Strange Suspense Stories #53

This anthology issue contains at least two stories: "The Fabulous Man," in which a genius scientist named Ludvig Ling develops revolutionary space ship designs to solve Earth's overpopulation and food shortage crises, earning recognition from government officials for his superior theories and engineering. "Merlin the Magician" follows a circus performer named Merlin who joins a traveling circus after becoming an orphan, falls in love with Helen Rogers (daughter of a sharpshooter performer), and faces warnings from the circus strongman Maddy Schmeler to stay away from her. A third story, visible on the sampled pages, involves a military officer stranded at the North Pole who encounters mysterious figures and explores a tower, suggesting classic pulp science fiction adventure elements.