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The Best of Weird Tales 1923
Weird Tales has always been the most popular and sought-after of all pulp magazines. Its mix of exotic fantasy, horror, science fiction, suspense, and the just plain indescribable has enthralled generations of readers throughout the world.
Collected here are 13 of the best short stories published in Weird Tales' first year of publication, 1923 -- classics by many who would later play an integral part in the Unique Magazine, such as H.P. Lovecraft, Frank Owen, and Farnsworth Wright.
Contents
1. The Grave by Orville R. Emerson
2. The Basket by Herbert J. Mangham
3. Beyond the Door by J. Paul Suter
4. The Devil Plant by Lyle Wilson Holden
5. The Purple Heart by Herman Sisk
6. The Well by Julian Kilman
7. The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other by Valma Clark
8. The Dead-Naming of Lukapehu by P. D. Gog
9. The Bloodstained Parasol by James L. Ravenscroft
10. The Man Who Owned the World by Frank Owen
11. An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension by Farnsworth Wright
12. Dagon by H. P. Lovecraft
13. Lucifer by John D. Swain
129 pages, Paperback
Published July 10, 2024
About the author
John Gregory Betancourt
399 books68 followersJohn Gregory Betancourt is a writer of science fiction, fantasy and mystery novels as well as short stories. He has worked as an assistant editor at Amazing Stories and editor of Horror: The Newsmagazine of the Horror Field, the revived Weird Tales magazine, the first issue of H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror (which he subsequently hired Marvin Kaye to edit), Cat Tales magazine (which he subsequently hired George H. Scithers to edit), and Adventure Tales magazine. He worked as a Senior Editor for Byron Preiss Visual Publications (1989-1996) and iBooks. He is the writer of four Star Trek novels and the new Chronicles of Amber prequel series, as well as a dozen original novels. His essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in such diverse publications as Writer's Digest and The Washington Post.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 18, 2011
Marvin Kaye and John Gregory Betancourt's "The Best of Weird Tales: 1923" has a wholly different thrust as compared to previous anthologies that collected stories from "The Unique Magazine." Whereas "Weird Tales: 32 Unearthed Terrors" had cherry-picked one story from each year of the celebrated magazine's 32-year run (1923-1954); Kaye's previous "Weird Tales" collection of 1988 had included not just stories from the publication's classic years, but from the five reincarnations dating from 1973-1987; and Peter Haining's "Weird Tales" collection had presented facsimile reproductions of the actual magazine pages, the book in question here simply dishes out a baker's dozen stories that initially appeared in the eight issues of "Weird Tales"'s inaugural year. Most of these stories are true rarities, written by authors who are hardly household names today, even to fans of horror, fantasy, sci-fi and macabre literature.
The collection kicks off with Orville R. Emerson's "The Grave," a ghastly little tale from the trenches of WW1 that culminates quite ironically. "The Basket," by Herbert J. Mangham, is an odd little slice of life, depicting the quiet existence and passing of a man who scarcely causes a ripple on the world's consciousness. "Beyond the Door," by J. Paul Suter, tells of an emotionally stunted scientist who is haunted by visions of a strange well in his basement, leading to a conclusion that is at once both surprising and apropos. One of many (what Kaye refers to as) "malevolent vegetable stories" to appear in "Weird Tales" over the decades, "The Devil Plant," written by Lyle Wilson Holden, is a purple-prose tale of vengeance that takes place in the Australian outback, marred only by a weak description of that "devil tree." In Julian Kilman's "The Well," we are given still another man who is haunted by visions of a sinister cistern. This outdoor slice of rural nastiness culminates with a satisfyingly horrific denouement. One of the best (and longest) tales in the collection, "The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other," by Valma Clark, tells of the rivalry between two archaeologists, incorporating shipwreck, murder, hallucination and decades-long guilt into a most impressive piece of storytelling. P.D. Gog's "The Dead-Naming of Lukapehu" is a short-short; a tale of a Hawaiian witch doctor that has no real impact, perhaps due to its brevity, but, as Kaye tells us in his introduction, "might well be a true story." "The Bloodstained Parasol," by James L. Ravenscroft, is a tale concerning madness, romance and vivisection (!), concluding with a fittingly macabre moral. In "The Man Who Owned the World," Frank Owen presents us with another case of madness: a homeless person in Greenwich Village who believes he is the master and owner of everything he surveys, leading to another ironic and memorable conclusion. Farnsworth Wright, who would go on to edit 177 issues of "Weird Tales" from 1924-1939, is represented in this volume with the humorous story "An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension," a tale whose silliness is mitigated by it final two paragraphs. H.P. Lovecraft, one of "Weird Tales"'s more renowned alumni, is shown to good effect by his first story in the magazine (found in the October issue), "Dagon." This early tale from the man who would go on to become one of the most important horror writers of the 20th century depicts a subterranean land that is volanoed up to the surface of the sea, and the terrifying experiences that a lost sailor has while exploring it. "Dagon" is easily the best-written of all the 13 tales in this volume. Finally, we have John D. Swain's "Lucifer," the story of a Satanic miracle cure in a 19th century London hospital that ends on a deliciously morbid note.
