Henry Kuttner wrote fan letters to Weird Tales for eight years before he transitioned from fan to professional. Kuttner would sell his first story to Weird Tales, the classic “The Graveyard Rats” in March, 1936. His letters after this become those of a colleague rather than the rabid fan. It is possible to track Kuttner’s development by his reading material, being a Lovecraftian horror fan and a Sword & Sorcery fan (Robert E. Howard and C. L. Moore). These were sub-genres Hank would begin his writing career in before becoming half of the amazing Lewis Padgett Science Fiction writing team. Even in High School, Kuttner’s high standards and probing writer’s mind are evident.
1929
In his first letter (Weird Tales, March 1929) he declares Edmond Hamilton as his biggest influence.
“Writes Henry Kuttner Jr. from Millbrae, California: I have been an ardent reader of your magazine, although I am only a high school student, ever since I became acquainted with it –which was, I believe, in an issue containing as a feature story called The Metal Giants, by Edmond Hamilton [December 1926]. It was an excellent story, as are most of your others. My favorite fiction is horror and science stories, and Weird Tales fills a long-felt want.”
Letter (Weird Tales, April 1929) are about two new writers but also tells us he was a fan of Seabury Quinn.
“Writes Henry Kuttner Jr of San Francisco: Although only in high school, yet I am a regular reader of your magazine, and whenever our ‘gang’ gets to tell ghost stories, Weird Tales always comes in handy. I consider The Brass Key, by Hal K. Wells, the best story in the latest issue (February). Is he any relation to H. G. Wells? My second choice was A Witch’s Curse, by Paul Ernst. That kept me on pins and needles throughout. When our cat entered the room and jumped in my lap, I was nearly frightened out of my wits. Edmond Hamilton and Seabury Quinn are my favorite authors.”
1930
Letter (Weird Tales, February 1930) was the first of several letters asking for classic reprints from early issues that Henry had missed.
“I’m in favor of making all your reprints old stories from Weird Tales, writes Henry Kuttner Jr. of Los Angeles. “Why wait ten years when seven years are already successfully behind you? Many great stories are buried in the past files of Weird Tales, particularly Lovecraft’s.”
Letter (Weird Tales, July 1930)
Kuttner repeats his desire for Weird Tales reprints. He suggests surveying the readers through their voting letters. “…I am sure that even those who have read Weird Tales from the beginning would not mind one story each month for the less fortunate ones.”
1933
Letter (Weird Tales, August 1933)
“Writes Henry Kuttner, of Hollywood, California: “My Introduction to Weird Tales came almost ten years ago with Lovecraft’s The White Ape [April 1924]. Since then I have found your magazine to be my stand-by and favorite. It is the only one I buy every month.” Kuttner then takes up the issue of reprints again but ends with thanking the editor for useful synopsis on serials and: “I have before me a May issue, and want to mention August W. Derleth favorably. He has never written a masterpiece, but one can always depend upon him for a good story.”
Letter (Weird Tales, September 1933) shows that Kuttner had opinions about art. He approved of this Margaret Brundage…
“Compliments on your June Black Collosus cover!” writes Henry Kuttner, of Hollywood, California. “It embodies the spirit of the magazine excellently; and the conventional jade background of the statue against the vibrant nude, together with the black backing, is highly effective. Don’t be afraid of originality– you may at times fall short of the mark, but the motive is there.”
Letter (Weird Tales, November 1933) showed he did not like this Brundage cover.
“Allow me to pan you for your charmingly sadistic cover illustrating The Slithering Shadow,” writes Henry Kuttner of Hollywood, California. “I haven’t the slightest objection to the female nude in art, but it seems rather a pity that it is possible to find such pictures in any sex magazine, while Weird Tales is about the only publication of a type that can run fantastic and weird cover illustrations.” He goes on to give the editors a lesson in cover art before going on to praise Hugh B. Cave: “Cave is a damned good writer–if you pardon my explosive Dutch.”
1934
Letter (Weird Tales, September 1934) is surprising. Kuttner was a complete Lovecraft fan but he wasn’t above pointing out when HPL muffed it. Most critics agree “Through the Gate of the Silver Key” is a boring muddle. Even HPL’s co-author, E. Hoffman Price was unconvinced by evil bubbles. The surprise ending Hank dislikes was most likely Price trying to save a bad story.
The acolyte criticizes the master in this letter. He felt the collaborative tale “Through the Gate of the Silver Key” by H. P. Lovecraft and E. Hoffman Price boring and preachy: “Henry Kuttner, of Hollywood, California writes: “…Little need be said about the surprise ending of the yarn. Lovecraft at one time could supply a good ending, but now he is getting trite as hell. It is a bad example of a forced surprise ending that he has on that story…That is why C. L. Moore seems to me to be the better writer than Lovecraft–the present Lovecraft.” Kuttner uses the example of Mearle Prout’s “The House of the Worm” as another example of a forced ending. (This is his first mention of C. L. Moore.)
