"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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"Perhaps That Is Why He Had Contemplated Murder with Greater Passiveness Than a Society Woman Contemplates Another Tea."

"A Devil's Highball".

By G. Fleming-Roberts (George Thomas Roberts, 1910-68; Pulp Flakes HERE; Mystery*File HERE; the ISFDb HERE; and the IMDb HERE).

First appearance: Ten Detective Aces, July 1933.

Short short short story (3 pages).

Online at The Pulpgen Archive (HERE).

   "It was to be simple—this murder, for only simple murders succeed."

. . . but then there's the problem of the fresh air fiend.

Main characters:

~ Gavin Clark, Randolph Shortly, and Madeline Clark.

Reference:

- "TRIOXIDE OF ARSENIC" (Wikipedia HERE).

Resource:

- (HERE) is The Pulpgen Archive's collection of 16 of Fleming-Roberts's stories.

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're Worried About the Alibi Angle."

Rick Random's Manhunt Through Space.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Super Detective Library No. 90, September 6, 1956.

Graphic novel (68 pages).

Online at Comic Book Plus (HERE).

   "At least one important man doubted her guilt."

WHO would be better at avoiding apprehension than a magician? Rick Random of the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation should have plenty of Frequent Flyer miles accumulated (or, more likely, a government travel voucher) if he intends to track down an eel as slippery as Grink Slok. Slok is either the perpetrator of, or a material witness to, a murder on Mars, a murder that the court has already found and convicted someone else of doing. Was it "a simple case of murder, for jealousy and profit"? You have to ask?

Comment: THE BAD: Slow going lackluster plot with excessive repetition and an anticlimactic finale. THE GOOD: Superb pen and ink artwork. Let your eye find the nicely done small details.

Main characters:

~ Rick Random, John 'Cracker' Crandon, Marta Crandon, Dr. Marius Fisher, Dr. Dart Emery, Lee Chong, Dr. M'bwango, Charlie Big-Brain, Feleena Smark, Black Jack McLain, Klak Fronge, Grink Slok, Frongolla, W Vamvil, Baron Pellango, Fzhrtwm Plgdxb, Yonk V'ji-To, C't-Ree Phonphelphutphaphic, Dusty Rhodes, Prince Twirno, Count Bypanello, Sir Mee Mango, Goobal Mash, and Wila-Wog-Wenu.

Typos: "CONSTELLATION Scorpio" (should be Scorpius); "lense".

References (all links are to Wikipedia).

(NOTE: Astronomical data have changed considerably in the last 70 years.)

- "the Great Canal on Mars" (HERE)

- "a trip to Deneb IV" (HERE)

- "Alpha Centauri III" (HERE)

- "Sirius II and III" (HERE)

- "the asteroid belt" (HERE)

- "Mars" (HERE)

- "Jupiter" (HERE)

- "the Procyon System" (HERE)

- "clearance to hyper-space" (HERE)

- "the space-time continuum" (HERE)

- "the size of a half-crown" (HERE)

- "Antares IV and XXI" (HERE)

- "Pleiades X" (HERE)

- "Spica XV" (HERE)

- "the Hercules Constellation" (HERE)

- "Arcturus VIII" (HERE)

- "Regulus II and VI" (HERE)

- "Pollux V" (HERE).

Resources:

- Space sleuth Rick Random's previous adventures include "Crime Rides the Spaceways" (HERE) and "Mystery in the Milky Way" (HERE).

The bottom line:

(Click on image to enlarge.)

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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UPDATE: The Inspector Stanley Series (Again)

Added links and illos to several Inspector Stanley stories in the 1946, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957 Radio Fun Annuals (HERE; items 36 and 40-44).

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UPDATE: The Inspector Stanley Series

Added a link and an illo to an Inspector Stanley story in the 1952 Radio Fun Annual (HERE; item 39).

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"It’s Always Seemed to Me That Every Crime Carries with It Its Own Punishment."

"Punishment Deferred."

By James Donald (?-?).

First appearance: Secret Agent 'X', February 1934.

Short short short story (2 pages).

Online at The Pulpgen Archive (HERE).

   "If you sent him to jail now, everybody would say, ‘Good riddance to a scoundrel!’"

WHAT happens at the Midland County Bank adds a new dimension to that old saying about needing a thief to catch a thief . . .

Principal characters:

~ Jasper Carlton, Vincent Stagg, and Donald Woods.

Resource:

- Whoever "James Donald" was, he left no trail behind him.

