About the Journey

"The most ambitious, immersive, and extensive project in modern science fiction." ~Hugo Finalist Olav Rockne

Imagine living at the dawn of the New Wave of science fiction and fantasy. A beleaguered LBJ is struggling with the War in Vietnam and a War on Poverty. The Gemini and Voskhod space programs are done, but tragedy has set back both Apollo and Soyuz. Star Trek is gracing the small screen, while 2001 is expected on the silver screen at the end of the year. Joanna Russ and Ursula K. Le Guin are promising new science fiction authors. Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and the Avengers are bursting onto the comics scene. What would it be like to actually be there, experiencing life, the movies, the books, the music, day by day?

The Traveler and his team live in 1968, regularly commuting 55 years into the future to write about then-contemporary science fiction and fantasy, particularly fiction found in magazines. But that's not all there is to life 55 years ago! So expect to read about the movies, the space shots, the politics, the music, and much more!

There is nothing like the Journey anywhere else in the universe. Come jump through the portal and see a world you may but dimly remember, or which you may never have seen before, but without which your time could never have been…

GIDEON MARCUS, FOUNDER

Gideon is the founder of the Serling-Award winning and Hugo-nominated web project, Galactic Journey, the mission of which is to recover the lost voices of SFF and the Space Race, making the past relevant to today. To that end, he has assembled a diverse team of twenty individuals, covering Science Fact and Fiction across the globe as it existed exactly 55 years ago. His educational series of lectures/panels are must-see events, both entertaining and enlightening.

He is a professional space historian, author, and public speaker with a passion for teaching. He literally wrote the book on the early unmanned American space program in a series of articles for Quest: Space Quarterly. His first published fiction, "Andy and Tina," is the lead tale in the anthology Tales of Alternate Earths 2. Look for the story of Kitra, his first book in a YA space adventure series, available soon!

JANICE L. NEWMAN, EDITOR

The editorial backbone of Galactic Journey, Janice ensures that 95% of typos and grammatical errors get trapped before being released into the wild. The other 5% are completely the result of spontaneous generation similar to the fashion in which Fred Hoyle predicts that matter is constantly created as our universe expands.

Janice also moderates the Galactic Journey panels when the column hits the road.

TAMMI BOZICH, CURATOR

Ms. Bozich is the Journey's intrepid curator, ensuring that all works featured on the Journey have been cleared for distribution. It is thanks to her that so many of these fine works are available for your perusal.

ERICA FRANK, ARCHIVIST AND ASSOCIATE WRITER

If you've ever wondered how the Journey distributes its fine editions of the stories provided in this column, look no further. Ms. Frank has been an invaluable aid to our efforts, ensuring readable, easily transmitted tales. Since joining us, she has expanded her contributions to include excellent articles on eclectic topics.

ROSEMARY BENTON, ASSOCIATE WRITER (emeritus)

While the Journey has attracted a number of avid time travelers, Ms. Benton has elected to become a full-time denizen of two eras: "today" and "55 years ago." An expert on the early years of the Cold War, her insightful eloquence lends gravitas to the column. Expect a monthly entry from this most talented writer!

ASHLEY POLLARD, ASSOCIATE WRITER (emeritus)

The unusual first name betrays Ms. Pollard's "modern-day" provenance; she has also taken the plunge to become a regular Journey contributor. Not only is she a professional columnist, herself, she lives across the Pond in Merry Old England. Thus, the Journey now offers a fan's perspective from both sides of the Atlantic.

LORELEI MARCUS, ASSOCIATE WRITER

The Young Traveler's constant movie-going companion since the beginning. Now she co-writes the articles that cover material with which she has acquainted herself, mostly movies and television shows. Don't let her youth fool you — she is a successful writer in her own right, and a most welcome addition the Journey team! She is also an accomplished artist — consider commissioning her for your projects!

VICTORIA SILVERWOLF, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Ms. Silverwolf has graced our letter column for almost three years. Aside from her incredible erudition, the most noteworthy thing about Victoria is the extreme alignment of her tastes with that of the Traveler. It's no surprise that she has been put on the magazine beat, reviewing Fantastic on a monthly basis.

JASON SACKS, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Mr. Sacks loves science fiction (especially of the existentialist Philip K. Dick style), but his real passion is American comic books. Jason has published several books and countless articles on the illustrated page.

JOHN BOSTON, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Mr. Boston has demonstrated considerable talent, writing for a number of fan outlets. He currently reviews the sf digest, Amazing, every month.

GWYN CONAWAY, FASHION COLUMNIST

The Journey has been fortunate enough to retain the writing talents of Ms. Conaway, a professional costumer in the film industry, to provide insight on the Space Age world of fashion.

