Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Favourite Heinlein

As SF Signal has been reporting, TOR books has been asking various authors to post about their favorite Robert A. Heinlein novel. This is to promote the release of the "first-ever authorized biography" of RAH. As opposed, I imagine, to H. Bruce Franklin's decidedly unauthorized Marxist analysis, Robert A. Heinlein: America as Science Fiction (1980), aka the book guaranteed to make Heinleinites wig out.


There have been some interesting responses, like Rudy Rucker's observations about some of his juveniles, Charles Stross providing a convincing reappraisal of Glory Road (1963), and David Brin maintaining his self-conscious political maverick pose by championing Beyond This Horizon (1948).


The thing to understand about RAH is both his novels and his career divide into two parts. In the first part of his proffessionsal life he wrote to order for legendary editor John W. Campbell, Jr. Campbell would assign RAH a plot and he would dutifully flesh it out into a rousing juvenile adventure. Later, in the 1960's, RAH began writing to his own preferences. He penned adult fiction often featuring a character that functioned as an Heinleinian mouthpiece who dramatized RAH's socio-economic ideas. So any appreciation of him has to take this split into account.

So what are my choices?



Time for the Stars (1956) is my favorite of his juveniles. It tells the story of two psychic twins, one who will travel on a relativistic spaceship to explore various solar systems, and the other who will remain behind in telepathic contact, functioning as an FTL radio receiver. The idea of a First Expedition was something of a cliché when RAH wrote this novel, but I didn't know that at the time, and besides, I like those kinds of stories. And this novel dramatized the twin paradox in a way that really stuck with me.


Of his later novels, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) is the one that impresses me most. Its retelling of the American Revolutionary War dressed up in spacesuits is entertaining, and the novel displays his right-populist, "Libertarian" politics in stark lines. This is the book from which the Libertarians took their political slogan "TANSTAAFL!" (Next we'll have a political movement that takes its ideas from comic books.) To complicate matters RAH has his lunar colonists involved in novel sexual relations that are likely to confound the "nuclear family" crowd. All in all it's an enjoyably thought provoking novel.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Nuclear Holocausts


Nuclear Holocausts: Atomic War in Fiction by Paul Brians


"This new edition of my comprehensive survey of fictional depictions in English of nuclear war and its aftermath has been revised and expanded. In particular, the bibliography has been expanded with over 450 additional entries. The chapters of historical and critical discussion are essentially unchanged."

This is a very interesting non-fiction book, especially if you liked I. F. Clarke's Voices Prophesying War (1966). Along with a penetrating study of what is often described with the tellingly religious phrase as "post-apocalypse" fiction, Professor Brians delivers on his promise to provide a detailed bibliography. There are only a couple of oversights.

Of all the numerous survivalist series that proliferated in the 1980's, by far the most popular and enduring has been the Deathlands series written under the pseudonym James Axler. They're so popular the series continues to this day. Yet despite this they are given only a cursory treatment.

The only real oversight I noticed is the C.A.D.S. series written under the pseudonym John Sievert. While they're "yet another blood-and-thunder anti-Red combat novel from Zebra," the premise is slightly more imaginative than most in that the bloodthirsty patriots are tearing around in power armor. Imagine a cross between Red Dawn (1984) and Starship Troopers (1962) and you get the idea.

My favorite series of this type was the Traveler books by "D. B. Drumm" the majority of which were written by John Shirley. Like Barry N. Malzberg's Lone Wolf books, which depicted an Executioner/Punisher type character, they subtly subvert the genre in an entertaining way.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Gaiking unoffical trailer



This boss (unofficial) trailer is by Matthew Gratzner and Jules Urbach for the proposed remake of Toei's Daikuu Maryuu Gaiking (大空魔竜ガイキング). That's not all Toei has planned. They've also announced plans to do a 3D CGI remake of Space Pirate Captain Harlock (宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック). I can't wait to see the trailer for that.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Underground Man



Underground Man (1905) by Gabriel Tarde (with a preface by H. G. Wells)

"An ideal society described in a future history with an element of fictionalization. The translation is sometimes suspect. Worth reading, especially for the fluent, well-imagined ideal society of the thirty-first century." -- Everett F. Bleiler



Produced by Christine Bell and Marc D'Hooghe

The New Gladiators (1984)



What happens when Italian guro maestro Lucio Fulci "borrows" one of the central premises from Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth's 1955 novel Gladiator-at-Law and turns it into a B-movie? You get 1984's I Guerrieri dell'anno 2072 (aka Warriors of the Year 2072, aka The New Gladiators). This movie was released in the U.S. by TROMA, which should tell you it's schlock. Suffer through the credits and you'll get to hear the film's opening exposition which sets the stage.

