by Emil Petaja
Contents
COPYRIGHT INFO
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
The MEGAPACK™ Ebook Series
MEET THE AUTHOR: EMIL PETAJA
MONSIEUR BLUEBEARD
LIVE EVIL
SKYDRIFT
THE DARK BALCONY
THE HUNGRY GHOST
THE INSISTENT GHOST
THE JONAH
THE MUSIC-BOX FROM HELL
VOTARESS
THE INTRUDER
MARMOK
COPYRIGHT INFO
The Golden Age of Pulp Fiction MEGAPACK™, Vol. 2: Emil Petaja is copyright © 2015 by Wildside Press, LLC. All rights reserved.
* * * *
The MEGAPACK™ ebook series name is a trademark of Wildside Press, LLC. All rights reserved.
* * * *
“Monsieur Bluebeard” originally appeared in Weird Tales, September 1944.
“Live Evil” originally appeared in Weird Tales, July 1952.
“Skydrift” originally appeared in Weird Tales, November, 1949.
“The Dark Balcony” originally appeared in Fantastic Adventures, February, 1951.
“The Hungry Ghost” originally appeared in Weird Tales, March, 1950.
“The Insistent Ghost” originally appeared in Weird Tales, September, 1950.
“The Jonah” originally appeared in Weird Tales, March 1946.
“The Music-Box From Hell” originally appeared in Weird Tales, May 1945.
“Votaress” originally appeared in Weird Tales, September 1945.
“The Intruder” originally appeared in Futuria Fantasia, Winter 1940.
“Marmok” originally appeared in Future Fantasia, Winter 1940.
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Emil Petaja [pronounced peh-TIE-yuh] (1915–2000) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer whose career spanned seven decades. He was the author of 13 published novels, nearly 150 short stories, numerous poems, and a handful of books and articles on various subjects. Though he wrote science fiction, fantasy, horror stories, detective fiction, and poetry, Petaja considered his work part of an older tradition of “weird fiction.” You can find echoes not only of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard in his work, but previous generations of weird authors such as Poe, Blackwood, and E.F. Benson.
In 1995, Petaja was named the first ever Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction Writers of America. I hope you enjoy this visit to some of his best weird fiction. We already have one future Petaja volume in the works, which will contain a selection of science fiction, western, and mystery stories,
We are also including a self-written “About the Author” piece from 1943. Enjoy!
—John Betancourt
Publisher, Wildside Press LLC
www.wildsidepress.com
ABOUT THE SERIES
Over the last few years, our MEGAPACK™ ebook series has grown to be our most popular endeavor. (Maybe it helps that we sometimes offer them as premiums to our mailing list!) One question we keep getting asked is, “Who’s the editor?”
The MEGAPACK™ ebook series (except where specifically credited) are a group effort. Everyone at Wildside works on them. This includes John Betancourt (me), Carla Coupe, Steve Coupe, Shawn Garrett, Helen McGee, Bonner Menking, Colin Azariah-Kribbs, A.E. Warren, and many of Wildside’s authors…who often suggest stories to include (and not just their own!)
RECOMMEND A FAVORITE STORY?
Do you know a great classic science fiction story, or have a favorite author whom you believe is perfect for the MEGAPACK™ ebook series? We’d love your suggestions! You can post them on our message board at http://movies.ning.com/forum (there is an area for Wildside Press comments).
Note: we only consider stories that have already been professionally published. This is not a market for new works.
TYPOS
Unfortunately, as hard as we try, a few typos do slip through. We update our ebooks periodically, so make sure you have the current version (or download a fresh copy if it’s been sitting in your ebook reader for months.) It may have already been updated.
If you spot a new typo, please let us know. We’ll fix it for everyone. You can email the publisher at [email protected] or use the message boards above.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF PULP FICTION
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF SCIENCE FICTION
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12. David H. Keller, M.D.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF WEIRD FICTION
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1. Henry S. Whitehead
2. George T. Wetzel
3. Emil Petaja
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***Out of print.
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The Great Book of Wonder, by Lord Dunsany (it should have been called “The Lord Dunsany MEGAPACK™”)
The Wildside Book of Fantasy
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Yondering: The First Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories
To the Stars—And Beyond! The Second Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories
Once Upon a Future: The Third Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories
Whodunit?—The First Borgo Press Book of Crime and Mystery Stories
More Whodunits—The Second Borgo Press Book of Crime and Mystery Stories
X is for Xmas: Christmas Mysteries
MEET THE AUTHOR: EMIL PETAJA
Originally published in Amazing Stories, June 1943.
In the early part of my existence, I looked around me at blue Western Montana skies above evergreens whispering in a gentle April breeze; then up at the wickedly winking Evening Star, and quoth: “Venus, what have you got that we ain’t got?”
Later on, somewhere in the wilds of my early teens, I discovered science fiction. I found out!