Henry Kuttner was a prolific and fascinating writer of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Growing up in California, he was one of the first big SF writers to live in that area, along with Ray Bradbury, and later Robert Bloch and Leigh Brackett. He began in the shadow of his masters: H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard and Edmond Hamilton, but quickly became a slick Pulpster with a style all his own. Later, after his marriage to C. L. Moore and adopting a few famous pseudonyms like Lewis Padgett, he turned into one of the stars of John W. Campbell’s Golden Age. This first section looks at his younger days, before his marriage and transition. During this period he would write most of his Sword & Sorcery with Elak and Prince Raynor, as well as start SF series like Hollywood on the Moon. Much of his regular output was for Thrilling Mystery, where he wrote Shudder Pulps with logical endings. Hank also caught the fanzine bug and published his own zine called Sweetness and Light.
1929
Kuttner began writing fan letters when he was fourteen, mostly to Weird Tales from 1929 but also two to Air Wonder Stories in September and November.
1931
“The Monkey Wrench” (Jungle Stories, August 1931) as Bertram W. Williams – first Pulp sale at the age of sixteen.
1936
“Ballad of the Gods” (poem) (Weird Tales, February 1936)
“The Graveyard Rats” (Weird Tales, March 1936) Kuttner’s first Lovecraftian tale.
“Ballad of the Wolf” (poem) (Weird Tales, June 1936)
“Bamboo Death” (Thrilling Mystery, June 1936)
“The Devil Rides” (Thrilling Mystery, September 1936)
“The Secret of Kratlitz” (Weird Tales, October 1936) – Kuttner’s first contribution to the Cthulhu Mythos
“Power of the Snake” (Thrilling Mystery, November 1936)
“Fantasy Film News Bits” (Science Fantasy Correspondent, November/December 1936) Kuttner’s first fan writing.
“Coffins For Six” (Thrilling Mystery, December 1936) as C. K. M. Scanlon
“Laughter of the Dead” (Thrilling Mystery, December 1936)
“It Walks By Night” (Weird Tales, December 1936)
1937
“Terror in the House” (Thrilling Mystery, January 1937)
“The Faceless Fiend” (Thrilling Mystery, January 1937) as K. H. Maepenn
“The Eater of Souls” (Weird Tales, January 1937)
“I. the Vampire” (Weird Tales, February 1937)
“The Dweller in the Tomb” (Thrilling Mystery, February 1937)
“Nightmare Woman” (Thrilling Mystery, March 1937)
“We Are the Dead” (Weird Tales, April 1937)
“The Salem Horror” (Weird Tales, May 1937)
“Ragnorak” (poem) (Weird Tales, June 1937)
“The Black Kiss” (Weird Tales, June 1937) with Robert Bloch
“My Brother the Ghoul” (Thrilling Mystery, June 1937)
“I Am the Wolf” (Thrilling Mystery, July 1937)
“Raider of the Spaceways” (Weird Tales, July 1937) Kuttner’s first SF tale.
“Master of the Damned” (Fantasmagoria, July Winter 1937 November 1938)
“H. P. L.” (poem) (Weird Tales, September 1937)
“The Jest of Droom-Avista” (Weird Tales, August 1937)
“Four Frightful Men” (Thrilling Mystery, September 1937)
“Terror on the Stage” (Thrilling Mystery, September 1937) as K. H. Maepenn
“When the Earth Lived” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, October 1937)
“Lord of the Lions” (Thrilling Mystery, November 1937)
“The Case of Harold Thorp” (Weird Tales, November 1937)
“Quest of the Starstone” (Weird Tales, November 1937) with C. L. Moore – first collaboration with future wife and writing partner. Moore’s Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry meet!
