Forgotten Books: A Comprehensive Index to Black Mask, 1920-1951 by E. R. Hagemann

After reading (and no doubt enjoying) your copy of the new Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories, you may be interested to know what was not included in that book. For most of us (meaning all of us who are not Walker Martin), the only way to find out is to peruse a copy of this 1982 index by E.R. Hagemann, then a professor at the University of Louisville.

The meat of the book, comprising all but 30 of the 236 pages, is an alphabetical listing of authors, listing each story, the issue it appeared in and the pages it occupied. When the story was part of a series, that too is indicated. In some cases, Hagemann also provides notes on the story’s genre, subject, and whether it was told in 1st or 3rd person. Also included are notes where (as of 1982) stories had been reprinted.

PLUS: A separate listing of authors in order of their appearance in the magazine, providing the date of that issue, a list of their series characters, their total number of stories, and pseudonyms (if any). A 6-page preface on the format and compiling of the index. A list of library holdings of the magazine (as of 1982). And a list of the magazine’s editors and their span of tenure.

This is not the sort of book you’re likely to sit down and read from cover to cover, but its definitely handy to have on the shelf for pulpy details you just can’t find anywhere else. Some of those details are surprising. For instance, which author made the greatest number of appearances? I wouldn’t have guessed, but it was Erle Stanley Gardner with 103. Less surprising were the runners-up: Raoul Whitfield (under two names) with 90, Frederick Nebel with 67 and Carroll John Daly with 60. Dashiell Hammett came in at 45, aced out by both Charles Somerville (an early contributor) and Roger Torrey.

At the time Prof. Hagemann was working on this book he was also editing a special issue of Clues, A Journal of Detection (Fall/Winter 1981)  focusing on Pulp Detective Fiction. I did a piece on Nebel for that issue, so I was corresponding with the professor, and was eager to get the Index as soon as it came out. And I did.  

One thing that always puzzled me about the book was the choice of cover art. With scores of great covers to choose from, why select this one from March 1946? The art is by Rafael De Soto, who produced many fine covers in the 40s, but I consider this one of his weaker efforts. And the headliners for this issue are names forgotten by all but hardcore pulp collectors.

More, more, more Forgotten Books are linked at pattinase.