Science Fiction Magazines – Beyond Fantasy Fiction (All 10 issues!)

Beyond Fantasy Fiction, featuring “Stream of Consciousness”, by Roy Hutchins – January, 1955 [Rupert Conrad]

It was a nice idea, but it came to an end: The tenth and final issue of Galaxy Publishing Corporation’s Beyond Fantasy Fiction, edited by Horace L. Gold. The issue features cover art by Rupert Conrad, who also created the cover painting featured on the magazine’s second issue, that of January, 1954.

Paralleling other cover illustrations featured by the magazine, the art has no direct relationship to any of the stories within, and instead simply sets up a mood, theme, and atmosphere. In this case, a young woman – I’m certain she’s queen or princess rather than captive – rides atop a reptilian quadruped, surrounded by similarly mounted cavalry. They were doubly-plumed helmets fashioned into caricatures of the human face, as they are marching into battle – but a battle to us, unknown.

The ambiguity of the scene sets up an effect of an ancient, forgotten world, or a distant planet: A world similar to earth, yet a world where history took a path very different. And what of that world today?

But wait, there’s more!

Artist Rupert Conrad (1904-1979)…

…at Artland

…at FindAGrave

…at Internet Speculative Fiction Database

…at ICollector

…at AskArt

Beyond Fantasy Fiction, featuring “The Green Magician”, by L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt, November, 1954 [René Vidmer]

The November, 1954 issue of “Beyond Fiction” is is the fourth (that I know of!) cover illustration created by René Vidmer for the Galaxy Publishing Corporation, his prior works having illustrated the November, 1953 and July, 1954 issues of Beyond, and the August, 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. A cursory internet search reveals remarkably little information about the man, other than his artography at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database – which indicates that his work in the fields of science-fiction and fantasy occurred between 1953 and 1955 – and, mention at artist and designer John Coulthart’s { feuilleton } blog. Otherwise, he seems as enigmatic as his paintings.

Like this one.

The ladies in this painting convey the same mood as does the cover of the magazine’s issue of November ’53: At first glance both young and attractive; on second glance one pale, ethereal and translucent; with third glance, the woman in the background is incomplete – surreal. Are they ghosts? Probably not, for on a closer look the background is not a cemetery, but instead a desolate, moss covered ruin conveying the passage of time. The women – their spirits? – seem demure and shy, yet their subtle smiles reveal that they are not unhappy.

They are content to tend; to contemplate, their garden.

It is small, but it is theirs.

Beyond Fantasy Fiction – March, 1954 [Scott Templar]

Time for another cover from Horace L. Gold’s Beyond Fantasy Fiction…

Specifically, the magazine’s issue of March, 1954, the fifth of the ten issues comprising the publication’s total run, seven of which (July, September, and November of ’53, and, January, May, July and September of ’54) are the subjects of my prior posts.

The illustration’s by Scott Templar, about whom I’m unable to find much of anything (or, any thing) further. However, this illustration was used as the cover art for Philip José Farmer’s The God Business, one of the two titles comprising Armchair Fiction’s book number 192, in their Sci-Fi & Horror Double Novels series, the other being S.J. Byrne’s The Naked Goddess, the latter first published in the October, 1952 issue of Ray Palmer’s Other Words.

Consistent with the theme of cover art for all other issues of Beyond, the cover has absolutely no relationship or tie-in to any story featured in the magazine. Rather, it simply sets up a mood – in this case, a mood of dreadful whimsy (or, is it whimsical dread?) – in the realm of the supernatural, rather than science fiction. In this case, the arm of a violet and hopefully unviolent c r e a t u re (!) emerges from within the pages of a book entitled “Demonology”, turning off the stained-glass shaded lamp of a somnolent reader. Is the sleepy fellow a warlock in retirement? A bibliophile making forays within Fortean flights of fancy? A scholar of the strange? A librarian in his leisure?

What about the book itself: Though the title is “Demonology”, is this the work’s actual title, or simply a chapter heading? Of vastly greater import, could this work in reality be one of the extremely rare copies of the revised and illuminated American edition of the dread Necronomicon, which never quite made its way into the holdings of Miskatonic University?

Contents…

The God Business, by Philip José Farmer
Hell to Pay, by Randall Garrett (Gordon R.P.D. Garrett)
Gone Witch, by Roy Hutchins
Lover Boy, by Dick Francis (Richard Stanley Francis)
The Green-Eyed Corner, by Jay Clarke
Henry Martindale, Great Dane, by Miriam Alled deFord
Then – Nothing, by D.V. Gilder
The Watchful Poker Chip, by Ray Bradbury

And, back cover: Join the Book Club!