As you can see, a highly eclectic collection, and if most of the authors here are comparative "nobodies," well, I suppose that is part of the volume's charm: It introduces us to a large assortment of talented writers who have long been ignored. This volume, on the down side, can hardly be called a generous collection, at a mere 129 pages, and contains an inordinate number of typographical errors. (Was this book even proofread before publication?!?!) Still, it affords us the wonderful opportunity to peek into "The Unique Magazine" in its earliest, nascent months, as as such must be deemed essential reading for all fans of pulp literature. I do recommend it.
The collection kicks off with Orville R. Emerson's "The Grave," a ghastly little tale from the trenches of WW1 that culminates quite ironically. "The Basket," by Herbert J. Mangham, is an odd little slice of life, depicting the quiet existence and passing of a man who scarcely causes a ripple on the world's consciousness. "Beyond the Door," by J. Paul Suter, tells of an emotionally stunted scientist who is haunted by visions of a strange well in his basement, leading to a conclusion that is at once both surprising and apropos. One of many (what Kaye refers to as) "malevolent vegetable stories" to appear in "Weird Tales" over the decades, "The Devil Plant," written by Lyle Wilson Holden, is a purple-prose tale of vengeance that takes place in the Australian outback, marred only by a weak description of that "devil tree." In Julian Kilman's "The Well," we are given still another man who is haunted by visions of a sinister cistern. This outdoor slice of rural nastiness culminates with a satisfyingly horrific denouement. One of the best (and longest) tales in the collection, "The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other," by Valma Clark, tells of the rivalry between two archaeologists, incorporating shipwreck, murder, hallucination and decades-long guilt into a most impressive piece of storytelling. P.D. Gog's "The Dead-Naming of Lukapehu" is a short-short; a tale of a Hawaiian witch doctor that has no real impact, perhaps due to its brevity, but, as Kaye tells us in his introduction, "might well be a true story." "The Bloodstained Parasol," by James L. Ravenscroft, is a tale concerning madness, romance and vivisection (!), concluding with a fittingly macabre moral. In "The Man Who Owned the World," Frank Owen presents us with another case of madness: a homeless person in Greenwich Village who believes he is the master and owner of everything he surveys, leading to another ironic and memorable conclusion. Farnsworth Wright, who would go on to edit 177 issues of "Weird Tales" from 1924-1939, is represented in this volume with the humorous story "An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension," a tale whose silliness is mitigated by it final two paragraphs. H.P. Lovecraft, one of "Weird Tales"'s more renowned alumni, is shown to good effect by his first story in the magazine (found in the October issue), "Dagon." This early tale from the man who would go on to become one of the most important horror writers of the 20th century depicts a subterranean land that is volanoed up to the surface of the sea, and the terrifying experiences that a lost sailor has while exploring it. "Dagon" is easily the best-written of all the 13 tales in this volume. Finally, we have John D. Swain's "Lucifer," the story of a Satanic miracle cure in a 19th century London hospital that ends on a deliciously morbid note.
As you can see, a highly eclectic collection, and if most of the authors here are comparative "nobodies," well, I suppose that is part of the volume's charm: It introduces us to a large assortment of talented writers who have long been ignored. This volume, on the down side, can hardly be called a generous collection, at a mere 129 pages, and contains an inordinate number of typographical errors. (Was this book even proofread before publication?!?!) Still, it affords us the wonderful opportunity to peek into "The Unique Magazine" in its earliest, nascent months, as as such must be deemed essential reading for all fans of pulp literature. I do recommend it.
November 26, 2015
Evidently this was intended as the first in a series of volumes which would resurrect obscure, unreprinted tales from each year in which Weird Tales was published. No other books in the series ever came out, as far as I can tell, which is a great pity, since this first volume is a success.
