The Internet Speculative Fiction Database (isfdb.com) lists "Return of a Demon" as Richard S. Shaver's first published story. Fantastic Adventures published the story, a weird tale, in its May 1943 issue. The magazine credits the story to Alexander Blade, one of the house pseudonyms of its publisher Ziff-Davis Publications. Given that twelve other writers used this same pseudonym, how sure can we be that Shaver wrote this story?
Mental Illness
Indeed, we cannot know with certainty that Shaver wrote "The Return of a Demon," but we should not reject the possibility because it does not fit with the Shaver Mystery. Shaver created the mythology of the Shaver Mystery in part to conceal his own whereabouts during the 1930s. We now know he spent some of that period in a mental hospital instead of visiting a secret underground civilization. Given our current knowledge of Shaver's life, "Return of the Demon" rings true because the story expresses so much anxiety about having a history of mental illness.
Demonology
In the story amateur demonologist Hilard Lantry struggles to summon Zedri-Nesu, a human-demon hybrid creature who comes to the aid of lovers. Lantry feels his beloved Rosella distances herself from him because he suffers from depression and what he calls “sleeping sickness.” Lantry makes remarks like “If only I could make my brain really function!” and “What girl would want to marry a--a madman!” and “What girl would love a mental cripple; that's what I am--a victim of incurable psychoneurosis.” Lantry plows through a book of strange symbols trying to figure out how to summon Zedri-Nesu.
Treatment
A physician named Ludwig treats Lantry for depression and also attempts to convince him that his interest in demonology is unhealthy. Ludwig explains that Lantry’s strange book about Zedri-Nesu is a hoax and that Rosella disapproves of demonology. Thus, demonology causes Lantry’s romantic problem and will never solve it.
The physician says he will bring Rosella by to see Lantry to “come to an understanding without the help of Zedri-Nesu.” Lantry does not agree with the doctor’s ideas or methods, but he does take a dose of a drug the physician supplies that “accelerates mental processes.”
The drug allows Lantry to interpret the symbols in the demonology book. Lantry now understands he will need a woman’s help to conjure up Zedri-Nesu. Lantry forces the session of relationship counseling that Ludwig arranged to become a rite to conjure up Zedri-Nesu, a rite that appears to fail but later results in demonic devastation.
Themes
A history of mental illness stands in the way of relationships. Delusion masquerades as knowledge. Hoaxes spring from the pages of books. The themes of “Return of a Demon” suggest Richard S. Shaver could have written it, for the protagonist of the story struggles with the same demons as Richard S. Shaver. Thus, an examination of “Return of the Demon” supports the claim of the Internet Speculative Fiction Database that Shaver wrote the story.
Zedri-Nesu?
The demon Zedri-Nesu puzzles interpreters of the story, but one course of reasoning offers a clue. When Raymond A. Palmer joined Ziff-Davis Publications to edit Amazing Stories, he started Fantastic Adventures, the magazine that published “Return of a Demon,” as a sister magazine. Palmer promoted Shaver’s writing as true stories. Palmer’s promotional assistance often went beyond publicity to manipulation and exploitation. As a result of a childhood accident that damaged his spine, Palmer was a hunchback about four feet tall. The demon Zedri-Nesu is an anagram of “undersize.” How bizarre to find this detail in Shaver’s first story!
Researchers may read "Return of a Demon" on unz.org here: http://www.unz.org/Pub/FantasticAdventures-1943may-00088.
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