Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781846310027
- eISBN:
- 9781781380536
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9781846310027.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter discusses the emergence of the factors that threatened science fiction magazine readership in the 1970s. Besides the growing patronage for television, radio, and cinema, comic books also ...
More
This chapter discusses the emergence of the factors that threatened science fiction magazine readership in the 1970s. Besides the growing patronage for television, radio, and cinema, comic books also emerged as one of the major rivals of science fiction magazines. The chapter furthermore points out that the chief rival of the science fiction magazines was the pocketbook, which sported top-quality science fiction novels that pulled reader away from depending on science fiction magazines.Less
This chapter discusses the emergence of the factors that threatened science fiction magazine readership in the 1970s. Besides the growing patronage for television, radio, and cinema, comic books also emerged as one of the major rivals of science fiction magazines. The chapter furthermore points out that the chief rival of the science fiction magazines was the pocketbook, which sported top-quality science fiction novels that pulled reader away from depending on science fiction magazines.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781846310027
- eISBN:
- 9781781380536
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9781846310027.003.0004
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter discusses the changes in the science-fiction-magazine industry during the late 1970s, which witnessed the passing of numerous science fiction magazines, such as Galileo, Cosmos Science ...
More
This chapter discusses the changes in the science-fiction-magazine industry during the late 1970s, which witnessed the passing of numerous science fiction magazines, such as Galileo, Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine, and Fantastic. With the decline of science fiction magazines, the period experienced a growth of science fiction and fantasy book sales, even bringing new titles. Cinema also underwent a dramatic growth after the success of the science fiction motion picture Star Wars in 1977, establishing a new generation of science fiction fans through visual imagery and special effects brought about by cinema.Less
This chapter discusses the changes in the science-fiction-magazine industry during the late 1970s, which witnessed the passing of numerous science fiction magazines, such as Galileo, Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine, and Fantastic. With the decline of science fiction magazines, the period experienced a growth of science fiction and fantasy book sales, even bringing new titles. Cinema also underwent a dramatic growth after the success of the science fiction motion picture Star Wars in 1977, establishing a new generation of science fiction fans through visual imagery and special effects brought about by cinema.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.003.0005
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
From 1955 to the end of the 1950s, science fiction experienced its most turbulent period. All of the pulp magazines had almost disappeared by the middle of the decade, as their readers began to ...
More
From 1955 to the end of the 1950s, science fiction experienced its most turbulent period. All of the pulp magazines had almost disappeared by the middle of the decade, as their readers began to explore other avenues. Competition for science fiction magazines came from everywhere: comics, digest magazines, paperbacks, men's magazines, cinema, radio, and television. At the same time, science fiction was becoming more topical and relevant every day due to advances in science, especially with the dawn of the space age in October 1957. These factors provided science fiction a wider and more appreciative readership, to which the magazines had to respond while facing the challenge of their opposition. This chapter examines the consequences of all these factors for the turbulent science fiction magazine market from 1956 to 1960. Among the magazines that existed during the period were Astounding Science, Galaxy, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, Science Fiction Stories, Science Fiction Quarterly, Satellite SF, Michael Shayne Mystery Magazine, and Science Fiction Adventures.Less
From 1955 to the end of the 1950s, science fiction experienced its most turbulent period. All of the pulp magazines had almost disappeared by the middle of the decade, as their readers began to explore other avenues. Competition for science fiction magazines came from everywhere: comics, digest magazines, paperbacks, men's magazines, cinema, radio, and television. At the same time, science fiction was becoming more topical and relevant every day due to advances in science, especially with the dawn of the space age in October 1957. These factors provided science fiction a wider and more appreciative readership, to which the magazines had to respond while facing the challenge of their opposition. This chapter examines the consequences of all these factors for the turbulent science fiction magazine market from 1956 to 1960. Among the magazines that existed during the period were Astounding Science, Galaxy, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, Science Fiction Stories, Science Fiction Quarterly, Satellite SF, Michael Shayne Mystery Magazine, and Science Fiction Adventures.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This is the second of three volumes that chart the history of the science fiction magazine from the earliest days to the present. The first volume, Time Machines, traced the development of the ...
