Literary Art and Illustration

On perusing the contents of this first issue of Science Fiction Adventures, I realize that of the issue’s eight stories, I’ve only read one: “Make Mine Mars”, by Cyril M. Kornbluth. Even with that – Kornbluth being one of my favorite science fiction authors – I’ve not actually read that tale. According to the ISFDB it’s never been anthologized, not even appearing in the Nelson Doubleday / Ballantine mid-70s anthology, The Best of C.M. Kornbluth.

Well, no matter. One judges a writer by his strongest works, not his weakest. (Assuming he has strong works!)

Regardless, Henry Richard Van Dongen’s cover art is as clever as it is original. It has the typical-ish ’40s and ’50s elements of revealingly attired female space explorer (would you really explore an unknown world in such skimpy attire?), desolate and seemingly lifeless planetscape, V-2-ish spacecraft standing atop its tale, and, energy pistols. But, it’s the perspective of the scene – the woman’s reflection in the man’s pistol, whose face is almost entirely concealed, as the two stand in a “draw” – that grabs your attention. Though the illustration is unrelated to the stories within the magazine, it could easily provide the inspiration for a short tale, in and of itself.

And further?

Science Fiction Adventures, Volume 1, Number 1, at…

… Internet Speculative Fiction Database

… Wikipedia

… Science Fiction Encyclopedia

Henry Richard Van Dongen, at…

… Artnet

… The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

… Pulp Artists

… FindAGrave

Despite the prominence and popularity of Frank Kelly Freas’ art, and, the presence of several images of his compositions at this blog, it must admit that he’s never been among the science fiction artists I most admire. As in all things artistic, I suppose it’s a matter of style and personal preference, for despite the distinctiveness of his work, especially characterized by his way of capturing human facial expressions, and his use of color, I instead prefer themes of ambiguity, mystery, symbolism, and a sense of myth. Thus, my liking for the works of such artists as Virgil Finlay, Paul Orban, Richard Powers, Hubert Rogers, and Henry Richard Van Dongen.

Yet, I really have to give Freas credit for this truly superb composition for “Thompson’s Cat”, in the September, 1952 issue of Planet Stories. The combination of line drawings of men, illuminated trails of spacecraft, and a floating sun create the perfect visual frame for the head of a feline predator (a Kzinti, anyone?) which is depicted in expressive, near-Finlay-like detail.

As far as the magazine’s content, “Evil Out of Onzar” appears to be the sole literary work of the mysterious Mark Ganes…