by Mark Yon Last month I decided I would try and NOT mention the English weather in future transmissions. But I’m a Brit, and it’s become a tradition! So, suffice it to say that the commute to work has been easier this month and, since we last spoke, the weather has been more typically Spring. … Continue reading [April 25, 1963] A Brighter Future? New Worlds, May 1963
[While you're reading this article, why not tune in to KGJ, Radio Galactic Journey, playing all the current hits: pop, rock, soul, folk, jazz, country — you might just hear a song from the album released by a new British band: The Beatles!] by Mark Yon It’s the end of March, and with the arrival … Continue reading [March 26, 1963] The Wind of Change: New Worlds, April 1963
[if you’re new to the Journey, read this to see what we’re all about!] by Gideon Marcus There are two poles when it comes to how science fiction magazines like to fill their pages. The Fantasy and Science Fiction approach involves lots of short stories — it makes for an impressive Table of Contents and … Continue reading [Sep. 25, 1962] Peaks and Valleys (October 1962 Analog)
By Ashley R. Pollard Here, as I sit writing in May 1962, I’m contemplating change. The change that occurs when the old is phased out, and new things are built that replace the familiar. What spurred this moment of reflection was the news of the last trolley bus run in London which, as fate would … Continue reading [May 21, 1962] Old AND New (UK's New Worlds Magazine)
by Victoria Silverwolf The last decade saw a boom in written science fiction as well as science fiction cinema, due in part to both the fear of atomic warfare and the promise of space exploration. Both trends have tapered off recently, possibly due to the many stories and films of poor quality offered to a … Continue reading [November 13, 1961] (un)Moving Pictures (December 1961 Fantastic)
Science fiction digests, those monthly magazines filled with s-f short stories, are often like little anthologies. Editors will let their "slush pile" stack up, and when they have enough of a kind of piece, they publish them in a themed issue. I don't know whether the theme of the July 1961 IF science fiction was … Continue reading [June 9, 1961] Common denominator (July 1961 IF)
Without preamble, let's get to the second half of this month's Galaxy, the June 1960 issue. I hope you've all been reading along with me because there will be a quiz next period. by Wood Jack Sharkey is a prolific newcomer who started out in the lesser mags. His The Dope on Mars, the first-hand … Continue reading [Apr. 29, 1960] A Banks Shot (June 1960 Galaxy, Part 2)
Have no fear, for The Traveler has returned from Orlando safe and sound. My apologies for not submitting this article earlier, but I did not have easy access to a typewriter or my editor while on my vacation. I have come home to my brand new typewriter, however, and it is time to tell you … Continue reading [Nov. 14, 1959] Disappointments and Weirdness (Glenn L. Martin and The Twilight Zone)
The new IF Science Fiction magazine, now under the Galaxy aegis, is an odd duck. Not quite a literary book, like F&SF, not an antediluvian throwback like Astounding, and not as polished as its older brother, Galaxy, IF is nevertheless generally a worthy read. I don’t think it’s just a repository for substandard Galaxy submissions—the … Continue reading [Oct. 30, 1959] Tricks and Treats (November 1959 if Science Fiction