UPDATE: I found the trailer and posted that instead of just the movie's opening titles.

Friday, August 27, 2010

The New Gulliver


The New Gulliver and Other Stories (1913) by Barry Pain

"So intent was I upon my survey of the distance that I did not note the approach of a human being until I heard the footsteps close beside me. I speak of it as a human being, but in many respects the creature differed from humanity as previously known to me."



Produced by Christine Bell and Marc D'Hooghe

Mega-City One mayhem



This upcoming Judge Minty fan film, based on a character that first appeared in 2000 AD (shouldn't it be AD 2000?), looks promising. It certainly can't be as bad as that Stallone movie.



[via SF Signal and AOTS]

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Yuri's reading Slan


Looks like Yuri of the Lovely Angels is starting a book club. First up, A. E. van Vogt's classic Slan.

The Book of Gud

OK, I missed this one the other day. Hat tip to ManyBooks. And AFAIK it's not related to Greatest Uncommon Denominator Magazine.



The Book of Gud (1929) by Harold Hersey and Dan Spain

"DIP INTO THIS NOVEL ANYWHERE.... It deals with a god in whom nobody believed, and of his adventures the day after eternity. For instance, try Chapter XVI."



Produced by Louise Davies, Roger Taft, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Return of Tharn

Amazing Stories, October, November and December 1948


The Return of Tharn by Howard Browne (sequel to Warrior of the Dawn)

"When Tharn set out to rescue his beloved Dylara, he did not dream the whole Cro-Magnon world opposed him."



Produced by Greg Weeks, Adam Styles, Roger L. Holda and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Pohl on Roddenberry

Frederik Pohl has begun blogging about his experiences with Gene Roddenberry. One interesting thing is that Roddenberry not only pitched ST to unimaginative studio execs by describing it as “a kind of Wagon Train in space,” but he also promoted it that way to fens. That's an odd approach to take, telling fans of one genre (science fiction) that they should watch your show because it's like a completely different genre (western). I'm sure Pohl wasn't alone in his reaction: "That didn’t awaken in my soul any desire to see it"


I know most sf authors of the time took a dim view of it. I've heard an interview with PKD where he sneers at ST because it was doing the kind of stories he was writing back in the 1950's. Harlan Ellison, who actually wrote for the show, was always very dismissive of it. Even today authors like Charles Stross will tell you he hates Star Trek.

And while it's true that ST wasn't particularly innovative and contained too much technobabble, unlike most popular Hollywood franchises it features characters who are engaged in scientific exploration. As fun as Star Wars is there are no scientists in it. But even shows like Voyager had the captain giving impassioned speeches reminding the crew that they were first and foremost on a scientific mission. I think we could use more TV like that.

Monday, August 23, 2010

The Frightened Planet



"The Frightened Planet" By Sidney Austen

"Karn was only a savage, but he knew a thing or two about the way justice should be meted out—and he did it."



Produced by Greg Weeks, David J. Cole and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Happy Birthday, Ray Bradbury


Happy birthday to SF Grand Master Ray Bradbury, one of the genre's best authors. To celebrate, here's a radio adaptation of his 1950 story "The Fox and the Forest" also known as "To the Future."

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Sci-Fi Inspires Engineers

NPR broadcast a story earlier today by correspondent Laura Sydell on how Sci-Fi Inspires Engineers To Build Our Future. It's the usual treatment that documents how the genre inspired various scientists and techies to pursue their careers. Despite the use of the gauche term "Sci-Fi" (or "skiffy")  in the title, the segment is noteworthy in that it embraces the genre as a whole, rather than making the mistake of focusing on a single franchise like Star Wars or Star Trek and giving it credit for ideas that were already common in the genre.



