An interesting literary curiosity appeared in the magazine WEIRD TALES in the July 1927 issue.
The story “The Ultimate Problem” by Victor Rousseau, which originally appeared in various American newspapers in 1911, deals with the possibility of transporting a soul into a device and then transferring it to a younger body.
The story itself is quite interesting, but the real curiosity lies elsewhere.
In 1762, the Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau published one of his most significant works, The Social Contract. One of the treatise’s most important points is commonly called “The Ultimate Problem“: as every philosophy student knows, it hypothesizes that humanity was originally entirely oriented toward good; flaws in behavior and its most harmful aspects stem from the social system that humanity has imposed on itself.
Now, it can happen that one author shares the same surname with another. Less frequent, however, is that, in addition to the surname, an author also shares the same title of a work.
The question that arises spontaneously, therefore, is: was our pulp author aware of the existence of the work of the same title, written by his illustrious namesake a century and a half earlier? Did he choose the title on purpose for some reason, or was it just a coincidence? The reader will have to decide.
MORE PULP MAGAZINES
Four more issues of WEIRD TALES (from July 1927, August 1927, September 1927 and October 1927) have been added to our collection and are, as always, freely readable.
OLD COMICS
Added four more issues of the wonderful RIN TIN TIN (December 1954, December 1955, November 1956, January 1957) in the version preceding the famous TV series.
The Old Comics section also contains, of course, the periodical dedicated to RIN TIN TIN AND RUSTY.
OLD MAGAZINES
Also added are five more issues of the splendid PICTURE-PLAY MAGAZINE (August 1922, December 1922, January 1923, February 1923, April 1923). Reading these issues clearly illustrates how the star system of the first half of the 20th century was every bit as impressive as that of today.
By the end of March we plan to add some issues of the shelter magazine HOUSE & GARDEN, the popular lifestyle publication that debuted in 1901.
Friends, that’s all for now…
See you in April on
Davide Dana.
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