Under the Moons of Mars: A History and Anthology of "the Scientific Romance" in the Munsey Magazines, 1912-1920

Read Under the Moons of Mars: A History and Anthology of "the Scientific Romance" in the Munsey Magazines, 1912-1920 Online

Authors: Sam Moskowitz (ed.)

Tags: #Science Fiction, #Sci-Fi, #SF, #Magazines, #Pulps

COPYRIGHT (C) 1970 BY SAM MOSKOWITZ
"UNDER THE MOONS OF MARS" ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED
IN THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINE. COPYRIGHT 1912 BY
EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS, INC. COPYRIGHT RENEWED
1939 BY EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS, INC.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED,
INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE
THIS BOOK OR PORTIONS THEREOF IN ANY FORM

PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA BY
HOLT, RINEHART & WINSTON OF CANADA, LIMITED

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 72-80355
FIRST EDITION

DESIGNER: CHRISTINE AULICINO
SBN: 03-081858-3

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

To Vern Coriell
and the Burroughs Bibliophiles

CONTENTS
PREFACE

THE PUBLICATION of
Under the Moons of Mars
by Edgar Rice Burroughs in THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINE in 1912 brought onto the magazine scene a writer whose instantaneous and phenomenal popularity shaped the policies of the early pulp magazines, making them the focal center of science fiction and inspiring a school of writers who made the scientific romance he wrote the most accepted form for more than twenty years. This book tells the history of the early years of that colorful writing cycle and puts it into perspective of the publishing world of the period. It also includes a selection from each of the most acclaimed who wrote in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

The history does not confine itself to the scientific romance, but gives a broad picture of science fiction in the Munsey magazines from their beginnings up through 1920. In the process it provides the first coordinated account of the early years of pulp-magazine publishing in the United States and covers the highpoints of the science fiction of the other pulps as well as the interrelationship of the policies of the various magazines.

The history is chronological, with appropriate flashbacks, and written to be read for entertainment as well as information. Yet it is in every sense a reference, for careful attention has been paid to precise accuracy of titles, dates, rates of payment, biographical matter, and factuality. The bulk of the information provided was obtained from primary sources and has not appeared elsewhere.

This volume is a continuation of the editor's
Science Fiction by Gaslight: A History and Anthology of Science Fiction in the Popular Magazines, 1891-1911
. That volume showed how, with the advent of the ten-cent magazine aimed at the middle classes which originated in England with THE STRAND MAGAZINE, coupled with the arrival of a literary genius specializing in science fiction, H. G. Wells, science fiction became a familiar part of the popular magazines. Such publications as PEARSON'S MAGAZINE, COSMOPOLITAN, MUNSEY'S, MCCLURE'S, HAMPTON'S MAGAZINE, and THE METROPOLITAN MAGAZINE were family publications with something for every member and age group.

The strengthening of the advertising agencies, and their discovery that women either actually bought or influenced the buying of most items sold, found those magazines with strongest appeal to women receiving the most advertising. Because the advertisers wanted a better showcase for their merchandise, they also tended to favor publications with the larger-size page. Prior to World War I, the majority of the mass-circulation magazines were roughly about ten inches high and seven inches wide, the identical format of the pulp magazines. Of the big-circulation magazines, COSMOPOLITAN, HAMPTON'S, EVERYBODY'S, RED BOOK, and METROPOLITAN were among those who went to the larger size to accommodate the standard advertising plates of ten by eight inches. This usually meant a magazine eleven inches high and eight and one-half inches wide.

Change in size alone was not enough. To attract the maximum number of women readers, the magazine had to feature in its fiction as well as its articles the subject matter that most appealed to women. Science fiction rated very low on that list, since it was read primarily by men and teen-agers.

Yet the pulp magazines, which depended more and more upon the newsstand price for expenses and profits, and who were patronized primarily by men, went out of their way to present fiction that would also interest women. From the standpoint of entertainment, the pulp magazines up through 1920 were
family
magazines, and with few exceptions the big smooth-paper magazines, not excluding even THE SATURDAY EVENING POST and COLLIER'S, were
women's
magazines.

The pulps had always run science fiction, but they now became the primary source of it, and they found that such material had a very salutary effect on their sales. The pulp magazines that ran the most science fiction were those published by Frank A. Munsey and edited by Robert H. Davis. They both knew it pulled in the men and boys, but were afraid an excess might drive away the women. Edgar Rice Burroughs, with his 1912 novel
Under the Moons of Mars
gave them the answer they needed in a type of science fiction which emphasized exotic, colorful settings on other planets, little-explored areas of the earth, and unknown dimensions, and featured considerable dramatic action yet incorporated a romantic interest into the mix. Accuracy of the science was not important, but the elements of the story should provide the key to "escape."