Even more impressively, she interviews a couple of bona fide sf authors, Neal Stephenson and Connie Willis. It's great hearing people with their credibility being interviewed for a story on the subject, rather than the usual Hollywood hack that the media often turns to on these occasions. So given all of that I'm willing to overlook the fact that she says "William Gibson dreamed up the Internet" even though it was Murray Leinster who first anticipated it back in 1946 when he wrote "A Logic Named Joe."

Motorhead Mad Max


Mad Max Tribute - Motorhead - Ace of Spades
Uploaded by JimLad800. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.

Lemmy always seemed like he'd be right at home in Max's Oz.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Laserblast (1978)



"It will blow your mind."

Also known to the crew of the Satellite of Love as Experiment #706.



(More like this at Cinematic Titanic and RiffTrax.)

Thursday, August 19, 2010

I can haz tentacles?

This terrifyingly cute mutant four-eared cat is named Luntik after the popular Russian kodomo cartoon Luntik and friends. I've seen Thundarr the Barbarian. I know what this means. Can Moks be far behind? Must resist...must fight mind controlling cuteness...must -- kawaiii!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Robinson Crusoe on Mars



It should go without saying that this is not a scientifically accurate film. The SF Encyclopedia observes that this film is a knockoff of the earlier film, No Man Friday (aka First on Mars), that was based on a 1956 novel by Rex Gordon.

[via SF Signal]

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Avatar and bananas

The public radio show Marketplace recently ran a spot in which the editor of Bloomberg BusinessWeek revealed that the world's two most popular things are the movie Avatar and bananas.

In the 11 countries we surveyed, "Avatar" was the number one ranked movie. I'd say the two things that are the most popular in the world are "Avatar" and bananas.

Bananas: a good source of potassium. Avatar: a good source of yiffing.

I would have guessed it would be Avatar and chocolate. But I can't argue. I eat a banana every day, and for the most part I enjoyed Avatar. So, yeah, Avatar and bananas.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Superheroes are bad role models

First the Beeb, now The Guardian is featuring superheroes in its pages and weekly science podcast. It seems that a child psychologist is concerned that Bronze Age characters are setting a bad example for young readers.



Unlike conventional superheroes such as Superman, who stood for justice, fairness and decency, the modern macho superheroes portray a negative masculinity, characterised by mindless aggression and rampant sexism. Lamb, who surveyed 674 boys aged four to 18, claimed these hardnosed heroes may be damaging the social skills of teenagers and even affecting their performance at school.

It's curious that the objection isn't that superheroes glorify vigilantism, which you would expect to be the main objection. Instead the doctor's objection is that today's superheroes are macho jerks. It's certainly true that you don't have to look far in popular culture to see the glorification of what Stan Goff calls the "macho death-cult."


So the doctor has a point. Nevertheless it's a bit unerving having a psychologist criticizing comics given the history of psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's successful crusade to get comics censored back in the fifties. Nothing like that is likely to happen again, and the doctor isn't calling for censorship, just a return to Silver Age sensibilities. But I still think it's best to let the publishers print what they want. If you don't like it just don't read it.

Update: The Beeb covered this story, too, and has a short audio clip to go with it.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Nothing But Debris

pic by rehsup

"Nothing But Debris", an upbeat Star Trek song by Fionn Hodgson that I ran across on Newgrounds.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Mann & Machine



Anybody else remember Mann & Machine, that failed sf show that ran back in the 1990's? It was a boilerplate buddy cop drama with the twist that the straitlaced partner was a gynoid. It starred Yancy Butler who went on  to better things with Witchblade. I remember watching this and thinking that it was just rehashing what had already been done with Data on ST: TNG. Only with Yancy Butler.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Pohl on Jack Williamson

Frederik Pohl is blogging about his late friend and collaborator, Jack Williamson.Together they wrote such classics as the novella, "Doomship" (1973), which featured the memorable Doc Chimp and was expanded into the novel, Farthest Star (1975).


They also penned the remarkable Starchild Trilogy which was collected into an omnibus edition in 1977.

Cover of 1982 reprint.

On his own Williamson was aGrand Master, with a career that began in the earliest days of the genre and continued until just a few years ago. Not only did he write the famous Legion of Space tales in the 1930's, he also wrote on of the defining time travel novels, The Legion of Time (1938).