More
This is the second of three volumes that chart the history of the science fiction magazine from the earliest days to the present. The first volume, Time Machines, traced the development of the science fiction magazine from its earliest days and the creation of the first specialist magazine, Amazing Stories. This book takes up the story to reveal a turbulent period that was to witness the extraordinary rise and fall and rise again of science. It charts the science fiction boom years in the wake of the nuclear age that was to see the ‘The Golden Age’ of Science Fiction, with the emergence of magazines such as Galaxy, Startling Stories, and Fantastic, as well as authors like Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and Frank Herbert. The book then goes on to explore the bust years of 1954–1960, followed by the renaissance in the 1960s led by the new wave of British authors such as Michael Moorcock and J. G. Ballard, and the rise in interest of fantasy fiction, encouraged by The Lord of the Rings and the Conan books of Robert E. Howard. It concludes with an examination of the newfound interest in science fiction magazines during the late 1960s and the incredibly influential roles Star Trek, the film 2001: A Space Odyssey and, above all, the first manned Moon landing played in transforming the science fiction magazine.Less
This is the second of three volumes that chart the history of the science fiction magazine from the earliest days to the present. The first volume, Time Machines, traced the development of the science fiction magazine from its earliest days and the creation of the first specialist magazine, Amazing Stories. This book takes up the story to reveal a turbulent period that was to witness the extraordinary rise and fall and rise again of science. It charts the science fiction boom years in the wake of the nuclear age that was to see the ‘The Golden Age’ of Science Fiction, with the emergence of magazines such as Galaxy, Startling Stories, and Fantastic, as well as authors like Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and Frank Herbert. The book then goes on to explore the bust years of 1954–1960, followed by the renaissance in the 1960s led by the new wave of British authors such as Michael Moorcock and J. G. Ballard, and the rise in interest of fantasy fiction, encouraged by The Lord of the Rings and the Conan books of Robert E. Howard. It concludes with an examination of the newfound interest in science fiction magazines during the late 1960s and the incredibly influential roles Star Trek, the film 2001: A Space Odyssey and, above all, the first manned Moon landing played in transforming the science fiction magazine.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter examines the boom years of science fiction magazines that began in 1952, which saw the publication of seven new science fiction and fantasy magazines in the United States. It was in 1952 ...
More
This chapter examines the boom years of science fiction magazines that began in 1952, which saw the publication of seven new science fiction and fantasy magazines in the United States. It was in 1952 that three new digest magazines appeared within three months of each other: If: Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantastic, and Space Science Fiction. The end of the science fiction boom came with the demise of the pulp magazines that hit the field in 1954. During the 1940s the pulp magazine faced stiff competition not only from the comic books, but also from paperback pocketbooks. The pocketbook emerged as a significant part of publishing with the success of Penguin Books in Britain and Pocket Books in the United States. Pocket Books were soon joined by Avon Books and other publishers, few of which published science fiction as a recognised genre.Less
This chapter examines the boom years of science fiction magazines that began in 1952, which saw the publication of seven new science fiction and fantasy magazines in the United States. It was in 1952 that three new digest magazines appeared within three months of each other: If: Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantastic, and Space Science Fiction. The end of the science fiction boom came with the demise of the pulp magazines that hit the field in 1954. During the 1940s the pulp magazine faced stiff competition not only from the comic books, but also from paperback pocketbooks. The pocketbook emerged as a significant part of publishing with the success of Penguin Books in Britain and Pocket Books in the United States. Pocket Books were soon joined by Avon Books and other publishers, few of which published science fiction as a recognised genre.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781846310027
- eISBN:
- 9781781380536
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9781846310027.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This third volume in a four-volume study of science fiction magazines focuses on the turbulent years of the 1970s, when the United States emerged from the Vietnam War into an economic crisis. It saw ...
