Elmer Brown Mason
Encyclopedia
Elmer Brown Mason, graduated from Yale College in 1906, and became an entomologist for the now-defunct Bureau of Entomology
(USDA) in 1910. In addition, he was a seasoned world traveler. In 1915, his fantastic stories of scientists hunting rare species in the remote corners of the world started appearing. Of note were the five stories featuring swamp-guide, Wandering Smith, in The Popular Magazine
, especially "The Golden Anaconda"; and the variety of tales in All-Story Weekly, highlighted by the horror-filled lost-race novelette "Black Butterflies," set in Borneo, and its sequel, "Red Tree-Frogs."
Mason was gassed in France during World War I, suffering permanent disabilities, which sidetracked his writing career. His globe-trotting ceased and his stories exchanged the fantastic for the domestic. His fiction writing career petered out around 1926.
He had a brief revival in 1949-50 in the pulp magazines, Famous Fantastic Mysteries
and Fantastic Novels, which reprinted four of his stories from All-Story Weekly.
"Black Butterflies," was included in the anthology Rainbow Fantasia: 35 Spectrumatic Tales of Wonder ed. by Forrest J. Ackerman; Anne Hardin.
Bureau of Entomology
The Bureau of Entomology was a unit within the Federal government of the United States from 1894 to 1934. It developed from a section of the Department of Agriculture which had been working on entomological researches and allied issues relating to insects....
(USDA) in 1910. In addition, he was a seasoned world traveler. In 1915, his fantastic stories of scientists hunting rare species in the remote corners of the world started appearing. Of note were the five stories featuring swamp-guide, Wandering Smith, in The Popular Magazine
The Popular Magazine
The Popular Magazine was an early American literary magazine that ran for 612 issues from November 1903 to October 1931. It featured short fiction, novellas, serialized larger works, and even entire short novels...
, especially "The Golden Anaconda"; and the variety of tales in All-Story Weekly, highlighted by the horror-filled lost-race novelette "Black Butterflies," set in Borneo, and its sequel, "Red Tree-Frogs."
Mason was gassed in France during World War I, suffering permanent disabilities, which sidetracked his writing career. His globe-trotting ceased and his stories exchanged the fantastic for the domestic. His fiction writing career petered out around 1926.
He had a brief revival in 1949-50 in the pulp magazines, Famous Fantastic Mysteries
Famous Fantastic Mysteries
Famous Fantastic Mysteries was a fantasy fiction magazine offering reprints of science-fiction and fantasy classics from earlier decades. It ran from 1939 to 1953 for a total of 81 issues....
and Fantastic Novels, which reprinted four of his stories from All-Story Weekly.
"Black Butterflies," was included in the anthology Rainbow Fantasia: 35 Spectrumatic Tales of Wonder ed. by Forrest J. Ackerman; Anne Hardin.