David Henry Keller (December 23, 1880 – July 13, 1966) was an American writer who worked for
pulp magazines in the mid-twentieth century, in the
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
,
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
, and
horror genres. He was also a psychiatrist and physician to shell-shocked soldiers during World War I and World War II, and his experience treating mentally ill people is evident in some of his writing, which contains references to mental disorders. He initially wrote short stories as a hobby and published his first science fiction story in ''Amazing Stories'' in 1928. He continued to work as a psychiatrist while publishing over sixty short stories in science fiction and horror genres. Technically, his stories were not well-written, but focused on the emotional aspects of imaginative situations, which was unusual for stories at the time.
Biography
Keller was born in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
on December 23, 1880.
[ He graduated from the School of Medicine at the ]University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
in 1903. He served as a neuropsychiatrist
Neuropsychiatry or Organic Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with psychiatry as it relates to neurology, in an effort to understand and attribute behavior to the interaction of neurobiology and social psychology factors. Within neuro ...
in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World Wars I and II and specifically treated shell-shock during World WarI. Keller was the Assistant Superintendent of the Louisiana State Mental Hospital at Pineville until Huey Long
Huey Pierce Long Jr. (August 30, 1893September 10, 1935), nicknamed "the Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a United States senator from 1932 until his assassination ...
's reforms removed him from his position in 1928. He specialized in psychoanalysis and also worked in hospitals in Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Keller started out writing recreationally, and had written thirteen novels and fifty short stories before he considered publishing. His wife encouraged him to try profiting from his hobby. Keller's first published work was "Aunt Martha", (1895, ''Bath Weekly'') under the pseudonym Monk Smith.
Keller published his first science fiction story, "The Revolt of the Pedestrians", in February 1928 with Hugo Gernsback
Hugo Gernsback (; born Hugo Gernsbacher, August 16, 1884 – August 19, 1967) was a Luxembourgish–American editor and magazine publisher, whose publications including the first science fiction magazine. His contributions to the genre as pub ...
in ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
.'' Writing during the era of Ford's Model T, Keller may have been the first to consider the long-term effects of mainstream automobiles in the United States. Gernsback was impressed by Keller's quality of writing, unique insight, and ability to address sophisticated themes beyond the commonplace technological predictions or lurid alien encounters typically found in early pulp stories. He encouraged Keller's writing and would later call these distinctive short stories "Keller yarns". Keller remained an active contributor to ''Amazing Stories'' through the late 1930s.
In 1929, Gernsback founded the magazine ''Science Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' and published Keller's work in the first issue. This began an intense writing period for Keller, but he was unable to support his family solely on a writer's income, so he set up a small private psychiatric practice out of his home in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
Mount Pocono is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. It is located nearly centered in the southernmost county of five in the northeastern corner that are part of the Pocono Mountains. The borough serves as a local highway nexus, and sees a ...
. Gernsback also commissioned Keller to edit his magazine '' Sexology'' from 1934 to 1938. Keller published over 60 science fiction and fantasy stories.[
Keller became an early scholar of H. P. Lovecraft, publishing occasional works on Lovecraft from 1948 to 1965. Most notably, he was the first to suggest, in 1948, the influential but erroneous idea that Lovecraft could have inherited syphilis from his parents. Lovecraft publisher ]Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
published many books in the fantasy and horror field including a small but steady number throughout the 1950s. Robert Weinberg wrote that a "generous loan" from Keller "prevented Arkham from going bankrupt during a period of cash flow problems". Keller died on July 13, 1966.[ Robert Weinberg wrote that while Keller was popular as a short story writer in the 1920s and 1930s, his novels did not sell well. Several budding science fiction fan presses, Avalon Publishing Company, New Era Publishers, and NFFF, folded after trying to produce and sell a book by Keller.][
]
Themes
John Clute describes Keller's early work, published by Hugo Gernsback
Hugo Gernsback (; born Hugo Gernsbacher, August 16, 1884 – August 19, 1967) was a Luxembourgish–American editor and magazine publisher, whose publications including the first science fiction magazine. His contributions to the genre as pub ...