1935
Letter (Weird Tales, February 1935) surprised me because Hank Kuttner suggested the idea for a writer’s round robin that would become “The Challenge From Beyond” to Farnsworth Wright. The idea, no doubt, as being thrown around in fan circles. The story would eventually appear in Julius Schwartz’s Fantasy Magazine in 1936. Henry Kuttner would not participate but his wife-to-be, C. L. Moore, would. Later, Kuttner and Moore would do something similar on a smaller scale when Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry would appear together in “Quest of the Starstone”.
“Henry Kuttner, of Hollywood, California writes: “Here’s an idea that has been tried successfully in such magazines as Liberty: a serial written by a group of the most well-known writers, each one writing an installment. Why not let’em dope out a plot, and then let Quinn, Howard, Smith. Morgan, Ernst, Lovecraft, and the other bards bring their pet characters into the story? Imagine de Grandin, What-a-man Conan, Northwest Smith — the Three Occult Musketeers– battle spooks from Yuggoth, elementals from Cimmeria, Cave’s lively vindictive corpses, and the rest of the merry throng.”
Farnsworth write replies that this might not be a good idea, but he does try to solicit reader response.
Letter (Weird Tales, May 1935) shows Kuttner’s like of C. L. Moore’s work.
“Henry Kuttner, of Hollywood, California writes: “Your March issue is the best for a long, long time. Bet story was the short-short, What Waits in Darkness, by Loretta Burrough. Second best is C. L. Moore’s yarn [“Julhi”]. I note especially the great part adjectives play in Moore’s stories. Oddly, while they help achieve a weird effect, I chose Burrough’s story for the simple, direct manner in which the good story was told.” Kuttner goes on to call C. L. Moore the “find of 1934” and wonders who will be the find of 1935?
Letter (Weird Tales, July 1935) is one of two letters that chose stories by obscure writers who had one-offs in Weird Tales.
Kuttner picks “The Bronze Casket” by Richard H. Hart for best story. “A damn good yarn.”
Letter (Weird Tales, August 1935)
“Henry Kuttner, of Hollywood, California writes: “I’ve just read The Woman in Gray [by Walker G. Everett] in your June issue, and it’s unequivocally the best story in that issue–and for a long time. And it helps to prove my pet theory–that true weirdness lies in the subtle suggestion rather than in bald description…”
Letter (Weird Tales, November 1935)
“Henry Kuttner writes from Beverly Hills, California: “The August issue is a good one. I was glad to see that old war-horse, Edgar Daniel Kramer [“Old Salt”], in it…Best story, L. M. Montgomery’s The House Party at Smoky Island. Very clever yarn… In the September issue, Robert Bloch gets my vote for best story [“The Shambler From the Stars”]. The chap has a masterly control of adjectives.”
Letter (Weird Tales, December 1935)
Sadly, I don’t have this letter.
1936
Letter (Weird Tales, February 1936) showed Kuttner’s love of Sword & Sorcery, and support for Robert E. Howard. Later Kuttner would write the Elak stories in this same mode. History has proven Kuttner right.
“Henry Kuttner, of Beverly Hills, California, writes: “…Incidentally, for those that kick about the ‘sameness’ and gore of Howard’s yarns, I have always found that his stories, whether of Conan, King Kull, or Solomon Kane, were engrossing, and that is to me the test of a good story. Howard’s Valley of the Worm, combining weirdness with excellent style of narrative, seems to me his best.”
Letter (Weird Tales, March 1936) is Kuttner’s last letter as a fan, since it was written before his debut in the same issue. (Technically, he debuted in February with the poem “Ballad of the Gods” but who noticed?) Once again C. L. Moore gets compliments.
“Henry Kuttner, of Beverly Hills, California, writes: “Just got the January issue, and was especially delighted with two of the stories in it–C. L. Moore’s bit of weird craftsmanship, The Dark Land, and Robert Johnson’s little brief gem, They, which succeeded in capturing the same eery suggestion of stark horror at which Lovecraft excels.”
These were not the last letters Kuttner wrote to Weird Tales but after his debut he could no longer be counted among the fans but the writers. He would write with sadness on losing Robert E. Howard and then H. P. Lovecraft, but he also would meet C. L. Moore in 1936. He wrote her a fan letter thinking she was a man. They would marry in 1940 then begin more than a decade of writing together. Henry Kuttner died of a heart attack on February 3, 1958 at the age of 43.
I didn’t know anything about his fan days. Thanks for posting this.