Thu 20 Apr 2023
Diary Review: STREET & SMITH’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE – May 1942.
Posted by Steve under Diary Reviews , Magazines , Pulp Fiction[6] Comments
STREET & SMITH’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE. May 1942. Overall rating: *
NORMAN DANIELS “Murder Nightmare.†Novella. After having dreamed of a friend’s death, Winton turns to his detective friend Taggart, only to become a murder suspect when the dream comes true. But it is only part of a complicated plot in the world of art that Taggart takes upon himself to solve. Stretches the imagination too far. (1)
W. T. BALLARD “A Toast to Crime.†[Red Drake] An investigation for the State Racing Commission becomes entangled with a mysterious bomber and antagonizes the local police. Too much running around with no purpose. (0)
WALLACE BROOKER “The Flashing Scimitar.†A ghost in a hunting lodge wields a bloody sword, but Lieutenant believes there must be a better explanation. Meanwhile, many men die with their throats cut. Wild, with a certain appeal. (2)
GARY BARTON “Will of the Devil Gods.†A Caribbean cruise, a a foreign agent, and a story of a sacred cloth. (1)
MARK HARPER “A Dead Hand Will Strike You.†Nard Jason takes on a case which has everyone shooting at him, including a dead man. Absolutely unreadable! (0)
JACK STORM “Ghost Fingers.†An inventor is murdered but his luminous paint helps capture his killer. (1)
April 20th, 2023 at 9:21 pm
For what it’s worth, Mark Harper was a pen name of former BLACK MASK editor Joseph T. Shaw. He was a much better editor than he was a writer.
April 20th, 2023 at 11:40 pm
As for Brooker, Barton and Storm, they might make a powerful law firm, but they’re all phony’s, too, house names all.
April 21st, 2023 at 12:07 am
Surprising the reliable Daniels and Ballard aren’t better represented here. Usually one or the other would have been more on the head.
April 21st, 2023 at 11:45 am
When Ballard appeared in BLACK MASK, he was very good. Otherwise I’ve found his stories to be awfully weak. In the pulps, that is, not the novels he eventually switched to writing. As for Daniels, he was tremendously prolific, but I’ve never read anything by him that I’d consider better than ordinary. Most have been far less.
April 21st, 2023 at 12:35 pm
Steve,
Of the Todhunters, then, I’m guessing you prefer Todhunter Stout to Todhunter Ballard.
April 22nd, 2023 at 6:53 pm
I did a lengthy interview many years ago with WT Ballard near the end of his career (life). In retrospect I would only note that he’s what was known in the trade as “a reliable pro.” It’s interesting that he was not included in Joseph Shaw’s groundbreaking Black Mask collection. Ballard was prolific & worked for years as a collaborator with Robert Leslie Bellem. His novels make for generally reliable reading.