, as containing "heavily foregrounded concepts and Inventions and with their endemic indifference to plausible narrative follow-through". Keller's work often expressed strong right-wing views. Everett F. Bleiler claims he was "an ultra-conservative ideologically". He was especially hostile to feminists
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male poi ...
and African Americans. Keller's 1928 story "The Menace" revolves about a series of black plots to take over the United States; it has been described by Bleiler as "racially bigotted". Bleiler described the series of stories in "The Menace" as "probably the most offensive to be found in early science-fiction". The last of these, "The Insane Avalanche", is a racist story about removing the black and lower-class white populations of America through violence and deportation. Keller expressed misogynistic views in stories like "Tiger Cat" where an opera singer tortures men into applauding her singing. He used a folklore motif in "The Bridle", where a man uses a magic bridle to turn a witch into a horse until she stops being evil.[
Keller was heavily influenced by his personal experiences as a WWI doctor who primarily treated shell-shock. The cultural effects of WWI are evident in Keller's "pessimism" towards humanity, displayed in his works.] This "corrosive attitude toward both science and civilization" appeared in his "anti-feminist, racist tendencies" and occasional "sexual sadism". Keller's themes were unique from those of his contemporaries; he emphasized the humanistic and sociological approach to science fiction. Skeptical of relinquishing all control to new technologies, Keller's works examined the human, emotional side to scientific arguments. Examples of this are found in "The Revolt of the Pedestrians" (1928), "Stenographer's Hands" (1928), and "The Threat of the Robot". His horror examined ways abnormal psychology can affect behavior and the body.
Style
Clute conceded that while Keller was not a good writer, his "conceptual inventiveness, and his cultural gloom, are worth more attention than they have received". Keller's writing style reflected author and publisher Hugo Gernsback's wishes for the SF community in ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
.'' In a collection of early science fiction, editors Isaac Asimov and Martin Greenberg described Keller as "one of the most conceptually sophisticated" science fiction writers of his time, Bleiler described Keller as "a very poor technician" with "no power of criticism" when it came to writing fiction. However, he also argued that Keller "occasionally wrote fable
Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse (poetry), verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphized, and that illustrat ...
-like stories, detached from daily realities and surrogate science fiction realities, that were excellent". In his summary of many of Keller's stories, Bleiler often described their writing and execution as poor, describing "Unlocking the Past" as having "the usual bad writing". The ''St. James Guide to Science Fiction Writers'' praised his use of the trope where a first-person narrator gradually reveals their insanity while not realizing it themselves.
Keller wrote a number of horror and fantasy stories, which some critics, including Régis Messac, regard as superior to his science fiction work.[Brian Stableford. "Keller, David H." in ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature''. Lanham, Md. Scarecrow Press, 2005. . (pg. 231)] Highly influenced by his psychiatric background, Keller produced many successful works in horror. Critics claim that there are three main aspects to Keller's writing: uniqueness of style, originality of concept, and influence from Keller's personal experiences. When his writing delves into topics he is less familiar with, the stories become less strong and accurate. The mental disorders in his psychological horrors are often explicitly identified, and his fantasy horrors often symbolize mental disorders. His 1932 horror tale "The Thing in the Cellar" has had 14 reprintings. The story features a boy who is frightened of the cellar, because he knows something is there. To prove that he is incorrect, his family locks him in the kitchen with the open cellar. The boy is found dead the next morning. Keller also created a series of fantasy stories called the ''Tales of Cornwall'' sequence, about the Hubelaire family; these were influenced by James Branch Cabell
James Branch Cabell (; April 14, 1879 – May 5, 1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and ''belles-lettres''. Cabell was well-regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken, Edmund Wilson, and Sinclair Lewis. His work ...
. Keller also wrote some fantasy work inspired by his interest in Freudian psychology, including "The Golden Bough" (1934) and ''The Eternal Conflict'' (1939 in French; 1949 English).