Some References…

The Necronomicon…

…at Wikipedia

…at The H. P. Lovecraft Wiki

…at Internet Sacred Texts Archive

…at howstuffworks

…at Digital Brilliance

…and…

Scott Templar, at Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Beyond Fantasy Fiction – January, 1954 [Rupert Conrad]

The January, 1954 issue of Beyond Fantasy Fiction features a cover art akin to that of the magazine’s prior (and subsequent!) issues: An illustration that sets a “mood”, but has no relation to the magazine’s actual content of a novella by Evelyn E. Smith, two novelets, and five short stories.

Set within the sea (a “sea”; a mythical “sea”; any old “sea” – see?!) a man and a woman, or more correctly, a scaled aquatic satyr with glowing red eyes, contemplatively pause amidst undersea greenery, while decoratively colored fish swim by, some of the fish – like the satyr – staring at the viewer. The scene, painted by Rupert Conrad, creates moods of familiarity, and strangeness; clarity, and puzzlement; comfort, and a hint of menace.

It’s a fantasy without a name.

Some References

Artist Rupert Conrad (1904-1979)…

…at Artland

…at FindAGrave

…at Internet Speculative Fiction Database

…at ICollector

…at AskArt

Author / Composer Jerome Bixby (Drexel Jerome Lewis Bixby) (1923-1998)…

…at Wikipedia

…at GoodReads

…at Internet Movie Database

…at Memory-Alpha

Beyond Fantasy Fiction – September, 1954 [Arthur J. Krusz] [Updated post…]

[This post originally appeared in June of 2017. it’s now updated with a separate image of Arthur J. Krusz’s cover art.]

When I originally created this post, I noted that the surname of the cover artist was “Krusz”, but I was unable to find additional information about him.

Identity now established: He was Arthur J. Krusz.

Born in Missouri in 1926, Krusz obtained a degree in art from the University of Saint Louis after the Second World War, and in 1951 moved to New York with his wife Dorie. In 1962, the couple moved to Grosse Point Woods, Michigan, where he pursued a successful career as an artist, illustrator, cartoonist, and painter. Mr. Krusz died in 2014.

A review of the Internet Speculative Fiction Database shows only two entries for illustrations created by Krusz, both for Beyond Fantasy Fiction in 1954: “This” September cover, and the cover of the magazine’s May issue. Unsurprisingly, his name doesn’t appear in Wikipedia’s List of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.

As for the actual image? The subject is direct, straightforward, and immediately recognizable: Pandora has just opened the proverbial “box”: of trouble … pain … grief … misfortune … sadness … misery … illness …war … death … and more (yikes, there’s more?!), the key to said box o’trouble lying on the ground before her. (Albeit the box’s “key” is not necessarily a specific part of the legend.)

Notice that the “box” itself is only noticeable by its golden edges, while the calamities that have escaped to befall mankind appear as intertwined anthropomorphic clouds of deep green and violet: Rather ugly clouds, at that. The landscape is consistent with the scene: it’s a desert wasteland, the only other “inhabitants” being two trees.

Not a pleasant place to be!

References

Arthur J. Krusz – Obituary

Arthur J. Krusz, at Internet Speculative Fiction Database

2017 06 29

112

Beyond Fantasy Fiction – May, 1954 [Arthur J. Krusz]

Here’s Arthur Krusz’s “first” Beyond Fantasy Fiction cover, his second such effort having appeared for the magazine’s September ’54 issue.

Like the cover of Beyond’s September issue, the subject matter of this work – having no connection to the magazine’s content – is inspired by Greek mythology: It represents the legend of the minotaur and his labyrinth, which structure – near the palace of Minos, in Knossos – was constructed by Daedalus.

There, a maiden – according to legend, one of the fourteen young Athenians (seven young men and seven young women) selected by lots every seventh or ninth year as an ongoing penalty to avert a plague incurred by the killing of Androgeos (or Androgeus) – looks behind in fear at the monster’s approach.

(Hopefully, Theseus will arrive in time to kill the beast and rescue her! Well, after two groups of sacrifices had been offered to the minotaur, he did save the third group from certain death and slew the awful beast..)

Like Krusz’s cover illustration based on the legend of Pandora, this painting is symbolic, rather than representational. A tilted Ionic capital stands at left, while the twisting paths of the labyrinth’s corridors – in gloomy shades of gray, blue, and murky violet – are suggested by the walls at the rear and center. The entire scene is back-lit by a cloud-obscured moon, with the minotaur – red eyes a’glowin’! – silhouetted at the labyrinth’s entrance, the threshold of which shines in an eerie green.

