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Wandrei Donald
The Lovecraft Letters Vol 1: Mysteries of Time & Spirit: Letters of H.P. Lovecraft & Donald Wandrei (v. 1)
 List Price: $20.00 DescriptionThe collected correspondence of H.P. Lovecraft and Arkham House co-founder Donald Wandrei.Customer Reviewsa correspondent's dream teamMysteries of Time and Spirit is a superb and wholly interesting collection of letters between H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) and Donald Wandrei (1908-1987), the latter being one of the co-founders (with Auggie Derleth) of Arkham House. In this book, we find Necrophilis and Ghost-Eater Lovecraft--so named in an 1927 letter by Wandrei--and the young Melmoth himself (one of HPL's names for Wandrei)--in a long series of eloquent, erudite letters which give the reader an in-depth look at the lives and interests of both men from late 1926 up to the time of Lovecraft's death from intestinal cancer in 1937. There's much epistolary greatness here, and as I was reading, I found myself envious of the relationship of these two men of letters. How I wish I could have been a correspondent of either of them. I highly recommended this book to Lovecraft & Wandrei fans, weird fiction enthusiasts or historians, or anyone interested in epistolary greatness. A worthy addition! H.P. Lovecraft was at the hub of a small circle of weird fiction writers, artists and enthusiasts. Even the most casual note sent in by a fan of his work would often receive a wonderfully long and detailed letter by way of thanks. Were it not for HPL's mammoth correspondence, writers like Frank Belknap Long, Clark Ashton Smith, E. Hoffmann Price, August Derleth, and Donald Wandrei would never have gotten to know one another and, very possibly, might not have persued writing careers with nearly as much fervor and creative imagination. This book is a record of the friendship that developed between HPL and Donald Wandrei who, as a 19-year-old University of Minnesota student in 1926, one day decided to write a fan letter. For the next ten years, the two men would exchange views on everything from the "weird" influence on art and literature to the woes of trying to get Hugo Gernsback, editor of WEIRD TALES, to pay for the stories he bought. Readers will also find interesting Wandrei's hitching odessey in the Summer of 1927, when he went from St. Paul to New York City to Providence, Rhode Island (bumming lifts all the way) in order to visit HPL from July 12-29. There is also a great deal of humor to be garnered from these letters, especially HPL's near obsession with a cheap eatery called JAKE'S (where you could get a complete meal for 25 cents) and a precursor to Baskin and Robbins called MAXWELL'S, where HPL would take visitors and stage ice cream eating contests. The only truly sad notes were HPL's consistent failures to secure a steady writing job and his persistent racism (also shared by Wandrei, at least while he explored New York). While certainly a blot on their characters, it does add to rendering a more complete picture of two creative people: one a neophyte, the other a rather weary and disillusioned veteran. Fantastic glimpse into the life of Lovecraft! This must surely be one of the most fascinating books published on Lovecraft in a very long time. The book contains nearly all of the correspondance between him and Donald Wandrei, a horror/sci-fi writer in his own right, as well as upcoming co-founder of Arkham House. What makes this volume particular fascinating, is that it not only contains Lovecrafts letters, but also Wandreis, making this volume so much more exciting to read because of the ping-pong effect it gives. A lot of other letter-books tend to be slightly boring because the letters seem out of place due to the missing answers. The two talk about their life, their writings, their authorfriends and what they read, giving a wonderful glimpse into the lives of two struggling writers who never made the big jackpot! Of course the book will mainly be enjoyed by the hardcore-Lovecraft-fan, but even the more casual reader will be entertained by this book, that also gives a glimpse into the way life was lived in the beginning of the last century! On top of that, the publisher has done a wonderful job in producing the book; smythsewn binding, fine paper and highquality printing!!
