▁for ▁several ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁Wein berg ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁fant asy ▁pul ps , ▁of ▁which , ▁in ▁his ▁opinion , ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential , ▁helped ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁modern ▁fant asy ▁genre , ▁and ▁that ▁Wright , ▁" if ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁perfect ▁editor   ... ▁was ▁an ▁extraordinary ▁one , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁figures ▁in ▁modern ▁American ▁fant asy ▁fiction ", ▁adding ▁that ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁and ▁its ▁compet itors ▁" ser ved ▁as ▁the ▁bed rock ▁upon ▁which ▁much ▁of ▁modern ▁fant asy ▁rest s ". ▁ ▁Ever ett ▁and ▁Sh anks ▁agree , ▁and ▁regard ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁as ▁the ▁ven ue ▁where ▁writers , ▁edit ors ▁and ▁an ▁engaged ▁read ership ▁" e lev ated ▁spec ulated ▁fiction ▁to ▁new ▁height s " ▁with ▁influence ▁that ▁" re ver ber ates ▁through ▁modern ▁popular ▁culture ". ▁ ▁In ▁Ash ley ' s ▁words , ▁" some where ▁in ▁the ▁imagination ▁res er voir ▁of ▁all ▁U . S . ▁ ▁( and ▁many ▁non - U . S .) ▁genre - f ant asy ▁and ▁horror ▁writers ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁We ird ▁T ales ". ▁▁ ▁Bibli ographic ▁details ▁▁ ▁The ▁editor ial ▁succession ▁at ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁was ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁The ▁publish er ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁was ▁R ural ▁Publishing ▁Corporation ; ▁this ▁changed ▁to ▁Popular ▁F iction ▁Publishing ▁with ▁the ▁November ▁ 1