Famous Fantastic Mysteries Dec: The Gray Mahatma by Talbot Mundy

A newsstand browser in wartime America would have been stopped cold by this arresting cover — a gaunt, cross-legged holy man clutching a black cat stares upward in spiritual ecstasy, surrounded by ghostly disembodied heads floating in cosmic mist, while a bejeweled Indian dancing girl gestures mysteriously above. The collision of Eastern mysticism, occult dread, and exotic beauty perfectly captures Talbot Mundy's blend of adventure and metaphysical fantasy, rendered in rich jewel tones with pulp urgency.