Arkham Sampler: Autumn 1949

ARKHAM SAMPLER Autumn, 1949

Begun by August Derleth to fill the sometimes lengthy gaps between book publications of his publishing firm Arkham House, "The Arkham Sampler" was a noble effort encompassing both Fantasy & Science Fiction. "TAS" lasted only eight issues either because it was not as successful as Derleth had hoped or had he simply become too busy with his own writings. Regardless, as exemplified by this issue, "TAS" brought some of Arkham House's finest writers together. This issue featured an uncollected "Martian" story by Ray Bradbury entitled "Holiday", the poem "Calenture" by Clark Ashton Smith, "The Triumph of Death" by H. Russell Wakefield, an article on the great Dunsanian illustrator "Sidney Sime of Worplesdon", and a symposium of SF writers including Robert Bloch, Fritz Leiber, Jr., Frank Belknap Long and others. ... A very good copy; one staple just rusted thru the cover - a common flaw of this publication.