The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction – Twelfth Series, Edited by Avram Davidson – 1961 (1962, 1963) [Unknown Artist] [Revised post…]

The cover of the Twelfth Series anthology of The Best From (The Magazine of) Fantasy & Science Fiction is certainly “science-fictiony” in terms of a rocket, an alien landscape, and a portrait of a pointy-eared, red-eyed generic “alien”, but is otherwise rather bland.  The name of the artist – perhaps someone in Ace’s art department? – is unknown.    

Jack Gaughan’s interior, title-page illustration is much more compelling.  

(The main image originally at this post – at bottom – was of a sticker-damaged copy of the book, which just demanded the replacement shown below!)

Test, by Theodore L. Thomas

Please Stand By, by Ron Goulart

Who’s In Charge Here, by James Blish

Three For The Stars, by Joseph Dickinson

When Lilacs Last in The Dooryard Bloomed, by Vance Aandahl

Landscape With Sphinxes, by Karen Anderson

My Dear Emily, by Joanna Russ

The Gumdrop King, by Will Stanton

The Golden Horn, by Edgar Pangborn

The Singular Events Which Occurred in the Hovel on The Alley Off of Eye Street, by Avram Davidson

A Kind of Artistry, by Brian W. Aldiss

Two’s A Crowd, by Sasha Gilien

The Man Without A Planet, by Kate Wilhelm

The Garden of Time, by J.G. Ballard

Hop-Friend, by Terry Carr

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June 19, 2017 – 139

Or All The Seas With Oysters, by Avram Davidson – 1962 [Richard Powers]

Another intriguing cover by Richard Powers. 

Rather than creating an image with a single, central image, most of the cover is given over to blank space, upon which the title and author’s name are superimposed.  Only at the “bottom” of the cover (this is a nautically inspired title, after all!) appears a painting of various forms of sea-life, including a kind of mermaid, and a large-headed jellyfish.

And, floating above, a stylized, transparent submarine. 

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Not a yellow, but a green submarine. 

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The rear covers bears a photograph of Avram Davidson, by Emsh (Edward Emshwiller).

Contents

Or All the Seas With Oysters, Galaxy Science Fiction, May, 1958

Now Let Us Sleep, Venture Science Fiction, September, 1957

The Grantha Sighting, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April, 1958

Help! I am Dr. Morris Goldpepper, Galaxy Science Fiction, July, 1957

The Sixth Season, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, June, 1960

Negra Sum, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November, 1957

My Boy Friend’s Name is Jello, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July, 1954

The Golem, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March, 1955

Summerland, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July, 1957

King’s Evil, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October, 1956

Great Is Diana, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, August, 1958

I Do Not Hear You, Sir, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, February, 1958

Author, Author, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July, 1959

Dagon, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October, 1959

The Montavarde Camera, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, May, 1959

The Woman Who Thought She Could Read, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, January, 1959