Manly Wade Wellman

[D_Davis]

Though a general MWM thread would be a good idea. A new collection is in the works:

The Complete John Thunstone
by Manly Wade Wellman

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Conceived by Manly Wade Wellman and Weird Tales editor Dorothy McIlwraith in 1943, John Thunstone is a scholar and playboy who investigates mysterious supernatural events. Large and strong, intelligent, handsome, and wealthy, he has the typical attributes of a heroic character. He is also well-read in occult matters and has access to weapons (such as a sword-cane forged by a saint) that are especially potent against vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures. In addition to the ghosts and other traditional supernatural beings, several of Thunstone's enemies are Wellman's unique creations. Particularly compelling (or whatever adjective applies) are the the enigmatic (or eery or whatever) shonokins, a race of human-like creatures who claim to have ruled North America before the coming of humans. Thunstone's most persistent foe is the diabolical (or whatever) sorcerer Rowley Thorne, a character loosely based on the real occultist Aleister Crowley. Thunstone originally appeared in short stories published in Weird Tales from 1943 to 1951 with a final short story in 1982. Wellman would later write two novels featuring Thunstone: What Dreams May Come (1983) and The School of Darkness (1985).​

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Contents:
The Third Cry to Legba Weird Tales Nov ’43
The Golden Goblins Weird Tales Jan ’44
Hoofs Weird Tales Mar ’44
The Letters of Cold Fire Weird Tales May ’44
John Thunstone’s Inheritance Weird Tales Jul ’44
Sorcery from Thule Weird Tales Sep ’44
The Dead Man’s Hand Weird Tales Nov ’44
Thorne on the Threshold Weird Tales Jan ’45
The Shonokins Weird Tales Mar ’45
Blood from a Stone Weird Tales May ’45
The Dai Sword Weird Tales Jul ’45
Twice Cursed Weird Tales Mar ’46
Shonokin Town Weird Tales Jul ’46
The Leonardo Rondache Weird Tales Mar ’48
The Last Grave of Lill Warran Weird Tales May ’51
Rouse Him Not Kadath Jul ’82
What Dreams May Come, Doubleday 1983
The School of Darkness, Doubleday 1985


http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=80f4d2a1a80135a366d0eb368&id=80ad6e21c8


I'll be reading a lot more from this author in the near future. Hopefully others will too, and post here, so that I'm not the only one posting. I know there are certain mods on this forum who have issues with that, so I'll try to keep my posts limited to once a month or something to avoid issues.

Might want to combine the Silver John thread with this one as well.

 

[JustPassingThrough]

I literally just picked up one of his books, a collection of Silver John, which I have not read yet. However, the first thing I read of his, and I don't remember the title, but it was about the Civil War and, well, I don't want to give away any spoilers in case someone wants to check it out.

The second was the story that that Twilight Zone adapted, I believe called Peace in the Valley. Man, Manly was a good writer!

 

[D_Davis]

"Men Against the Stars"

As the death of our space program looms on the horizon, I could not have picked a more perfect time to read this story. Old science fiction reminds me of a time of dreamers, when people dreamed of big ideas, and worked hard to make these ideas into a reality; of a time when the government was concerned with funding programs that would help humanity, things above and beyond the military industrial complex.

But those times are long gone. NASA's funds are slashed, the government is trying to kill education and NPR, and the only thing they even remotely care about is the Pentagon and the "defense" budget. If you think I'm being hyperbolic, I am not:

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/07/08-3

However, many decades ago, people cared about things that were actually important. And this wonderful, short tale by Wellman captures this era of dreamers expertly. It illustrates the impossible tough decisions, sacrifices, determination, and ultimate success that such things bring.

Wellman has a way with words that I find impressive; he says so much with so little, and focuses on the details without belaboring the point. He also writes some wonderfully poetic descriptions, such as this brief passage about a space ship that has blown up:

As if in acceptance of that proposition, the ship exploded around them like a shell. Poppy fire bloomed briefly in requiem.

The story was written in 1930, and space flight was still a dream to mankind. However, it's not about the technology, or the author's ability to prognosticate correctly. Good science fiction is about humanity and how we deal with things, and "Men Against the Stars," is good science fiction.


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The Beyonders

I love Wellman's writing, and his style. His use of affected dialog and southern dialect adds a great deal to his narratives and characters. So much so that I wasn't even really put off by the fact that this book is, honestly, a little dull. The first few chapters are great, but then things kind of stagnate, plot-wise, until the very end, and by then things feel a little rushed, and the threat of evil never feels tangible enough.

However, I really enjoyed the time I spent in the small mountain of Sky Notch, with characters like Gander Eye Gentry, Slowly Kimber, and the Doc. These are good folks to spend time with, and Wellman creates a vivid and believable back-woods setting.

I only wish that more time was given to The Beyonders, and to the SF premise. There are some cool things bubbling away just below the surface, including an almost Lovecraftian cult of worship.

So while not quite as good as the Silver John stories, The Beyonders is still a worthy read.

 

[D_Davis]

I literally just picked up one of his books, a collection of Silver John, which I have not read yet. However, the first thing I read of his, and I don't remember the title, but it was about the Civil War and, well, I don't want to give away any spoilers in case someone wants to check it out.