VICKI LUCAS, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Starting out (as many writers do) in the LetterCol, Vicki has become the Journey's authority on art and modern culture. Her works possess a gravity and charm that belie the contributor's youth. Look for more from her on a variety of esoteric topics.

MARK YON, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Mark Yon is our second British correspondent, specializing in British science fiction magazines. He not only helps complete our coverage of monthly digests, but also provides excellent weather reports.

IDA MOYA, SCIENCE WRITER (emeritus)

The Journey is proud to have a bonafide engineer onboard — Ida Moya is a librarian at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, and as such, possesses a wealth of technical knowledge on computers, which she is more than happy to share.

CORA BUHLERT, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Hugo Winner Cora Buhlert was born and bred in Bremen, Northwest Germany, where she still lives today – after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently working towards her PhD.

Cora has been writing since she was a teenager, and has published stories, articles and poetry in various international magazines. She is the author of the Silencer series of pulp style thrillers, the Shattered Empire space opera series, the In Love and War science fiction romance series, the Helen Shepherd Mysteries and plenty of standalone stories in multiple genres. When Cora is not writing, she works as a translator and teacher. Find her at her own publishing house, or drop her a line

MARGARITA MOSPANOVA, ASSOCIATE WRITER (emeritus)

Hailing out of Saint Petersburg, Russia, Margarita had first opened a fantasy book at the tender age of 6 and never went back since. She works as a translator for a small game company and in her spare time writes book reviews and compiles endless to-be-read lists. Her conversance with Soviet culture and fiction makes her an invaluable addition to the Journey.

NATALIE DEVITT, ASSOCIATE WRITER

A film school graduate with an encylopaedic knowledge of sci-fi and horror, Natalie Devitt is the Journey's late-night television host, introducing episodes of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, as well as various lesser and greater budget endeavors.

JESSICA HOLMES, ASSOCIATE WRITER

A gifted writer and artist, Jessica provides coverage of Dr. Who and other things British.

KAYE DEE, SCIENCE WRITER

Kaye Dee is not only one of the world's most prominent space historians, but she also provides fresh content from Australia, ensuring coverage of all hemispheres!

KRIS VYAS-MYALL, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Mx. Kris Vyas-Myall is a fan writer from the UK writing in various publications alongside Galactic Journey, including Geek Syndicate and Cloaked Creators, the latter of which they co-edit. They spend far too much time reading science fiction and fantasy and insist on telling everyone they know about it.

DAVID LEVINSON, ASSOCIATE WRITER

An engineer by training and a translator by profession, David has been reading science fiction for close to 50 years. Like many other Journey contributors, he started out in the letter column. He has now taken on the task of reviewing IF every month, possibly because the Traveler occasionally wonders if the two of them are the same person. (They aren’t, honest!)

ROBIN ROSE GRAVES, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Robin is a professional science fiction writer and has her own TV program wherein she reviews the SF, classic and current. An old soul in a young body, she brings an exciting, timeless, literary sentiment to the Journey!

JESSICA DICKINSON GOODMAN, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Ms. Dickinson Goodman is science fiction writer, technologist, and activist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is currently helping review Star Trek episodes, with a focus on history, politics, women, and power. When she’s not writing, she can be found recruiting queer gardeners for her community garden, gossiping in Arabic with her friends in the Middle East, and solo-camping across the mountain West.

TAM PHAN, TREK CORRESPONDENT

How to sum up martial artist, business manager, financial analyst, and Secret Asian Man, Tam Phan, one of just a few hundred Americans of Vietnamese descent? Perhaps it suffices to say that he has fallen head over heels for Roddenberry's show, a love affair that compelled him to join the ranks of our reviewers. He's also a big fan of the New Fantasy (and a bit scary when he gets a battleaxe in his hands…)

ANDREA CASTANEDA, TREK CORRESPONDENT

Intrepid photojournalist and avid science fiction fan Andrea Castaneda brings a lensman's eye and worldly wisdom to her work. Andi has actually been associated with the Journey for a while, having gone with us to the past couple of Worldcons. We are delighted she finally took the plunge and put her masthead on Journey articles!

ELIJAH SAUDER, TREK CORRESPONDENT (emeritus)

Elijah is most recognizable for his chapped fingers and bloodshot eyes, the former from riffling punch cards, the latter from programming said cards. He brings an engineer's insight to his insightful Trek reviews, and we're lucky to have this brilliant young man!

ABIGAIL BEAMAN, TREK CORRESPONDENT (emeritus)

Once Abby met Mr. Spock (and with the aid of some handy, inhibition-reducing spores), it was the deepest of loves. Since the Vulcanian spends most of his time traveling the stars, the closest she can come these days to the enigmatic First Officer is her lovely episode reviews. A win-win situation for everyone!

