WEIRD TALES (Sept. 1953)

Here are some highlights from the Sept. 1953 issue of WEIRD TALES (Vol. 45, #4), published by Short Stories, Inc.  This was the first digest-size issue of this long-running and important fantasy magazine.  There would be six more digest-size issues (Nov. 1953; Jan., March, May, July and Sept. 1954) before the magazine would be cancelled.  There was a paperback book revival in the 1960s (consisting of reprints), a magazine revival in the early 1970s (four issues at pulp size, slightly larger than the digests), a paperback revival in the early 1980s (with new stories), another short-lived magazine revival in the mid-1980s (that lasted two issues), and finally the magazine was permanently (one hopes) revived in 1988 and continues to be published to this day.

Anyway, I collect digest-size fiction magazines, so when I saw this issue of WEIRD TALES sitting on the shelf at a local used bookstore, I jumped at the chance to get it, since I've not owned one of the digest-size issues before.  The price was just right, too: only ten dollars.  It's a bit worn, as you can see from the scans (I've adjusted the contrasts to make the paper whiter-looking, so that it's easier to read on the screen), but nice enough for me.

Shown below are the front cover, front inside cover (about the authors), first page (Table of Contents), a few interior pages, the lettercol in its entirety (four pages at the end of the issue), the back inside cover (an ad for Arkham House), and the back cover.  As always, click the images to view them at a larger size.  Enjoy!

 

  

  

 

 

 

(As always, the material shown here is presumed to be in the public domain and posted here for historical and scholarly use.  If I am mistaken about the public domain status of any material shown here, I will gladly remove it.  Also, if you have any additional information or comments about the material shown here, please leave a comment to help increase our knowledge about the content and context of what has been posted.  Thanks!! )