If you missed the last one…
1939 saw a resurgence of fantastic material with very few gaps through the year. Because of this we don’t have to pair it with 1940. This year saw some classic novels, The Synthetic Men of Mars, The Minions of the Moon, Maker of Shadows, The Ninth Life, along with a reprint of A. Merritt’s Seven Footsteps To Satan. Arthur Leo Zagat was particularly busy with a novel, Seven Out of Time but more important the Tomorrow Series, which weren’t novels but connected novellas. Philip Ketchum used the same system for his Bretwalda historical fantasies. Some new faces include Jack Williamson, Eando Binder, Paul Ernst, Hugh B. Cave and David V. Reed, all Pulpsters from other SF magazines.
1939
The Synthetic Men of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (January 7-February 11, 1939) in six parts, is told by Vor Daj, a warrior in John Carter’s service. Carter and allies seek the scientist, Ras Thavas, to perform surgery on the injured Dejah Thoris. Unfortunately for the mad scientist a race of synthetic monsters he has created is giving him trouble. Elements of Frankenstein are here. Lupoff said the novel “has little to recommend it” but other critics like it.
“Snake-Head” by Theodore Roscoe (January 7, 1939)
The Eye of Doom (aka The Doom Stone) by Cornell Woolrich (January 14-February 4, 1939) in four parts, was later released as The Doom Stone. Working in the tradition of Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone (1868), a rare gem brings nothing good to those who own it.
“Detour” by Nard Jones (January 28, 1939) by an Oregon author. This story takes place in the fictional town of Detour, Oregon. His last fantastic story appeared in Weird Tales in 1933.
“The Man Who Hated Lincoln” by Theodore Roscoe (February 18, 1939)
“The Axe Bites Deep” by Philip Ketchum (February 25, 1939) is the first of the Bretwalda novellas that run throughout 1939. Taking an actual figure from history, Ketchum gives him an enchanted axe, that like Thor’s hammer or Arthur’s Excalibur, can only be wielded by the one true owner. Ketchum is better remembered for his Westerns that he also wrote for Argosy. Thanks to Lindsay Crawford for the tip. The story was reprinted in World Wide Adventure #5, Winter1968/69.
“Nonstop to Mars” by Jack Williamson (February 25, 1939) has Carter Leigh fly to Mars only to become marooned there like a modern day Robinson Crusoe. Williamson ends it not with Friday but with a romance. This story was chosen for The Best of Jack Williamson (1978). I wonder if this story helped inspire Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964), directed by Byron Haskin.
“The Man Next Door” by Paul Ernst (March 4, 1939) has August Herrin, escaped lunatic on the loose. Is he mad or simply housing a creature from another world? This story was reprinted in Fantastic, January 1963.
Seven Out of Time by Arthur Leo Zagat (March 11-April 15, 1939) in six parts, begins with a young attorney looking for a missing woman. He finds her in the future, where ugly monsters descended from the human race, hold her and five others captive. The seven band together to escape. When the 20th Century couple return they do everything they can to prevent the creation of the “future men”. Edmond Hamilton and Poul Anderson would use the idea of a mixed band from across time in future stories.
“Vandal” by Philip Ketchum (March 18, 1939) is a Bretwalda story.
“The Magic Monkeys” by Garnett Radcliffe (April 1, 1939) sounds like an earlier version of “The Monkey Ship” (Weird Tales, March 1952).
“Out to Rest” by by A. M. Burrage (April 8, 1939), a tale from the classic ghost story writer of “Waxworks”.
“A Sword for Leif the Lucky” by Philip Ketchum (April 15, 1939) is a Bretwalda story.
Minions of the Moon by William Gray Beyer (April 22-May 6, 1939) in three parts, is the first of a foursome of novels. A man from our time is sent six thousand years into the future. Space opera with ERB elements in it. Anthony Boucher, J. Francis McComas and Damon Knight all gave it mixed reviews, acknowledging its charm while pointing out its datedness. If it had been written twenty years earlier it would have been hailed a masterpiece. The novel was reprinted in Two Complete Science-Adventures Books, Summer 1952.
“The Wonderful Lamp of Thibaut Corday” by Theodore Roscoe (April 29, 1939) is another tale of the magic lamp.
“Show Me the Way to Go Home” by John Ames York (May 6, 1939) is the first of four SF tales written by this author for Argosy. He did not publish in the usual Pulps.
“Paths of Conquest” by Philip Ketchum (May 13, 1939) is a Bretwalda story.
“The Time Is at Hand” by John Ames York (May 13, 1939)
“Tomorrow” by Arthur Leo Zagat (May 27, 1939) is the first in a series of novellas about Dikar and The Bunch. In a post apocalyptic world, after a war with Asia, the survivors face terrible challenges. Thanks to Roy Glashen for the illos and the texts.
“Delay at Antioch” by Philip Ketchum (June 10, 1939) is the only other time the Bretwalda stories got the cover.
“The Great Green Serpent” by Paul Ernst (June 10, 1939) is a voodoo tale set in the Caribbean.