Critical response
Several of Keller's stories were popular during his lifetime. Donald Tuck lists "A Piece of Linoleum", "Stenographer's Hands", "The Ivy War", and "Revolt of the Pedestrians" as his most notable stories, after "The Thing in the Cellar".[ "Stenographer's Hands" imagines a world where a company has bred humans to select for the best stenographers, but failed due to inbreeding. Bleiler noted the interesting premise, but called the ending "limp".] In "The Ivy War", an ancient creature that expands like ivy takes over Philadelphia, but is killed by a toxin devised by a scientist. Keller's novel ''The Human Termites'' is described as a "novel of interest".[ Clute writes that the "almost delirious" ''The Human Termites'' "soon leaves behind the commonplace supposition of a termite Hive Mind ..in which both termites and humans are seen to be governed by totalitarian central intelligences". He saw the theme as exploring the "horrors of mass combat in World War One".] Bleiler described the story as "rather silly" and "mawkish".
In "Revolt of the Pedestrians", people become attached to their cars and lose the use of their legs. Being a pedestrian is outlawed. A rogue group of pedestrians destroy electricity, causing the deaths of many automobilists. Clute writes that it was unusual for a science fiction story to "treat the hypertrophy of automobile culture in the twentieth century as Dystopian". Bleiler described the story as "powerful", "horrible at times, but imaginative and rigorous in logic", and one of the few Keller stories that is worth reading.
Bibliography
Unless otherwise noted, the following information comes from the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. This list is incomplete. Keller wrote many of his stories years before publishing them. He was also known by the pseudonyms Monk Smith, Matthew Smith, Amy Worth, Henry Cecil, Cecilia Henry, and Jacobus Hubelaire.
Novels
* ''The Conquerors'', ''Science Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' Dec 29 and Jan 30, 1929 and 1930.
* ''The Human Termites'' , ''Science Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' Sep, Oct, Nov, 1929.
* ''The Evening Star'', ''Science Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' April, May 1930.
* ''The Time Projector'' (w/ David Lasser
David Lasser (March 20, 1902 – May 5, 1996) was an American writer and political activist. Lasser is remembered as one of the most influential figures of early science fiction writing, working closely with Hugo Gernsback. He was also heavily i ...
) ''Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' Aug, Sep, 1931.
* ''The Metal Doom'', ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' May, June, July, 1932; ''Fantastic
The fantastic (french: le fantastique) is a subgenre of literary works characterized by the ambiguous presentation of seemingly supernatural forces.
Bulgarian-French structuralist literary critic Tzvetan Todorov originated the concept, charac ...
'' Nov 1967, Jan 1968.
* ''Life Everlasting'', ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' July, Aug 1934.
* ''The Devil and the Doctor''. Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...
. 1940. Cover art by Gregor Duncan. Reprint: Arno Press (Supernatural and Occult Fiction), 1976, .
* ''The Abyss''. Published in ''Solitary Hunters and The Abyss''. New Era Publishers, cover art by John Baltadonis. 1948.
* '' The Homunculus''. Prime Press
Prime Press, Inc. was a science fiction and fantasy small press specialty publishing house founded in 1947. It published a number of interesting science fiction books in its brief four-year lifespan.
It was founded by Oswald Train, James A. Wil ...
. 1949
* '' The Lady Decides''. Prime Press
Prime Press, Inc. was a science fiction and fantasy small press specialty publishing house founded in 1947. It published a number of interesting science fiction books in its brief four-year lifespan.
It was founded by Oswald Train, James A. Wil ...
. 1950
Short fiction
(1928) - "The Revolt of the Pedestrians" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' Feb
(1928) - "The Menace" - ''Amazing Stories Quarterly
''Amazing Stories Quarterly'' was a U.S. science fiction pulp magazine that was published between 1928 and 1934. It was launched by Hugo Gernsback as a companion to his ''Amazing Stories'', the first science fiction magazine, which had begun p ...
