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<p style="margin-bottom:0in"> “From the Desk of Gilmer C. Merton”
was first published in 1983 in <i>The Magazine of Fantasy and Science
Fiction</i> and is reprinted in <i>Storeys from the Old Hotel</i>.</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">SUMMARY:
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">The “story” is an epistolary one in
which the tentative, timid, and inexperienced author Gilmer C. Merton
queries an agent, is accepted with standard industry terms and then
treated a bit dismissively. He sells the book and writes a sequel,
but as his poverty encroaches after buying a typewriter from a famous
horror writer, his personality becomes more threatening, and he
begins signing his letters with the byline “Wolf Moon”. This
change becomes obvious when it is suggested by his agent and editor
that his publication name be changed, though he chooses the psuedonym
Gilray Gunn. His timidity seems to give way and he becomes
murderous, claiming “Gilmer C. Merton is dead. … in the future,
please address me as 'Mr. Moon,' or in moments of extreme comraderie,
'Wolf'.” A mysterious event, probably a slaughter, is referenced
by his agent as occuring near his community, out of which she expects
he could get a non-fiction book. He requests that their renegotiated
contract be signed in blood after expressing condolences on the
murder of his editor's family by disembodied claws while demanding
his check, and signs the final letter only Wolf.
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">COMMENTARY:
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">This is one of Wolfe's light-hearted
parodies and there is little analysis to do. Wolfe says:</p>
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</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">“From the Desk of Gilmer C. Merton”
is the story my agent (Virginia Kidd) dislikes the most; she thinks
Georgia Morgan's modeled on her. Nah. I should point out that
Velo's a village near here. I don't think there's really a North
Velo City, but in a few years there might be – this is Barrington,
and there's also North Barrington, South Barrington, Lake Barringtown
Shores, and Barrington Hills. So you see.”</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">The name association between Virginia
Kidd, with a state name and a pirate name, is pretty obvious and
clearly Georgia Morgan follows the same pattern. Saul Hearwell the
editor from Cheap Drugstore Paperbacks is clearly based on Wolfe's
editor David Hartwell (King Saul and David having a pretty famous Old
Testament relationship, of course, one of first friendship and then
rivalry for the kingship).</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">The other puns are of course based in
the science fiction and publishing community, with Gilmer buying a
possessed typewriter from Steven E. Presley (Stephen King, of course,
as Elvis Presley was known). The title of the book “Hijo”, or
“Son” is probably a pun on “Kujo” but also possibly a verbal
play on Wolfe's Sun books. The names Barry Longear or Oar Scottson
Curd are obvious in their references, and the response to late work
by Robert A. Heinlein prompts the request, “please, not Robert A.
anything.” The suggestion of the name Gil Donadil almost seems
like a Tolkienesque fantasy name, but in any event there is a
possibly unintentional resonance with the hormonal medicine Gonadil.</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">The meaning of the name Gilmer Merton's
does not quite match up well with the Wolf Moon who begins to sign
the letters, though Thomas Merton does have an interesting quote
about the moon which is by and large probably irrelevant: “What can
we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss
that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all
voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only
useless, but disastrous.”</p>
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</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Changing a novel's name from <i>Galaxy
Shuttle</i> to <i>Come Dark Lust </i><span style="font-style:normal">shows
a pretty extreme shift from science fiction to fantasy/horror.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Gilmer might mean renowned hostage,
showing our author as a prisoner of a system before the mysterious
power at work makes itself known, whether it be his anger and hatred
or the typewriter, eliminating that portion of his personality.
Merton could imply a settlement near the sea.</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">The only thematic take away from this
involves the frustration of the publishing world, and how the
treatment by agents and editors can breed a kind of murderous
insanity, though of course we have a supernatural excuse in the form
of Stephen E. Presley's possessed typewriter. The moon and its
relationship to werewolves will be taken as a given.</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">UNANSWERED QUESTIONS:
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Is Gilmer murdered by his machine, or
is this merely the expression of his anger and wrath, liberated by
the spiritual forces of the typewriter? Thematically it really
doesn't matter, as the timid Gilmer is dead and gone, replaced with
malevolence and forged on the anvil of the publishing world.</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">What does the C in his name stand for?</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">CONNECTION TO OTHER WORKS:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Wolfe's pun-based and light fantasies
exist if you are inclined to look hard enough, and this story is
probably most similar to “Planetarium in Orbit” and “Dumpster
World”, though it could probably be construed as a sublimation of
all the frustrations and asinine requests in the publishing world.
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