Two myths are quickly dispelled: that all the worthwhile stories from WT have already seen the light of day, and that the early years of the magazine were uniformly dire. I've been reading this concurrently with Stephen Jones' first Innsmouth anthology, and I have to say the complete unknowns in this book compare favourably with today's weird fiction celebrities. I find here none of the windy diffusiveness of modern writing, and yet, if anything, mood and atmosphere are stronger. There is greater focus here, with no trace of the modern tendency to lapse into soap opera.
Another of my preconceptions, that forgotten contributions to the magazine would resemble the lurid stories found in the 'weird menace' pulps, also falls by the way: these stories are often unexpectedly subtle and understated. Herbert J. Mangham's The Basket is particularly noteworthy in that respect; the editors liken it to the "bleak existential fiction of Camus", and the suggestion does not seem absurd. Even the most florid story in the collection, Valma Clark's The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other, is not intolerably so.
Orville R. Emerson, J. Paul Suter, and Julian Kilman all contribute powerful stories, and there is a striking fable by Frank Owen, one of the few writers present whose work is not totally unknown to me. Ironically, by far the worst story in the collection is editor-to-be Farnsworth Wright's An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension, a silly bit of japery which reads like it was intended to remedy a shortfall in the October issue's word count.
I have only two complaints. One is the inclusion of Lovecraft's Dagon, which anyone likely to buy the collection already owns. This is particularly objectionable given that the editors repeatedly comment that they were obliged to omit worthwhile stories for reasons of space! And therein lies my other objection: the book is too short. I would like to see the rest of the Julian Kilman stories, The Floor Above, The Closed Cabinet and all the other omitted yarns which the editors dangle tantalizingly before the reader.
Two myths are quickly dispelled: that all the worthwhile stories from WT have already seen the light of day, and that the early years of the magazine were uniformly dire. I've been reading this concurrently with Stephen Jones' first Innsmouth anthology, and I have to say the complete unknowns in this book compare favourably with today's weird fiction celebrities. I find here none of the windy diffusiveness of modern writing, and yet, if anything, mood and atmosphere are stronger. There is greater focus here, with no trace of the modern tendency to lapse into soap opera.
Another of my preconceptions, that forgotten contributions to the magazine would resemble the lurid stories found in the 'weird menace' pulps, also falls by the way: these stories are often unexpectedly subtle and understated. Herbert J. Mangham's The Basket is particularly noteworthy in that respect; the editors liken it to the "bleak existential fiction of Camus", and the suggestion does not seem absurd. Even the most florid story in the collection, Valma Clark's The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other, is not intolerably so.
Orville R. Emerson, J. Paul Suter, and Julian Kilman all contribute powerful stories, and there is a striking fable by Frank Owen, one of the few writers present whose work is not totally unknown to me. Ironically, by far the worst story in the collection is editor-to-be Farnsworth Wright's An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension, a silly bit of japery which reads like it was intended to remedy a shortfall in the October issue's word count.
I have only two complaints. One is the inclusion of Lovecraft's Dagon, which anyone likely to buy the collection already owns. This is particularly objectionable given that the editors repeatedly comment that they were obliged to omit worthwhile stories for reasons of space! And therein lies my other objection: the book is too short. I would like to see the rest of the Julian Kilman stories, The Floor Above, The Closed Cabinet and all the other omitted yarns which the editors dangle tantalizingly before the reader.
December 10, 2014
None of these stories were bad. One or two... in fact, maybe just one that I can think of felt a little dragged out, a little long-winded perhaps. But even that one was an OK read. I read somewhere that these books were supposed to continue on through other years taking stories from weird tales and anthologizing them just as this one did, but it was not to be. It's a real shame because I enjoyed these stories and just didn't want the book to end.
Highly recommended. I live in hope for more of the same but won't hold my breath.
Highly recommended. I live in hope for more of the same but won't hold my breath.
August 24, 2015
Really entertaining stories. A couple of them are total trash, but that's part of the fun. Sometimes really chilling, some just fun.
Stand out stories - The Trench, The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other, Lucifer and The Man Who Owned The World. Worth picking up if you like H.P. Lovecraft and want to see what his contemporaries were writing, or if you just want some classic weirdness.
Stand out stories - The Trench, The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other, Lucifer and The Man Who Owned The World. Worth picking up if you like H.P. Lovecraft and want to see what his contemporaries were writing, or if you just want some classic weirdness.