More
This third volume in a four-volume study of science fiction magazines focuses on the turbulent years of the 1970s, when the United States emerged from the Vietnam War into an economic crisis. It saw the end of the Apollo moon programme and the start of the ecology movement. This proved to be one of the most complicated periods for the science fiction magazines. Not only were they struggling to survive within the economic climate, they also had to cope with the death of the father of modern science fiction, John W. Campbell, Jr., while facing new and potentially threatening opposition. The market for science fiction diversified as never before, with the growth in new anthologies, the emergence of semi-professional magazines, the explosion of science fiction in college, the start of role-playing gaming magazines, underground and adult comics, and, with the success of Star Wars, media magazines. The book explores how the traditional science fiction magazines coped with this, from the death of Campbell to the start of the major popular science magazine Omni and the first dreams of the Internet.Less
This third volume in a four-volume study of science fiction magazines focuses on the turbulent years of the 1970s, when the United States emerged from the Vietnam War into an economic crisis. It saw the end of the Apollo moon programme and the start of the ecology movement. This proved to be one of the most complicated periods for the science fiction magazines. Not only were they struggling to survive within the economic climate, they also had to cope with the death of the father of modern science fiction, John W. Campbell, Jr., while facing new and potentially threatening opposition. The market for science fiction diversified as never before, with the growth in new anthologies, the emergence of semi-professional magazines, the explosion of science fiction in college, the start of role-playing gaming magazines, underground and adult comics, and, with the success of Star Wars, media magazines. The book explores how the traditional science fiction magazines coped with this, from the death of Campbell to the start of the major popular science magazine Omni and the first dreams of the Internet.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853238553
- eISBN:
- 9781781380826
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853238553.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter discusses Hugo Gernsback's efforts to create the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories in 1926. It notes that Gernsback felt that the change of title would attract sensational ...
More
This chapter discusses Hugo Gernsback's efforts to create the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories in 1926. It notes that Gernsback felt that the change of title would attract sensational stories, so he decided to discontinue The Electrical Experimenter magazine in favor of Amazing Stories. The chapter also states that he used the publishing schedule of The Electrical Experimenter to cater to Amazing Stories, also taking its editor Thomas O'Conor Sloane as the latter's editor. Gernsback furthermore secured the aid of chemist Conrad A. Brandt and auction bridge expert Wilbur C. Whitehead as consultants in selecting content for the magazine. He also enlisted the help of artist Frank R. Paul, who was originally an artist for The Electrical Experimenter, to become the illustrator for his newly created magazine.Less
This chapter discusses Hugo Gernsback's efforts to create the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories in 1926. It notes that Gernsback felt that the change of title would attract sensational stories, so he decided to discontinue The Electrical Experimenter magazine in favor of Amazing Stories. The chapter also states that he used the publishing schedule of The Electrical Experimenter to cater to Amazing Stories, also taking its editor Thomas O'Conor Sloane as the latter's editor. Gernsback furthermore secured the aid of chemist Conrad A. Brandt and auction bridge expert Wilbur C. Whitehead as consultants in selecting content for the magazine. He also enlisted the help of artist Frank R. Paul, who was originally an artist for The Electrical Experimenter, to become the illustrator for his newly created magazine.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853238553
- eISBN:
- 9781781380826
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853238553.003.0005
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter explores the far-reaching implications of atomic power in the field of science fiction during the Second World War. The accelerated development of weapons such as helicopters, guided ...
More
This chapter explores the far-reaching implications of atomic power in the field of science fiction during the Second World War. The accelerated development of weapons such as helicopters, guided missiles, and atomic bombs led science fiction fans see that the weapons featured in fiction turned into harsh weapons of war. During the Second World War, most science fiction stories aimed to raise morale. It was during the war that comic book heroes such as Captain America were featured as part of the war effort in defeating Adolf Hitler. After the war, several stories appeared in science fiction magazines in response to the nuclear devastation brought about by the atomic bomb, such as ‘The Giant Atom’ (Startling Stories, 1944), ‘The Piper's Son’ (Astounding Stories, 1945), and ‘The Great Engine’ (Astounding Stories, 1943).Less
This chapter explores the far-reaching implications of atomic power in the field of science fiction during the Second World War. The accelerated development of weapons such as helicopters, guided missiles, and atomic bombs led science fiction fans see that the weapons featured in fiction turned into harsh weapons of war. During the Second World War, most science fiction stories aimed to raise morale. It was during the war that comic book heroes such as Captain America were featured as part of the war effort in defeating Adolf Hitler. After the war, several stories appeared in science fiction magazines in response to the nuclear devastation brought about by the atomic bomb, such as ‘The Giant Atom’ (Startling Stories, 1944), ‘The Piper's Son’ (Astounding Stories, 1945), and ‘The Great Engine’ (Astounding Stories, 1943).
