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  Forgotten Fiction

  Lloyd Eshbach

  (custom book cover)

  Jerry eBooks

  Title Page

  About Lloyd Esbach

  Bibliography

  Short Fiction Bibliography

  1930

  THE INVISIBLE DESTROYER

  THE GRAY PLAGUE

  1931

  THE VALLEY OF THE TITANS

  A VOICE FROM THE ETHER

  1932

  THE LIGHT FROM INFINITY

  THE TIME CONQUEROR

  1934

  COSMOS

  THE WANDERER

  THE BRAIN OF ALI KHAN

  THE MARTIAN CRY

  1935

  LUNAR DOOM

  THE KINGDOM OF THOUGHT

  THE METEOR MINERS

  1936

  ISLE OF THE UNDEAD

  THE OUTPOST ON CERES

  1939

  MUTINEERS OF SPACE

  DUST

  THREE WISE MEN

  1940

  THE CAULDRON

  “THE SHADOWS FROM HESPLON”

  1941

  THE HYPER SENSE

  1944

  GOD OF LIGHT

  1948

  OUT OF THE SUN

  1950

  OVERLORD OF EARTH

  1957

  THE FUZZIES

  1988

  SISTER ABIGAIL’S COLLECTION

  1989

  WODAN’S ARMY

  Lloyd Arthur Eshbach was born on June 20, 1910, in Palm, Pennsylvania, and grew up in nearby Reading.

  Eshbach started reading science fiction at the golden age of fifteen and read the first issue of Amazing Stories, published in 1926. Eshbach sold the third science fiction story he ever wrote to Science Wonder Stories in 1929. He began collecting science fiction magazines in the 1920s and wrote letters to them as early as 1930. That early fan activity qualified him for membership in First Fandom, an association formed in 1959 among those who had been active in science fiction fandom since before January 1, 1938, in other words, before the Golden Age. The name of the organization refers to Olaf Stapledon's novel Last and First Men, another example of science fiction's claim to the British philosopher.

  Eshbach wrote a number of stories and poems published in science fiction magazines from the 1930s to the 1950s. His publishing career began in the early 1930s with two magazines, Marvel Tales and The Galleon. He continued in publishing after World War II with the founding of Fantasy Press in 1946.

  Lloyd Eshbach was a church publisher from 1958 to 1962, then he was a salesman for the Moody Bible Institute until retirement in 1975. Upon his retirement, he became a pastor in the Evangelical Congregational Church and served churches of that denomination in Pennsylvania in Lancaster County, Reading, and Womelsdorf.

  Lloyd Eshbach died October 29, 2003, in Myerstown, Pennsylvania.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Collections

  Tyrant of Time (1955)

  Chapbooks

  Isle of the Undead (2010)

  The Gray Plague (2011)

  Poems

  The Wanderer (1934)

  The Martian Cry (1934)

  Lunar Doom (1935)

  Fiction Series

  Lucifer's Gates

  The Land Beyond the Gate (1984)

  The Armlet of the Gods (1986)

  The Sorceress of Scath (1988)

  The Scroll of Lucifer (1990)

  Subspace

  Subspace Encounter (1983)

  Nonfiction

  Of Worlds Beyond (1947)

  Over My Shoulder (1982)

  SHORT FICTION BIBLIOGRAPHY

  CHRONOLOGICAL

  1930

  The Man with the Silver Disc, Scientific Detective Monthly, February 1930

  The Invisible Destroyer, Air Wonder Stories, May 1930

  The Gray Plague, Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November 1930

