Weird Tales

Weird Tales was a science fiction and horror pulp magazine first published in March of 1923 by J.C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre. Edwin Baird was the first editor of Weird Tales, and his assistant was Farnsworth Wright.

Baird was replaced by Farnsworth Wright after 14 issues. Wright (who suffered from Parkinson's disease) gave Weird Tales a unique identity, and began to publish Weird Tales' greatest discovery, H.P. Lovecraft, as well as the hugely popular Jules de Grandin stories of Seabury Quinn. Another successful contributor was Robert E. Howard, whose Conan the Barbarian stories, amongst many others, were hugely popular. Wright also gave early opportunities to such highly regarded pulp writers as Robert Bloch and Clark Ashton Smith.

Weird Tales always struggled financially, and like Black Mask suffered competition from comic books, radio and cheap pulp paperback books. After the death of Lovecraft and retirement of Wright, Weird Tales declined steadily until it ceased publication in 1954. Its last years, under the editorship of Dorothy McIlwraith, were characterised by occasional pieces of 'lost' Lovecraft, lurid covers, and Lovecraftian pastiches written by his self-appointed literary executor August Derleth.

DNA Publications recently bought the rights and Weird Tales was reborn. The magazine is now quite successful--as far as fiction magazines go--publishing distinguished modern writers such as Tanith Lee, Brian Lumley, and Thomas Ligotti. It is edited by George Scithers and Darrell Schweitzer. The latter sometimes contributes stories and poetry of his own.