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.003.0004
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
While new writers always enter the realms of science fiction, there are certain periods when creativity is more fertile than at other times. Such creativity was evident in 1927–1929, 1937–1940, and ...
More
While new writers always enter the realms of science fiction, there are certain periods when creativity is more fertile than at other times. Such creativity was evident in 1927–1929, 1937–1940, and 1947–1954. During the second boom many of the first wave of writers began to disappear, and either stopped writing altogether or moved to comic books. The 1950s was arguably the most fertile period in the history of science fiction, lasting until the mid-1960s, when the boundaries of the genre were shattered by the ‘new wave’ revolution and other factors. This chapter focuses on science fiction authors who emerged during the 1950s, along with earlier writers who adapted during the decade, including Philip K. Dick, Robert Sheckley, Eric Frank Russell, Horace Gold, and Robert Silverberg. It also looks at the publication of several good-quality science fiction magazines in Britain and some women writers who made a considerable mark in science fiction during the 1950s, including Kate Wilhelm, Katherine MacLean, Catherine L. Moore, and Leigh Brackett.Less
While new writers always enter the realms of science fiction, there are certain periods when creativity is more fertile than at other times. Such creativity was evident in 1927–1929, 1937–1940, and 1947–1954. During the second boom many of the first wave of writers began to disappear, and either stopped writing altogether or moved to comic books. The 1950s was arguably the most fertile period in the history of science fiction, lasting until the mid-1960s, when the boundaries of the genre were shattered by the ‘new wave’ revolution and other factors. This chapter focuses on science fiction authors who emerged during the 1950s, along with earlier writers who adapted during the decade, including Philip K. Dick, Robert Sheckley, Eric Frank Russell, Horace Gold, and Robert Silverberg. It also looks at the publication of several good-quality science fiction magazines in Britain and some women writers who made a considerable mark in science fiction during the 1950s, including Kate Wilhelm, Katherine MacLean, Catherine L. Moore, and Leigh Brackett.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.003.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
The year 1950 marked the twenty-fourth anniversary of science fiction magazines. Amazing Stories, the first all-science fiction magazine, was launched in April 1926, although science fiction had ...
More
The year 1950 marked the twenty-fourth anniversary of science fiction magazines. Amazing Stories, the first all-science fiction magazine, was launched in April 1926, although science fiction had already existed in magazines for more than 100 years. Science fiction was allegedly harmed by the publication of a specialist science fiction magazine and was not allowed to develop as part of mainstream fiction. While these claims have some element of truth, the science fiction magazine, most especially Astounding Science under John W. Campbell, Jr, contributed to the development and establishment of science fiction. This chapter examines the two most important magazines of the 1950s, and their editors: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, the first issue of which appeared in Fall 1949; and Galaxy, first published in early September 1950.Less
The year 1950 marked the twenty-fourth anniversary of science fiction magazines. Amazing Stories, the first all-science fiction magazine, was launched in April 1926, although science fiction had already existed in magazines for more than 100 years. Science fiction was allegedly harmed by the publication of a specialist science fiction magazine and was not allowed to develop as part of mainstream fiction. While these claims have some element of truth, the science fiction magazine, most especially Astounding Science under John W. Campbell, Jr, contributed to the development and establishment of science fiction. This chapter examines the two most important magazines of the 1950s, and their editors: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, the first issue of which appeared in Fall 1949; and Galaxy, first published in early September 1950.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.003.0008
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
Science fiction explores what could happen, while fantasy focuses on what is beyond the realms of science, such as magic. Based on this definition, science fiction cannot be fantasy. Yet the two ...
