Tag: J. Francis McComas

The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction – Third Series, Edited by Anthony Boucher and J. Francis McComas- 1952 (1953, 1954) [Edmund A. Emshwiller] [Updated post…] – Ace D-422 / G-712

Dating from June of 2017 (gadzooks!), this was one the earliest posts at WordsEnvisioned: The cover of the third volume (or, third series, as it were) of stories published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction during 1953.

The post originally showing a rather bedraggled copy of the book, which I purchased at a flea market some decades ago.  (See image at bottom.)  It’s now been updated with a pristine copy, which presents Edmund Emshwiller’s cover art in its complete imagination and intricacy.  In this case, for Kay Rogers’ tale “Experiment”. 

This is also a great example of how “Emsh” sort of “hid” his nickname in his illustrations:  In this case, “EMSH” appears in tiny blue letters in the center of the aquatic space-alien’s chest.  Uh, assuming the space-alien has a chest…

“Attitudes”, by Philip Jose Farmer, October, 1953

“Maybe Just a Little One”, by Reginald Bretnor, February, 1953

“The Star Gypsies”, by William Lindsay Graham, July, 1953

“The Untimely Toper”, by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, July, 1953

“Vandy, Vandy”, by Manly Wade Wellman, March, 1953

“Experiment, by Kay Rogers, February, 1953

“Lot”, by Ward Moore, May, 1953

“Manuscript Found in a Vacuum”, by Philip Maitland Hubbard, August, 1953

“The Maladjusted Classroom”, by Homer Czar Nearing, Jr., June, 1953

“Child by Chronos”, by Charles L. Harness, June, 1953

“New Ritual”, by Idris Seabright, January, 1953

“Devlin”, by William Bernard Ready, April, 1953

“Captive Audience”, by Anne Warren Griffith, August, 1953

“Snulbug”, by Anthony Boucher, May, 1953 (originally in Unknown Worlds, December, 1941)

“Shepherd’s Boy”, by Richard Middleton, March, 1953 (originally in The Ghost Ship & Other Stories, May, 1912)

“Star Light, Star Bright”, by Alfred Bester, July, 1953

Reference

The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction – Third Series, at Internet Speculative Fiction Database

6/19/17

Adventures in Time and Space, by Raymond J. Healy and J. Francis McComas – 1946 [George Salter]

Raymond J. Healy and J. Francis McComas’ 1946 Adventures in Time and Space was intriguing by its front cover and title page bearing the impression and symbol of a rocket (?) rising upwards to the “right”. 

The former, from a symbolized globe; the latter, from the logo of a version of the “house” (of publishing?) that in a variety of depictions has symbolized Random House Publishers.  

The book’s dust jacket (the example shown below is from the International Science Fiction Database; the front cover and title page are from my own copy) is a little different.  It features a pair of rising rockets  ascending to the “left”, superimposed over three concentric blue circles – symbolizing space?

The cover art is by George Salter, who created cover art – of a very distinctive and easily identifiable style – for several of the early issues of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. 

You can enjoy a detailed history and moving reminiscence about this volume in Dr. Michael J. Vassallo’s essay “Adventures in Time and Space” – A Classic Science Fiction Anthology, at his Timely-Atlas-Comics blog. 

Contents

INTRODUCTION (xi)

REQUIEM, by Robert A. Heinlein, from Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1940 (p. 3)

FORGETFULNESS, by Don A. Stuart, from Astounding Stories, June, 1937 (p. 20)

NERVES, by Lester Del Rey, from Astounding Science Fiction, September, 1942 (p. 46)

THE SANDS OF TIME, by P. Schuyler Miller, from Astounding Stories, April, 1937 (p. 115)

THE PROUD ROBOT, by Lewis Padgett, from Astounding Science Fiction, October, 1943 (p. 144)

BLACK DESTROYER, by A.E. van Vogt, from Astounding Science Fiction, July, 1939 (p. 177)

SYMBIOTICA, by Eric Frank Russell, from Astounding Science Fiction, October, 1943 (p. 207)

SEEDS OF THE DUSK, by Raymond Z. Gallum, from Astounding Science Fiction, June, 1938 (p. 249)

HEAVY PLANET, by Lee Gregor, from Astounding Science Fiction, August, 1939 (p. 276)

TIME LOCKER, by Lewis Padgett, from Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1943 (p. 286)

THE LINK, by Cleve Cartmill, from Astounding Science Fiction, August, 1942 (p. 308)

MECHANICAL MICE, by Maurice A. Hugi, from this volume (p. 320)

V-2: ROCKET CARGO SHIP, by Willy Ley, from this volume (p. 344)

ADAM AND NO EVE, by Alfred Bester, from Astounding Science Fiction, September, 1941 (p. 365)

NIGHTFALL, by Isaac Asimov, from Astounding Science Fiction, September, 1941 (p. 378)

A MATTER OF SIZE, by Harry Bates, from Astounding Stories, April, 1934 (p. 412)

AS NEVER WAS, by P. Schuyler Miller, from Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1944 (p. 460)