'' Summer
(1928) - "A Biological Experiment" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' June
(1928) - "The Psychophonic Nurse" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' Nov
(1928) - "Stenographer's Hands" - ''Amazing Stories Quarterly
''Amazing Stories Quarterly'' was a U.S. science fiction pulp magazine that was published between 1928 and 1934. It was launched by Hugo Gernsback as a companion to his ''Amazing Stories'', the first science fiction magazine, which had begun p ...
'' Fall
(1928) - "The Dogs of Salem" - ''Weird Tales'' September
(1928) - "The Yeast Men" - ''Amazing Stories Quarterly
''Amazing Stories Quarterly'' was a U.S. science fiction pulp magazine that was published between 1928 and 1934. It was launched by Hugo Gernsback as a companion to his ''Amazing Stories'', the first science fiction magazine, which had begun p ...
'' April
(1929) - "White Collars" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' April
(1929) - "The Jelly Fish" - ''Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...
'' Jan
(1929) - "The Worm" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' Mar
(1929) - "The Damsel and Her Cat" - ''Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...
'' Apr
(1929) - "The Bloodless War" - ''Air Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' Jul
(1929) - "The Boneless Horror" - ''Science Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' Jul
(1929) - "The Flying Fool" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' Jul
(1929) - "The Feminine Metamorphosis" - (as Amy Worth) ''Science Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' Aug
(1929) - "The Battle of the Toads" - ''Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...
'' Oct
(1929) - "The Tailed Man of Cornwall" - ''Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...
'' Nov
(1929) - "Dragon's Blood" - ''Fanews''
(1930) - "Air Lines" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' Jan
(1930) - "Creation Unforgivable" - ''Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...
'' April
(1930) - "The Ivy War" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' May
(1930) - "Boomeranging 'Round the Moon" - ''Amazing Stories Quarterly'', Fall 1930; reprinted in ''Science Fiction Classics'', Winter 1967, ed. Ralph Adris (Magazine Productions)
(1931) - "The Cerebral Library" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' May
(1931) - "Free as the Air" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' June
(1931) - "The Rat Racket" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' Nov
(1932) - "The Pent House" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' Feb
(1932) - "The Thing in the Cellar" - ''Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...
'' March
(1932) - "The Hidden Monster" - '' Oriental Stories'' Summer
(1932) - "No More Tomorrows" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' Dec
(1933) - "A Piece of Linoleum" - (as Amy Worth) ''10 Story Book'' Dec
(1934) - "The Lost Language" - ''Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' Jan
(1934) - "The Dead Woman" - ''Fantasy Magazine'' April
(1934) - "The Literary Corkscrew" - ''Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' March
(1934) - "Binding Deluxe" - '' Marvel Tales'' May
(1934) - "The Doorbell" - ''Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' June
(1934) - "The Golden Bough" - '' Marvel Tales'' Win
(1935) - "The Living Machine" - ''Wonder Stories
''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...
'' May
(1938) - "Dust in the House" - ''Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...
'' July
(1938) - "The Thirty and One" - ''Marvel Science Stories
''Marvel Science Stories'' was an American pulp magazine that ran for a total of fifteen issues in two separate runs, both edited by Robert O. Erisman. The publisher for the first run was Postal Publications, and the second run was published b ...
'' Nov
(1939) - "The Moon Artist" - ''Cosmic Tales'' Summer
(1941) - "The Goddess of Zion" - ''Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...
'' Jan
(1941) - "The Red Death" - ''Cosmic Stories'' July
(1942) - "The Bridle" - ''Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...
'' Sept
(1947) - "Heredity" - ''The Vortex #2''
(1947) - "The Face in the Mirror" in ''Life Everlasting and Other Tales of Science, Fantasy and Horror'' (The Avalon Company). Reprinted in: ''Life Everlasting and Other Tales of Science, Fantasy and Horror'' (1974), in Hyperion Press's ''Classics of Science Fiction'' series, . Also reprinted in: ''Keller Memento'' (2010) by Ramble House
Ramble House is a small American publisher founded by Fender Tucker and Jim Weiler in 1999. The press specializes in reprints of long-neglected and rare crime fiction novels, modern crime fiction, 'weird menace' / 'shudder pulps' - short story co ...
