Weird Tales, Vol. 3, No. 1

The Abysmal Horror by B. Wallis

This serialized novel concerns the impact of a 300-foot diameter meteor striking rural England near Romney, killing over five hundred people and destroying numerous farms and estates including the historic Wyvenorth Hall. The protagonist Batson, an amateur astronomer, claims to have witnessed the meteor's approach the previous night. News of the impact triggers a massive stampede from London lasting two days, with hundreds of thousands traveling to view the incandescent, glowing mass embedded in the marshes. The meteor, composed of radium, gold, and nickel-enriched material presumably from a distant world, remains dangerously hot for weeks. The narrative expands internationally when Batson encounters a newspaper report describing mysterious plant growth with predatory and locomotive properties appearing in Bosnia, causing villagers to abandon the hamlet of Gorovitcha. The story suggests this botanical threat may be connected to the meteor's arrival, hinting at catastrophic consequences beyond the initial impact.