  1931

  The Valley of Titans, Amazing Stories, March 1931

  A Voice from the Ether, Amazing Stories, May 1931

  1932

  The Light from Infinity, Amazing Stories, March 1932

  The Time Conqueror, Wonder Stories, July 1932

  1933

  The Beast Men, Science Fiction Digest, December 1933

  1934

  The Man with the Hour Glass, Marvel Tales, May 1934

  Cosmos - Chapter 15: The Horde of Elo Hava, Fantasy Magazine, September 1934

  The Wanderer, Wonder Stories, September 1934

  The Brain of Ali Kahn, Wonder Stories, October 1934

  The Martian Cry, Wonder Stories, November 1934

  On Board the Space Ship Terra, Marvel Tales, Winter 1934

  1935

  Lunar Doom, Wonder Stories, April 1935

  The Elfin Lights, Marvel Tales, Summer 1935

  The Kingdom of Thought, Amazing Stories, August 1935

  The Meteor Miners, Amazing Stories, December 1935

  1936

  Isle of the Undead, Weird Tales, October 1936

  The Outpost on Ceres, Amazing Stories, October 1936

  1938

  The Scroll of Valoki, Science Adventure Stories, #1, 1938

  Out of the Past, Tales of Wonder, #4, October 1938

  1939

  Mutineers of Space, Dynamic Science Stories, February 1939

  Dust, Marvel Science Stories, August 1939

  The God That Science Made, Science Fiction, August 1939

  Three Wise Men, Startling Stories, November 1939

  1940

  Singing Blades, Strange Stories, February 1940

  The Cauldron, Strange Stories, April 1940

  “The Shadows from Hesplon”, Science Fiction, October 1940

  1941

  The Hyper Sense, Startling Stories, January 1941

  1944

  God of Light, Thrilling Wonder Stories, Summer, August 1944

  1947

  Dream, The Gorgon, September 1947

  1948

  The Vampire Horde, The Gorgon, March/April. April 1948

  Out of the Sun, Fantasy Book, #4, November 1948

  1950

  Overlord of Earth, Marvel Science Stories, November 1950

  1955

  Spaceways Incident, Tyrant of Time, January 1955

  The City of Dread, Tyrant of Time, January 1955

  1957

  Expert Assistance, The Saint Detective Magazine, June 1957

  The Fuzzies, Fantastic Universe, July 1957

  1958

  Murder by Hex, The Saint Detective Magazine, June 1958

  Invisible Evidence, Double-Action Detective and Mystery Stories, September 1958

  1988

  Sister Abigail’s Collection, Weird Tales, Spring 1988

  1989

  Wodan’s Army, Amazing Stories, January 1989

  1993

  Sonnets of Space, Fantasy Commentator, Winter 1993/1994

  SHORT FICTION BIBLIOGRAPHY

  ALPHABETICAL

  A

  A Voice from the Ether, Amazing Stories, May 1931

  B

  The Beast Men, Science Fiction Digest, December 1933

  The Brain of Ali Kahn, Wonder Stories, October 1934

  C

  The Cauldron, Strange Stories, April 1940

  The City of Dread, Tyrant of Time, January 1955

  Cosmos - Chapter 15: The Horde of Elo Hava, Fantasy Magazine, September 1934

  D

  Dream, The Gorgon, September 1947

  Dust, Mar
vel Science Stories, August 1939

  E

  The Elfin Lights, Marvel Tales, Summer 1935

  Expert Assistance, The Saint Detective Magazine, June 1957

  F

  The Fuzzies, Fantastic Universe, July 1957

  G

  God of Light, Thrilling Wonder Stories, Summer, August 1944

  The God That Science Made, Science Fiction, August 1939

  The Gray Plague, Astounding, November 1930

  H

  The Hyper Sense, Startling Stories, January 1941

  I

  The Invisible Destroyer, Air Wonder Stories, May 1930

  Invisible Evidence, Double-Action Detective and Mystery Stories, September 1958

  Isle of the Undead, Weird Tales, October 1936

  K

  The Kingdom of Thought, Amazing Stories, August 1935

  L

  The Light from Infinity, Amazing Stories, March 1932

  Lunar Doom, Wonder Stories, April 1935

  M

  The Man with the Hour Glass, Marvel Tales, May 1934

  The Man with the Silver Disc, Scientific Detective Monthly, February 1930

  The Martian Cry, Wonder Stories, November 1934

  The Meteor Miners, Amazing Stories, December 1935

  Murder by Hex, The Saint Detective Magazine, June 1958