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Science fiction explores what could happen, while fantasy focuses on what is beyond the realms of science, such as magic. Based on this definition, science fiction cannot be fantasy. Yet the two genres have long had a close relationship. By the mid-1960s it was becoming increasingly difficult – and perhaps also unnecessary – to make a distinction between science fiction and fantasy. Two significant events related to this trend were the publication of the paperback edition of by J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and the reprinting of a paperback edition of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. As a result, publishers began to realise the commercial potential of fantasy. Some good new fantasy stories appeared in a number of science fiction magazines such as Fantastic and Amazing Stories during the period, but the supply of new fantasy fiction soon began to run out. Science fiction and fantasy would also become the themes of several television programs, such as the BBC's Quatermass series, The Outer Limits, and The Twilight Zone. Amidst all the turbulence of the 1960s, one magazine remained unaffected: Analog.Less
Science fiction explores what could happen, while fantasy focuses on what is beyond the realms of science, such as magic. Based on this definition, science fiction cannot be fantasy. Yet the two genres have long had a close relationship. By the mid-1960s it was becoming increasingly difficult – and perhaps also unnecessary – to make a distinction between science fiction and fantasy. Two significant events related to this trend were the publication of the paperback edition of by J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and the reprinting of a paperback edition of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. As a result, publishers began to realise the commercial potential of fantasy. Some good new fantasy stories appeared in a number of science fiction magazines such as Fantastic and Amazing Stories during the period, but the supply of new fantasy fiction soon began to run out. Science fiction and fantasy would also become the themes of several television programs, such as the BBC's Quatermass series, The Outer Limits, and The Twilight Zone. Amidst all the turbulence of the 1960s, one magazine remained unaffected: Analog.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.003.0003
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
In 1950, issues of science fiction magazines outnumbered science fiction paperbacks in the United States. The opposite was true in Britain, as paper rationing during World War II meant an ...
More
In 1950, issues of science fiction magazines outnumbered science fiction paperbacks in the United States. The opposite was true in Britain, as paper rationing during World War II meant an insufficient supply of paper, and starting any new serial publication was restricted. This situation led to the demise of fiction magazines, including the grandfather of them all, The Strand Magazine, which folded in March 1950. Britain's two premier science fiction magazines, New Worlds and Science-Fantasy, became the bedrock of high-quality science fiction in the country. Arthur C. Clarke, Eric Frank Russell, John Beynon Harris, John Christopher, and Charles Eric Maine represented a higher proportion of the rank and file of British science fiction writers than their American counterparts. British writers were especially fascinated with computers and automation.Less
In 1950, issues of science fiction magazines outnumbered science fiction paperbacks in the United States. The opposite was true in Britain, as paper rationing during World War II meant an insufficient supply of paper, and starting any new serial publication was restricted. This situation led to the demise of fiction magazines, including the grandfather of them all, The Strand Magazine, which folded in March 1950. Britain's two premier science fiction magazines, New Worlds and Science-Fantasy, became the bedrock of high-quality science fiction in the country. Arthur C. Clarke, Eric Frank Russell, John Beynon Harris, John Christopher, and Charles Eric Maine represented a higher proportion of the rank and file of British science fiction writers than their American counterparts. British writers were especially fascinated with computers and automation.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
At the end of the 1950s, Britain had three regular science fiction magazines, all published by Nova Publications and edited by John Carnell: New Worlds, Science Fantasy, and Science Fiction ...
More
At the end of the 1950s, Britain had three regular science fiction magazines, all published by Nova Publications and edited by John Carnell: New Worlds, Science Fantasy, and Science Fiction Adventures. Reprint editions of many of the American magazines also circulated in Britain, including Future Science Fiction, Science Fiction Stories, and Astounding Science. These reprint editions ceased when import restrictions were lifted in Britain in 1963. Another magazine that existed briefly in the late 1950s was Phantom, published by Dalrow Publications. In the 1960s, restrictions on the import of foreign periodicals adversely affected Carnell's magazines. Moreover, the growing popularity of pocketbooks in Britain, where science fiction was now regularly available from various publishers such as Panther Books, Four Square Books, and Penguin Books, started to put a dent on magazine distribution and sales. The renaissance of science fiction magazines in the 1960s saw the emergence of a new wave of British authors such as Michael Moorcock and J. G. Ballard.Less
At the end of the 1950s, Britain had three regular science fiction magazines, all published by Nova Publications and edited by John Carnell: New Worlds, Science Fantasy, and Science Fiction Adventures. Reprint editions of many of the American magazines also circulated in Britain, including Future Science Fiction, Science Fiction Stories, and Astounding Science. These reprint editions ceased when import restrictions were lifted in Britain in 1963. Another magazine that existed briefly in the late 1950s was Phantom, published by Dalrow Publications. In the 1960s, restrictions on the import of foreign periodicals adversely affected Carnell's magazines. Moreover, the growing popularity of pocketbooks in Britain, where science fiction was now regularly available from various publishers such as Panther Books, Four Square Books, and Penguin Books, started to put a dent on magazine distribution and sales. The renaissance of science fiction magazines in the 1960s saw the emergence of a new wave of British authors such as Michael Moorcock and J. G. Ballard.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
In the United States, six surviving science fiction magazines would have been enough to expect an improvement in quality. This would deter opportunist publishers who had little interest in science ...
