Avon Murder Mystery Monthly No. 41

About this issue

A. Merritt's The Metal Monster dominates this issue—a complete novel spanning thirty-one chapters. The narrative frames itself as the testimony of Dr. Walter T. Goodwin, a botanist and explorer, who encounters Dr. Goodwin recounting his experiences in a hidden Tibetan valley. In spring, Goodwin departed New York to pursue botanical research among Asian peaks, specifically tracking flower mutations from Persia through the Trans-Himalayas toward the Manasarowar Lakes. With his Chinese servant Chiu-Ming, he discovers a valley of blue poppies where he meets Richard Drake, an American engineer. The story promises encounters with an ancient army in Darian garb, a beautiful woman named Norhala, a metal civilization, and a metal emperor whose existence threatens human survival. The revised narrative, originally copyrighted 1920, was republished by Avon in 1946, blending science fiction and adventure elements within a mystery framework.