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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 6, Spring 1945

Page 112

112
FANTASY COMMENTATOR

FAST, Julius, editor

Out of This World: an anthology

New York: Penguin Books, Inc., 1944, viii-245pp. 16 1/2 cm. 25c

Further information: This is #537 of the Penguin paper-covered book series. The contents: "Evening Primrose" and "Thus I Refute Beelzy" by John Collier; "Laura" by "Saki" (H. H. Munro); "Sam Small's Tyke" by Eric Knight; "Satan and Sam Shaw" by Robert Arthur; "A Disputed Authorship" by John Kendrick Bangs; "Mr. Mergenthwirker's Lobblies" by Nelson S. Bond; "A Vision of Judgement" by H. G. Wells; "The King of the Cats" by Stephen Vincent Benet; "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde; "My Friend Merten" by Julius Fast; "And Adam Begot" by Arch Obler; "The Club Secretary" by Lord Dunsany; and "The Scarlet Plague" by Jack London.

Review: The avowed intentions of the editor were to produce a volume of pure escapist entertainment, and he succeeded, for the most part, admirably. In fact, it would be difficult to find an anthology that provides more unadulterated, unhackneyed entertainment---or, for that matter, anything ever published along such lines at all outside of issues of Unknown Worlds magazine.

In literary merit, it is a slightly different matter. In this respect, the most important feature of the book is probably its reprinting of "The Scarlet Plague." To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that this excellent Jack London fantasy has ever seen the pages of an anthology; and it strikes me today as a piece of work as fine as when I discovered it at the youthful age of eleven. Certain of the other inclusions, however, are not a discernible improvement over the "fantasies" in such magazines as Amazing Stories and Fantastic Adventures.

But fortunately the good qualities predominate in the long run. The best thing about the collection, perhaps, is that it may introduce the less rabid fantasy reader to a number of neglected authors---London, Benet and Eric Knight, primarily. Further, not more than half of the contents, at most, is obtainable today in other places without ransacking second-hand bookstores.

I have said so many words of lavish praise about "The King of the Cats" elsewhere that I shall refrain from pointing out its sterling qualities and greatness here; and others have sung the merits of the Sam Small stories to such extent that no further eulogies of "Sam Small's Tyke," a yarn complete in itself, are needed. "And Adam Begot" is the script of an Arch Obler radio play---by no means his best, but still a gripping one. Finally, inclusion of the two John Collier tales may serve to raise the quality of his work in the opinion of those who have read only the anthologized "Green Thoughts" or "Home for Christmas"; and it is with unspeakable relief that one sees a Saki story that is not "The Open Window" in a fantasy anthology: "Laura" contains a peculiarly fascinating twist---the author makes it completely clear how the thing will end by the time the story is half finished, but the reader is yet hypnotized into finished it.

On the debit side of Julian Fast's collection are the strictly hack work of "My Friend Merton"; "The Club Secretary," which although not intrinsically bad is yet one of the worst Dunsany choices imaginable; and the Robert Arthur devil yarn, which bogs down sadly after a promising start.

Including a Wells yarn not obtainable in the collected short stories of this author, and insertion of a couple of Unknown Worlds' better short fantasies (such as L. Ron Hubbard's "The Room," or the story about the little boy who succeeded in besting Satan by means of holy water in his squirt-gun) would have brought Out of This World perilously close to perfection.

---Harry Warner, Jr.

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112 FANTASY COMMENTATOR FAST, Julius, editor Out of This World: an anthology New York: Penguin Books, Inc., 1944, viii-245pp. 16 1/2 cm. 25c Further information: This is #537 of the Penguin paper-covered book series. The contents: "Evening Primrose" and "Thus I Refute Beelzy" by John Collier; "Laura" by "Saki" (H. H. Munro); "Sam Small's Tyke" by Eric Knight; "Satan and Sam Shaw" by Robert Arthur; "A Disputed Authorship" by John Kendrick Bangs; "Mr. Mergenthwirker's Lobblies" by Nelson S. Bond; "A Vision of Judgement" by H. G. Wells; "The King of the Cats" by Stephen Vincent Benet; "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde; "My Friend Merten" by Julius Fast; "And Adam Begot" by Arch Obler; "The Club Secretary" by Lord Dunsany; and "The Scarlet Plague" by Jack London. Review: The avowed intentions of the editor were to produce a volume of pure escapist entertainment, and he succeeded, for the most part, admirably. In fact, it would be difficult to find an anthology that provides more unadulterated, unhackneyed entertainment---or, for that matter, anything ever published along such lines at all outside of issues of Unknown Worlds magazine. In literary merit, it is a slightly different matter. In this respect, the most important feature of the book is probably its reprinting of "The Scarlet Plague." To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that this excellent Jack London fantasy has ever seen the pages of an anthology; and it strikes me today as a piece of work as fine as when I discovered it at the youthful age of eleven. Certain of the other inclusions, however, are not a discernible improvement over the "fantasies" in such magazines as Amazing Stories and Fantastic Adventures. But fortunately the good qualities predominate in the long run. The best thing about the collection, perhaps, is that it may introduce the less rabid fantasy reader to a number of neglected authors---London, Benet and Eric Knight, primarily. Further, not more than half of the contents, at most, is obtainable today in other places without ransacking second-hand bookstores. I have said so many words of lavish praise about "The King of the Cats" elsewhere that I shall refrain from pointing out its sterling qualities and greatness here; and others have sung the merits of the Sam Small stories to such extent that no further eulogies of "Sam Small's Tyke," a yarn complete in itself, are needed. "And Adam Begot" is the script of an Arch Obler radio play---by no means his best, but still a gripping one. Finally, inclusion of the two John Collier tales may serve to raise the quality of his work in the opinion of those who have read only the anthologized "Green Thoughts" or "Home for Christmas"; and it is with unspeakable relief that one sees a Saki story that is not "The Open Window" in a fantasy anthology: "Laura" contains a peculiarly fascinating twist---the author makes it completely clear how the thing will end by the time the story is half finished, but the reader is yet hypnotized into finished it. On the debit side of Julian Fast's collection are the strictly hack work of "My Friend Merton"; "The Club Secretary," which although not intrinsically bad is yet one of the worst Dunsany choices imaginable; and the Robert Arthur devil yarn, which bogs down sadly after a promising start. Including a Wells yarn not obtainable in the collected short stories of this author, and insertion of a couple of Unknown Worlds' better short fantasies (such as L. Ron Hubbard's "The Room," or the story about the little boy who succeeded in besting Satan by means of holy water in his squirt-gun) would have brought Out of This World perilously close to perfection. ---Harry Warner, Jr.