SCHWEITZER, Darrell (Charles)

(1952-)

   US critic, editor and writer who began publishing stories of genre interest with "Come to Mother" for Weirdbook \#4 in 1971, but who spent his energies very variously for many years, coming initially to notice with a series of critical studies including Lovecraft in the Cinema (1975 chap), The Dream Quest of H.P. Lovecraft (1978 chap), Conan's Worldand Robert E. Howard (1979 chap), On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!) (1981) with John M. FORD and George H. SCITHERS,Constructing Scientifiction \& Fantasy (1982 chap) with John Ashmead and Scithers, and Pathways to Elfland: The Writings of Lord Dunsany (1989). During this period he also served as editorial assistant at IASFM 1977-82 and at AMZ 1982-6. With John BETANCOURT and Scithers he then restarted WEIRD TALES (1987-current) with \#290. Also with Scithers, he ed 2anthologies of CLUB STORIES: Tales from the Spaceport Bar (anth 1987) and Another Round at the Spaceport Bar (anth 1989).DS's fiction, whichsometimes tends to a grimly brisk SCIENCE-FANTASY diction, includes We are All Legends (coll of linked stories 1981), The Shattered Goddess (1982), aFAR-FUTURE fantasy which moves into dark regions, Tom O'Bedlam's Night Out, and Other Strange Excursions (coll 1985), The Meaning of Life, and Other Awesome Cosmic Revelations (coll 1988 chap) and The White Isle (1980 Fantastic; rev 1990).

   JC

   As Editor: Some of the SF Voices series of interviews, those for which he was responsible including SF Voices (anth 1976), Science Fiction Voices \#1 (anth 1979) and Science Fiction Voices \#5(anth 1982 chap); Essays Lovecraftian (anth 1977; rev vt Discovering H.P. Lovecraft 1987); Exploring Fantasy Worlds (anth 1985); Discovering Modern Horror Fiction \#1 (anth 1985) and \#2 (anth 1988); Discovering Stephen King (anth 1985)Discovering Classic Horror Fiction I (anth 1992); Lord Dunsany: A Bibliography (1993) with S. T. Joshi (1958-); Speaking of Horror: Interviews with Writers of the Supernatural (1994).