Tag: Before the Golden Age Anthology

The cover of Book 3 of Before the Golden Age  follows the style of Books 1 and 2 of the series, albeit with a twist: The figure of a man wearing a white protective suit and helmet stands before an urban skyline, with an orange sun setting (or is it rising?) in the background. 

But, the figure is a toy, the skyline is comprised of pieces of rectangular plastic, the orange “sun” is made of an unidentifiable “something”, and red spherical plastic something-“bubbles” float across the scene.  It’s interesting to contemplate how such a scene would have appeared in the form of a panting by Bok, Emsh, Freas, Schoenherr, or Powers (especially Powers!): Probably far more compelling.  But, still, that’s what we have, and it does connote at least some kind of atmosphere and mood – albeit unrelated to any of the stories in the volume. 

As those stories go, in terms of numbers of really good stories, Book 3 is the best of the trio.  Murray Leinster’s “Proxima Centauri” is excellent, while Edmond Hamilton’s “Devolution” is very well written, fast-paced, and would have suited equally well for appearance in such a venue as Weird Tales.  You kind of “know” how the story will conclude well before its ending, but the literary “ride” is fun, nonetheless.

Particularly notable and eminently worthy of inclusion are John W. Campbell, Junior’s, “The Brain Stealers of Mars” and “Other Eyes Watching”.  Both stories – anticipating themes inherent to the works of Philip K. Dick – center around ideas of mimicry, identity, percepetion, and cognition.  Though somewhat light-hearted in nature, they ultimately have a very serious bent, prefiguring Campbell’s well-known 1938 classic “Who Goes There?” (and its cinematic maladaptations) in which concepts used in the two stories are given frightening and fuller expression. 

Contents

Part Six: 1935

The Parasite Planet, by Stanley G. Weinbaum, from Astounding Stories, February, 1935
Proxima Centauri, by Murray Leinster (William Fitzgerald Jenkins), from Astounding Stories, March, 1935
The Accursed Galaxy, by Edmond Hamilton, from Astounding Stories, July, 1935

Part Seven: 1936

He Who Shrank, by Henry Hasse, from Amazing Stories, August, 1936
The Human Pets of Mars, by Leslie Francis Stone, from Amazing Stories, October, 1936
The Brain Stealers of Mars, by John W. Campbell, Jr., from Thrilling Wonder Stories, December, 1936
Devolution, by Edmond Hamilton, from Amazing Stories, December, 1936
Big Game, by Isaac Asimov (not previously published)

Part Eight: 1937

Other Eyes Watching, by John W. Campbell, Jr., from Astounding Stories, February, 1937
Minus Planet, by John D. Clark, from Astounding Stories, April, 1937

Here, the cover of Book 2 of Before the Golden Age shows a newly-hatched “bird” departing from its egg.  The anonymous artist used crêpe paper for the bird’s wings and body, and white feathers – appropriate! – for the tail.  I don’t think there’s an actual connection to any story in the volume, but the simple design does indeed work.  Simplicity can go far.

Contents

Part Four: 1933

The Man Who Awoke, by Lawrence Manning, from Wonder Stories, March, 1933
Tumithak in Shawn, by Charles R. Tanner, from Amazing Stories, June, 1933

Part Five: 1934

Colossus, by Donald Wandrei, from Astounding Stories, January, 1934
Born of the Sun, by Jack Williamson, from Astounding Stories, March, 1934
Sidewise in Time, by Murray Leinster (William Fitzgerald Jenkins), from Astounding Stories, June, 1934
Old Faithful, by Raymond Z. Gallum, from Astounding Stories, December, 1934

Unlike the illustrations typical appearing on the covers of works of science fiction, the cover art for Fawcett Crest’s 1975 three-volume series Before the Golden Age (originally published in a single hard-bound volume by Doubleday in 1974) is strikingly different: The cover art of all three paperback volumes are collages of simple objects arranged to represent the theme of a specific story within a volume, or, arrayed to form a general scene emblematic of the popular conception of science-fiction “in general”.   

If you look closely at the covers, you’ll see that the objects appearing on the covers appear are unelaborate in nature and origin: Paper, cloth, and plastic items that can be found in art supply stores.  Or, natural materials, like feathers and plants.

While the results have nowhere near the impact of classic science fiction art of any era, it can be granted that they do make Fawcett Crest’s paperback series, well, er, uh … distinctive, at least in comparison with other books of the genre.  (I’ll grant that!)  In any event, the artist’s (artists’ – plural?) names are not given anywhere on, or in, the three volumes. 

For Book 1 of Before the Golden Age, a series of overlapping translucent blue (plastic? – it seems) triangles, within a plastic sphere, represents P. Schuyler Miller’s The Tetrahedra of Space.  Pretty straightforward, eh?

That would not have been my choice for an emblematic story.  The best tale appearing in volume I is – by far; easily; without question; hands-down; et-cetera! – Jack Williamson’s “The Moon Era”.  Williamson’s story is utterly unlike “hard” or heroic science fiction (stereo)typical of the 1930s (and 40s…and later), for technology and space travel only provide a near-incidental backdrop to a notably deeper tale, strikingly reminiscent – in style, plot, and theme – of the works of Catherine L. Moore.  The story has an unexpected, subtle – and thereby all the more effective – quietly erotic tone, and powerfully reminds me of Moore’s “The Bright Illusion” from Astounding Stories of 1934.  In a larger sense, the depth of Williamson’s story presages the substantive nature of his later works, such as the powerful “With Folded Hands”, and, “…And Searching Mind” from Astounding in 1947.    

Contents

Part One: 1920 to 1930

Introductory Essay by Isaac Asimov

Part Two: 1931

The Man Who Evolved, by Edmond Hamilton, from Wonder Stories, April, 1931
The Jameson Satellite, by Neil R. Jones, from Amazing Stories, July, 1931
Submicroscopic, by Captain S.P. Meek (Capt. Sterner St. Paul Meek), from Amazing Stories, August, 1931
Awlo of Ulm, by Captain S.P. Meek (Capt. Sterner St. Paul Meek), from Amazing Stories, September, 1931
Tetrahedra of Space, by P. Schuyler Miller, from Wonder Stories, November, 1931
The World of the Red Sun, by Clifford D. Simak, from Wonder Stories, December, 1931

Part Three: 1932

Tumithak of the Corridors, by Charles R. Tanner, from Amazing Stories, January, 1932
The Moon Era, by Jack Williamson, from Wonder Stories, February, 1932