The horrors of World War I caused readers to turn from the brutal realities of life and prefer fiction that permitted them to "get away from it all." Greatly encouraged by Munsey's editor Robert H. Davis, a score or more of writers began to specialize in a type of fiction best described as the "scientific romance." They all obtained their inspiration from the success formula of Edgar Rice Burroughs, but they were not all imitators. Actually they belonged to a "school" of writing and developed characteristics individually their own.

This book has collected selections from the most popular and successful practitioners of the "scientific romance" tradition of the Munsey magazines for the period 1912 to 1921. The final story, The Blind Spot, was purchased in 1920 and held more than a year before publication, but in the history it belongs in 1920. Every one of the writers represented in this collection was a "giant" in his day, and the fame of some of them has survived more than fifty years. The novel was the most popular form of the scientific romance, not only because an author needed space to build his new worlds, situations, and characters but also because the Munsey magazines specialized in running from four to seven serial novels an issue. This makes it necessary to reprint segments of certain of the stories instead of the complete work; but almost all of these segments are the beginnings of the novels (with the exception of the Burroughs which eliminates introductory chapters), are not cut or revised, and make up complete episodes in themselves.

The embarrassment of riches to be found in this volume owes a great deal to Hulbert Burroughs, one of the sons of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and to Robert M. Hodes, vice-president of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Those two gentlemen permitted access to the files and records of the late Edgar Rice Burroughs, which have a historical value out of all proportion to the light they reflect upon him as an author, since they also provide a superb picture of the individuals and the business practices of the pulp magazines for which he wrote. Burroughs kept literally every scrap of paper sent him and even made written records of telephone calls which in any important way affected his business.

The volume of material available is staggering, and is providing the background for the first authorized biography of Edgar Rice Burroughs, now being written by Irwin Porges, noted for a previous biography of Edgar Allan Poe. This forthcoming Burroughs biography will almost certainly be the definitive work. Irwin Porges, who is the brother of science-fiction author Arthur Porges, lives only a few miles from Tarzana, California, repository of the records. He also has the assistance of his wife, Cele, who has spent months carefully reading through the Burroughs archives and photocopying all relevant material. This is a monumental work in preparation, a milestone for Burroughs fans to look forward to, and despite the volume of material to peruse, Irwin Porges found time to check on some facts for this book which had not been located during the initial visit.

The problem for the editor of this book was to hunt down the materials needed, bid against other collectors for their possession, with no quarter shown by them, despite the fact that my motives involved basic research rather than acquisitiveness.

A number of dealers must be singled out for their understanding of my problem and for their remarkable ability to locate the magazines needed. First among them was certainly Richard H. Minter, of Eden, North Carolina, who has kept packages of rarities flowing in an unbroken stream for more than three years. A substantial quantity of needed periodicals was supplied by Thomas Altshuler, of Able-Man Book Shop, Hamtramck, Michigan; and some particularly difficult Edgar Rice Burroughs issues were sold to me by Camille Cazedessus, Jr., publisher of the Burroughs fan magazine ERB-DOM, Evergreen, Colorado.

The noblest figure of all, a man whose kindness must be listed as transcendental, was Harold Nevin Carey, a long-term buff from Phoenix, Arizona. He sent me, for shipping costs, roughly seven entire years of ARGOSY, which proved invaluable for reference.

A runner-up for commendation was author Sam Peeples, who offered to lend me runs of his almost mint ALL-STORY WEEKLYS. I felt that was too much to ask of any sincere collector and refused his magnificent gesture.

An old friend whose offer I did accept was Oswald Train, of Philadelphia, who owns one of the really fine fantasy collections in the country. He had volumes which provided invaluable background information on a number of the authors and editors referred to in this volume, information extraordinarily difficult to come by, so I gratefully accepted a short-term loan of those most useful.

Many of the truly outstanding collectors of science fiction and old pulp magazines are little known; among them is Lester Mayer, of Wellington, New Jersey, who was nothing if not generous in digging out nuggets of out-of-the-way information and lending items he felt might be of particular value. In my own city of Newark, New Jersey, Alan Howard, an Edgar Rice Burroughs supporter of long standing, was able to contribute valuable assistance on several occasions, with a spontaneousness that was greatly appreciated.

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