"They'll Respect Me Down There, for Criminals Like 'Bad Men'"

"The Squealer."

By William Allen Ward (1893-1959).

First appearance: The Underworld, April 1928.

(No cover image available.)

Short short short story (2 pages).

Online at The Pulpgen Archive (HERE).

   "And did the dirty swine squeal on you?"

IN the criminal underworld it's advisable, when you're bragging, to know just what you're bragging about. Good advice for Ruben . . .

Principal characters:

~ Ruben Matthews and Shanghai Joe.

References:

- "the oak-clad sand hills of Arkansas up where the Ozarks raise their picturesque domes" (Wikipedia HERE and HERE).

- "Eureka Springs" (Wikipedia HERE).

- "you are a yegg" (Etymonline HERE) and (Wikipedia HERE).

- “moon-shinin’ or somethin’?” (Wikipedia HERE).

- "a pal who had turned state’s evidence on him" (Wikipedia HERE).

- "Crookdom’s phrases" (Wikipedia HERE; scroll down to "squeal").

Resources:

- Here's the FictionMags listing for William Allen Ward (ss = short story; vi = vignette; ts = true story):

  "The Gun Wizard," (ss) Ace-High Magazine, 1st July 1923

  "The Knob Knocker," (vi) Mystery Magazine #161, August 1, 1924

  "The Guilty Party," (ss) 10 Story Book, October 1924

  "A Front Page Story," (vi) 10 Story Book, June 1925

  "Kennedy from Boot Hill," (ss) Ace-High Magazine, 1st January 1926

  "The Fifth Ace," (ss) Lariat Story Magazine, July 1926

  "Black Jack Signs the Pledge," (ts) Lariat Story Magazine, November 1926

  "The Wisdom of Sam Lee," (ss) Complete Novel Magazine #34, February 1928

  "A Drink of Water," (ss) Complete Novel Magazine #35, March 1928

  "Coahuila Smiles," (vi) The Golden West Magazine, April 1928

  "The Squealer," (vi) The Underworld, April 1928 (above)

  "The Crime Doctor," (ss) Complete Detective Novel Magazine #1, June 1928

  "The Conquest of Jernigan," (vi) Wild West Stories and Complete Novel Magazine #40, August 1928

  "A Pair of Silk Stockings," (ss) The Underworld, August 1928

  “'Blackie' Oliver," (ss) The Golden West Magazine, March 1930

  "A Ghost in Murderer’s Row," (ss) 10 Story Book, October 1930

  "Indiana’s Departure," (ss) Overland Monthly, April 1932

  "Perfect Escape," (ss) Overland Monthly, July 1932

  "The Puma Woman," (ss) The Underworld Detective, July 1935 (online HERE; go to text page 44)

  "Anonymous," (ss) Breezy Stories, October 1940

  "Straight in the Eye," (ss) unknown date.

The bottom line:

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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"The Battered Face of the Man He Had Just Overpowered Kept Creeping into His Consciousness"

"Renegade."

By J. Harvey Haggard (1912-2001; the ISFDb HERE; the SFE HERE; and Dark Roasted Blend HERE).

First appearance: Thrilling Wonder Stories, June 1937.

Short short short story (3 pages).

Online at The Pulpgen Archive (HERE).

   "For a moment he plummeted headlong; his universe was clouded with a strange settling pallor, like the tawny down of Her lustrous hair. A million stars enveloped it; something wrenched at every fiber of his being. He was enveloped in a flaming conflagration that materialized almost too suddenly to register the pain that tore deeply."

SHAKESPEARE assures us that "love is blind and lovers cannot see / The pretty follies that themselves commit." But for the renegade in our story, blind love will lead him way past any and all pretty follies and straight into disaster . . .

Main characters:

~ Ellord Trant, the Core Dwellers, Curtiss, Captain Kurdley, and Her.

Resources:

- Project Gutenberg has a small J. Harvey Haggard collection (HERE).

- The Pulpgen Archive has six of Haggard's titles available (HERE) and (HERE).

- A few years ago we looked at Haggard's "The Atombomb Clue" and "Round About Rigel" (HERE), with the latter reposted (HERE).

The bottom line:

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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Two from THE SAINT (Number 2)

(1) "April in Paris."

By Ann Gilmer (W.E.D. Ross, 1912-95).

First appearance: The Saint Mystery Magazine (U.K.), December 1963.

Reprinted in The Saint Mystery Magazine, March 1964.

Short short short story (1 page).

Online at Archive.org (HERE).

   "Your honeymoon tickets, one one-way and one round trip!"

Principal characters:

~ Madame Arnel, Claude Arnel, Marie Arnel, and the bald, nervous-looking man.

Resource:

- Our story is apropos of (THIS) particular serial killer.

(2) "Tea Ceremony."

By Robert Andrea (pseudonym).

First appearance: The Saint Mystery Magazine (U.K.), April 1963.

Reprinted in The Saint Mystery Magazine, July 1963.

Short short short story (2 pages).

Online at Archive.org (HERE).

  "She could not disobey her father . . ."

Principal characters:

~ Yoshiko Inagaki, Yoshiko's father, and Donald.