Colossus: The Collected Science Fiction of Donald Wandrei
List Price: $29.00 DescriptionCustomer ReviewsScience Fiction Without BoundariesArkham House co-founder, friend and correspondent of H.P. Lovecraft, and a highly respected writer for the pulps in the late 20s and 30s - Donald Wandrei was considered a poet and visionary by HPL and Clark Ashton Smith. His stories of alien intrusions and universe shaking cataclysms are somewhat dated to those who are only used to the psychologically driven fiction of more modern years. His unique visions were considered groundbreaking when first published and are still highly entertaining decades later. This is first of all an enjoyable read as well as a fascinating look at the beginning of modern science fiction. Uneven book, uneven writer... This volume, and a companion volume, DON'T DREAM, collect all the science fiction and weird fiction of Donald Wandrei, generally remembered today mainly as co-founder of Arkham House and walking companion of H. P. Lovecraft. Somehow I missed the first edition of COLOSSUS. This 2nd edition has two extra, previously unpublished stories and some interesting photos. First the bad news: I don't know what kind of poet Wandrei was, but as a writer and plotter of prose fiction, he had some severe limitations. Almost all of his sf was published between 1930 and 1936, and it is archaic even by the standards of that day. He has three basic story ideas, which he uses over and over: (1) something from outer space plays havoc with human society. (2) Uncontrolled scientific curiosity plays havoc with humanity and the earth itself. (3) A lovers' triangle becomes displaced in time, space or both. His best known story, "Colossus," is an example of type (3). It is also Wandrei's worst written story, in fact one of the worst written sf stories I have ever read, and I speak as a reader of "The Blind Spot," by Austin Hall and Homer Eon Flint. Typical sentence: "His accumulated hopes, tragedy and undertaking of the day were above rational analysis." Do what? There are no real neglected gems in this collection; in fact, I had to force myself ot keep reading. Wandrei seems at his best when he can throw plot, characterization and dialogue (none of which he can handle) to the winds, and spin wild prose poems describing the breakdown of "space, time, matter, energy and consciousness." This makes "Finality Unlimited" (he wasn't much for titles either), "A Trip to Infinity," and the previously unpublished "If---" the best stories in the book. Wandrei ceased writing sf just before the dawn of the Golden Age of Science Fiction in 1939. He tried to make a few sales to John W. Campbell's ASTOUNDING, but his archaic output had no hope of publication in a magazine newly emphasizing realism in science and characterization. Here is a very minor talent. He shouldn't be forgotten, but don't go into this volume expecting something wonderful. If Wandrei is remembered only as a publisher and friend of Lovecraft, maybe that is only justice, and his just due.
Colossus: The Collected Science Fiction of Donald Wandrei
List Price: $28.00 DescriptionCustomer ReviewsReally good, mind-blowing storiesIn the 1930s, Donald Wandrei was one of the most famous science fiction pulp writers. Before the lines were drawn between fantasy, science fiction and horror, he wrote with a dark vision of the cosmos and a poet's sense of language. This book is an attempt to bring back some of his short fiction, largely un-reprinted. This was a time when scientific plausibility had not yet become a central principle of science fiction. Plot and mind-blowing concepts were more important. On story in this book is about two men, rivals for the same woman, who follow each other on one-way trips to the year 1 million. One of the men makes a tiny, but huge, error in his calculations and arrives almost 2,000 years "late." The woman, kidnapped by the other man, is long since dead, but the later man finds that a cult, practically a religion, has grown up around his arrival among her descendants, the last people on earth. What if it could be determined that the entire universe was nothing more than an atom in some incomparably larger universe (and what if that universe was nothing more than an atom in some much larger universe)? A man builds a spaceship capable of traveling thousands of times the speed of light and aims to find out. There are also a number of tales of the end of mankind, in all sorts of interesting ways. In 1938, John W. Campbell took over the editorship of Astounding Science Fiction, where many of these stories first appeared. He forced scientific plausibility and extensive rewrites on his authors, and thereby on the rest of the field. Wandrei found that he could not adjust his writing to suit Campbell, and, by the 1940s, Wandrei basically gave up full-time writing to concentrate on running the specialty publisher Arkham House, which he co-founded. While it introduced authors like H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith to a new generation of readers, Wandrei basically forbade the republishing of his stories. I really enjoyed this book. It's quite good as a bit of science fiction history. Sometimes it's good to read stories full of up-to-the-minute science, and other times it's good to read stories like these, about the destruction of humanity or trips to the next universe. It gets a strong recommendation. Wandrei Donald News
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