Arthur J. Burks - Part 2: 1927-1928 - Dark Worlds Quarterly

Charles Lindbergh and the *Spirit of St. Louis*

1927 sees Arthur J. Burks expanding his story types and his markets. We get straight adventure tales, flying stories for three different magazines including one for children. AJB’s detective fiction for Edwin Baird sees its final appearance. Weird Tales remains his only source for fantastic fiction. (He will eventually discover Science Fiction and write for John W. Campbell.) 1928 gives us his first Sports story for Fight Stories and his first Northern for Northwest Magazine. Burk has twenty-four magazine appearance for 1928. The professional has arrived!

Much of Burks production by 1928 was for the Aviation magazines. He appeared in most issues of Air Stories for 1927-1928. AJB had not been in the Air Force but the Marines, but his military background obviously helped in producing tales of the air. (As Robert Kenneth Jones mentions in his book, The Shudder Pulps (1975) many pensters: “‘… had never been within fifty feet of an airplane.’ Pulp writers quickly learned one lessen: it was better to know nothing about their subject. Then, facts wouldn’t get in the way of the plot.” I don’t think AJB was one of these. He uses accurate details that probably came from actual observation.

The editor, Jack B. Kelly, at Fiction House was quickest to capitalize on Lindbergh’s historic transatlantic flight in May 1927 with Air Stories, “The First Air Story Magazine!” Burks was prominently on the covers by 1928. Wings was also a Fiction House magazine. (As were Fight Stories, Action Stories and Northwest Stories. It wasn’t unusual for Pulp writers to work for a particular chain, writing in whatever genres were needed for a stable of various magazines. It guaranteed work but was not so good if the writer fell out of favor with an editor like Ray A. Palmer.)

1927

“Faces” (Weird Tales, April 1927) Reprinted in Hutchinson’s Mystery Story Magazine July 1927

“The Black Scorpion” (The Danger Trail, May 1927)

“The Unofficial Observer” (Real Detective Tales, June/July 1927) as “Lieutenant Arthur J. Burks. AJB wasn’t above using his old military title as a by-line.

“Jerry the Hawk” (Air Stories, August 1927) This was the first issue of Air Stories, only three months after Charles Lindbergh’s famous transatlantic flight.

“Marked Money” (Real Detective Tales, September 1927)

“Into the Darkness” (The St. Nicholas Magazine, November 1927)

“The Invading Horde” (Weird Tales, November 1927) This lead story has America invaded by an Asian cult. Unlike most SF of this sort, the invaders win. That cover shows the last two defenders dying on a beach in melodramatic style. For more on “Yellow Peril in the SF Pulps”, go here.