The Fantasy Fan, December 1933: The Fans' Own Magazine

In Short

This December 1933 issue of The Fantasy Fan, edited by teenager Charles D. Hornig, serves as an essential historical artifact of early speculative fiction fandom. The amateur magazine features letters from legendary figures like H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith, along with short fiction, serialized essays, and literary commentary. It captures a formative moment when fans and authors actively debated whether science fiction should favor grounded technology or cosmic horror, surviving as a vivid chronicle of the genre’s foundational community.

The Story

The issue opens with an energetic readers' forum where the magazine’s small but devoted audience reviews recent offerings and debates the direction of the publication. Editor Charles D. Hornig addresses his readership with surprising candor, navigating the precarious finances of publishing a ten-cent fanzine while managing volatile feuds among his contributors. The editorial sphere is dominated by an ongoing squabble surrounding active fan Forrest J. Ackerman, whose polarizing critiques of author Clark Ashton Smith spark heated defenses and counterattacks from prominent writers and fellow enthusiasts. Hornig uses his column to issue a public apology to Ackerman for unintentionally stoking reader animosity against him, while pleading for mutual open-mindedness across the community.

Amidst these fan discussions, the issue presents original fiction and serialized scholarship. H. P. Lovecraft’s foundational critical essay, Supernatural Horror in Literature, continues its serialization, arguing that true weird fiction requires an atmosphere of cosmic dread rather than simple physical terror or explained mysteries. Complementing Lovecraft's critical theory is original fiction by August W. Derleth and R. H. Barlow. Derleth contributes "Birkett's Twelfth Corpse," a macabre tale set along the Wisconsin River where two rival rivermen compete to recover drowned bodies, culminating in a deadly betrayal and a eerie post-mortem vengeance. Barlow offers "The Flagon of Beauty," a brief fantasy tale in which a ruthless princess demands an ancient elixir of youth, only to suffer a gruesome transformation into an old hag when she drinks it. Meanwhile, Natalie H. Wooley contributes "Spurs of Death," a prison thriller about a doomed killer whose spectral presence exacts revenge beyond the electric chair.

Interspersed throughout the prose pieces are non-fiction collecting guides, fan news, and poetry. Forrest J. Ackerman catalogues his personal archive of rare manuscripts and movie publicity stills, while Julius Schwartz offers advice to collectors seeking obscure British and American pulp periodicals. The magazine closes with updates on fan clubs, advertisements for self-published booklets by Clark Ashton Smith, and promotional announcements for rival fan publications, ending on an optimistic plea for continued subscription support despite advertising rejections from commercial giants like Weird Tales.

How It Unfolds

The debate opens The issue begins in the readers' column, where fans exchange sharp feedback on recent stories and discuss the magazine's shift toward weird horror over traditional science fiction. Editor Hornig addresses subscription challenges and attempts to soothe an ongoing literary feud between fan Forrest J. Ackerman and author Clark Ashton Smith.

Stories of vengeance and irony The magazine shifts to fiction, presenting August W. Derleth’s grim river tale alongside R. H. Barlow's dark fantasy of a ruined empire. Meanwhile, Natalie H. Wooley’s prison story details a doomed murderer’s supernatural vengeance against a fellow inmate.

Essays and archives H. P. Lovecraft articulates his definition of cosmic dread in his serialized essay on supernatural horror literature. Parallel columns by Forrest J. Ackerman and Julius Schwartz guide fans through the nuances of collecting pulp manuscripts, obscure foreign periodicals, and film stills.

The closing salvo The volume concludes with the fiery "Boiling Point" forum, where readers clash directly over the merits of pure science fiction versus weird fantasy. Hornig ends the issue with announcements for fan clubs, classified advertisements, and a plea for continued reader subscriptions to keep the publication alive.

The People

• Charles D. Hornig: The youthful editor who manages the magazine, coordinates submissions, and attempts to maintain peace between warring reader factions while keeping the publication financially solvent.
• Forrest J. Ackerman: A prominent and outspoken science fiction fan whose opinionated reviews spark fierce controversy across the letter columns, leading him to defend his zeal for the genre against hostile readers.
• H. P. Lovecraft: A key contributor and theoretical voice who provides both serialized critical scholarship on supernatural literature and supportive correspondence to foster the fledgling fan community.
• Clark Ashton Smith: A celebrated fantasy author whose atmospheric stories serve as the primary flashpoint in the ongoing debate between advocates of hard science fiction and lovers of weird horror.
• Hank Blum and Fred Birkett: The central figures in August W. Derleth's story, whose lifelong rivalry over retrieving drowned bodies leads to murder and a haunting final reckoning.

In Its Own Voice

"The one test of the really weird is simply this--whether or not there be excited in the reader a profound sense of dread, and of contact with unknown spheres and powers..." — H. P. Lovecraft defines cosmic horror in his serialized essay on literature.

"He made no attempt to catch the body, knowing that the current would not carry it from this quiet water, and he could always return and find it." — August W. Derleth describes a sinister betrayal in "Birkett's Twelfth Corpse."

"And then again, the mere fact that they are science fiction and weird fans puts them above the average, for such readers must be broadminded and open minded..." — Editor Charles D. Hornig defends the intellectual curiosity of his magazine's audience.

What It's Really About

Beneath its amateur layout, the issue reflects a critical debate over the identity and boundaries of speculative fiction during its formative years. Writers and readers grapple with whether the emerging genre should strictly focus on technological foresight and interplanetary adventure, or encompass gothic terror and surreal fantasy. The issue reveals a community constructing its own critical standards in real time. It highlights how fan magazines provided a democratic space where teenager editors, pulp icons, and passionate readers interacted on equal footing to define the philosophy of weird fiction.

Why Read It Today

This publication offers a fascinating, unvarnished look at the birth of modern fan culture during the Great Depression. Reading it feels like stepping directly into a private conversation among the architects of modern fantasy and horror, featuring raw, unedited commentary from H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith long before they achieved literary canonization.

The issue possesses an authentic, period charm, complete with informal jargon, vintage advertisements, and petty editorial squabbles. Modern readers may find the pulp-era prose style melodramatic in places, and the dense, small-scale fan feuds require a bit of historical patience to navigate. However, the sheer enthusiasm of these early fans makes the magazine a deeply rewarding read for genre historians and horror enthusiasts alike. It stays with you as a vital testament to how a small, passionate group of lovers of the strange built a lasting community from the ground up.