Read
August 22, 2008The Best of Weird Tales: 1923 by Marvin Kaye (1997)
November 6, 2014
I've been trying to collect and read stories from Weird Tales for years. The three "big name authors" (Lovecraft, Howard, C. A. Smith) are easy to find because they're all in the public domain. A lot of later issues of Weird Tales are available from sources like the Yahoo PulpScans group, or various anthologies, but the early issues are extremely rare. That's why this book is a real treasure trove for me.
Just a few notes I took on the stories here, possible spoilers in plot details, but the first sentence of each description is usually just my reaction to the story itself...
The Grave - A decent little story, generates some atmosphere but it’s not overly memorable. Still, it’s definitely a “weird tale!” A British soldier discovers a manuscript of a German soldier who was buried alive in an underground bunker, about his plight to survive and keep his sanity.
The Basket - This tale is pretty mild, nothing overly memorable. It feel like a slightly unsettling, mild supernatural tale to me. A couple take in an old man who keeps to himself. No one thinks much of him, but his sudden death invites supernatural occurrences into the house.
Beyond the Door - Oh I liked this one a lot, it’s very creepy, very weird and a good take on the typical haunted house formula. The final scenes are pretty scary in fact. A man inherits a house from his odd uncle who perished there terribly. The housekeeper refuses to talk about it, but gives him the man’s diary which tells of his guilt of rejecting a lover, his obsession with a well in the cellar and a vaguely-seen presence which haunts the house.
The Devil Plant - Pretty good revenge tale, nothing overly special. A man plagued by an old school friend who has ruined his life at every turn decides to do away with him by leading him to a “Devil Tree” to be devoured.
The Purple Heart - OK little story, nothing great though, rather run-of-the-mill ghost tale. A man wandering in a forest at night stumbles upon a cabin where an old man tells him that his father was murdered there this very night, and he cannot leave, and will be forced to witness manifestations. The old man disappears, the door won't budge and the man soon finds himself pursued about the cabin by a glowing, purple heart.
The Well - Pretty good little story, great atmosphere and setting. A farmer in a dispute with a neighbor gets into a fight and kills the man, dumping his corpse into a nearby well. He becomes unnerved as days pass. A storm knocks down a tree beside the well, revealing a skeleton of a man killed years ago, the farmer is forced to enter the well to get out some of the bones and prevent the body from being discovered. Later when he tries to fill the well in he's thwarted by the dead man's daughter who dropped something in the well which has to be retrieved. All of this eventually drives him into diving head-first into the well to his death.
The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other - Good story, nothing great perhaps but entertaining surely. Nothing really "weird" or horrific going on here though. A man meets an old hermit who shows him a pottery relic of ancient Greece which is connected with a man he believes he murdered many years ago.
The Dead-Naming of Lukapehu - Eh, this story is really a bit too short, has some decent imagry, but that's it. On an island a westerner tells a native to ignore threats from a sorcerer who everyone knows can send death.
The Blood-Stained Parasol: A Study in Madness - Pretty good story, short and weird, interesting storyline. A man visits an inmate at an asylum who sees a dog and a woman in his room which aren't there. He was a brilliant doctor, and during dissection of the dog he was attacked by the woman who was outraged at him for doing a live dissection, and he lost his sanity from the aftermath.
The Man Whom Owned the World - Good story, not exactly a horror tale, but certainly a dark allegory. The narrator meets John Rust, a hobo who is convinced he owns the whole world, and has a pit full of jewels. He takes him there and shows him worthless pebbles, but is convinced they're jewels. Rust is cured by a doctor of his insanity, but when confronted with the reality of his situation he loses his sanity again and dies.
An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension - Funny little sci-fi tale. A man witnesses a group of alien life-forms arrive from the planet Jupiter, a professor friend of his explains how superior they are because they exist in four dimensions and have many powers, however this proves to be their downfall.
Dagon - Already read this years ago.
Lucifer - Yes, this is a bit of a conte cruelle, but a horror story too, I liked it. A man, desperate to have his crippled son cured, turns to Devil worshippers for help.
Just a few notes I took on the stories here, possible spoilers in plot details, but the first sentence of each description is usually just my reaction to the story itself...
The Grave - A decent little story, generates some atmosphere but it’s not overly memorable. Still, it’s definitely a “weird tale!” A British soldier discovers a manuscript of a German soldier who was buried alive in an underground bunker, about his plight to survive and keep his sanity.