  Mutineers of Space, Dynamic Science Stories, February 1939

  O

  On Board the Space Ship Terra, Marvel Tales, Winter 1934

  Out of the Past, Tales of Wonder, #4, October 1938

  Out of the Sun, Fantasy Book, #4, November 1948

  The Outpost on Ceres, Amazing Stories, October 1936

  Overlord of Earth, Marvel Science Stories, November 1950

  S

  The Scroll of Valoki, Science Adventure Stories, #1, 1938

  “The Shadows from Hesplon”, Science Fiction, October 1940

  Singing Blades, Strange Stories, February 1940

  Sister Abigail’s Collection, Weird Tales, Spring 1988

  Sonnets of Space, Fantasy Commentator, Winter 1993/1994

  Spaceways Incident, Tyrant of Time, January 1955

  T

  Three Wise Men, Startling Stories, November 1939

  The Time Conqueror, Wonder Stories, July 1932

  V

  The Valley of Titans, Amazing Stories, March 1931

  The Vampire Horde, The Gorgon, March/April. April 1948

  W

  The Wanderer, Wonder Stories, September 1934

  Wodan’s Army, Amazing Stories, January 1989

  1930

  THE INVISIBLE DESTROYER

  “It shall never take place,” he said. And he made his threat good. He defied the world until a strange thing happened . . .

  IT is well known that the world in which we live and have our being is only one of the possible worlds that may exist in the same space with us. Astonishing as this statement may sound, when we examine it we still find it to be true.

  As our author points out, everything we see and hear and feel and detect with our other senses is perceptible to us merely because of certain vibrations of these bodies, and that if it were possible to change the rate of vibration it might be possible to detect a new world which exists simultaneously with ours.

  If one could discover how to use this vibration, what a great power he might have over life! He could in fact become the ruler of our universe, because as we know vibration is the secret of all life.

  In this remarkable aviation story of the future, our author treats of such a theme in a simple yet very dramatic manner.

  Incidentally, we might say, there is a fundamental error in the science of this story, which we have purposely allowed in. We would be very glad to hear from our readers giving us their point of view as to what this error is, and we will publish in our reader’s columns the best answers.

  A LITTLE more than two years ago, in the latter part of May, 1967, to be exact, a group of four men were seated before the fireplace of a log cabin in the heart of the Pennsylvania Alleghenies. It was early in the evening; the fire before which they sat dissipated the darkness that strove to mantle the room.

  Three of these men were scientists, and together with the fourth they were spending a week in fishing in the well-filled trout streams of which the district boasted.

  The three were: Dr. Leo Vachell, in all probability the greatest scientist in the United States; Alexis Demetriovich, a Russian who, although not nearly so well known as Vachell, was nevertheless thought to be one of the cleverest scientific minds of the day; and Allen Kieth, an astronomer of no mean ability. I, Paul Taylor, was the fourth member of the group. The fact that Vachell and I were lifelong friends was responsible for my presence.

  There had been little conversation during the early part of the evening; Vachell and Kieth were smoking meditatively; I had jotted down some ideas for a story that had come to my mind during the day; while Demetriovich, for almost an hour, had been poring over the pages of a newspaper that had been published two days before.

  Suddenly, Demetriovich—a short, heavy-set man with bushy black hair, thick, irregular eyebrows, and a straggling beard—looked up from his reading. His brows were contracted in a heavy frown.

  “They’ll never do it!” he exclaimed. “They’ll never do it!”

  “Do what?” Vachell asked.

