This early work by Tod Robbins was originally published in 1919 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Whimpus' is a short story of a race of mermaid-like fish women. Clarence Aaron 'Tod' Robbins was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1888. Robbins is largely forgotten today; apart from 'Spurs', most of his writings have been out of print for over half a century. Some critics see this as a great shame, and regard Robbins as an important writer in the canons of horror and mystery fiction.