Per tutto il periodo dal 1923 al 1954 il nome di Weird, Tales ha sollevato l’entusiasmo di tutti gli appassionati di fantascienza che prediligevano le tinte cupe alla Lovecraft. Ora Mike Ashley, uno dei massimi esperti di fantascienza inglese, ha raccolto in questa antologia alcune delle più belle storie apparse sulle famosa rivista americana ad opera di notissimi autori Robert Bloch, Henry Kuttner, H.P. Lovecraft, August Derleth, Ray Bradbury, Edmond Hamilton, Eric Frank Russel e altri. Il un’antologia mozzafiato che penetra nel misterioso reame della fantascienza insolita.
Michael Raymond Donald Ashley is the author and editor of over sixty books that in total have sold over a million copies worldwide. He lives in Chatham, Kent.
“Weird Legacies” is a superb anthology of stories culled from “Weird Tales” magazine, a pioneer publication of strange and bizarre fantasy fiction that popularized such authors as H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch and others, many of whom are represented in this collection. Bloch’s forward “A word about the weird” provides some background to the magazine, as do Ashley’s detailed introductions to every story, providing the reader with a context in which to place them. (Ratings are out of 5)
“Skull in the Stars” by Robert E. Howard Famous for “Conan the Barbarian,” Howard also created “Solomon Kane,” a puritan swashbuckler who sought out evil men in the middle ages and vanquished them. In this tale, Kane ventures onto the moors to solve a mysterious murder. (5/5)
“The Three Marked Pennies” by Mary Elizabeth Counselman Three pennies are circulated. One brings fortune, one brings travel and one brings death. But which is which? (5/5)
“He That Hath Wings” by Edmond Hamilton A boy is born with wings but can he lead a normal life? (5/5)
“The Distortion out of Space” by Francis Flagg When a meteor lands, it distorts time and space. (5/5)
“The Utmost Abomination” by Clark Ashton Smith and Lin Carter. Dense other-worldly tale of serpents and sorcery (5/5)
“Eternal Rediffusion” by Eric Frank Russell and Leslie J. Johnson. A racing driver dies and encounters life in another dimension (4/5)
“The Ducker” by Ray Bradbury A simple minded man thinks that wartime combat is just a game. (5/5)
“The Black Kiss” by Robert Block and Henry Kuttner A man inherits an old house by the sea, only to discover that an ancient creature has designs on him. (4/5)
“The Survivor” by H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth. A man tries to solve the mystery of an old house and its previous occupant, who seems to have lived for centuries. (4/5)
Overall a worthy anthology, enhanced by Ashley’s introductions. For a newcomer to weird fiction, I found it engrossing and diverse and felt as if I were experiencing the magazine as it was in its heyday.