“The Malignant Peezle” (Fantascience Digest, November/December 1937)
“The Bloodless Peril” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1937) as Will Garth
1938
“Invasion From the Fourth” (Thrilling Mystery, January 1938)
“Messer Orsini’s Hands” (Spicy Mystery Stories, January 1938)
“World’s End” (Weird Tales, February 1938)
“The Graveyard Curse” (Spicy Mystery Stories, March 1938)
“The Shadow on the Screen” (Weird Tales, March 1938)
“The Unresting Dead” (Thrilling Mystery, March 1938)
“Selling the Fantasy Story” (Writer’s Digest, March 1938)
“Hell’s Archangel” (Spicy Mystery Stories, April 1938) (aka “False Face” by Walton Grey)
“Hollywood on the Moon” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, April 1938)
“My Name Is Death” (Spicy Mystery Stories, May 1938)
“Thunder in the Dawn” (Weird Tales, May June 1938) Kuttner’s first Sword & Sorcery epic.
“Devil’s Masquerade” (Mystery Stories, June 1938)
“Spawn of Dagon” (Weird Tales, July 1938)
“Avengers of Space” (Marvel Science Stories, August 1938)
“Dictator of America” (Marvel Science Stories, August 1938) as James Hall
“The Dark Heritage” (Marvel Science Stories, August 1938) as Robert O. Kenyon
“The Disinherited” (Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1938) Kuttner’s first sale to John W. Campbell.
“Doom World” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, August 1938)
“Beyond the Phoenix” (Weird Tales, October 1938)
“The Time Trap” (Marvel Science Stories, November 1938)
“Hands Across the Void” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1938) as Will Garth
“The Star Parade” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1938)
“Storm Over England” (Thrilling Adventures, December 1938)
1939
“The Frog” (Strange Stories, February 1939)
“The Invaders” (Strange Stories, February 1939) as Keith Hammond
“The Transgressor” (Weird Tales, February 1939)
“Augur, Augur, Who’s Got the Auger?” (Sweetness and Light, Spring 1939)
“Let’s Be Sensible” (Sweetness and Light, Spring 1939)
“The Strange Case of Mr. Geech” (Fantascience Digest, March/April 1939)
“Beyond Annihilation” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, April 1939)
“Hydra” (Weird Tales, April 1939)
“The Bells of Horror” (Strange Stories, April 1939) as Keith Hammond
“Cursed Be the City” (Strange Stories, April 1939)
“The Watcher of the Door” (Weird Tales, May 1939)
“Murder for Fun” (Thrilling Mystery, May 1939)
“Telepathy Is News!” (Science Fiction, June 1939) as Paul Edmonds
“Ironing-Board Derby” (Popular Sports, June 1939) with Arthur K. Barnes
“The Body and the Brain” (Strange Stories, June 1939) with Robert Bloch as Keith Hammond
“The Hunt” (Strange Stories, June 1939)
“Meet the Gang #4” (poem) (Sweetness and Light, Summer 1939)
“Death Is Where You Find It” (Thrilling Mystery, July 1939)
“The Curse of the Crocodile” (Strange Stories, August 1939) as Bertram W. Williams
“The Misguided Halo” (Unknown, August 1939)
“Idle Thoughts on Spinach” (Scienti-Snaps August 1939)
“Roman Holiday” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, August 1939) with Arthur K. Barnes as Kelvin Kent
“The Citadel of Darkness” (Strange Stories, August 1939)
“The Truth About Goldfish” (Future Fantasia, Fall 1939)
“Is It True What They Say About Kuttner?” (Futuria Fantasia, Fall 1939) as Guy Amory
“Flash!!!” (Sweetness and Light, Fall 1939)
“The Devil’s Brood” (Thrilling Mystery, September 1939)
“The Energy Eaters” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, October 1939) with Arthur K. Barnes as Arthur K. Barnes
“Towers of Death” (Weird Tales, November 1939)
“Corpse Castle” (Thrilling Mystery, November 1939)
“Suicide Squad” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1939)
“The Grip of Death” (Strange Stories, December 1939) with Robert Bloch as Robert Bloch
“World’s Pharaoh” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1938) as Kelvin Kent
Next time...Catherine Moore and the 1940s.
