by Gideon Marcus There are many ways to measure the strength of a story. Is the plot innovative? Does it resonate emotionally? Are the featured characters unusual? Does it employ clever literary devices? As a writer, I am always particularly impressed by efficiency: the ability of an author to develop his tale with a minimum … Continue reading [July 2, 1962] Getting to the Point (July 1962 Analog Science Fiction)
by Gideon Marcus Ah, and at last we come to the end of the month. That time that used to be much awaited before Avram Davidson took over F&SF, but which is now just an opportunity to finish compiling my statistics for the best magazines and stories for the month. Between F&SF's gentle decline and … Continue reading [May 31, 1962] Rounding Out (June 1962 Fantasy and Science Fiction)
by Gideon Marcus You've almost assuredly heard of Radio Corporation of America (RCA). They make radios (naturally), but also record players, televisions, computers. They have produced the foundations of modern consumer electronics, including the color television standard and the 45 rpm record. And now, they've really outdone themselves: they've created cassettes for tape recording. Until … Continue reading [February 26, 1962] Record Beating (March 1962 Analog)
Every month, I get a heads up from my connections in the publishing, movie, and aerospace industries to let me know what books, films, and space launches will occur in the near future. August is coming to a close, which means its time for a sneak preview of coming attractions for the month of September. … Continue reading [August 27, 1960] Coming up in September!
Once again, I find myself on vacation in my home town. San Diego is hosting two science fiction conventions back to back this July, and this second one promises to be the larger of the two. Of course, neither of these conventions holds a candle to the big one starting in Los Angeles tomorrow, the … Continue reading [July 10, 1960] Eye of the Storm (August 1960 Analog)
I really enjoy the broadness of Galaxy's 196-page format. It allows for novellas and novelets, which is a story size I've come to prefer. F&SF has lots of stories per issue, too, but they tend to be very short. Astounding likes serials, which can be fine if they're good, but dreary if they're not. I … Continue reading Momentum stalled (October 1959 Galaxy; 8-13-1959)