Satan's Mistress by Rachel Cosgrove Payes

In his essay on “The Health Knowledge Years” for Outworlds 28/29 (1976), Lowndes says the new office was “just across the street (from the old office).

Notes: At this time, the offices of Health Knowledge moved from 119 Fifth Avenue to 140 Fifth Avenue (both in New York City). The first issue of Health Knowledge’s latest digest, Thrilling Western Magazine, is advertised on the back cover. Writing in is August Derleth (on Arkham House’s publishing schedule). “The Devil’s Bride” is illustrated by Joe Doolin. Lowndes’ editorial comments this issue are on the history and chronology of the “Cornwall” series. When Keller died, he left several unpublished “Cornwall” stories and RAWL was more than happy to rectify that, as well as publishing several of the chapters that had already seen print in Weird Tales. This is also the first issue to feature an installment in David H. Readers let him know they were ready and he obliged. Lowndes wasn’t sure readers would want such a long story, one that would have to be split into three parts (it originally ran in six consecutive issues of Weird Tales). Notes: At long last, RAWL gets to run his beloved “The Devil’s Bride,” a Jules de Grandin novel that he’d been talking up cautiously for quite a while. Bertin, a German writer best known for his Lovecraftian short stories. Also writing in are Mike Ashley and Eddy C. Keller writes in, replying to the letter from Robert Madle about Keller’s “The Abyss,” which appeared in MOH 22. RAWL reviews And Flights of Angels, a biography of artist Hannes Bok by Emil Petaja and “divers hands.” In It Is Written, Mrs. “The Colossus of Ylourgne” has an illustration signed by Clark Ashton Smith. (When Dead Gods Wake” is illustrated but not credited.

But back to MOH- RAWL writes in his Editor’s Page about discovering Clark Ashton Smith in that issue of Wonder Stories and becoming a fast fan of the author. My drug was Famous Monsters of Filmland and I can remember calling my local comic store constantly (the owner probably thought my calls about the next issue began the day after I was in to pick up the current number!). Notes: RAWL writes “Septemfell on a Wednesday that was the day the new issue of Wonder Stories was due to go on sale, but there was always the hope that I might see it a day or two before, so I started to haunt the local newsstands Monday.” The editor writes of a certain time and a certain pulp but substitute your time and particular obsession and it’s a universal story amongst collectors.

Satan's Mistress by Rachel Cosgrove Payes