The Basket - This tale is pretty mild, nothing overly memorable. It feel like a slightly unsettling, mild supernatural tale to me. A couple take in an old man who keeps to himself. No one thinks much of him, but his sudden death invites supernatural occurrences into the house.
Beyond the Door - Oh I liked this one a lot, it’s very creepy, very weird and a good take on the typical haunted house formula. The final scenes are pretty scary in fact. A man inherits a house from his odd uncle who perished there terribly. The housekeeper refuses to talk about it, but gives him the man’s diary which tells of his guilt of rejecting a lover, his obsession with a well in the cellar and a vaguely-seen presence which haunts the house.
The Devil Plant - Pretty good revenge tale, nothing overly special. A man plagued by an old school friend who has ruined his life at every turn decides to do away with him by leading him to a “Devil Tree” to be devoured.
The Purple Heart - OK little story, nothing great though, rather run-of-the-mill ghost tale. A man wandering in a forest at night stumbles upon a cabin where an old man tells him that his father was murdered there this very night, and he cannot leave, and will be forced to witness manifestations. The old man disappears, the door won't budge and the man soon finds himself pursued about the cabin by a glowing, purple heart.
The Well - Pretty good little story, great atmosphere and setting. A farmer in a dispute with a neighbor gets into a fight and kills the man, dumping his corpse into a nearby well. He becomes unnerved as days pass. A storm knocks down a tree beside the well, revealing a skeleton of a man killed years ago, the farmer is forced to enter the well to get out some of the bones and prevent the body from being discovered. Later when he tries to fill the well in he's thwarted by the dead man's daughter who dropped something in the well which has to be retrieved. All of this eventually drives him into diving head-first into the well to his death.
The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other - Good story, nothing great perhaps but entertaining surely. Nothing really "weird" or horrific going on here though. A man meets an old hermit who shows him a pottery relic of ancient Greece which is connected with a man he believes he murdered many years ago.
The Dead-Naming of Lukapehu - Eh, this story is really a bit too short, has some decent imagry, but that's it. On an island a westerner tells a native to ignore threats from a sorcerer who everyone knows can send death.
The Blood-Stained Parasol: A Study in Madness - Pretty good story, short and weird, interesting storyline. A man visits an inmate at an asylum who sees a dog and a woman in his room which aren't there. He was a brilliant doctor, and during dissection of the dog he was attacked by the woman who was outraged at him for doing a live dissection, and he lost his sanity from the aftermath.
The Man Whom Owned the World - Good story, not exactly a horror tale, but certainly a dark allegory. The narrator meets John Rust, a hobo who is convinced he owns the whole world, and has a pit full of jewels. He takes him there and shows him worthless pebbles, but is convinced they're jewels. Rust is cured by a doctor of his insanity, but when confronted with the reality of his situation he loses his sanity again and dies.
An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension - Funny little sci-fi tale. A man witnesses a group of alien life-forms arrive from the planet Jupiter, a professor friend of his explains how superior they are because they exist in four dimensions and have many powers, however this proves to be their downfall.
Dagon - Already read this years ago.
Lucifer - Yes, this is a bit of a conte cruelle, but a horror story too, I liked it. A man, desperate to have his crippled son cured, turns to Devil worshippers for help.
June 18, 2025
This slender anthology represents “some of the best—and often, some of the least known” stories from Weird Tales’s first year of publication (1923), and it’s perfect for a long weekend. Stories with an asterisk are ones I've read before.
