The Dragon-Fly and Leaves

As a boy, R. H. Barlow (1918–1937) became fascinated with the genres of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Striking up an early friendship with H. P. Lovecraft, Barlow got in touch with a number of other leading figures in the field, including Clark Ashton Smith, A. Merritt, Donald Wandrei, and C. L. Moore. Joining the National Amateur Press Association, Barlow issued two fine issues of a paper called The Dragon-Fly in 1935 and 1936, using his own printing press and including the work of some of the authors he had corresponded with. In 1937 and 1938, he published two large issues of a mimeographed magazine, Leaves, that included previously unpublished work by Lovecraft, Moore, and many other writers, including some of his own fine stories. These issues are fabulously rare, but they have now been reprinted in a reset edition that displays Barlow’s precocity and his keen editorial skills. A bountiful mix of fiction, poetry, essays, and commentary, these issues of The Dragon-Fly and Leaves constitute some of the most substantial contributions to the imaginative literature of their time.