▁as ▁Ama zing ▁St ories ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 . ▁ ▁Ed mond ▁Hamilton ▁wrote ▁a ▁good ▁deal ▁of ▁science ▁fiction ▁for ▁We ird ▁T ales , ▁though ▁after ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁he ▁used ▁the ▁magazine ▁for ▁his ▁more ▁fant astic ▁stories , ▁and ▁submitted ▁his ▁space ▁oper as ▁elsewhere . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁the ▁magazine ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁William ▁Del an ey , ▁the ▁publish er ▁of ▁Short ▁St ories , ▁and ▁within ▁two ▁years ▁Wright , ▁who ▁was ▁ill , ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Dor othy ▁Mc Il w ra ith ▁as ▁editor . ▁ ▁Although ▁some ▁successful ▁new ▁authors ▁and ▁artists , ▁such ▁as ▁Ray ▁Brad bury ▁and ▁Hann es ▁B ok , ▁continued ▁to ▁appear , ▁the ▁magazine ▁is ▁considered ▁by ▁critics ▁to ▁have ▁decl ined ▁under ▁Mc Il w ra ith ▁from ▁its ▁he yd ay ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁ceased ▁publication ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁but ▁since ▁then ▁numerous ▁attempts ▁have ▁been ▁made ▁to ▁rela unch ▁the ▁magazine , ▁starting ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁longest - last ing ▁version ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁ran ▁with ▁an ▁occas ional ▁hi atus ▁for ▁over ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁under ▁an ▁ass ort ment ▁of ▁publish ers . ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s ▁the ▁title ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁World s ▁of ▁Fant asy ▁& ▁Hor ror ▁because ▁of ▁lic