1967 paperback with cover by Jack Gaughan

Add to that his groundbreaking Seetee series, an early attempt to deal with anti-matter, or contraterrene matter as it was known them, and his Humanoids series which dealt with machine intelligence and you can see that Williamson left a legacy that's hard to match.

The radio show Dimension X even adapted one of his Humanoids stories, "With Folded Hands", which you can listen to online.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Batman versus Kant

The Beeb has a good story today about how philosophy professors are using comic book narratives to illustrate philosophical concepts and to make their courses more interesting to students.

Mary Marvel knows all!

It's not so much that the average Lycra clad vigilante has any profound insight into epistemology or ontology, but that they can fill the seats in the classroom.

"We are not saying that the canon of Superman comic books is equivalent to Homer and Dante and you can study them for their own sake. We're not suggesting that comic books replace Plato and Descartes - not at all. The goal is always to get people interested in philosophy by speaking first in terms that people are familiar with."

Sounds like a bit of academic "the ends justify the means" to me, but I guess it's relatively harmless. Maybe they'll even start using those Action Philosophers! comics. I suppose the next logical progression will be that they start teaching The Philosophy of Yu-Gi-Oh!.

In other comics news, Jay has posted that Darkhorse is reprinting  the old Marvel John Carter titles. Those are the ones that took place in that nine year span mentioned at the end of A Princess of Mars.


For nine years I served in the councils and fought in the armies of Helium as a prince of the house of Tardos Mors. The people seemed never to tire of heaping honors upon me, and no day passed that did not bring some new proof of their love for my princess, the incomparable Dejah Thoris.

I have some of those comics, and, IIRC, the first ten are good, but after that they veer into blatant sword-and-sorcery type fantasy. Still enjoyable for the Gil Kane art, though.

Captain Kirk's Life Flashes...

...Before Dying Trekkie's Eyes!



[via The Onion & SF Signal]

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Comics For Science Fiction Fans

A great Mind Meld over at SF Signal today on the topic of Comics For Science Fiction Fans. Plenty of good recommendations there, including titles like Atomic-Robo.


Nobody mentioned the Jodoverse, so I out in a word for John DiFool and friends. If you have any suggestions to make head on over there and sound off.

MC Chris - Fett's Vette Music Video



MC Chris

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Metabarons update

It's out! After some delays the final Metabarons graphic novel was released on Aug. 4th. I haven't gotten to my FLCS yet, but it should be available there. Or I may save the gas and get it at Midtown Comics.


It's good to finally have the concluding part of this saga. Next I hope we get more of the Technopriest story. The second Technopriest book ended with a "To be continued" so we should be getting a third volume. I just hope the wait won't be as long as it was for this one.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Astrophobos

by H. P. Lovecraft


In the Midnight heaven's burning
Through the ethereal deeps afar
Once I watch'd with restless yearning
An alluring aureate star;
Ev'ry eve aloft returning
Gleaming nigh the Arctic Car.
Mystic waves of beauty blended
With the gorgeous golden rays
Phantasies of bliss descended
In a myrrh'd Elysian haze.
In the lyre-born chords extended
Harmonies of Lydian lays.
And (thought I) lies scenes of pleasure,
Where the free and blessed dwell,
And each moment bears a treasure,
Freighted with the lotos-spell,
And there floats a liquid measure
From the lute of Israfel.
There (I told myself) were shining
Worlds of happiness unknown,
Peace and Innocence entwining
By the Crowned Virtue's throne;
Men of light, their thoughts refining
Purer, fairer, than my own.
Thus I mus'd when o'er the vision
Crept a red delirious change;
Hope dissolving to derision,
Beauty to distortion strange;
Hymnic chords in weird collision,
Spectral sights in endless range....
Crimson burn'd the star of madness
As behind the beams I peer'd;
All was woe that seem'd but gladness
Ere my gaze with Truth was sear'd;
Cacodaemons, mir'd with madness,
Through the fever'd flick'ring leer'd....
Now I know the fiendish fable
Then the golden glitter bore;
Now I shun the spangled sable
That I watch'd and lov'd before;
But the horror, set and stable,
Haunts my soul forevermore!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Tower of Combat



This is the last episode of The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers to be written by rocker/sf author Mick Farren. "The General, an evil alien warlord, is back. He has perfected a matter transportation device to collect an army of lifeforms to serve him."