More
In the United States, six surviving science fiction magazines would have been enough to expect an improvement in quality. This would deter opportunist publishers who had little interest in science fiction but wanted to earn a quick profit from it. While it would be more difficult for new, upcoming writers, good editors should always look out for rising talent, ensuring that quality would prevail. However, the market was even smaller than six, since only four editors were employed in the United States and one in Britain. At the end of 1960, these editors were John W. Campbell, Jr, at Analog, Horace Gold (later replaced by Frederik Pohl) at Galaxy and If: Worlds of Science Fiction, Robert P. Mills (later replaced by Avram Davidson) at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Cele Goldsmith at Amazing Stories and Fantastic. In Britain, John Carnell was the editor at New Worlds, Science Fantasy, and Science Fiction Adventures. The three leading science fiction magazines remained Astounding Science, Galaxy, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.Less
In the United States, six surviving science fiction magazines would have been enough to expect an improvement in quality. This would deter opportunist publishers who had little interest in science fiction but wanted to earn a quick profit from it. While it would be more difficult for new, upcoming writers, good editors should always look out for rising talent, ensuring that quality would prevail. However, the market was even smaller than six, since only four editors were employed in the United States and one in Britain. At the end of 1960, these editors were John W. Campbell, Jr, at Analog, Horace Gold (later replaced by Frederik Pohl) at Galaxy and If: Worlds of Science Fiction, Robert P. Mills (later replaced by Avram Davidson) at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Cele Goldsmith at Amazing Stories and Fantastic. In Britain, John Carnell was the editor at New Worlds, Science Fantasy, and Science Fiction Adventures. The three leading science fiction magazines remained Astounding Science, Galaxy, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853238553
- eISBN:
- 9781781380826
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853238553.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This book, the first of three volumes that chart the history of the science fiction magazine from the earliest days to the present, looks at the exuberant years of the pulp magazines. It traces the ...
More
This book, the first of three volumes that chart the history of the science fiction magazine from the earliest days to the present, looks at the exuberant years of the pulp magazines. It traces the growth and development of the science fiction magazines from when Hugo Gernsback launched the very first, Amazing Stories, in 1926 through to the birth of the atomic age and the death of the pulps in the early 1950s. These were the days of the youth of science fiction, when it was brash, raw, and exciting: the days of the first great space operas by Edward Elmer Smith and Edmond Hamilton, through the cosmic thought variants by Murray Leinster, Jack Williamson, and others, to the early 1940s, when John W. Campbell at Astounding did his best to nurture the infant genre into adulthood. Under him such major names as Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, A. E. van Vogt, and Theodore Sturgeon emerged, who, along with other such new talents as Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke, helped create modern science fiction. For over forty years magazines were at the heart of science fiction, and the book considers how they, and their publishers, editors, and authors, influenced the growth and perception of the genre.Less
This book, the first of three volumes that chart the history of the science fiction magazine from the earliest days to the present, looks at the exuberant years of the pulp magazines. It traces the growth and development of the science fiction magazines from when Hugo Gernsback launched the very first, Amazing Stories, in 1926 through to the birth of the atomic age and the death of the pulps in the early 1950s. These were the days of the youth of science fiction, when it was brash, raw, and exciting: the days of the first great space operas by Edward Elmer Smith and Edmond Hamilton, through the cosmic thought variants by Murray Leinster, Jack Williamson, and others, to the early 1940s, when John W. Campbell at Astounding did his best to nurture the infant genre into adulthood. Under him such major names as Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, A. E. van Vogt, and Theodore Sturgeon emerged, who, along with other such new talents as Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke, helped create modern science fiction. For over forty years magazines were at the heart of science fiction, and the book considers how they, and their publishers, editors, and authors, influenced the growth and perception of the genre.