“Boomerang” by Hugh B. Cave (June 10, 1939) is a short one that’s not really supernatural but might be considered a conte cruel.
“Children of Tomorrow” by Arthur Leo Zagat (June 17, 1939) has Dikar and his crew rallying in an attempt to bring back fallen America.
” Corday and the 7-League Boots” by Theodore Roscoe (June 24, 1939) is yet another magic lamp story.
Seven Footprints to Satan by A. Merritt (June 24-July 22, 1939) in five part, is the tale of art-thief, Jim Markham and an evil organization run by “Satan”. Markham falls foul of the cult and has to endure the “Seven Footsteps”, a gauntlet of trails to escape death. The shadow of Sax Rohmer hangs over this one but not in a bad way. It was filmed in Denmark in 1928. The novel was reprinted from Argosy Allstory Weekly July 2 1927.
“Thunderbolt” by John Ames York (July 1, 1939)
“Scourge of the Severn” by Philip Ketchum (July 8, 1939) is a Bretwalda story.
“Tribute to None” by Philip Ketchum (July 29, 1939) is a Bretwalda story.
“When the Dyaks Dance” by James Francis Dwyer (July 29, 1939) has magic in the jungles of Borneo from this classic adventure writer.
The Ninth Life by Jack Mann (August 5- September 26, 1939) in four parts, was the first of the occult detective, Gees’, adventures to appear in Argosy. It is actually his sixth. A friend of Gees’s falls for a woman who may or may not be an Egyptian phantom. Reprinted in A. Merritt’s Fantasy Magazine, April 1950.
“Hear the Whistles Blowing” by Richard Sale (August 5, 1939) is a tale of ghosts and trains from a writer who made himself famous writing about ships.
“The Valiant Arm by Philip Ketchum (August 19, 1939) is a Bretwalda story.
“Blood of the Albacore” by Nard Jones (September 2, 1939)
“Bright Flag of Tomorrow” by Arthur Leo Zagat (September 9, 1939) continues Dikar’s fight. I wonder how many people bought this one thinking they were getting a new Tarzan novel?
Remember Tomorrow by Theodore Roscoe (September 16-October 21, 1939) in six parts, has dead soldiers replaying their terrible struggle. I think Arthur Machen’s “Angels of Mons” may have inspired this one.
Lords of Creation by Eando Binder (September 23-October 28, 1939) in six parts, reads like Buck Rogers retread. Homer Ellery awakens in the year 5000 AD. He leads a revolt against the Antarkans, falls in love with a princess, and ultimately frees America from tyranny. Probably written by Otto Binder, since Earl retired around this time.
“The Aztec Heart” by Brice Purcell (September 23, 1939) has an Aztec curse claim a modern man. Reprinted in Fantasy Stories, November 1950.
“The Long Journey” by Philip Ketchum (September 23, 1939) is a Bretwalda story.
“England, Farewell” by Philip Ketchum (October 14, 1939) is a Bretwalda story.
“The Temple Cats” by Jay Clark (October 28, 1939) for Halloween.
“The Lonely World” by Richard Sale (October 28, 1939)
“Course of Empire” by Philip Ketchum (November 4, 1939) is a Bretwalda story.
“Let ’Em Eat Space” by William Gray Beyer (November 4, 1939) is an unusual entry from the writer of Minions of the Moon, a straight SF piece. The story was reprinted in Fantastic, February 1963.
“The Higher They Fly” by Walter C. Brown (November 18, 1939) is from an author better known in the hard-boiled Pulps. Hois only other fantastic tale will appear in Weird Tales in 1941.
“The Golden Boneyard” by David V. Reed (November 18, 1939) is another windfall for a Pulpster. Reed wrote mostly for Ray Palmer’s Chicago magazines.
“Star Bright” by Jack Williamson (November 25, 1939) has Jason Peabody make a wish on a falling star and get hit by a comet. He also get the girl.
Maker of Shadows by Jack Mann (December 9- January 6, 1940) in five parts, in another Gees’ occult detective story. This time Gees is in Scotland to face off against phantoms who surround a family protected by rowan trees. This novel is the fifth but appeared after the next one, The Ninth Life. It did not get a reprint. Karl Edward Wagner selected it as #6 in The Thirteen Best Supernatural Horror Novels.
“Fire Medicine” by H. Bedford-Jones (December 9, 1939) is a Halfway House tale.
“Forever England” by Philip Ketchum (December 23, 1939) is the final story in the Bretwalda run but Ketchum will be back in 1940 with the “Odin’s Cup” series.
Conclusion
The Fantastic in the Argosy in 1939! What a year! If you thought Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror were on the way out, boy, were you wrong! Let’s enjoy it while we can. Big changes for the Argosy in the 1940s. Big changes for all of the old Soft Weeklies as genre-specific Pulps take over the newsstands. This is now the age of John W. Campbell’s Astounding Science-Fiction and the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Writers like Jack Williamson will do great things there. Others like Otto Binder are headed for the comics books.