Typo: "She know" (knew).

Resources:

- The tea ceremony is a very important cultural activity in Japan (Wikipedia HERE).

- It's understandable that the beverage in question was of great significance in Ellery Queen's "The Adventure of the Mad Tea Party" (HERE) and John Q. Copeland's "The Copper Tea Strainer" (HERE).

The bottom line:

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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"You Could've Scored! Are You Out of Your Head?"

TODAY'S STORY takes the idea of blood sports to a new level . . .

"The Racer."

By Ib Melchior (1917-2015; Wikipedia HERE; the ISFDb HERE; the SFE HERE; and the IMDb HERE).

First appearance: Escapade, October 1956.

Illustrations by Ed Kysar (?-?).

Filmed as Death Race 2000 in 1975 (WARNING! SPOILERS! Wikipedia HERE), plus four derivative productions (WARNING! SPOILERS! Wikipedia starting HERE).

Notice who gets top billing and who doesn't.

Short short story (6 pages).

Online at SFFaudio (HERE).

(Parental caution: Mild profanity.)

   "The two men fought savagely for control. They were only yards from the fleeing children."

WHEN you are a professional killer, probably the last thing you'd wish for is a case of conscience . . .

Main characters:

~ Willie Connors, Hank Morowski, and Muriel.

Typo: "Oh, year" (yeah). 

Resources:

- After first publication, Ib Melchior's "The Racer" enjoyed an unusually long afterlife, making it into the movies first and then anthologies as a result (FictionMags data):

  Escapade’s Best #1, 1957.

  If This Goes On, 1965.

  Perry Rhodan #97, 1976.

  They Came from Outer Space, 1981 (HERE).

  Reel Future, 1994 (HERE; borrow only).

  Ackermanthology! 1997, as "Deathrace 2000" (HERE; borrow only).

  Death on Wheels, 1999.

  Science-Fiction Classics: The Stories That Morphed Into Movies, 1999 (HERE; borrow only).

- Is it possible for an entire society to become pathological? Ray Bradbury imagined it in Fahrenheit 451 (WARNING! SPOILERS! Wikipedia HERE) and "The Crowd" (HERE), and 

so did Robert Sheckley in "Seventh Victim" (HERE).

- Some of you will remember a previous encounter with Ib Melchior (HERE).

The bottom line:

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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"And the Great Leveller Had Met and Conquered Them All."

WHOEVER Ben Smith was, he remained in the world of speculative fiction (Westerns seem to have been his specialty) only long enough to produce a couple of diverting stories, the first of which is entitled . . .

(1) "Sequel."

By Ben Smith (?-?; ISFDb HERE).

First appearance: Rocket Stories, July 1953.

Illustrated by Berwin (?-?; ISFDb HERE).

Short short story (5 pages).

Online at SFFAudio (HERE).

   

   "But you'll drift to it and cling like a snail on a stone for as long as time itself."

SOME men regard honor above life itself; Jubil is one such man . . .

Principal characters:

~ Jubil, Radik, Olgan, Kane (deceased), and Schoenbirk (also deceased).

Typo: "discharred".

References:

- "ten parsecs" (Wikipedia HERE)

- "the atomic drive" (Wikipedia HERE and Atomic Rockets HERE and HERE)

- "the great leveller" (New Generation Dictionary HERE)

- "fissionable pile" (Wikipedia HERE)

- "astronavigation" (Atomic Rockets HERE)

- "super-ships that made the week-end excursion flights that spanned from galaxy to galaxy" (Atomic Rockets HERE and HERE).

(2) "I'll See You Tomorrow."

By Ben Smith (?-?; ISFDb HERE).

First appearance: Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy (or just Cosmos), July 1954.

Short short short story (4 pages).

Online at SFFAudio (HERE).

   "When I push the release, something happens!"

"The smallest worm will turn being trodden on," affirms the Bard. The "worm" in our story is a person who's been oppressed by their own ineffectuality but chooses instead to blame others for it. For this individual, in order to put things right, all it'll take is a special "piece of machinery" and the will to use it . . .

Principal characters:

~ Henry Bitts, Duane Morton, Dorothy, Halley, and the Mayor.

Reference:

- "Think of the killing you could make at the races . . ." (See Resources below, fourth link.)

Resources:

- Ben Smith did stray into hardboiled detecfic with this story: "One of a Kind" in Manhunt, October 1954, online at The Luminist Archives (HERE; go to text page 90).

- Cameras have figured largely in the plots of detective and science fiction/fantasy stories a few times: (HERE), (HERE), (HERE), (HERE), and (HERE).

The bottom line:

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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Two from THE SAINT (Number 1)

(1) "Ouija Board."

By Robert Andrea (pseudonym for ?; ISFDb HERE).

First appearance: The Saint Mystery Magazine, January 1963.

Short short short story (5 pages).

Online at Archive.org (HERE; go to text page 102).

   “I think the first question, perhaps the only question, we should ask this—this thing, is who committed the murder."

CAN it be that a session with a ouija board will solve a crime? Inspector Podd seems 

dubious . . .