The second was the story that that Twilight Zone adapted, I believe called Peace in the Valley. Man, Manly was a good writer!

I haven't tracked down any of his Civil War stories yet, but I'm definitely going to.

 

[j d worthington]

Wellman could be uneven at times, and certainly was a bit too prone to the hackneyed "good-vs.-evil" trope rather than exploring the strangeness and eeriness as just that (again, there are plenty of exceptions), but yes, he was often quite enjoyable, and could come up with some genuinely lyrical passages as well.

 

[D_Davis]

I'm interested in writing something in response to your Lovecraft and Empathy post using Wellman as a counter-example, but I don't know if I'll have the time in the near future.

Stupid life!

For me, Wellman offers everything that I find lacking in Lovecraft. And again, I think this has to do more with my own religious background and world view.

I love Wellman's "hackneyed "good-vs.-evil" trope," and admire that he sees the good in mankind and the power that good people have over evil things. Call it simple-minded or naive, but I share that very same value; it is something that is important to me, for without this belief I don't really see a point in human existence.

Silver John is a character that seems tailor made for my liking - he's a musician and a spiritual man who lives in the secular world working to right wrongs and make the world a better place. While that may sound trite and simple, it is, in practice, a rather difficult and challenging thing to do. I often find myself relating to Wellman's characters and his narratives. And while I enjoy Lovecraft's work a great deal, I've never felt empathy with any of his characters, nor do ever really care about what happens to them, and I think this is because Lovecraft didn't really care about their demise, but, instead, he took joy in it!

I love Frank Belknap Long's characterization of Lovecraft in the "The Space-Eaters." I don't imagine it is very much like the real HPL, but it is very much like the HPL I imagine when I read his fiction, the HPL that is, to me, projected from his fiction.

 

[Elflock]

I've tried to like this guy over the years because of all the good press he gets...sorry,another overrated writer imho

 

[j d worthington]

You'll see some comments of mine that apply to that characterization in the HPL thread, DD (I keep that up, I'm going to be calling you "old horn-head", in honor of one of my favorite Marvel characters....). *ahem*

I like the character of Silver John, yes; and there are things I like about Manly's fiction quite a bit. Certainly, it was very good pulp work (and that isn't necessarily a denigration); and I can understand your point of view, even if I don't share it.

 

[D_Davis]

Certainly, it was very good pulp work (and that isn't necessarily a denigration); and I can understand your point of view, even if I don't share it.

I think his attention to the regional dialect, legends, and customs elevates Wellman's work above the status of pulp-work (and like you said, nothing wrong with that). In many ways, he is a historian of local legends. I'm about to read some of his non-fiction about Madison County, and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[j d worthington]

I think his attention to the regional dialect, legends, and customs elevates Wellman's work above the status of pulp-work (and like you said, nothing wrong with that). In many ways, he is a historian of local legends. I'm about to read some of his non-fiction about Madison County, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I don't think I've ever read anything more than an occasional quotation from him when it comes to nonfictional work; so I'd be very interested in your thoughts on this....

As for his transcending the pulps... there are aspects of his work which I think prevent that from quite happening, but I would definitely put him among the higher end of the pulps, with such writers as Whitehead, Howard's best, Talbot Mundy, and the best of Lester Dent; that sort of thing....

 

[D_Davis]

And hey, even if he is a just pulp writer, he's probably the only one to have beaten William Faulkner for a mystery award and to be nominated for the Pulitzer! So not bad.

 

[j d worthington]

No, not bad at all. But I wouldn't say "just a pulp writer"; that's considerably more demeaning in tone than what I mean when I use the term as I have here. That implies simply a hack, and I don't think Wellman was that. He had certain limitations which kept him from quite transcending the highest end of that realm but, as I hope I made clear in my earlier post, the higher end of the pulp spectrum held some quite good writers, many of whom I enjoy and who are solidly entertaining; some of whom came very close to being regionalists of the caliber of a Wilkins-Freeman or Jewett, or Derleth when he was at his best (the early Sac Prairie writings)....

 

[D_Davis]

Yeah, I'm down with that.

 

[D_Davis]

I'm currently reading the collected Hok the Mighty, and it is AWESOME. I love Wellman's style. While he was not an academic, he was a great regional historian, and has an eye for incredible detail. The world of Hok, while fantastic, benefits from Wellman's historical eye, and it is very well researched and presented. I especially love how Wellman is retconning popular myths and legends.

 

[D_Davis]

Here is a thing of great beauty

 

[j d worthington]

Definitely going to have to look that one up....

 

[D_Davis]

Definitely going to have to look that one up....

Oh yeah. I've got two Thunstone novels, but I haven't read them yet. They sound awesome, though. An occult detective who fights evil using an assortment of weapons, including a sword-staff blessed by a monk, and who faces off against an arch-enemy based on Alister Crowley? Yes please!

 

[D_Davis]

Out of all the pulp authors I've read, Wellman is far and away my favorite. I think his voice is simply the most concise and concrete. This short paragraph perfectly illustrates his mastery of the language:

"Hok had thought only of getting away. The soldiers of Tlanis had thought only of returning to their city under the barrier. This difference of desire resulted in his escape and their destruction."

That is just an awesome paragraph.