Orville R. Emerson, “The Grave”
Buried alive in a dugout during the war. A glimpse of freedom that keeps getting further away. I’m not sure this tale is weird, but the horror felt very real. A solid start to the anthology. 3/5
Herbert J. Mangham, “The Basket”
A room in the basement and the solitary recluse who calls it home. This tale is curious, sad and a little weird, but like its subject, it failed to make much of a ripple. 2/5
J. Paul Suter, “Beyond the Door”
The diary of a dead man feels like solid Weird Tales territory. What happened to the girlfriend? What is it that haunts the creepy, bug-filled house? And why does the scientist feel the well in the cellar calling to him at night? Very effective. 4/5
Lyle Wilson Holden, “The Devil Plant”
I like a revenge plot as much as the next reader, but I struggled to feel this one, despite the giant pineapple and the broadly satisfying conclusion. 2/5
Herman Sisk, “The Purple Heart”
The tale of a haunted cabin, which is visited every year on the anniversary of the father’s murder. Very strange, and not what I expected. There were ample opportunities here, and I liked that it avoided anything obvious, but sadly I wasn’t convinced. 2.5/5
Julian Kilman, “The Well”
The second tale to feature a well, although this story of a land dispute between neighbouring famers is bloodier than Suter’s Beyond the Door. The protagonist’s guilt and descent into madness are nicely done. 4/5
Valma Clark, “The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other”
My favourite title in this anthology. This novelette tells the tale of two archaeologists who become rivals when they discover two halves of a history-changing artefact, and the misadventures that follow. No one gets away cleanly. 4/5
P. D. Gog, “The Dead-Naming of Lukapehu”
There’s not enough meat on the bones of this Hawaiian sorcerer tale for it to be satisfying, even with the suggestion that it could be true. 1/5
James L. Ravenscroft, “The Bloodstained Parasol”
Love plus vivisection equals madness. Or something like that. Not my thing. 2/5
Frank Owen, ”The Man Who Owned the World“
More madness, and another story that’s little more than an idea. 2/5
Farnsworth Wright, “An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension”
Some light relief in the form of visiting Jupiterians whose teeth are covered in ears and whose ears carry ‘a quizzical eye’. I enjoyed this comical tale, but I’m not sure the visitors deserved their fates. 3/5
H. P. Lovecraft, “Dagon”*
Lovecraft’s undeniable gift for the weird sets him apart from many of his contemporaries, although his tales tend to be either the best or worst in an anthology, depending on the purpleness of his prose. This story of a man adrift at sea, who finds himself stranded in a slimy black mire where he encounters a monster, packs a lot into relatively few words. 4/5
John D. Swain, “Lucifer”
A crippled boy and a father who will do anything to make him ‘whole’. A sweaty little Luciferian, and the price that must be paid. The final tale in the anthology is certainly cruel. The poor boy. 3/5
...a few observations
Many of the tales in this anthology are very short, and many of these spend a page or two describing the setting in which the tale is to be told, leaving very little space for the story to develop, which is a shame as there are some great ideas here, worthy of further exploration.
The anthology would have benefited from a good proofread, and in the September section, Kaye promises us Otis Adelbert Kline’s The Cup of Blood, although sadly it’s not included.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, especially given that 1923 isn’t thought to be the magazine’s finest year. It’s a shame we won’t be treated to further anthologies in this series.
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...
Orville R. Emerson, “The Grave”
Buried alive in a dugout during the war. A glimpse of freedom that keeps getting further away. I’m not sure this tale is weird, but the horror felt very real. A solid start to the anthology. 3/5
Herbert J. Mangham, “The Basket”
A room in the basement and the solitary recluse who calls it home. This tale is curious, sad and a little weird, but like its subject, it failed to make much of a ripple. 2/5
J. Paul Suter, “Beyond the Door”
The diary of a dead man feels like solid Weird Tales territory. What happened to the girlfriend? What is it that haunts the creepy, bug-filled house? And why does the scientist feel the well in the cellar calling to him at night? Very effective. 4/5
Lyle Wilson Holden, “The Devil Plant”
I like a revenge plot as much as the next reader, but I struggled to feel this one, despite the giant pineapple and the broadly satisfying conclusion. 2/5
Herman Sisk, “The Purple Heart”
The tale of a haunted cabin, which is visited every year on the anniversary of the father’s murder. Very strange, and not what I expected. There were ample opportunities here, and I liked that it avoided anything obvious, but sadly I wasn’t convinced. 2.5/5
Julian Kilman, “The Well”
The second tale to feature a well, although this story of a land dispute between neighbouring famers is bloodier than Suter’s Beyond the Door. The protagonist’s guilt and descent into madness are nicely done. 4/5
Valma Clark, “The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other”
My favourite title in this anthology. This novelette tells the tale of two archaeologists who become rivals when they discover two halves of a history-changing artefact, and the misadventures that follow. No one gets away cleanly. 4/5
P. D. Gog, “The Dead-Naming of Lukapehu”
There’s not enough meat on the bones of this Hawaiian sorcerer tale for it to be satisfying, even with the suggestion that it could be true. 1/5
James L. Ravenscroft, “The Bloodstained Parasol”
Love plus vivisection equals madness. Or something like that. Not my thing. 2/5
Frank Owen, ”The Man Who Owned the World“
More madness, and another story that’s little more than an idea. 2/5
Farnsworth Wright, “An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension”
Some light relief in the form of visiting Jupiterians whose teeth are covered in ears and whose ears carry ‘a quizzical eye’. I enjoyed this comical tale, but I’m not sure the visitors deserved their fates. 3/5
H. P. Lovecraft, “Dagon”*
Lovecraft’s undeniable gift for the weird sets him apart from many of his contemporaries, although his tales tend to be either the best or worst in an anthology, depending on the purpleness of his prose. This story of a man adrift at sea, who finds himself stranded in a slimy black mire where he encounters a monster, packs a lot into relatively few words. 4/5
John D. Swain, “Lucifer”
A crippled boy and a father who will do anything to make him ‘whole’. A sweaty little Luciferian, and the price that must be paid. The final tale in the anthology is certainly cruel. The poor boy. 3/5
...a few observations
Many of the tales in this anthology are very short, and many of these spend a page or two describing the setting in which the tale is to be told, leaving very little space for the story to develop, which is a shame as there are some great ideas here, worthy of further exploration.