  The Russian pointed to an article in the newspaper he held. “Unite the nations,” he replied. “You’ve all heard of the recent World Conference held in London, and their decision to unite the nations under one government a year after the date of the conference. Their reason for waiting a year, by the way, is to allow time for dealing with any dissension that may arise.

  Almost every government on earth had a representative at the meeting; and the decision to unite was unanimous, but,” he concluded, “they’ll never do it!”

  “Why not?” Kieth exclaimed.

  “I can see no reason why they won’t unite, nor why they shouldn’t. It seems to be the prevalent opinion that an International Government will be the solution of all our problems of state. I believe that it is the best thing that could possibly occur for the peace and prosperity of the world.”

  “That would be your opinion,” Demetriovich snorted scornfully. “And that’s how it appears on the surface. But I’ve been considering the problem from every angle for the last two days, and I tell you that, if it is carried out, this world union will bring about the downfall of our present civilization.

  “As for its being the best thing for the peace of the world,” he continued, “a little thought should convince even you that the idea is preposterous. Do you imagine for a moment that any government or any set of laws will abolish war? Bah! The last fight will take place between the last two individuals left on earth. You certainly don’t believe, even though every nation signs the Union Pact, that they’ll all hold true to their agreement, do you? All that will be needed to send two nations at each other’s throats will be a little argument about; boundaries, or commerce, or any number of other trivial matters. No, Kieth, there never has been, nor ever will be a solution to the problem of war.”

  “YOU are probably correct, Alex,” Vachell interposed, “but don’t you believe that an International Government will at least render wars less numerous, inasmuch as a revolting nation will be pitted against every other nation on earth? I believe that a government will think twice before opening hostilities against a neighbor, when all the nations are united.”

  “I suppose that is so,” Demetriovich assented rather reluctantly. “But that isn’t what I had reference to when I spoke of the downfall of civilization. I was thinking of the effect it would have upon our mode of living.

  “The political problems of today are simple when compared with the complexities that would arise with the establishment of an International ruling body. At present we have to contend with the so-called grafter, and his crooked methods in politics. Today, we meet with petty vote buying, with
the control of executives by organizations that secure office for the politicians, with the purchase of immunity from the law by the dishonest rich, and similar instances of unpunished crime. What would the conditions be in the case of an International Government? Every country on earth with all their graft, would render the government of the world rotten to the core!”

  Demetriovich had arisen in his excitement, and had unconsciously assumed the air of a lecturer, shaking the folded newspaper to emphasize his words. Yet there was nothing ludicrous about his actions; the deadly earnestness of his every word and gesture dispelled any feeling of mirth before it was fully formed.

  “But more important still,” he continued after a moment’s pause, “are the financial and industrial problems that would arise. Even today, the corporations and trusts have become a menace to the financial peace of the world, placing far too great a degree of power in individual hands. Imagine what will happen if the field of financial endeavor is widened to encompass the entire world! Eventually, I verily believe, the money of the world would be controlled by ten or fifteen men.

  “The little business man would be wiped out; all industry of every kind would be controlled by the few very rich. Oh, yes, the government might take over all industry, but would that better conditions? A government of crooked politicians, under the control of the men of money—would it be any better or even different from the control of the dollar kings? I think not.

  “And think of the conditions of the poor. Their wages set as low as money-glutted dictators could make them; the price of everything correspondingly high; the workers continually on the verge of starvation—how long would such conditions last? There would be one final revolt against the autocrats, and the overthrow of all organized government.

  “If the International Government is established, the time will come when everyone will jump at the turn of a dictator’s finger, like so many puppets on the end of a string, and we’ll have a world autocracy instead of a world democracy, with the final result, the downfall of civilization.

  “But,” he concluded, a fanatical gleam in his eyes, “a lot may happen in a year. I promise you, they’ll never do it!” He had returned to his initial statement.

  A HEAVY silence followed Demetriovich’s flow of oratory, a silence that endured for more than a minute. Then Kieth spoke.