, .
(1948) - "Helen of ''Troy Loki''"
(1948) - "The Perfumed Garden" - ''The Gorgon v2 #4''
(1949) - "The Door" - ''The Arkham Sampler
''The Arkham Sampler'' was an American fantasy and horror fiction magazine first published in Winter 1948. The headquarters was in Sauk City, Wisconsin. The magazine, edited by August Derleth, was the first of two magazines published by Arkham H ...
'' Summer
(1951) - "Chasm of Monsters" - Also published in '' The Folsom Flint and Other Curious Tales'' (1969) by Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
, and ''Keller Memento'' (November, 2010) by Ramble House
Ramble House is a small American publisher founded by Fender Tucker and Jim Weiler in 1999. The press specializes in reprints of long-neglected and rare crime fiction novels, modern crime fiction, 'weird menace' / 'shudder pulps' - short story co ...
, .
(1952) - "The Folsom Flint" - Also published in '' The Folsom Flint and Other Curious Tales'' (1969) by Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
, and in ''Keller Memento'' (2010) by Ramble House
Ramble House is a small American publisher founded by Fender Tucker and Jim Weiler in 1999. The press specializes in reprints of long-neglected and rare crime fiction novels, modern crime fiction, 'weird menace' / 'shudder pulps' - short story co ...
, .
(1952) - "Fingers in the Sky" - Also published in '' The Folsom Flint and Other Curious Tales'' (1969) by Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
, and in ''Keller Memento'' (2010) by Ramble House
Ramble House is a small American publisher founded by Fender Tucker and Jim Weiler in 1999. The press specializes in reprints of long-neglected and rare crime fiction novels, modern crime fiction, 'weird menace' / 'shudder pulps' - short story co ...
, .
(1952) - "The God Wheel" - '' Tales from Underwood'', Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
and Pellegrini & Cudahy.
(1952) - "The Opium Eater" - '' Tales from Underwood'', Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
and Pellegrini & Cudahy.
(1953) - "The Golden Key" - ''Destiny'' Spring. Also published in '' The Folsom Flint and Other Curious Tales'' (1969) by Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
, and in ''Keller Memento'' (2010) by Ramble House
Ramble House is a small American publisher founded by Fender Tucker and Jim Weiler in 1999. The press specializes in reprints of long-neglected and rare crime fiction novels, modern crime fiction, 'weird menace' / 'shudder pulps' - short story co ...
, .
(1953) - "The Question" - ''Fantastic Worlds'' Fall
(1962) - "In Memoriam" - ''Dark Mind, Dark Heart'', ed. August Derleth
August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...
, (Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
)
(1969) - "The Landslide" - '' The Folsom Flint and Other Curious Tales'', Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
.
(1980) - "The House Without Mirrors" - ''Weird Tales #1'', (Dec 1980), ed. Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...
, publ. Zebra Books / Kensington Publishing Corp., .
Early works
Works on this list come from the David H. Keller Collection description at the Swarthmore College Library.
1895 "Aunt Martha" (as Monk Smith) in ''Bath Weekly''
1897 "A Phenomenon of the Stars" - ''The Mirror'' Feb
1899 "Judge Not" - in ''The Red and Blue'' (University of Pennsylvania) Nov
1900 "The Silent One" - in ''The Red and Blue'' Nov
1901 "A University Story" - (as Henry Cecil), in ''Presbyterian Journal'' (University of Pennsylvania) Dec
1902 "The Birth of a Soul" - (as Henry Cecil), in ''The White Owl'' Jan
1902 "A Three Linked Tail" - (as Matthew Smith), in ''The White Owl'' March
1902 "The Winning Bride" - (as Henry Cecil), in ''The White Owl'' March
1902 "The Great American Pie House" - (as Cecilia Henry), in ''The White Owl'' April
1902 "Mother Newhouse" - (as Henry Cecil), in ''The White Owl'' May
1902 "The Greatness of Duval" - in ''Ursinus Weekly'' Oct
Poetry
1924 ''Songs of a Spanish Lover'' - privately printed under the name Henry Cecil
Nonfiction
(1928) The Sexual Education Series, Roman Publishing Company, New York:
*1. ''Sex and Family Through the Ages''
*2. ''The Sexual Education of a Young Man''
*3.'' Sexual Education of the Young Woman''
*4. ''Love, Courtship, Marriage''
*5. ''Companionate Marriage, Birth Control, Divorce, and Modern Home Life''
*6. ''Mother and Baby''
*7. ''Sexual Diseases and Abnormalities of Adult Life''
*8. ''The Sexual Life of Men and Women After Forty''
*9. ''Diseases and Problems of Old Age''
*10. ''Sex and Society''
(1933) "Types of Science Fiction" in ''Science Fiction Digest'', March 1933, ed. Maurice Z. Ingher.
(1940) "The Psychology of Fear" in ''The Thing in the Cellar'', publ. The Bizarre Series #2.
(1941) "The Med-Lee: News Digest of the 9th Medical Battalion" :12 Nov, 19 Nov, 26 Nov, 10 Dec
(1947) "Dr. David H. Keller on His Half a Century of Writing" in ''The Last Magician: Nine Stories from Weird Tales'' (Apr 1978), P.D.A. Enterprises (The David H. Keller Memorial Library #1).
(1948) "What Price Beauty?" in ''The Fanscient'', #3 Spring 1948, ed. Donald B. Day. The Portland Science Fiction Society.
(1948) "Author, Author: David H. Keller, M.D." in ''The Fanscient'', #5 Fall 1948, ed. Donald B. Day. The Portland Science Fiction Society.
(1949) "Book Reviewing" in ''The Fanscient'', #7 Spring 1949, ed. Donald B. Day. The Portland Science Fiction Society.
(1949) "Stories and Life" in ''The Fanscient'', #9 Fall 1949, ed. Donald B. Day. The Portland Science Fiction Society.
(1950) "Longevity" in ''Operation Fantast'', #5 June 1950, ed. Ken Slater.
(1958) "Shadows over Lovecraft" in ''Howard Phillips Lovecraft Memorial Symposium'', Steve Eisner. University of Detroit
The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic univers ...
. Published in ''Fresco'', Spring 1958, v. 8, no. 3, a quarterly magazine published by the University of Detroit. Other contributors included August Derleth
August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...
and Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Rober ...
.
(1985) "''Titus Groan
''Titus Groan'' is a novel by Mervyn Peake, first published in 1946. It is the first novel in the ''Gormenghast'' series.
Plot introduction
The book is set in the huge castle of Gormenghast, a vast landscape of crumbling towers and ivy-filled ...
'': An Appreciation" in ''Exploring Fantasy Worlds: Essays on Fantastic Literature'', ed. Darrell Schweitzer
Darrell Charles Schweitzer (born August 27, 1952) is an American writer, editor, and critic in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror fiction, horror, although he does also work in science fictio ...
. Borgo Press
The Borgo Press was a small publishing company founded by Robert Reginald in 1975 funded by the royalties gained from his first major reference work, ''Stella Nova: the contemporary science fiction authors'' (1970).
That same year Reginald met M ...
. (''I.O. Evans Studies in the Philosophy and Criticism of Literature'' #3), . This is the same review that appeared in ''Operation Fantast'', #4, March 1950.
See also
* Homosexuality in speculative fiction
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
* Sex and sexuality in speculative fiction
References
External links
David H. Keller as Pulp Author
*
*
*
*
*
at Syracuse University
David H. Keller short stories, MSS 389
a
L. Tom Perry Special Collections
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keller, David H.
1880 births
1966 deaths
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American novelists
United States Army personnel of World War II
American fantasy writers
American horror writers
American male novelists
United States Army personnel of World War I
American psychiatrists
American science fiction writers
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni
United States Army Medical Corps officers
Harold B. Lee Library-related 20th century articles