[P.S. Did you take our super short survey yet? There could be free beer/coffee in it for you!] by Mark Yon The coldness of Winter now seems a long way off. Can it be that I was almost up to my neck in snow a mere five months ago? Looking at my small garden, in … Continue reading [July 26, 1963] Ups and Downs… New Worlds, August 1963]
by Gideon Marcus Time travel. It's been a fixture of science fiction ever since H.G. Wells wrote the seminal work, The Time Machine. And what could be a more seductive topic? Instead of being confined to our plodding day-by-day, one-way march to the future, one could take great leaps in any direction — forward and … Continue reading [Apr. 19, 1963] One way Via (Wallace West's book, River of Time)
by Victoria Silverwolf It's déjà vu all over again. — attributed to Yogi Berra A couple of months ago the first issue of Worlds of Tomorrow offered half of an enjoyable, if juvenile, novel by Arthur C. Clarke, half a dozen poor-to-fair stories as filler, and one excellent work of literature. The second issue is … Continue reading [April 15, 1963] Second Time Around (June 1963 Worlds of Tomorrow)
by Gideon Marcus Every month, science fiction stories come out in little digest-sized magazines. It used to be that this was pretty much the only way one got their SF fix, and in the early '50s, there were some forty magazines jostling for newsstand space. Nowadays, SF is increasingly sold in book form, and the … Continue reading [April 9, 1963] IFfy… (May 1963 IF Science Fiction)
by Gideon Marcus What a tumultuous year this has been. War scares, pitched congressional fights, escalating civil rights conflicts, celebrity deaths…yes, I definitely can't wait to see the back-side of 1962. It is easy to get caught up in the unceasing drone of bad news. That's why, at times like these, it's helpful to look … Continue reading [December 16, 1962] See! The Stars…
[if you’re new to the Journey, read this to see what we’re all about!] by Gideon Marcus Ah F&SF. What happened to one of my very favorite mags? That's a rhetorical question; Avram Davidson happened. The new editor has doubled down on the magazine's predilection for whimsical fantasy with disastrous (to me) results. Not only … Continue reading [Oct. 17, 1962] It's Always Darkest… (The November 1962 Fantasy and Science Fiction)
[if you’re new to the Journey, read this to see what we’re all about!] by Mark Yon Hello to all Travellers – greetings from Europe. I’ve been asked by our Traveller to tell you of the British magazine situation as it appears here in England. There are some differences between the British & the American … Continue reading [August 3, 1962] New Worlds to Conquer (a view from Britain: September 1962 New Worlds)
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)