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Spaceways, v. 3, issue 6, whole no. 22, August 1941

6 S P A C E W A Y S

A COLLECTOR SPEAKS

It was in Buffalo that we discovered the gigantic hoard of magazines spoken of in "Dust of Years" (see Science Fiction Fandom), a store that was, strangely enough, but a few blocks from the heart of the city!

Corresponding eventually brought us (and to me as soon as I could afford them) The Thrill Book and The Black Cat, or at least enough copies of them to know what they were. A surprising local discovery I made brought at least a hundred different copies of the latter magazine to give a clear picture of the fantasy fiction it featured. This made me want more than ever to learn about the Recluse. The Thrill Book and The Black Cat had haunted me in my dreams; but they were nothing now compared to the desire-to-know aroused by the mystery of The Recluse. I don't think gold was ever more previous to man than this item upon which I could only speculate and build in imagination. Certainly I wanted it, but it was not merely that; it was a driving curiosity that would have made me give practically anything just to be able to see it or to know what it was about. The Recluse was the item I was after--a challenge, it seemed, nearly impossible, which I accepted. 

However, if anything could appear to be non-existent or legendary, this was it. And I knew I would track it down with joy even if it should be to a ludicrous end with irony, wherein it would share honors with the Necronomicon, kingpin of them all!

Answers to queries, which often were sent by Elmer Weinman, who was helping in my search, were consistently discouraging. From Ackerman, for example: "Don't kno wher U might obtain Recluse and c - y not advert in some prominent fan pub?" Henry Hasse: "I haven't seen a Recluse yet nor do I know of anyone who has." Bleiler: "The Recluse was a weird story mag published in 1926 by W. Cock of Athol (I believe), Mass. It lasted but one issue, and had stories by Lovecraft and Smith in it." R. H. Barlow: "Sorry I can't supply a copy of The Recluse--it is unobtainable as far as I know." Olon F. Wiggins supplied the following worthwhile information: "Clark Ashton Smith will have to give you information on The Recluse, he was the author I believe of it, and if you will write him, at his home in Auburn, California, he will give you all the information you wish on the matter", while Charles D. Hornig came through with the following interesting facts: "As far as I know, only one issue of The Recluse ever appeared--a large magazine with a heavy paper cover, published in 1927 by W. Paul Cook. I think only about one hundred copies were printed. Early in 1933, when I planned to publish a small science-fiction fan magazine, The Fantasy Fan, I tried to get in touch with Mr. Cook (in some small Massachusetts town),  but never succeeded in locating him. Nevertheless, I reprinted about half of one long article from The Recluse, in The Fantasy Fan magazine, serially from October, 1933, to February, 1935, the last issue. This was 'Supernatural Horror in Literature' by H. P. Lovecraft."

Julius Schwartz in Fantasy Magazine had heightened my interest further when he stated that one of Don Wandrei's best stories, "A Fragment of a Dream", had appeared in The Recluse. He couldn't remember anything more about it, however, and I wasn't able to get in touch with Wandrei. Meanwhile some dealer sent my expectations on a wild goose chase (January 12, 1939) by saying: "I have just one copy of Recluse. It's in pretty bad condition but I prize it very highly", and, later: 'I am very reluctant to sell or trade my set of Magazines of Mystery. In fact I refuse altogether to sell my single copy of Recluse as I know I could never replace it. I bought this one from a Mr. Mazzon of Brooklyn, I forget his address, about three years ago for a goodly sum. So you can write to him, if you find out his address, about the issues of Recluse." But later, thanks to Elmer, who visited the dealer in New York City, I found out that we were just being hoaxed for business reasons. In reality, said dealer had never even seen a copy of my wanted (and much-wanted!) Recluse. 

My next step, as a matter of policy, was to insert an ad in Palmer's "correspondence corner" in the Ziff-David Amazing. It's perhaps a very good thing that I did so. One day, totally unexpected, a friend sent me the following in-

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6 S P A C E W A Y S A COLLECTOR SPEAKS It was in Buffalo that we discovered the gigantic hoard of magazines spoken of in "Dust of Years" (see Science Fiction Fandom), a store that was, strangely enough, but a few blocks from the heart of the city! Corresponding eventually brought us (and to me as soon as I could afford them) The Thrill Book and The Black Cat, or at least enough copies of them to know what they were. A surprising local discovery I made brought at least a hundred different copies of the latter magazine to give a clear picture of the fantasy fiction it featured. This made me want more than ever to learn about the Recluse. The Thrill Book and The Black Cat had haunted me in my dreams; but they were nothing now compared to the desire-to-know aroused by the mystery of The Recluse. I don't think gold was ever more previous to man than this item upon which I could only speculate and build in imagination. Certainly I wanted it, but it was not merely that; it was a driving curiosity that would have made me give practically anything just to be able to see it or to know what it was about. The Recluse was the item I was after--a challenge, it seemed, nearly impossible, which I accepted. However, if anything could appear to be non-existent or legendary, this was it. And I knew I would track it down with joy even if it should be to a ludicrous end with irony, wherein it would share honors with the Necronomicon, kingpin of them all! Answers to queries, which often were sent by Elmer Weinman, who was helping in my search, were consistently discouraging. From Ackerman, for example: "Don't kno wher U might obtain Recluse and c - y not advert in some prominent fan pub?" Henry Hasse: "I haven't seen a Recluse yet nor do I know of anyone who has." Bleiler: "The Recluse was a weird story mag published in 1926 by W. Cock of Athol (I believe), Mass. It lasted but one issue, and had stories by Lovecraft and Smith in it." R. H. Barlow: "Sorry I can't supply a copy of The Recluse--it is unobtainable as far as I know." Olon F. Wiggins supplied the following worthwhile information: "Clark Ashton Smith will have to give you information on The Recluse, he was the author I believe of it, and if you will write him, at his home in Auburn, California, he will give you all the information you wish on the matter", while Charles D. Hornig came through with the following interesting facts: "As far as I know, only one issue of The Recluse ever appeared--a large magazine with a heavy paper cover, published in 1927 by W. Paul Cook. I think only about one hundred copies were printed. Early in 1933, when I planned to publish a small science-fiction fan magazine, The Fantasy Fan, I tried to get in touch with Mr. Cook (in some small Massachusetts town), but never succeeded in locating him. Nevertheless, I reprinted about half of one long article from The Recluse, in The Fantasy Fan magazine, serially from October, 1933, to February, 1935, the last issue. This was 'Supernatural Horror in Literature' by H. P. Lovecraft." Julius Schwartz in Fantasy Magazine had heightened my interest further when he stated that one of Don Wandrei's best stories, "A Fragment of a Dream", had appeared in The Recluse. He couldn't remember anything more about it, however, and I wasn't able to get in touch with Wandrei. Meanwhile some dealer sent my expectations on a wild goose chase (January 12, 1939) by saying: "I have just one copy of Recluse. It's in pretty bad condition but I prize it very highly", and, later: 'I am very reluctant to sell or trade my set of Magazines of Mystery. In fact I refuse altogether to sell my single copy of Recluse as I know I could never replace it. I bought this one from a Mr. Mazzon of Brooklyn, I forget his address, about three years ago for a goodly sum. So you can write to him, if you find out his address, about the issues of Recluse." But later, thanks to Elmer, who visited the dealer in New York City, I found out that we were just being hoaxed for business reasons. In reality, said dealer had never even seen a copy of my wanted (and much-wanted!) Recluse. My next step, as a matter of policy, was to insert an ad in Palmer's "correspondence corner" in the Ziff-David Amazing. It's perhaps a very good thing that I did so. One day, totally unexpected, a friend sent me the following in-