Weird Tales ever made, throughout the 1920s the magazine continued to struggle to survive, despite experiments in content, design, page-count, size and frequency. Henneberger eventually lost control of the periodical he had founded to his printer, to whom he owed most of his mounting debt.
This first volume celebrates the pulp’s rocky early years, during which the future of the title was still perilous. However, under the guiding hand of Farnsworth Wright (and with a little help from Otis Adelbert Kline), Weird Tales quickly began to establish itself as “The Unique Magazine”. It started to attract a regular readership with writers and artists that included H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Seabury Quinn, Frank Owen, Donald Wandrei and others who are forgotten today.
Weird Tales finally established itself as one of the most influential pulp magazines of the 20th century—a position it retains more than a century after it was first published.
482 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2026
About the author
Stephen Jones
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This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 3, 2026
Over the past couple of years I've enjoyed five Weird Tales anthologies (see links to Goodreads reviews, below), with three more waiting on my shelf. And then in May 2026, PS Publishing released a monster 3-volume set in a belated celebration of the magazine's 100th anniversary, covering 'The Early Years', 'The Unique Magazine', and 'Masterpieces of Weird Fiction'. This review is for The Early Years (Volume 1).
The hardback anthology is very nicely put together. As well as the stories, it features artwork, poems, adverts and other curiosities from the pages of Weird Tales. The paper is lower grade than other PS Publishing titles, which seems appropriate.
Jones's introduction gives a history of the magazine's difficult first decade, followed by short biographies of the featured authors and their selected stories. After the introduction, we're treated to an editorial from Otis Adelbert Kline, called Why Weird Tales? (1924), which Jones refers to as the magazine's 'policy manifesto.'
Stories with an asterisk are ones I've read before.
Anthony M. Rud, "Ooze" (1923)*
My second visit to 'Dead House' in the jungles of southern Alabama. This sci-fi horror mash-up was the cover story of the first ever issue of Weird Tales, making it a great place to start. Why did John Corliss Cranmer build a wall around his lodge? And why did his son need so much meat? And what lives in the pool of mud? An entertaining mystery, but of it's time. 3/5
Farnsworth Wright, "The Snake Fiend" (1923)
As the editor who replaced Edwin Baird (after Lovecraft had rejected the job), Farnsworth Wright brought stability to Weird Tales that helped it survive the 20s. His contribution to the magazine is beyond doubt. This story, on the other hand, suffers from unbelievable characters and a wafer-thin plot. Effective, maybe, if you're already terrified of snakes. Not for me. 1/5
Otis Adelbert Kline, "The Phantom Wolfhound" (1923)*
The tale of a man haunted by a spectral canine. The blurb references another Kline story, The Thing of a Thousand Shapes which, if memory serves correctly, was weirder and more satisfying. Light on character and plot, and unintentionally humorous. 2/5
Culpeper Chunn, "Doctor X" (1923)
Once you've successfully transplanted a brain from one animal to another, the obvious next step is to experiment on humans, right? This might have been entertaining if the idea had been explored further. As it is, it's quite silly. 2/5
Sonia H. Greene, "The Invisible Monster" (1923)
Originally written under the superior (in my opinion) title, 'The Horror at Martin's Beach' (echoing Doyle's The Terror of Blue John Gap and others), this story was revised and possibly rewritten by Greene's to-be husband, H.P. Lovecraft, which becomes more obvious as the story progresses and the prose becomes denser. Definitely the weirdest story so far, with atmosphere, intrigue and a decent helping of maritime horror. 3/5
Frank Owen, "The Open Window" (1924)
'When one has experienced every emotion, it is right that death should result...' Who opened the window? Why were all the pictures turned to face the wall? And what killed the man in India? A well-paced story that left a number of questions unanswered. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I wonder whether anything was really resolved? 3/5
H.P. Lovecraft, "The Rats in the Walls" (1924)
The grim tale of a bereaved man returning to his ancestral home only to discover the underground horrors that had previously led to a 'scampering army of obscene vermin' escaping and devouring everything in its path. Championed by Weird Tales after being rejected by Argosy magazine for being 'too horrible'. The name of the cat was distracting, although it was named after Lovecraft's childhood pet. 4/5
