Horror fiction takes many forms – from the long, slow build-up to the short, sharp shock. Much of what I have commented on previously has been of the longer, more detailed variety. And, while I will continue to examine such works, I turn now to the pages of Weird Tales magazine for a dose or two (or more!) of the short, sharp shock.
Continuing my studies into vampire horror fiction and furthering my exploration of select tales in Weird Tales magazine, I discovered “I, the Vampire” which is unique and refreshing. Rather than gloomy gothic castles, this story takes place in the bright lights of 1930s Hollywood. At the same time, “I, the Vampire” pays homage to more traditional vampire tropes.
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A charming man, the Chevalier. Or so he seemed. Slender, below medium height, his bland, round face seemed incongruously youthful. Blond hair was plastered close to his scalp. I saw that his cheeks were rouged—very deftly, but I know something about make-up. And under the rouge I read a curious, deathly pallor that would have made him a marked man had he not disguised it. Some disease, perhaps, had blanched his skin—but his lips were not artificially reddened. And they were as crimson as blood.
He was clean-shaved, wore impeccable evening clothes, and his eyes were black pools of ink.
“Glad to know you,” I said. “You’re the vampire, eh?”
[page 161]
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“I, the Vampire” was written by Henry Kuttner and first appeared in print in the February 1937 issue of Weird Tales (v29 n02).
Weird Tales is an American pulp magazine specializing in horror and fantasy. It was founded in late 1922 with its first issue dated March 1923. Weird Tales was known for printing works of H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Seabury Quinn, Robert Bloch and many, many other notable genre authors. Plagued throughout its existence with financial woes, Weird Tales ended its initial publication run in 1954. Subsequently there were several attempts to restart the magazine. The current incarnation’s latest issue was dated Spring 2014.
The Pulp Magazine Archive at archive.org is a comprehensive source. It maintains a sizeable percentage of the Weird Tales print run in PDF format (in addition to countless other pulp magazines).
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At a studio party in 1920s or 1930s Hollywood, Mart and Jean meet a new and mysterious foreign actor, the Chevalier Futaine. Later, strange deaths from “throat infections,” broken necks, dead bodies that scream while being cremated and super secret impregnable crypts all lead Mart to one conclusion. He must rescue Jean from Futaine! In that attempt, Mart fails; Futaine is too strong. However, at the end, Futaine’s humanity resurfaces and he spares Jean. Futaine then, releases Mart with the understanding that Mart visit Futaine while the vampire sleeps.
Prior to encountering “I, the Vampire,” I was superficially aware of Henry Kuttner as an author of weird fiction. I had heard of him in regard to the genre and time period, but I had not read any of his works. I was introduced to Kuttner and “I, the Vampire” via HorrorBabble podcast’s audio narration from 08 March 2019.
Honestly, I enjoyed the hell out of it. So much so, that I tracked down the issue of Weird Tales that it appeared in and acquired the PDF of the issue from The Pulp Magazine Archive.
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Henry Kuttner, born on 7 April 1915 in Los Angeles, would become an incredibly prolific author of the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres. His earliest known published piece, from the March 1936 issue of Weird Tales, was “The Graveyard Rats”—a terrifying tale of a cemetery, of grave robbing, and of rats…big rats…many big rats.
Throughout his career, Kuttner worked in close collaboration with his wife, C.L. Moore; herself a noted author. They met through being members of the “Lovecraft Circle”—genre writers and like-minded individuals who regularly corresponded with H. P. Lovecraft. Many of Kuttner’s early works contributed to the growing corpus of Cthulhu Mythos tales. Kuttner became friends with Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert Bloch (among others). Interestingly enough, in addition to being associated with such weird fiction and fantasy authors, Kuttner is also described as a mentor to Ray Bradbury.
In 1958, Henry Kuttner died of a heart attack in Los Angeles.
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From its invention in Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819) through Varney the Vampire (1847), “Carmilla,” (1872) and Dracula (1897), the European aristocratic figure of the traditional literary vampire transitioned from a blood-sucking predator into a tragic figure. This theme of transition continues in “I, the Vampire.” Despite the death and suffering caused by Futaine, he surrenders everything to save the woman who reminds him of his long gone love.
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While not a major work in the development of vampire literature, “I, the Vampire,” nevertheless, is an entertaining and enjoyable read. It furthers the transition of the blood-drinking vampire into a tragic and noble romantic figure who gives up eternity for love’s sake.
References
Print Resources
Digital Resources
Kuttner, Henry. “I, the Vampire.” Weird Tales. Popular Fiction Publishing Company. February 1937. Volume 29 Number 2. [PDF file]. https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tales_v29n02_1937-02_sas
Online Resources
Casserly, Martyn. “Henry Kuttner: The forgotten Sci-Fi master.” Living With The Future. Wordpress.com. 11 May 2015. Web. 17 March 2019. https://livingwiththefuture.wordpress.com/2015/05/11/henry-kuttner-the-forgotten-sci-fi-master/
Gordon, Ian (narrator). “I, the Vampire.” HorrorBabble. 8 March 2019. Web. 8 March 2019. https://horrorbabble.bandcamp.com/album/i-the-vampire
Von Ruff, Al. “Summary Bibliography: Henry Kuttner.” The Internet Speculative Fiction Database. ISFDB. Web. 16 March 2019. http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?452
Wikipedia contributors. "Henry Kuttner." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 8 March 2019. Web. 13 March 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Kuttner
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