Q.U.R., by Anthony Boucher, from Astounding Science Fiction, March, 1943 (p. 476)

WHO GOES THERE?, by Don A. Stuart, from Astounding Science Fiction, August, 1938 (p. 497)

THE ROADS MUST ROLL, by Robert A. Heinlein, from Astounding Science Fiction, June, 1940 (p. 551)

ASYLUM, by A.E. van Vogt, from Astounding Science Fiction, May, 1942 (p. 588)

QUIETUS, by Ross Rocklynne, from Astounding Science Fiction, September, 1940 (p. 641)

THE TWONKY, by  Lewis Padgett, from Astounding Science Fiction, September, 1942 (p. 655)

TIME-TRAVEL HAPPENS!, by A.M. Phillips, from Unknown, December, 1939 (p. 676)

ROBOT’S RETURN (variant of ROBOTS RETURN, from Astounding Science Fiction, September, 1938), by Robert Moore Williams, from this volume (p. 687)

THE BLUE GIRAFFE, by L. Sprague de Camp , from Astounding Science Fiction, August, 1939 (p. 698)

FLIGHT INTO DARKNESS, by Webb Marlowe, from Astounding Science Fiction, February, 1943 (p. 721)

THE WEAPONS SHOP (variant of THE WEAPON SHOP, from Astounding Science Fiction, December, 1942), by A.E. van Vogt (p. 741)

FAREWELL TO THE MASTER, by Harry Bates, from Astounding Science Fiction, October, 1940 (p. 779)

WITHIN THE PYRAMID, by R. DeWitt Miller, from Astounding Stories, March, 1937 (p. 816)

HE WHO SHRANK, by Henry Hasse, from Amazing Stories, August, 1936 (p. 825)

BY HIS BOOTSTRAPS, by Anson MacDonald, from Astounding Science Fiction, October, 1941 (p. 882)

THE STAR MOUSE, by Fredric Brown, from Planet Stories, Spring, 1942 (p. 933)

CORRESPONDENCE COURSE, by Raymond F. Jones, from Astounding Science Fiction, April, 1945 (p. 953)

BRAIN, by S. Fowler Wright, from The New Gods Lead, April, 1932 (p. 972)

______________________________

Adventures in Time and Space, or selections from the content of the original volume, has been published 14 times since that 1946 edition, the most recent edition having been released by the Science Fiction Book Club in 2001.

The edition from 1954 is shown below.  Though Charles Binger’s artistic style is vastly different from that of George Salter, the cover retains a pair of rising rockets as its central thematic element.

(Selections From) Adventures in Time and Space

Published in April, 1954, under imprint of Pennant Books (Random House)

Cover art by Charles Binger

Contents

Requiem, by Robert A. Heinlein (p. 1)
(Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1940)

Black Destroyer, by A.E. van Vogt (p. 21)
(Astounding Science Fiction, July, 1939)

Time Locker, by Lewis Padgett (Henry Kuttner and Catherine L. Moore) (p. 56)
(Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1943)

Mechanical Mice, by Maurice A. Hugi (p. 81)
(Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1941)

As Never Was, by P. Schuyler Miller (p. 109)
(Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1944)

Quietus, by Ross Rocklyne (Ross L. Rocklin) (p. 128)
(Astounding Science Fiction, September, 1940)

Robot’s Return, by Robert Moore Williams (p. 144)
(Astounding Science Fiction, September, 1938)

Farewell to the Master, by Harry Bates (John W. Campbell) (p. 157)
(Astounding Science Fiction, October, 1940)

 

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction – April, 1952 [Stefan Salter]

Another cover by Stephen Salter.   The magazine went by the title “The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction” from February of 1951 through September of 1952, when it reverted to and remained as “The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction“. 

Though subtle, the “&” symbol in the title was actually the silhouette of a smiling impish face, and also forms the bottom part of the letter “F” in the word “Fantasy“.  (You can see it, below.)  This symbol seems to have been the magazine’s unofficial logo, and was displayed on the back cover (and randomly in the interior) during the 1950s.  (Information from VISCO.)

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction – Winter-Spring, 1950 [Stefan Salter]

Another cover by Stephen Salter, probably completed using an airbrush.  Disconcerting, intriguing, and fascinating, all at once. 

This was the second issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and the first of ten covers Salter completed for the publication, nine of which appeared from “this” 1950 issue through December of 1951, and the last for June of 1955.

The Magazine of Fantasy – Fall, 1949 [Kodachrome by Bill Stone]

Here’s the cover of the first issue of The Magazine of Fantasy, prior to its change of title to the far familiarly known The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. 

Notice that the cover is actually a photographic print from Kodachrome film, rather than the reproduction of a painting.  The image of the long-tailed, smiling, nebulous whatever-it-is has been retouched upon the original image, while the model upon which he (it’s?) superimposed looks more inconvenienced than she does frightened.  

Notice that the cover presents a nearly full list of the magazine’s table of contents, rather than – unlike most pulp magazines – the title and author of a select story.  (“Private – Keep Out!”, by Philip MacDonald is superb…)