As for the young lady, I suppose her pink hair would have been out of place in ancient Greece. But, it works for the painting!

Otherwise, this example of cover art, like all other illustrations that graced the cover of Beyond Fantasy Fiction, is distinctly different in format from cover art of Astounding Science Fiction, Analog, or, say, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction: In Beyond, akin to Galaxy Science Fiction, Science Fiction Adventures, Space Science Fiction, and Orbit Science Fiction, the cover art occupied or was “framed” within a specific section of the cover “landscape”, such that the publication’s name or logo, individual story titles, and author’s names didn’t actually overlap across the art.

I hope to venture slightly beyond what has been shown here, and bring you more illustrations of Beyond in the future.

Something More…

The Minotaur, at Wikipedia

Arthur J. Krusz – Obituary

Arthur J. Krusz, at Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Beyond Fantasy Fiction – July, 1954 [Rene Vidmer] [Updated post…]

[This post dates to September of 2018, and – here updated – includes a closer view of Rene Vidmer’s cover art.]

Typical for Beyond Fantasy Fiction, the cover illustration is purely symbolic, having no relation to the magazine’s content: In this case, a lady – her hair in a rather 50s “do”, wearing a boldly orange-red dress with a prominent white center – seems to be a modern-day incarnation of witch. That is, of course, a witch avant-garde…

The painting includes evidence of her occupation: Black cat, watching. Frog (or toad?) desperately trying to escape from a stoppered bottle. On the wall behind her, three framed gray human figures in bas-relief, all uncomfortably perforated by pins: Voodoo going on here? (A close look shows that the lower left figure is named “R.G.”, and the upper left is “Wiv”.) Wearing black gloves, our witch is imbibing a flaming violet concoction from her right hand, while from her left, reluctantly dangle two human figures, perhaps in preparation for yet more voodoo. A confused bat, perhaps awakened from his mid-day snooze, dangles above a tray of red apples.

And, if you look closely, you’ll see a hexagram in the center of the floor, reminiscent of the symbol in Kelly Freas’ composition for Poul Anderson’s Operation Afreet, in the September, 1955 The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction…

(Rene Vidmer did interior illustration as well: His work can be seen in the August, 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction.)

So… Here’s the back of Beyond. (Literally.) Akin to 1950s issues of Galaxy Science Fiction (let alone other science fiction pulps), the magazine’s rear cover featured an advertisement for Doubleday’s Science Fiction Book Club, albeit the word “Doubleday” doesn’t actually appear in the ad. (Hmmm…)

The full text of this page is presented below. Enjoy the hyperbole…!

ROCKET BEING BUILT TO GO TO JUPITER!

…and you can be the first to make the trip!

IT’S 1997. You’re Max Andrews. The first space ship to attempt the hazardous trip to Jupiter is being readied. You and your lady-“friend” are desperately eager to be aboard – though you know your first breath of Jupiter’s poisonous air will be your last! Why are you so eager? Have you discovered a strange secret about that planet that makes you willing to brave horrible death? You’ll thrill to every tense page of this flight into the unknown … just ONE of the exciting books in this amazing offer!

Any 3 of these Complete New Masterpieces of SCIENCE-FICTION

Yours for Only $1.00 WITH MEMBERSHIP

HERE’S a feast of rocket-swift reading thrills … strange adventures … jet-propelled action! It’s THE SCIENCE FICTION BOOK CLUB – that brings you “the fiction of “Tomorrow” … today!

To welcome you to the Club, you are invited to accept any 3 of the thrill-packed books shown here for only $1!

Read about them below … then rush coupon (on reverse side of this page) now!

Just Take Your Pick of These Exciting Best-Sellers

THE LIGHTS IN THE SKY ARE STARS by Frederic Brown – (Described above).

OMNIBUS OF SCIENCE-FICTION – 43 top stories by outstanding authors … stories of Wonders of Earth and Man … of startling inventions … of visitors from Outer Space … of Far Traveling … Adventure in Dimension … Worlds of Tomorrow. 562 pages.

THE ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION ANTHOLOGY – A story about the first A-Bomb … written before it was invented! A story of the movie machine that shows “news-reels” of any past event. PLUS many other best tales skimmed from a dozen years of Astounding Science-Fiction Magazine by its editor, John W. Campbell, Jr.

COSTIGAN’S NEEDLE, by Jerry Sohl – The amazing Dr. Costigan invented a “needle” that could make your hand disappear. So they spent a million dollars to build a BIG one … and made a whole MAN disappear!

BORN LEADER, by J.T. McIntosh – The strange story of the last rocket ship to leave doomed Earth – and the would-be dictator who couldn’t find the people he was trying to conquer!

