SHOCK MYSTERY TALES. July 1962. (Volume 2, number 4)
Small octavo, single issue, pictorial wrappers. Digest magazine. "Macabre backgrounds, cults and weird characters highlight these stories." - Cook, Mystery, Detective and Espionage Magazines, p. 499. A short lived magazine with covers and contents in the vein of weird menace magazines. Note: The volume numbering is possibly continued from Shock magazine (Winston Publications, Inc.). Reading crease to left front cover, touch of wear, a nearly fine copy. (31572)
[Bradbury, Ray]. GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION. February, 1951. (Volume 1, No. 5). H. L. Gold (editor)
Small octavo, single issue, cover by Chesley Bonestell, pictorial wrappers. Digest sized magazine. First appearance of the novella The Fireman which would be expanded into the novel Fahrenheit 451. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 290-309. Toning to text paper, repaired closed tear to the upper right front cover, light edge wear to spine, tiny closed tear to lower right front panel, a very good copy. (31535)
[Gifford, Dennis]
Small octavo, pp. [1-16], printed stiff wrappers. Dennis Gifford was active in science fiction fandom in the 1950s and also had a strong interest film. This was an attempt to spur interest in the films. From the introduction to his book SPACE ACES: COMIC BOOK HEROES FROM THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES: 'Everything you want to know about the Life on Other Planets, Space Suits, Spacecraft Recognition, Insignia, Interplanetary Languages - plus Space Patrol Membership Certificate! Secret Codes of the Spaceways! Interplanetary Passport! Gazetteer of the Galaxy! Real Photographs of Spaceships! (pinched from space films, of course) and the Space Man's Code of Honour!'. Includes a two page index "To Films of Future Fantasy." Gifford did become a scholar of British film and produced several important volumes. Vertical crease to center. A nearly fine copy. Scarce. One library holding located, University of Liverpool, Sydney Jones Library. (31563)
STARTLING MYSTERY STORIES. Summer [May] 1966 - March 1971. (Volume 1, Number 1 - Volume 3 Number 6, Whole numbers 1-18). Robert A. W. Lowndes (editor)
Octavo, eighteen issues, pictorial wrappers. Digest size magazine. This publication included new and reprint fiction. Reprints coming mainly from the pulps, including Seabury Quinn's Jules de Grandin stories, Paul Ernst's Dr. Satan, and Edward Hoch's Simon Ark stories. As for new material, a claim to fame is the publication of Stephen King's first two stories "The Glass Floor" in issue number 6 and "The Reaper's Image," in issue number 12. Other new fiction included authors Ramsey Campbell, John Brunner, and F. Paul Wilson with his first professional appearance. Lowndes editorials were also of interest as he covered subjects in the detective fiction genre. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 608-611. A nearly fine to fine set. (31558)
SPACE SCIENCE FICTION. May 1952 - September 1953. (Volume 1, Numbers 1- 6, Volume 2, Numbers 1- 2). Lester del Rey (editor)
Small octavo, eight issues, pictorial wrappers. Digest magazine. Another short lived, but quality, magazine of the 1950s boomlet, done in by disagreement between the editor and publisher (which terminated all of the publishers fanstasy and science fiction magazines). Authors include Isaac Asimov, Henry Kuttner, Clifford Simak, Michael Shaara, Lester Del Rey (including pseudonyms), John Christopher, Damon Knight, Philip K. Dick, Robert Sheckley and others. Highlights include the first publication of the first of the newly discovered Conan stories which surfaced starting in the 1950s. This publication interestedly includes a short note by the editor of the story, L. Sprague De Camp, about the discovery of the story from unsold Howard manuscripts. De Camp also includes the transcript of a note which was attached to the manuscript by H. P. Lovecraft. Other notables include the publication of Algis Budrys first published story "Walk to the World" and two Philip K. Dick fictions, "Second Variety" and "The Variable Man." Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 585-586. Toning to text paper, a very good to nearly fine set, some mild wear and edges rubs. A nice set. (31542)
FANTASY FICTION later FANTASY STORIES. May - September 1950. (Volume 1, numbers 1-2). Curtis Mitchell (editor)
Octavo, two issues, pictorial wrappers. Digest magazine. Contains mostly reprints with title changes, most culled from Argosy from the 1930s. Authors include Theodore Roscoe, Cornell Woolrich, Richard Sale, and others. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 266 - 267. The first issue is in fine condition, the second issue has stress creasing and rubbing, very good. (31576)
ORBIT SCIENCE FICTION. [Fall] 1953 - November/December 1954. (Volume 1, Numbers 1-5) Jules Saltman, (editor)
Small octavo, five issues. Digest magazine. Another short lived magazine of the 1950s boomlet. A magazine that published some quality fiction. Though Saltman was the editor he knew little about science fiction and he used Donald A. Wollheim to acquire stories, acting as a "literary editor." Author's include August Derleth, Mack Reynolds, Charles Beaumont, John Christopher, Philip K. Dick, Gordon R. Dickson, Michael Shaara, Jack Vance and others. Derleth had a Tex Harrigan story in all five issues. The Philip K. Dick story in issue three, "The Adjustment Team" is the basis for the film "The Adjustment Bureau" (2011), Dick also had stories in two other issues. Donald A. Wollheim's (as Martin Pearson) story in the issue one "Asteroid 745: Mauritia" is ".a rare combination of SF and the supernatural and is a genuine SF ghost story." - Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, p 452. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 451-454.
IMAGINATIVE TALES later SPACE TRAVEL. September 1954 - November 1958 (Volume 1, number 1 - Volume 5, number 6). William L. Hamling (editor)
Small octavo, 26 issues, pictorial wrappers. Digest magazine. This magazine initial started out with fiction leaning toward the humorous with a note of 'spice,' as evidenced by the titillating covers by Harold McCauley over the first seven issues. In the fall of 1956 the magazine moved to more conventional stories. In the waning days of the magazine the editor tried to move to a more serious image with the age of Sputnik and changed the title to Space Travel, in which the magazine lasted only three more issues. Authors included Robert Bloch, Edmond Hamiltion (some pseudonymous), Steven Marlowe (under pseudonym), Robert Silverberg (some pseudonymous), Randall Garrett, A. Bertram Chandler, Margeret St. Clair, Harlan Ellison and others. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 347-350. A nearly fine to fine set. (31550)
Scott-Moncrieff, David
Octavo, pp. [1] 2-63 [64: ads], pictorial wrappers, stapled. The author's second collection of horror fiction, preceded by NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH (1948). Collects ten stories, mostly weird. Includes "Not Forty Months Ago" (a tale of Victorian black magic) and a weird chess story, among others. Several tales quite effective, others sadistic, crude material horror. Author's strong suit was ideas, not execution. Cover has a large coverline, "The Horror Club," though it's not clear what this refers to. Reginald 12841. Tuck (1978), p. 382. Hubin (1994), p. 727. Text paper age darkened, mild edge wear and moderated darkening to the rear panel, a very good to nearly fine copy. Uncommon. (31537)