The anthology would have benefited from a good proofread, and in the September section, Kaye promises us Otis Adelbert Kline’s The Cup of Blood, although sadly it’s not included.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, especially given that 1923 isn’t thought to be the magazine’s finest year. It’s a shame we won’t be treated to further anthologies in this series.
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...
December 31, 2008
THE BEST OF WEIRD TALES: 1923 is a fine attempt to anthologise some of the less familiar stories published in that fine pulp magazine. It's a shame that the series was never continued, as I would have enjoyed seeing what delights and wonders each successive year would have brought.
However, it's worth bearing in mind that these stories are typically obscure for a reason - they're of interest to genre fans only and most are typically 'pulp' in tone and style. Take Lyle Wilson Holden's THE DEVIL PLANT, for instance, an early entry in the ever-popular 'killer plant' sub-genre, with lots of purple prose to distinguish it.
Many of the stories here are distinctly average. Herbert J. Mangham's THE BASKET is a dark and depressing read that tells of the horrors of social alienation. Herman Sisk's THE PURPLE HEART offers an eerie evocation of evil in the titular menace if nothing else. Valma Clark's THE TWO MEN WHO MURDERED EACH OTHER is extravagant but would be unsellable today thanks to its flamboyant style. P. D. Gog's THE DEAD-NAMING OF LUKAPEHU has a great title but the story can't live up to it, while the grim BLOODSTAINED PARASOL by James L. Ravenscroft is an unpleasant effort involving vivisection.
Frank Owen's THE MAN WHO OWNED THE WORLD takes the reader to some very, very dark places indeed while John D. Swain's LUCIFER is more sombre than anything else.
Others are better. Orville R. Emerson's THE GRAVE is a solid WWI horror, extremely efficient in what it does. Julian Kilman's THE WELL explores psychological terror in an intriguing way while Farnsworth Wright's AN ADVENTURE IN THE FOURTH DIMENSION is a silly sci-fi comedy that somehow works.
The book offers two classics. BEYOND THE DOOR, by J. Paul Suter, makes for fine reading. It's a classic haunted house story that I don't want to spoil, other than that it ticks all the boxes. The other classic is Lovecraft's DAGON, which many readers will already be familiar with. It's the archetypcal Cthulhu Mythos short with a classic ending.
However, it's worth bearing in mind that these stories are typically obscure for a reason - they're of interest to genre fans only and most are typically 'pulp' in tone and style. Take Lyle Wilson Holden's THE DEVIL PLANT, for instance, an early entry in the ever-popular 'killer plant' sub-genre, with lots of purple prose to distinguish it.
Many of the stories here are distinctly average. Herbert J. Mangham's THE BASKET is a dark and depressing read that tells of the horrors of social alienation. Herman Sisk's THE PURPLE HEART offers an eerie evocation of evil in the titular menace if nothing else. Valma Clark's THE TWO MEN WHO MURDERED EACH OTHER is extravagant but would be unsellable today thanks to its flamboyant style. P. D. Gog's THE DEAD-NAMING OF LUKAPEHU has a great title but the story can't live up to it, while the grim BLOODSTAINED PARASOL by James L. Ravenscroft is an unpleasant effort involving vivisection.