Main characters:

~ George Grayson (deceased), Mrs. Kranz, Inspector Podd, the police sergeant, Mr. Stedgrow, Miss Barclay, and Mr. Towne.

References:

- "Ouija board" (Wikipedia HERE)

- "an Indian fakir" (Wikisource HERE and HERE).

TURN the page and you'll come to . . .

(2) "Murder Is a Specialty."

By Fred S. Tobey (1908-2001).

First appearance: The Saint Mystery Magazine, January 1963.

Short short short story (4 pages).

Online at Archive.org (HERE; go to text page 107).

   "I've read about it in stories."

"THE happiness of credulity," wrote Shaw, "is a cheap and dangerous quality." So when our credulous killer says he read about it in stories and believed them, he blissfully strays into a dangerous trap that he has unintentionally set for himself . . .

Main characters:

~ William Winton (deceased), Mrs. Winton (deceased), Dr. Evans, Lieutenant Malloy, Charles Winton, the stenographer, and the patrolman.

Resources:

- It's just a remarkable coincidence that a detective has to unravel a bathtub murder by electrocution with two brothers as the prime suspects (WARNING! SPOILERS! The Columbophile HERE).

- Robert Andrea (a pseudonym) started out in science fiction but quickly switched to detecfic (vi = vignette; ss = short story; FictionMags data):

  "Spacenet," (vi) Fantastic Universe, July 1958

  "Space Control," (vi) Fantastic Universe, July 1959

  "Helping Hand," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine, December 1959

  "Life and Death of a Robot," (ss) Fantastic Universe, December 1959

  "Night of Gaiety," (ss) The Saint Mystery Library #13, 1960

  "The Alibi," (ss) 77 Sunset Strip, July 1960

  "Grandpa’s Beer Hall," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine (U.K.), March 1961

  "The Wheel Says Black," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine (U.K.), November 1961

  "Ouija Board," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine, January 1963 (above)

  "The Brothers," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine (U.K.), February 1963

  "Tea Ceremony," (vi) The Saint Mystery Magazine (U.K.), April 1963

  "Smudges of Death," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine, May 1963

  "The Man Who Hated the Yankees," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine, September 1963

  "The Analytic Beatnik," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine, January 1966.

- Fred S. Tobey (not a pseudonym) spent most of his time in the pulp detecfic digests (hu = humor; vi = vignette; ss = short story; ms = manuscript; FictionMags data):

  "Cafeteria Complex," (hu) Esquire, September 1935

  "You Drive, Dear," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, January 1961

  "The Big Switch," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine (U.K.), June 1961

  "Crash Program," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, March 1962

  "Two for the Moose," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, July 1962

  "Murder Is a Specialty," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine, January 1963 (above)

  "Cybernetics for Crime," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, October 1963

  "Cost of the Casket," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, August 1964

  "Ice for Your Party," (ss) The Saint Mystery Magazine (U.K.), November 1964

  "A Gift for Everyone," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, January 1965

  "Fire Drill," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, March 1965

  "Chill of Autumn," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, September 1965

  "A Fair Share for Sadie," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, October 1965

  "The Calculated Risk," (ss) Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, April 1966

  "The Gap in the Fence," (ss) Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, September 1966

  "A Laugh on Lulu," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, November 1966

  "Instant Real," (ss) Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, June 1967

  "Never Hit a Lady," (vi) Signature, The Diner’s Club Magazine, 1967

  "Die by the Book," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, August 1969

  "Up Above the World So High," (vi) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, January 1972

  "Kasch for Your Clothes," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, August 1972

  "Child on a Journey," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, December 1973

  "The Same As Cash," (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, May 1977

  "Cora," (ms) Crimestalker Casebook, Winter 2001.

The bottom line:

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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"How Did Doomsday Come? Well, It's the Story of a Banquet . . ."

"From Outer Space."

By Robert Zacks (1915-95; ISFDb HERE).

First appearance: Startling Stories, May 1952.

Illustration by Alex Schomburg (1905-98; ISFDb HERE).

Reprints page (ISFDb HERE).

Short short short story (3 pages).

Online at Project Gutenberg (HERE).

   ". . . maybe in fifty years they'll feel we're advanced enough for freedom."

HERE we have yet further confirmation of how true that old saying is about not judging books by their covers . . .

Principal characters:

~ The old space veteran, the young men, Professor Kennicot, Professor Johnson, and the aliens.

References:

- "Doomsday" (Wikipedia HERE and HERE)

- "the heaviside layer" (Wikipedia HERE)

- "a non-electrical society" (Wikipedia HERE).

Resources:

- A benevolent alien paralyzed the electrical system of the whole Earth in a '50s sci-fi classic film (WARNING! SPOILERS! Wikipedia HERE).

- Another sci-fi production, this one from television, depicted aliens doing the same thing to an unlucky astronaut that happens to Earth in our story (WARNING! SPOILERS! Wikipedia HERE).

- Our only other meeting with Robert Zacks was his crime fictional "Account Settled" (HERE).

The bottom line:

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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