Part Two
Ray Cummings' first story, in 1919, "The Girl in the Golden Atom," practically shrieked to the skies for a sequel, and Cummings obliged a year later with "The People of the Golden Atom."
Then, in 1921, Austin Hall, and Homer Eon Flint collaborated to write that remarkable story, "The Blind Spot," and what a fervor that created! The mystery of the "Blind Spot" was left unexplained, loopholes were hanging in the air, and it had one of the most unsatisfactory endings of them all. Readers entreated and implored the editor and the authors for a sequel. But alas! Just about this time Homer Eon Flint died, and it wasn't until 11 years later that the fans read Austin Hall's sequel, "The Spot of Life."
Ralph Milne Farley's "The Radio Man" created another sensation when it appeared in the 1924 Argosy-All Story, and it was followed by seven "radio" novels (only three of which, however, are related to the original story.)
"The Face in the Abyss" by A. Merritt was received mildly by the readers of the same magazine in 1923. It wasn't until Amazing Stories Annual reprinted this story in 1927 that a sequel was asked for. Ironically enough, though these readers were responsible for the sequels, "The Snake Mother," being written, it appeared in Argosy in 1930.
With the publication of Edward Elmer Smith's "The Skylark of Space" in 1928, the editorial offices of Amazing Stories were swamped with beseechings for the further adventures of the Skylark. Dr. Smith obliged with "Skylark Three" in 1930, and according to the discussions columns the readers won't object to the third in the series, which is now being written.
[Part three, next month, will be the conclusion of this article.]
CLARK ASHTON SMITH
Presents
THE DOUBLE SHADOW AND OTHER FANTASIES