by Gideon Marcus The measure of a story's quality, good or bad, is how well it sticks in your memory. The sublime and the stinkers are told and retold, the mediocre just fades away. If you ever wonder how I rate the science fiction I read, memorability is a big component. This month's IF has … Continue reading [April 10, 1962] All the Difference (May 1962 IF Science Fiction)
by Gideon Marcus If "no news is good news," then this has been a very good week, indeed! The Studebaker UAW strike ended on the 7th. The Congo is no more restive than usual. Laos seems to be holding a tenuous peace in its three-cornered civil war. The coup is over in the Dominican Republic, … Continue reading [Feb. 10, 1962] Here is the News (March 1962 IF)
by Gideon Marcus What if the South had won at Antietam? Or the Mongols had not been so savaged by the Hungarians at Mohi? If Hitler had grown up an artist? Time travel has been a staple of science fiction since the genre was formalized. One of the newer flavors of the time travel oeuvre … Continue reading [January 30, 1962] Heads or Tails? (Ace Double F-127)
by Gideon Marcus There is an interesting rhythm to my science fiction reading schedule. Every other month, I get to look forward to a bumper crop of magazines: Fantasy and Science Fiction, Analog, and the King-Sized Galaxy. Every other month, I get F&SF, Analog, and IF (owned by the same fellow who owns Galaxy). IF … Continue reading [Dec. 5, 1961] IF I didn't care… (January 1962 IF Science Fiction)
by Gideon Marcus Have you ever ordered your favorite dessert only to find it just doesn't satisfy like it used to? I'm a big fan of crème brûlée, and I used to get it every chance I could. That crispy carmelized top and that warm custard bottom, paired with a steaming cup of coffee…mmm. These … Continue reading [Oct. 26, 1961] Fading Fancy (November 1961 Fantasy and Science Fiction)
by Gideon Marcus A long time ago, back in the hoary old days of the 1950s, there was a science fiction magazine called Satellite. It was unusual in that contained full short novels, and maybe a vignette or two. Satellite was a fine magazine, and I was sorry to see it die at the end … Continue reading [Oct. 5, 1961] Half Full (November 1961 IF Science Fiction)
As promised, a surprise article from a surprising source. Victoria Silverwolf has been an asset to this column for three years, providing commentary that might as well have been an article in and of itself (not to mention being 95% in alignment with my views). Imagine my joy when Ms. Silverwolf offered to contribute an … Continue reading [September 20, 1961] Theme and Variations (October 1961 Fantastic)
Gideon Marcus by Ron Church Summer is here! It's that lazy, hot stretch of time when the wisest thing to do is lie in the shade with a glass of lemonade and a good book. Perhaps if Khruschev did the same thing, he wouldn't be making things so miserable for the folks of West Berlin. … Continue reading [August 5, 1961] In the good old Summertime! (September 1961 IF science fiction)
Human beings look for patterns. We espy the moon, and we see a face. We study history and see it repeat (or at least rhyme, said Mark Twain). We look at the glory of the universe and infer a Creator. We look at the science fiction genre and we (some of us) conclude that it … Continue reading [July 6, 1961] Trends (August 1961 Galaxy, second half)
The old saying goes, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." As you know, I am rarely reserved when I don't like a piece of work. Every once in a while, I get a gentle chiding. One reader said he didn't want to hear about stories I don't like–just the ones … Continue reading [January 6, 1960] Watch your tongue? (February 1961 Galaxy, Part 1)