H.P. Lovecraft
Zothique 14: speciale Weird Tales

If it weren't for Weird Tales, today we probably wouldn't have been able to read the great H.P. Lovecraft, with his prose perhaps too laden with adjectives but that cast delirious glances upon immeasurable cosmic abysses. But besides the Recluse of Providence, we would have had to forgo the baroque prose (too baroque) of Clark Ashton Smith (in my opinion, it hasn't aged very well today, but I know opinions on this are very divided) and the essential prose like the blade of a knife of Robert E. Howard. They were the so-called Three Musketeers of Weird Tales and this alone bestows a legendary status on this magazine which is now celebrated with a special issue by Zothique on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. Within this issue, we can read several interesting articles such as the testimony of August Derleth, a brilliant publisher, founder of Arkham House with Donald Wandrei, who first spread the Lovecraftian gospel as if it were a religion, and that of critics and collectors, as well as a series of unpublished stories.

Among the various articles present, I found particularly interesting "The Most Popular Stories of Weird Tales" by the critic, writer, and historian of American science fiction Sam Moskowitz. The most popular story of Weird Tales was The Woman of the Wood by Abraham Merritt from 1926. However, Moskowitz points out how, despite the story being good, the subjective opinion of the editor of the time, Farnsworth Wright, had its weight. Wright considered, for his judgments, the comments that reached him through letters sent by readers. This text reveals many interesting anecdotes such as the existence of Cosmic Horror Richard F. Searight, a story whose title alone defines a genre! It also talks about the importance of a story like Shambleau by C.L. Moore and the impact that at the time The Outsider by H.P. Lovecraft had among readers (the third most voted story of the magazine) and on the director Farnsworth Wright. The same Derleth used the title of this story to name the first legendary anthology of Arkham House The Outsider And Others (1939) and wrote to Weird Tales with the following words:

"This story is worthy of Poe and, if I may say so, I believe it is better than any work of Poe."

Moskowitz does not share this opinion and I am in complete agreement with him. The Outsider is a good story but, while imitating Poe, it remains far from the levels of the writer from Boston. It's not here that one should seek Lovecraft's masterpieces. It might then be surprising, for some, that Moskowitz explicitly says how the most beloved author by readers (taking the first place 30 times) of Weird Tales was Seabury Quinn, a barely passable writer who today appears objectively dated. Unfortunately, this is a confirmation of how bad currency drives out good, considering the greatness of a Lovecraft who was indeed loved by readers but whose genius was never fully understood at the time.

Needless to say, we are faced with a cult issue that is absolutely unmissable for all lovers of classic weird. The issue can be ordered on Amazon at the following link: https://www.amazon.it/ZOTHIQUE-14-Speciale-Weird-Tales/dp/B0BYM6LWPV.