Michael R. Page
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252039652
- eISBN:
- 9780252097744
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252039652.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century and Contemporary Literature
This chapter looks at Frederik Pohl's first foray into creating a science fictional world by focusing on his youthful adventures in science fiction (SF) fandom. Pohl discovered SF at age ten in 1930. ...
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This chapter looks at Frederik Pohl's first foray into creating a science fictional world by focusing on his youthful adventures in science fiction (SF) fandom. Pohl discovered SF at age ten in 1930. At that time, SF as a defined category of fiction was only in its fifth year, although the genre itself had a much longer pedigree. Hugo Gernsback launched the first SF magazine, Amazing Stories, in April 1926. The first SF magazine Pohl read was the Summer 1930 issue of Wonder Stories Quarterly. This chapter discusses Pohl's discovery of a collection of pulp magazines in 1931 at his uncle's farm in Pennsylvania; his interest in science fiction magazines; his initial attempts at writing his own stories; and his involvement with the group called Futurians. The chapter also describes Pohl's involvement in the literary agency business.Less
This chapter looks at Frederik Pohl's first foray into creating a science fictional world by focusing on his youthful adventures in science fiction (SF) fandom. Pohl discovered SF at age ten in 1930. At that time, SF as a defined category of fiction was only in its fifth year, although the genre itself had a much longer pedigree. Hugo Gernsback launched the first SF magazine, Amazing Stories, in April 1926. The first SF magazine Pohl read was the Summer 1930 issue of Wonder Stories Quarterly. This chapter discusses Pohl's discovery of a collection of pulp magazines in 1931 at his uncle's farm in Pennsylvania; his interest in science fiction magazines; his initial attempts at writing his own stories; and his involvement with the group called Futurians. The chapter also describes Pohl's involvement in the literary agency business.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780853237693
- eISBN:
- 9781781380840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853237693.003.0009
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
The Golden Age of science fiction is often attributed to John W. Campbell, Jr's revolution at Astounding Science in the years 1939–1942. The 1960s proved to be the last real Silver Age of the science ...
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The Golden Age of science fiction is often attributed to John W. Campbell, Jr's revolution at Astounding Science in the years 1939–1942. The 1960s proved to be the last real Silver Age of the science fiction magazines. In 1970, science fiction seemed to have come to a halt. The magazines were apparently not advancing the genre in the way they had two decades before. Yet things were actually looking bright. Advances in technology and more budgets sparked a renewed interest in science fiction films. In the years after 1970, science fiction magazines had to adopt and were able to survive against all kinds of competition. Several factors changed the public attitude to science fiction and ushered in the media magazines, including science fiction films, the punk revolution, cable television, and the Internet.Less
The Golden Age of science fiction is often attributed to John W. Campbell, Jr's revolution at Astounding Science in the years 1939–1942. The 1960s proved to be the last real Silver Age of the science fiction magazines. In 1970, science fiction seemed to have come to a halt. The magazines were apparently not advancing the genre in the way they had two decades before. Yet things were actually looking bright. Advances in technology and more budgets sparked a renewed interest in science fiction films. In the years after 1970, science fiction magazines had to adopt and were able to survive against all kinds of competition. Several factors changed the public attitude to science fiction and ushered in the media magazines, including science fiction films, the punk revolution, cable television, and the Internet.
Mike Ashley
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781846310027
- eISBN:
- 9781781380536
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9781846310027.003.0005
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter reflects upon the state of science fiction magazines during 1970s. It argues that science fiction magazines were supposed to be on a steady course during the 1970s, but the death of John ...
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This chapter reflects upon the state of science fiction magazines during 1970s. It argues that science fiction magazines were supposed to be on a steady course during the 1970s, but the death of John W. Campbell, among other misfortunes, led them to become fragmented. This made numerous readers abandon the field to look for a more favourable one, such as motion pictures. The rise of role-playing games, fantasy board-games, and video games has substituted reading and writing science fiction, causing science fiction magazines to further fragment.Less
This chapter reflects upon the state of science fiction magazines during 1970s. It argues that science fiction magazines were supposed to be on a steady course during the 1970s, but the death of John W. Campbell, among other misfortunes, led them to become fragmented. This made numerous readers abandon the field to look for a more favourable one, such as motion pictures. The rise of role-playing games, fantasy board-games, and video games has substituted reading and writing science fiction, causing science fiction magazines to further fragment.