JOE REID, ASSOCIATE WRITER

Joe brings a technical expertise to the Journey given his profession as an engineer as well as a broad perspective given his love of both science fiction and comic books. Witty, dapper, urbane, and a bit of a curmudgeon, he is an invaluable addition to the team.

FIONA MOORE, ASSOCIATE WRITER

The UK continues to be fertile ground for finding fellow travelers.  London-based Fiona Moore is not just an insightful movie and book critic; she is also a laureled filthy pro, having published a book, several short stories in "the big mags", and a number of plays as well.  We are quite lucky to have this swingin' doctor from the land of mod.

ALISON SCOTT, ASSOCIATE WRITER

The British are coming!  Our newest arrival is Alison Scott, already a Hugo Finalist for her fan-related work at Octothorpe.  Her participation is her own fault: she one day observed that the Journey's fanzine coverage was lacking.  I suggested she might remedy that situation, and to her ultimate regret (and our joy), she has!

AMBER DUBIN, ASSOCIATE WRITER

We are very fortunate to have Amber Dubin, an editor of a scientific journal who spends far too much time wondering if her 10 year old cat has become more human than she is.  Her dream was always to praise or savage science fiction in print, so her tenure with the Journey is a bargain for both ends of the deal!

TONYA R. MOORE, ASSOCIATE WRITER

From the land of ska comes the rock-steady Tonya R. Moore, an author, poet, and now science fiction reviewer!  We're grateful to have her insights on movies, books, and much more.



14 thoughts on “About the Journey”

  1. As one of those who was "there" 55-years ago, I enjoy the time trips back into the recent past. In 1962 I was a senior at San Dieguito High School in Encinitas, California and was an avid science-fiction reader.  Due to the cost factor and the often weak offerings of the SF magazines, I spent most of my limited funds on paperbacks, Ace Doubles and the occasional Ballantine or Bantam paperback. 

    For anyone who wants to get a "feel" for what it was like, living in a California beach community, in 1962, I highly recommend the movie, "American Graffiti."  In those days, I was only dreaming of a writing career, while spending my nights playing lead guitar in a Surf band. 

    It was the best of times, which were only going to get better and more interesting as the 60's wore on…..

  2. This is a great blog, I am so glad to have discovered it. I have this particular Analog in a box over there, originally purchased it from a used book store for half the list price, so 25 cents. Wonderful illustrations, Schoenherr is my personal favorite. The original issue of Frank Herbert's Prophet of Dune are also in that box over there — depiction of Sand Worm and all.
    Thanks for your marvelous work :-)

  3. My family lived in London in 1962.  My dad was a burgeoning sci-fi writer and model airplane designer, to name a few of his many talents. My mother taught charm school, modeled and sewed many of her own clothes. We had a giant emerald green Fleetwood Cadillac which amazed the locals, also a silver Triumph with rumble seat in back. The milkman still drove a horse and buggy when making his deliveries. At the time, my sisters and I couldn't wait to return to sunny USA but I have fond memories and wish I had access to our family photos!

  4. Am really enjoying this blog! I came around in '60 and my memories of the culture of the very early '60s are limited to Captain Kangaroo, The Flintstones and seeing JFK on TV. I got a copy of the Sept. 1962 Fantasy & Science Fiction after reading your post about it and the story "They Also Serve" (Jan. 13, 2018 https://queerscifi.com/jeff-baker-boogieman-in-lavender-back-to-1962/ Hope the link works!) Hope somebody gets a look at "My Favorite Martian," which I thought was real when I was three! (Time Magazine's reviewer was most taken with "Kathy Kersh as Jennifer" :) ) Seriously, have fun with this blog, I am! (Oh, and if you ARE really back in the past, could you invest $100 for me in something called "Microsoft?" I'll pay you back!)

    Say hello to Sam Beckett for me!
    Yours,
    Jeff Baker
    Wichita, KS

    1. Thanks for following along, Jeff!  I definitely have My Favorite Martian on my list of shows to watch this season (along with other new shows, The Outer Limits, The Lieutenant (Gary Lockwood gave me a signed promotional picture!), and more.)

      They Also Serve left a strong impression on me, and I have mentioned it in my various presentations.

  5. Just clicked on my usual bookmark for this site, which I do daily, and got a huge pile of ugly design.  I can't even figure out how to get from the "new home page" (?) to the individual magazine issue reviews etc. that I come here for.

    Hoping this is just some sort of computer glitch and things will be back to normal tomorrow, but I have the sinking feeling that it's an alleged "improvement" instead.  Sigh.

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55 years ago: Science Fact and Fiction