C.M. Eddy Jr., "The Ghost-Eater" (1924)
If all the locals are mysteriously 'too busy' to guide you through the forest, it's probably best not to fall asleep mid journey and spend the night. Tonally inconsistent, and with a long build-up to an underwhelming climax, Eddy's first story in Weird Tales reads like an early draft, even if it was revised by his friend and fellow Providence resident, H.P. Lovecraft. 2/5
Harry Houdini, "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" (1924)*
'It was very gradually that I regained my senses after that eldritch flight through stygian space.' If there's any doubt this story was written by Lovecraft, this line should settle it. A lengthy tale made longer by Lovecraft's turgid prose, but also benefitting from his vast imagination and a famous protagonist. My favourite part was the donkey names: Rameses, Mark Twain and J. P. Morgan. Was this Houdini or Lovecraft, I wonder? 3/5
C. M. Eddy, "The Loved Dead" (1924)*
Another Lovecraft co-write, although thankfully this is more readable than the Houdini tale, despite the ghoulish subject matter. Included, I guess, because of its notoriety. 3/5
Greya La Spina, "The Tortoise-Shell Cat" (1924)
An 'innocent white girl' and her 'old Negress' mammy (nanny), and the titular cat with a penchant for stealing jewellery. One of those stories with so much foreshadowing there are no real surprises. 3/5
Victor Rowan, "Four Wooden Stakes" (1925)
A straightforward vampire tale, light on suspense and atmosphere. 2/5
Frank Owen, "The Wind that Tramps the World" (1925)
An oriental love story of wind and flowers, and a lifetime of waiting. More magical realism than fantasy. Among so many of what we now think of as horror tropes, this story shone. 4/5
Robert E. Howard, "In the Forest of Villefère" (1925)
A neat little werewolf tale from the creator of Conan the Barbarian. Fairly predictable, but saved by some interesting lore and a slightly ambiguous ending. Howard was nineteen when he wrote this. Weird Tales would publish the sequel, Wolfshead, the following year. 3/5
Seabury Quinn, "The Horror on the Links" (1925)
A murdered young woman, a gorilla dressed in man's clothing, and a notorious scientist who has escaped the 'madhouse'. Quinn's first tale to feature French investigator, Jules de Grandin, and his loyal companion, Dr Trowbridge, established the characters and format that would make Quinn one of Weird Tales most consistently popular authors. Endearing daft, and a pleasure to read. 3/5
Edward Lucas White, "Lukundoo" (1925)
Witch doctors, a cursed man, and shrunken heads that whistle. '...and when eyes and ears agree, there can be no doubt.' Africa really is wild. 3/5
August W. Derleth, "Bat's Belfry" (1926)*
Faced with a choice between survival and writing in his journal, the protagonist chose to...well, you'll have to read it to find out. 2/5
Clare Winger Harris, "A Runaway World" (1926)
'Planets revolve around their suns, electrons around their protons, the infinite, the infinitesimal!' Who will survive as the Earth is torn from it's orbit and plunged into the freezing darkness of space? Harris was the first woman to publish stories under her own name in science fiction magazines, including the two she contributed to Weird Tales. An enjoyable, thought-provoking read, even though it lacked tension as the story progressed. 3/5
A. Merritt, "The Woman of the Wood" (1926)*
Two buildings on opposite sides of the lake, each with a very different relationship to its natural environment. This novella, the cover story for the anthology, is a blend of magical realism and eco-horror. Well-paced, beautifully written, and just long enough to be satisfying. 4/5
Edmond Hamilton, "The Monster-God of Mamurth" (1926)
In the middle of the desert, an explorer stumbles across an invisible building guarded by an invisible spider god. This pulp horror by Edmond 'World Wrecker' Hamilton was the first of nearly eighty published by Weird Tales over twenty-two years. I've read a couple of his other stories, and they've all been enjoyable. 'It's not always good to dig up dead secrets. There are some things the past should be allowed to hide.' Wise words. 3/5
To be continued
Check out my other Weird Tales anthology reviews:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The hardback anthology is very nicely put together. As well as the stories, it features artwork, poems, adverts and other curiosities from the pages of Weird Tales. The paper is lower grade than other PS Publishing titles, which seems appropriate.
Jones's introduction gives a history of the magazine's difficult first decade, followed by short biographies of the featured authors and their selected stories. After the introduction, we're treated to an editorial from Otis Adelbert Kline, called Why Weird Tales? (1924), which Jones refers to as the magazine's 'policy manifesto.'
Stories with an asterisk are ones I've read before.