The theme song of the series is "No Guts, No Glory." If that sounds familiar, it's because it's also the name of a song by Bolt Thrower. Just imagine if that version had opened every show.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Kraftwerk - Radioactivity



Kraftwerk

Squirrels


It's finally happened. The giant mutant squirrels are attacking. If only we'd listened to Steve Albini's warnings!



[pic via Doc 40]

Friday, August 6, 2010

Ban The Bomb



65 years ago today, Monday, August 6, 1945, at 8:15 AM, the Japanese city of Hiroshima was devastated when the atomic bomb "Little Boy" was dropped by the United States B-29 Enola Gay, instantly killing an estimated 80,000 people. By the end of the year, injury and radiation brought total casualties to 90,000-140,000. The United States is the only nation that has ever used atomic weapons in warfare. Let's make sure it's the last.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Spacehounds of IPC

(Cover by Ed Valigursky)

Spacehounds of IPC (1931) by E. E. Smith

A good many of us, who are now certain beyond a doubt that space travel will forever remain in the realm of the impossible, probably would, if a rocket that were shot to the moon, for instance, did arrive, and perhaps return to give proof of its safe arrival on our satellite, accept the phenomenon in a perfectly blasé, twentieth century manner. Dr. Smith, that phenomenal writer of classic scientific fiction, seems to have become so thoroughly convinced of the advent of interplanetary travel that it is difficult for the reader to feel, after finishing "Spacehounds of IPC," that travel in the great spaces is not already an established fact. Dr. Smith, as a professional chemist, is kept fairly busy. As a writer, he is satisfied with nothing less than perfection. For that reason, a masterpiece from his pen has become almost an annual event. We know you will like "Spacehounds" even better than the "Skylark" series.

Illustrated by WESSO



Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Greg Weeks, David Garcia and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Astounding Stories (October, 1930)


20¢
On Sale the First Thursday of Each Month

W. M. CLAYTON, Publisher
HARRY BATES, Editor
DR. DOUGLAS M. DOLD, Consulting Editor

The Clayton Standard on a Magazine Guarantees

That the stories therein are clean, interesting, vivid, by leading writers of the day and purchased under conditions approved by the Authors' League of America;

That such magazines are manufactured in Union shops by American workmen;

That each newsdealer and agent is insured a fair profit;

That an intelligent censorship guards their advertising pages.




Cover Design by H. W. Wessolowski

Painted in Oils from a Scene in "The Invisible Death."


Stolen Brains by Captain S. P. Meek

Dr. Bird, Scientific Sleuth Extraordinary, Goes After a Sinister Stealer of Brains.


The Invisible Death by Victor Rousseau

With Night-Rays and Darkness-Antidote America Strikes Back, at the Terrific and Destructive Invisible Empire. (A Complete Novelette.)


Prisoners of the Electron by Robert H. Leitfred

Fate Throws Two Young Earthians into Desperate Conflict with the Primeval Monsters of an Electron's Savage Jungles.


Jetta of the Lowlands (Part 2 of 3) by Ray Cummings

Into Remote Lowlands, in an Invisible Flyer, Go Grant and Jetta—Prisoners of a Scientific Depth Bandit. (Part Two of a Three-Part Novel.)


"An Extra Man" by Jackson Gee

Sealed and Vigilantly Guarded Was "Drayle's Invention, 1932"—for It Was a Scientific Achievement Beyond Which Man Dared Not Go.



Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Monday, August 2, 2010

Astounding Stories (August, 1930)


On Sale the First Thursday of Each Month

W. M. CLAYTON, Publisher
HARRY BATES, Editor
DR. DOUGLAS M. DOLD, Consulting Editor

The Clayton Standard on a Magazine Guarantees

That the stories therein are clean, interesting, vivid, by leading writers of the day and purchased under conditions approved by the Authors' League of America;

That such magazines are manufactured in Union shops by American workmen;

That each newsdealer and agent is insured a fair profit;

That an intelligent censorship guards their advertising pages.



