Weird Tales, Volume 1, Number 1, March 1923: The unique magazine

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

68957

Title

Weird Tales, Volume 1, Number 1, March 1923: The unique magazine

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Weird Tales, Volume 1, Number 1 (March 1923) presents a sensational departure from standard fiction, featuring twenty-two remarkable short stories, three novelettes, and a strange novel in two parts. Edited by Edwin Baird, this unique magazine embraces fantastic, grotesque, and bizarre adventures, including tales of horror, the supernatural, insanity, and forbidden subjects. With a tone of eerie thrill and gooseflesh-inducing suspense, it appeals to readers seeking extraordinary flights of imagination and out-of-the-ordinary narratives unavailable elsewhere.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in March 1923, Weird Tales Volume 1, Number 1 offers a collection of horror and supernatural fiction edited by Edwin Baird. The issue opens with "The Extraordinary Experiment of Dr. Calgroni" by Joseph Faus and James Bennett Wooding, where an eccentric doctor creates a living thing from a gorilla. The narrative follows the doctor's assistant, who witnesses the doctor's strange interactions with a half-wit named Simple Will and a circus gorilla named Horace. After the doctor acquires Horace, he is later found dead in a trench, having seemingly committed suicide or been driven mad by his creation. The assistant discovers the dead gorilla's brain has been removed and finds a note from the doctor to a Viennese skeptic, Herr Von Meine, claiming he has alleviated the distress of the insane without killing. The story concludes with the assistant fleeing the scene after witnessing the doctor's final, terrifying act. The issue also features "The Mystery of Black Jean" by Julian Kilman, described as a story of blood-curdling realism, and "The Grave" by Orville R. Emerson, a soul-gripping tale of terror. Other stories include "The Ghost Guard" by Bryan Irvine, a spooky tale with a grim background, and "The Ghoul and the Corpse" by G. A. Wells, an amazing yarn of weird adventure in the frozen North. The collection continues with tales such as "Fear" by David R. Solomon, which explores how fear can drive a strong man to insanity, and "The Place of Madness" by Merlin Moore Taylor, detailing the effects of solitary confinement. The issue also includes "The Closing Hand" by Farnsworth Wright, a brief but powerfully written story, and "The Unknown Beast" by Howard Ellis Davis, an unusual tale of a terrifying monster. Other stories include "The Basket" by Herbert J. Mangham, a queer little story about San Francisco, "The Accusing Voice" by Meredith Davis, and "The Sequel" by Walter Scott Story, a new conclusion to Edgar Allan Poe's "Cask of Amontillado." The novelettes include "The Dead Man's Tale" by Willard E. Hawkins, "Ooze" by Anthony M. Rud, and "The Chain" by Hamilton Craigie. The strange novel in two parts is "The Thing of a Thousand Shapes" by Otis Adelbert Kline. The issue also features "The Scarlet Night" by William Sanford, "The Extraordinary Experiment of Dr. Calgroni" (repeated in the table of contents but detailed in the text), "The Return of Paul Slavsky" by Capt. George Warburton Lewis, "The House of Death" by F. Georgia Stroup, "The Gallows" by I. W. D. Peters, "The Skull" by Harold Ward, and "The Ape-Man" by James B. M. Clark, Jr. The issue is filled with odd facts and queer fancies, catering to readers who enjoy fantastic and extraordinary stories.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Adventure
• Fantasy
• Horror