Anthony M. Rud, "Ooze" (1923)*
My second visit to 'Dead House' in the jungles of southern Alabama. This sci-fi horror mash-up was the cover story of the first ever issue of Weird Tales, making it a great place to start. Why did John Corliss Cranmer build a wall around his lodge? And why did his son need so much meat? And what lives in the pool of mud? An entertaining mystery, but of it's time. 3/5
Farnsworth Wright, "The Snake Fiend" (1923)
As the editor who replaced Edwin Baird (after Lovecraft had rejected the job), Farnsworth Wright brought stability to Weird Tales that helped it survive the 20s. His contribution to the magazine is beyond doubt. This story, on the other hand, suffers from unbelievable characters and a wafer-thin plot. Effective, maybe, if you're already terrified of snakes. Not for me. 1/5
Otis Adelbert Kline, "The Phantom Wolfhound" (1923)*
The tale of a man haunted by a spectral canine. The blurb references another Kline story, The Thing of a Thousand Shapes which, if memory serves correctly, was weirder and more satisfying. Light on character and plot, and unintentionally humorous. 2/5
Culpeper Chunn, "Doctor X" (1923)
Once you've successfully transplanted a brain from one animal to another, the obvious next step is to experiment on humans, right? This might have been entertaining if the idea had been explored further. As it is, it's quite silly. 2/5
Sonia H. Greene, "The Invisible Monster" (1923)
Originally written under the superior (in my opinion) title, 'The Horror at Martin's Beach' (echoing Doyle's The Terror of Blue John Gap and others), this story was revised and possibly rewritten by Greene's to-be husband, H.P. Lovecraft, which becomes more obvious as the story progresses and the prose becomes denser. Definitely the weirdest story so far, with atmosphere, intrigue and a decent helping of maritime horror. 3/5
Frank Owen, "The Open Window" (1924)
'When one has experienced every emotion, it is right that death should result...' Who opened the window? Why were all the pictures turned to face the wall? And what killed the man in India? A well-paced story that left a number of questions unanswered. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I wonder whether anything was really resolved? 3/5
H.P. Lovecraft, "The Rats in the Walls" (1924)
The grim tale of a bereaved man returning to his ancestral home only to discover the underground horrors that had previously led to a 'scampering army of obscene vermin' escaping and devouring everything in its path. Championed by Weird Tales after being rejected by Argosy magazine for being 'too horrible'. The name of the cat was distracting, although it was named after Lovecraft's childhood pet. 4/5
C.M. Eddy Jr., "The Ghost-Eater" (1924)
If all the locals are mysteriously 'too busy' to guide you through the forest, it's probably best not to fall asleep mid journey and spend the night. Tonally inconsistent, and with a long build-up to an underwhelming climax, Eddy's first story in Weird Tales reads like an early draft, even if it was revised by his friend and fellow Providence resident, H.P. Lovecraft. 2/5
Harry Houdini, "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" (1924)*
'It was very gradually that I regained my senses after that eldritch flight through stygian space.' If there's any doubt this story was written by Lovecraft, this line should settle it. A lengthy tale made longer by Lovecraft's turgid prose, but also benefitting from his vast imagination and a famous protagonist. My favourite part was the donkey names: Rameses, Mark Twain and J. P. Morgan. Was this Houdini or Lovecraft, I wonder? 3/5
C. M. Eddy, "The Loved Dead" (1924)*
Another Lovecraft co-write, although thankfully this is more readable than the Houdini tale, despite the ghoulish subject matter. Included, I guess, because of its notoriety. 3/5
Greya La Spina, "The Tortoise-Shell Cat" (1924)
An 'innocent white girl' and her 'old Negress' mammy (nanny), and the titular cat with a penchant for stealing jewellery. One of those stories with so much foreshadowing there are no real surprises. 3/5
Victor Rowan, "Four Wooden Stakes" (1925)
A straightforward vampire tale, light on suspense and atmosphere. 2/5
Frank Owen, "The Wind that Tramps the World" (1925)
An oriental love story of wind and flowers, and a lifetime of waiting. More magical realism than fantasy. Among so many of what we now think of as horror tropes, this story shone. 4/5
Robert E. Howard, "In the Forest of Villefère" (1925)
A neat little werewolf tale from the creator of Conan the Barbarian. Fairly predictable, but saved by some interesting lore and a slightly ambiguous ending. Howard was nineteen when he wrote this. Weird Tales would publish the sequel, Wolfshead, the following year. 3/5
Seabury Quinn, "The Horror on the Links" (1925)
A murdered young woman, a gorilla dressed in man's clothing, and a notorious scientist who has escaped the 'madhouse'. Quinn's first tale to feature French investigator, Jules de Grandin, and his loyal companion, Dr Trowbridge, established the characters and format that would make Quinn one of Weird Tales most consistently popular authors. Endearing daft, and a pleasure to read. 3/5
Edward Lucas White, "Lukundoo" (1925)
Witch doctors, a cursed man, and shrunken heads that whistle. '...and when eyes and ears agree, there can be no doubt.' Africa really is wild. 3/5
August W. Derleth, "Bat's Belfry" (1926)*
Faced with a choice between survival and writing in his journal, the protagonist chose to...well, you'll have to read it to find out. 2/5
Clare Winger Harris, "A Runaway World" (1926)
'Planets revolve around their suns, electrons around their protons, the infinite, the infinitesimal!' Who will survive as the Earth is torn from it's orbit and plunged into the freezing darkness of space? Harris was the first woman to publish stories under her own name in science fiction magazines, including the two she contributed to Weird Tales. An enjoyable, thought-provoking read, even though it lacked tension as the story progressed. 3/5
A. Merritt, "The Woman of the Wood" (1926)*
Two buildings on opposite sides of the lake, each with a very different relationship to its natural environment. This novella, the cover story for the anthology, is a blend of magical realism and eco-horror. Well-paced, beautifully written, and just long enough to be satisfying. 4/5
Edmond Hamilton, "The Monster-God of Mamurth" (1926)
In the middle of the desert, an explorer stumbles across an invisible building guarded by an invisible spider god. This pulp horror by Edmond 'World Wrecker' Hamilton was the first of nearly eighty published by Weird Tales over twenty-two years. I've read a couple of his other stories, and they've all been enjoyable. 'It's not always good to dig up dead secrets. There are some things the past should be allowed to hide.' Wise words. 3/5
To be continued
Check out my other Weird Tales anthology reviews:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Displaying 1 of 1 review