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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Show Biz Gets Buzzed

BACK in the 1950s television was overtaking the movies as a regular source of entertainment. Hollywood's response was to upgrade the technology: "Cinemascope," "Technicolor," "VistaVision," "Sensurround," and huge projection screens displaying yards-wide heaving bosoms and bulging biceps. While motion picture premieres were hyped more than ever, TV showcased not only dramas and comedies but also soap operas and game shows, which were wildly popular. It's no surprise, then, that a couple of unserious pulpsters just couldn't pass up taking a swipe at that era's entertainment milieu . . .

(1) "Preview."

By Frank Belknap Long (1901-94; Wikipedia HERE; the ISFDb HERE; and the SFE HERE).

First appearance: Fantastic Universe, January 1956.

Reprints page (ISFDb HERE).

Short short short story (5 pages as a PDF).

Online at Project Gutenberg (HERE).

   "But how could there be one when no man or woman on Earth would ever know where Mr. Scanlon went, or why he had insisted on a preview in the first place?"

. . . but he has his reasons. It's clear that Scanlon has an appreciation for what show biz people used to call a "boffo finish"—with emphasis on the "finish" . . .

Main characters:

~ Mr. Scanlon, the film critics, and Stella.

References (all from Wikipedia):

- "Rabelaisian" (HERE)

- "the Black Hills" (HERE)

- "Robert Mitchum" (HERE)

- "Custer" (HERE)

- "Shane" (HERE)

- "Calamity Jane" (HERE)

- "Humpty Dumpty" (HERE)

- "extras" (HERE)

- "unstable isotope" (HERE).

(2) "The Vidiot."

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

First appearance: Fantastic Universe, March 1956.

Reprints page (ISFDb HERE).

Short short story (8 pages as a PDF).

Online at Project Gutenberg (HERE).

   "There was a mint to be made—and Donny boy was going to make it!"

WHO could possibly predict that a new way of producing a television show just might mean the end of civilization as we know it?

Main characters:

~ Don Hartley, the secretary, George Kenmore, Steve, Bill Sanders, and Barnes.

References (all from Wikipedia):

- "the son of a singer" (HERE)

- "the Perry Como show" (HERE)

- "Ganymede" (HERE)

- "space opera" (HERE)

- "live TV" (HERE)

- "dry ice" (HERE)

- "ammonia vapors" (HERE)

- "doubles" (HERE)

- "matting amplifier" (HERE)

- "Test Pattern" (HERE)

- "uranium mine" (HERE)

- "Person to Person" (HERE)

- "General Electric" (HERE)

- "RCA" (HERE)

- "a Croesus" (HERE)

- "Rich as Rothchild" (HERE)

- "Another Rockefeller!" (HERE)

- "The Norden Bomb Sight" (HERE)

- "the H-bomb" (HERE).

(3) "The Winner and New . . ."

By Ib Melchior (1917-2015).

First appearance: Fantastic Universe, July 1956.

Reprints page (ISFDb HERE).

Short short short story (5 pages as a PDF).

Online at Project Gutenberg (HERE).

   "Little beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and a tiny artery in his temple beat—and beat—and beat . . ."

THERE used to be a quiz show called You Bet Your Life, but they weren't being serious. The producers of Quizz Night, however, have other ideas . . .

Main characters:

~ Bob May, Barrie Rose, Charles Monroe, and James Burton.

References (all Wikipedia):

- "Fritz Leiber, Jr." (HERE); "Manly Wade Wellman" (HERE); "and Samuel Merwin, Jr." (HERE)

- "Emcee" (HERE)

- "Univac" (HERE)

- "Force-Field" (HERE)

- "Gulliver's Travels" (HERE); "Jonathan Swift" (HERE)

- "Franklin Delano Roosevelt" (HERE); "Mangareva" (HERE); "Tahiti" (HERE)

- "Mount Kepler": Mars has no Mount Kepler.

- "lichens" (HERE)

- "mosses" (HERE)

- "George Washington" (HERE)

- "Thomas Jefferson" (HERE).

- Addendum: It's a shame that TV quiz shows in the 1950s were beset by scandals. (Wikipedia HERE.)

Resources:

- Thirty years after "The Winner and New . . ." was published, there was a novel by a pseudonymous author (much better known by his real name) which was adapted for the movies and captured the spirit, if not the precise details, of "The Winner and New . . ." (WARNING! SPOILERS! Wikipedia HERE and HERE).

- Our only encounter with Frank Belknap Long's fiction before now was (HERE).

- Ib Melchior's involvement with Hollywood was more than casual. He was responsible for some of the best low-budget sci-fi B-films of the period (WARNING! SPOILERS! Wikipedia HERE, HERE, and HERE). One of his stories became the nucleus of a cult film starring two future Hollywood superstars (WARNING! SPOILERS! Wikipedia 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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