Frank Owen's THE MAN WHO OWNED THE WORLD takes the reader to some very, very dark places indeed while John D. Swain's LUCIFER is more sombre than anything else.
Others are better. Orville R. Emerson's THE GRAVE is a solid WWI horror, extremely efficient in what it does. Julian Kilman's THE WELL explores psychological terror in an intriguing way while Farnsworth Wright's AN ADVENTURE IN THE FOURTH DIMENSION is a silly sci-fi comedy that somehow works.
The book offers two classics. BEYOND THE DOOR, by J. Paul Suter, makes for fine reading. It's a classic haunted house story that I don't want to spoil, other than that it ticks all the boxes. The other classic is Lovecraft's DAGON, which many readers will already be familiar with. It's the archetypcal Cthulhu Mythos short with a classic ending.
April 15, 2022
• The Grave (Orville R. Emerson): 4
• The Basket (Herbert J. Mangham): 3
• Beyond the Door (J. Paul Suter): 1
• The Devil Plant (Lyle Wilson Holden): 2
• The Purple Heart (Herman Sisk): 3
• The Well (Julian Kilman): 3
• The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other (Valma Clark): 2
• The Dead-Naming of Lukapehu (P. D. Gog): 1
• The Bloodstained Parasol (James L. Ravenscroft): 2
• The Man Who Owned the World (Frank Owen): 3
• An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension (Farnsworth Wright): 3
• Dagon (H. P. Lovecraft): 2
• Lucifer (John D. Swaim): 3
Favorite story: The Grave
• The Basket (Herbert J. Mangham): 3
• Beyond the Door (J. Paul Suter): 1
• The Devil Plant (Lyle Wilson Holden): 2
• The Purple Heart (Herman Sisk): 3
• The Well (Julian Kilman): 3
• The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other (Valma Clark): 2
• The Dead-Naming of Lukapehu (P. D. Gog): 1
• The Bloodstained Parasol (James L. Ravenscroft): 2
• The Man Who Owned the World (Frank Owen): 3
• An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension (Farnsworth Wright): 3
• Dagon (H. P. Lovecraft): 2
• Lucifer (John D. Swaim): 3
Favorite story: The Grave
April 10, 2026
For the first half of the book, this collection of Weird Tales wasn't very weird and they barely could be called "tales." That is because the tales consisted of short stories at the very short end of the spectrum, no more than four or five pages many of them. At the half way point, things improved greatly. "The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other" was of special interest, wide in scope of place and time, stretching from archaeology and fine arts to maritime adventure story and "murder" mystery. Lovecraft's "Dagon" is also reprinted. I had never read it before but it made me long for much more. Thus by the end of book, I didn't want it to end, whereas at the beginning it was difficult to compel myself onward.
February 15, 2024
This is a collection of stories from the first year of WEIRD TALES, so obviously the magazine had not yet hit its stride. While this is interesting for those curious about the history of the magazine, most of these tales are not very good, the few exceptions being the genuinely creepy "The Well" by Julian Kilman, the whimsical, humorous fantasy piece "An Adventure in the Fourth Dimension" by Farnsworth Wright (who would later become editor of WEIRD TALES and bring the magazine to its golden era), and the much reprinted but always worth a read "Dagon" by H.P. Lovecraft.
June 1, 2021
I REALLY wanted to like this book, considering the authors who appeared in its pages. However, I guess reading tastes have changed a bit from 1923...aside from the first appearance of Lovecraft...the stories therein were commonplace.
August 8, 2020
All the stories were short, very odd, and some ended abruptly without any sort of conclusion. Most seemed unpolished and like scraps of ideas. A great concept, but not really worth the read.
Read
July 10, 2024"The Grave" by Orville R. Emerson - wc
"The Devil Plant" by Lyle Wilson Holden - wc
"The Well" by Julian Kilman - wc
"Dagon" by H.P. Lovecraft - wc
"The Bloodstained Parasol" by James Ravenscroft - wc
"The Purple Heart" by Herman Sisk - wc
"Beyond the Door" by J. Paul Suter - wc
"Lucifer" by John D. Swain - wc
"The Devil Plant" by Lyle Wilson Holden - wc
"The Well" by Julian Kilman - wc
"Dagon" by H.P. Lovecraft - wc
"The Bloodstained Parasol" by James Ravenscroft - wc
"The Purple Heart" by Herman Sisk - wc
"Beyond the Door" by J. Paul Suter - wc
"Lucifer" by John D. Swain - wc
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews