July 3 brings us more than one birthday to celebrate, so we’ll start with July 2, because I didn’t make it to the computer yesterday. Then we’ll move on to the ones from today. Continue reading
A Celebration of Birthdays
6 Replies
Tag Archives: E. Hoffman Price
A Pair by Price
E. Hoffman Price
Pulpster E. Hoffman Price (1898-1998) was born on this date, July 3. Hoffman wrote in multiple genres. Wildside Press has published multiple Megapacks of his work. We’ll look at two stories from The 11th Golden Age of Weird Fiction Megapack: E. Hoffman Price.
Before I get to the stories, I want to gloat for a bit. Price was one of the authors published by Carcosa Press back in the 1970s. Far Lands, Other Days was one of four published before Carcosa folded.
L. Sprague de Camp moved to Plano, a suburb of Dallas, a few years before he died. Upon his death, many of his books ended up in a the flagship location of Half Price Books. This was a big deal that was promoted by the bookstore.
Of course I went. Most of the really desirable items were locked under glass, such as volumes inscribed to de Camp by people like Heinlein. Others, books that de Camp had owned, many with a signed bookplate, were on a set of shelves. Among them was a copy of Far Lands, Other Days. I had been wanting a copy and grabbed it.
After I got it home (I paid for it.), I was looking through it a bit more carefully than I had in the store and saw something I’d missed. The employee who had processed and priced the book had missed it, too. Understandable since it wasn’t on the title page. But there was a full page inscription to de Camp signed by Price. Continue reading
A Quick Look at E. Hoffmann Price
Pulp writer E. Hoffmann Price was born on this date, July 3, in 1898. He passed away in 1988 at the age of 89 a few weeks prior to his birthday. Price graduated from West Point, served in the American Expeditionary Force in World War I, as well as in the Philippines and Mexico. A student of the orient, he drew on these interests for much of his fiction.
Price wrote for a variety of pulps, especially adventure, detective, and western, but he is best remembered these days for his weird fiction. A correspondent of H. P. Lovecraft, they collaborated on “Through the Gates of the Silver Key”. I believe he is the only pulp writer to have met Robert E. Howard in person, on two different occasions, IIRC. He is also the only known person to have Howard, Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith. Price met many of the pulp writers, including Edmond Hamilton, Jack Williamson, and L. Sprague de Camp.
Price experienced a resurgence in his career in the late 70’s and early 80’s, publishing several fantasy and science fiction novels.
We just got back from vacation last night, so I’m playing catch-up today. If I get a chance, I’ll read one of his short stories this evening.