THE SYNDIC, by C.M. Kornbluth – In the America of a distant tomorrow, members of the pleasure-loving “Syndic” take over, drive the Government into the sea, and throw morals out the window. Then … the Government strikes back!

2018 09 11

132

Beyond Fantasy Fiction – November, 1953 [Rene Vidmer] [Updated post…]

[Originally posted in November of 2017 – time flies, doesn’t it? – this post has been updated to include a separate image of Rene Vidmer’s cover art.]

Vidmer’s art has no direct tie to any of the stories actually in the magazine. Instead, it simply generates a mood of curiosity; mystery; disquiet: “What’s going on here? How did this happen? Where is this?”

The colors are nicely balanced between the red gown and pale flesh tones of a sculpture of a woman (is it a sculpture?), and the brown to olive hues of a desert landscape, against a greenish yellow to pale grayish blue sky. (The red flowers are a nice touch.) Most striking, though, is the feeling of time; of age; of antiquity, imparted by the composition: The sculpture (?) is both shattered and intact, while the surrounding landscape is an arid wasteland.

A separate view…

A black & white interior illustration by Rene Vidmer can be seen in the August, 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction.

2017 11 02

461

Beyond Fantasy Fiction – September, 1953 [Richard M. Powers]

Probably best associated with science fiction cover art published from the 1950s through the 1970s – especially that of Ballantine and Dell paperbacks – Richard M. Powers’ body of work for science fiction magazines was, unfortunately (!) quite limited, albeit having the same combination of visual power, originality of style, and (yes, also!) sometime subtlety as his book art.

Specifically, his magazine oeuvre included covers for Beyond Fantasy Fiction and Galaxy Science Fiction, both of which were edited by Horace L. Gold, as well as a set of interior illustrations for a (for-now-unnamed!) third science fiction magazine from the early 1960s. Though unsigned, this interior work reveals its creator’s identity by the singular distinctness of its composition and style. (Which I hope to bring you in the future!)

For Galaxy, Powers created cover art for the magazine’s issues of February and April, 1952.

For Beyond, Powers created cover an absolutely stunning illustration for the magazine’s premier issue (July, 1953), and, cover art for the publication’s second issue, published in September of that year.

Akin to the first Beyond cover, the September illustration has no actual title, simply being listed in the table of contents as “Cover by: Richard Powers”. And, paralleling the magazine’s first issue, the composition bears no relationship to the publication’s content, which comprises novelets by Theodore R. Cogswell (“The Wall Around The World”), Robert Bloch (“The Dream Makers”), Philip K. Dick (“The King of the Elves”), as well as short stories by Joseph Shallit, Jerome Bixby, Theodore Sturgeon, M.C. Pease, John Wyndham, Joe L. Hensley, Isaac Asimov, and Margaret St. Clair.

So, the full cover, below…

Powers’ art, in detail:

The composition shows green-skinned humanoids in seeming battle against huge, levitating, tentacled, purplish organic entities, all of which share an identical body plan. What are these things?

Flying polyps? (Also see…!) ((And this…!!))

Veritably: Gadzooks!

References

Richard M. Powers, at Wikipedia

Richard M. Powers – February 24, 1921 – March 9, 1996 (essay by David Hartwell), at Internet Archive Wayback Machine (originally at RichardMPowers.com, dated April 13, 2015)

Beyond Fantasy Fiction – July, 1953 [Richard M. Powers] [Revised Post]

(This post has been updated to include closer views of Richard Powers’ cover art. Scroll to bottom to see more…)

______________________________

____________________

The first issue of Horace Gold’s Beyond Fantasy Fiction featured cover art created by the extraordinarily imaginative Richard Powers. Typical of much of Powers’ oeuvre, the finished painting features a variety of seemingly organic elements in combination with curved, streamlined, ostensibly mechanical shapes Akin to many of Powers’ works, any recognizably “human” form is deliberately minimized.

For another example of Powers’ work, see this post…

______________________________

At lower left, a woman with streaming hair flees (?) “stage left”.

______________________________

In the center, an upraised human hand, set against a brilliant yellow sky and partially obscured by clouds, is visible through an archway. There’s something vaguely Salvador Dali-esque about this scene…

______________________________

…while this panel epitomizes a common element in Powers’ work: A randomly-curved, asymmetrical, seemingly organic “shape”, is covered by a metallic carapace. A bluish-green sphere – a planet?; a symbol of Mars? – levitates nearby, while a “rope” draped upon both objects – the way in, or the way out? – leads through a raftered ceiling to an orange sky.