Verrill’s description from The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Verrill’s description from The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Digitized by Doug Frizzle, June 2012.

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY

Through 1968

Compiled by DONALD H. TUCK

A bibliographic survey of the fields of science fiction, fantasy, and weird fiction through 1968

Volume 2: WHO'S WHO, M-Z

Advent:Publishers, Inc. Chicago: 1978

VERRILL, A(LPHEUS) HYATT (23 July 1871-14 Nov 1954) U.S. archaeologist and author. When scarcely 17 he made his first scientific expedition, to the island of Dominica. For nearly 50 years he led expeditions into the tropical regions of South America, Central America and the West Indies, and became a recognized authority on South American Indians, prehistoric civilizations of Peru and Bolivia, and lost and buried treasures. His expeditions added many valuable specimens in natural history, ethnology and archaeology to museums in the U.S.A. and Europe.

Verrill wrote over a hundred nonfiction works, including My Jungle Trails (Pope, Boston, 1937), about his travels; Old Civilization in a New World (Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis, 1929); Before the Conquerors (Dodd Mead, New York, 1935), juvenile on the history of the Incas, etc.; Strange Insects and Their Stories (Pope, New York, 1936); Strange Prehistoric Animals and Their Stories (Page, Boston, 1948). He wrote many stories for the science fiction magazines 1926-1935, of which the more notable include: "Into the Green Prism" (AS, sr2, Mar 1929) and sequel; "The Inner World" (AS, sr3, June 1935); "The Plague of the Living Dead" (AS, Apr 1927; Mag. Horror, Aug 1965); "World of the Giant Ants" (ASQ, Fall 1928).

Fiction [Incomplete — see other titles in the Bleiler Checklist]

Bridge of Light, The (ASQ, Fall 1929) (Fantasy Press, Reading [Penna.], 1950, 248 pp., $3.00)

One of Verrill's best novels, done in the Haggard tradition —adventure in South America and finding a lost city.

When the Moon Ran Wild [pa] (ASQ, Win 1931) ([as Ray Ainsbury] Consul: 1197, 1962, 158 pp., pa 2/6)

Nonfiction

America's Ancient Civilization [with R. Verrill] (Putnam, New York, 1953, 334 pp., illus., $5.00; London, 1954, 25/-)

For the general reader; covers the great lost civilizations of the Mayas, Aztecs and Incas; illustrated with 24 plates.

Strange Story of Our Earth, The (Page, Boston, 1952, 255 pp., $3.75) (Premier: s24, 1956, 157 pp., pa 35*)

An informative account of Earth's geology and prehistoric animals and men.