THE COMPLETE JOHN THUNSTONE IS COMING YOUR WAY!

Cover Art: Raymond Swanland

Pulp Publisher Haffner Press has announced that pre-ordered copies of The Complete John Thunstone are shipping this week.

Demons: BEWARE! John Thunstone is on the prowl!

THE COMPLETE JOHN THUNSTONE by Manly Wade Wellman is now shipping. Copies are on their way and we expect to have the remaining preorders shipped by the 31st.

Art: George Evans

About The Complete John Thunstone
Written by Manly Wade Wellman
Edited by Stephen Haffner
Introduction by Ramsey Campbell
Cover Art by Raymond Swanland
Illustrated by George Evans
ISBN-13 9781893887596
640+ page Hardcover

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 are the enigmatic 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 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).

Stories included in this collection:
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

Visit Haffner Press here.

THE FUTURE IS NOW!

PRESS RELEASE:

iPulpFiction.com and the Manley Wade Wellman Literary Estate are happy to present STORIES FROM THE 30TH CENTURY.

The series kicks off with "When Planets Clashed" and "Disc-Men of Jupiter"

From the series editor, Jeremiah Rickert:

Welcome to Manly Wade Wellman's "30th Century" series! These stories, set in Wellman's shared "30th C." universe, were published sporadically between 1931 and 1951. An effort has been made to identify stories that have not yet been included the series by previous bibliographers.

The first two stories in the series, "When Planets Clashed" and "Disc-Men of Jupiter" are both in that category. "Clashed" was originally published in Wonder Stories Quarterly in Spring of 1931 and reprinted as a Hall of Fame Novelet in Startling Stories, March of 1947. "Disc-Men" originally appeared in the September 1931 issue of Wonder Stories and was reprinted in Startling Stories in May of 1947. I have included these stories in the series because their events are referred to in the past tense in the main body of 30th Century stories and they feature many of the main details found in all of the stories: Earth is governed by a "World League" based in St. Louis, Mars' capital is Ekadome and its pleasure city is Pulambar.

In "Disc-Men" we also have the first mention of the recreational "joy lamps" used by human and Martian pleasure seekers. There is a character named Thor Harvison who runs a ship manufacturing company on Mars. In 1943's "Frontier Planet" there is a Lt. Harvison who is the cousin of the Harvison Power interests on Mars. Additionally there is a character named Rolf Bromburg who may be the hero that Ft. Bromburg is named after in 1941's "30th Century Duel."

The main difference between these proto-30th Century stories and the others is the appearance of the Martians themselves. In these early stories they appear as lean mahogany-skinned humanoids and not the flower-headed speech-slurring blobs of fun we will read about as the series progresses.

Wellman's pulp stories hold up remarkably well and I am sure you will enjoy reading them as much as I have.


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