by Walt Z. Russjuchi
Sequels to stories are few and far between, and the reasons for
writing sequels are still fewer. Briefly there are two. The first,
because it is a time-saving device. An author wishes to write a story,
and it is simpler for him to continue the adventures of a character he
has already created and who is familiar to the magazine world than to
create a plot with a new locale and new characterizations. The second,
because the readers demand a sequel. Perhaps they have liked a
character in a story and would like to read more about him. Perhaps
the story ends unsatisfactorily or even disastrously, whereupon the
reader wants a sequel with the hero coming out on top and the ending
to be all for the best. In this article we are concerned with the
latter reason. Should we consider the stories that had sequels because
of popular demand we will have a list of some of the best stories that
have been written (in the fantastic field).
The first noteworthy fantasyarn to have a sequel was George Allan
England's famous "Darkness and Dawn," which appeared in the 1912
Cavalier. For more than a year after the publication of this serial
the editor was constantly deluged with requests for a sequel. Finally,
in 1913, it appeared, "Beyond the Great Oblivion," and then again
because of further petitions for another sequel Mr. England penned
"The After Glow," the last of the trilogy, which are so popular even
to this day.
In 1918 A. Merritt wrote a novelette for All-Story that was destined
to make science fiction history. It was the famous "The Moon Pool."
Those who read the story created a great demand for further adventures
in the strange domain of the "moon pool." Thus in 1919 Mr. Merritt
obliged with "The Conquest of the Moon Pool."
In the same magazine appeared an occult interplanetary serial by J. U.
Giesy, "Palos of the Dog-Star Pack." Readers acclaimed it one of the
best of the interplanetary stories, and two sequels, "The Mouthpiece
of Zitu" and "Jason Son of Jason" appeared to satisfy the public's
thirsting for more adventures on the Dog-Star.
(Do not miss part two of this series, which will appear next month.)