Cover Design by H. W. Wessolowski
Painted in Water-colors from a Scene in "The Planet of Dread."


"The Planet of Dread" by R. F. Starzl

A Stupid Blunder—and Mark Forepaugh Faces a Lifetime of Castaway Loneliness in the Savage Welter of the Planet Inra's Monster-ridden Jungles.


The Lord of Space by Victor Rousseau

A Black Caesar Had Arisen on Eros—and All Earth Trembled at His Distant Menace.


The Second Satellite by Edmond Hamilton

Earth-men War on Frog-vampires for the Emancipation of the Human Cows of Earth's Second Satellite. (A Novelet.)


Silver Dome by Harl Vincent

In Her Deep-buried Kingdom of Theros, Phaestra Reveals the Amazing Secret of the Silver Dome.


Earth, the Marauder (Part 2 of 3) by Arthur J. Burks

Deep in the Gnome-infested Tunnels of the Moon, Sarka and Jaska Are Brought to Luar the Radiant Goddess Against Whose Minions the Marauding Earth Had Struck in Vain. (Part Two of a Three-Part Novel.)


Murder Madness (Part 4 of 4) by Murray Leinster

Bell Has Fought through Tremendous Obstacles to Find and Kill The Master, Whose Diabolical Poison Makes Murder-mad Snakes of the Hands; and, as He Faces the Monster at Last—His Own Hands Start to Writhe! (Conclusion.)


The Flying City by H. Thompson Rich

From Space Came Cor's Disc-city of Vada—Its Mighty, Age-old Engines Weakening— Its Horde of Dwarfs Hungry for the Earth!



Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Où est le Metabarons quatre?

For those of us eagerly awaiting the release by Humanoids Publishing of the English translation of the fourth and final volume of Jodorowsky and Gimenez's Metabarons saga, the wait is...still ongoing.


The final volume by Jodorowsky and Gimenez in the epic sci-fi fantasy Metabarons saga. The ultimate bloodline of the Metabarons may come to an end with Aghora and her child. This volume concludes the Metabarons graphic novel series collection.

It was supposed to be out in June, but the release was pushed back to July. "In stores July 2010", they said. Well, July has come and gone and there's no sign of it. What gives? You won't find it on the shelves anywhere. Not even on the virtual shelves of online retailers. I assume the release was delayed again, but it would be nice of them to inform their customers about it. Anybody know what's up with this? Doesn't Humanoids have a bad enough reputation after censoring the Incal without this nonsense? For now, the wait continues...

Astounding Stories (July, 1930)


On Sale the First Thursday of Each Month

W. M. CLAYTON, Publisher
HARRY BATES, Editor
DR. DOUGLAS M. DOLD, Consulting Editor

The Clayton Standard on a Magazine Guarantees

That the stories therein are clean, interesting, vivid, by leading writers of the day and purchased under conditions approved by the Authors' League of America;

That such magazines are manufactured in Union shops by American workmen;

That each newsdealer and agent is insured a fair profit;

That an intelligent censorship guards their advertising pages.



Cover Design by H. W. Wessolowski

 Painted in Water-colors from a Scene in "Earth, the Marauder."


"Beyond the Heaviside Layer" by Capt. S. P. Meek 

For Eighty Vertical Miles Carpenter and Bond Blasted Their Way—Only to Be Trapped by the Extraordinary Monsters of the Heaviside Layer.


Earth, the Marauder (Part 1 of 3) by Arthur J. Burks 

 Out of Her Orbit Sped the Teeming Earth—A Marauding Planet Bent on Starry Conquest. (Beginning a Three-part Novel.)


"From an Amber Block" by Tom Curry

A Giant Amber Block at Last Gives Up Its Living, Ravenous Prey.


The Terror of Air-Level Six by Harl Vincent 

From Some Far Reach of Leagueless Space Came a Great Pillar of Flame to Lay Waste and Terrorize the Earth. (A Novelet.)


The Forgotten Planet by Sewell Peaslee Wright

The Authentic Account of Why Cosmic Man Damned an Outlaw World to Be, Forever, a Leper of Space.


"The Power and the Glory" by Charles Willard Diffin 

Sadly, Sternly, the Old Professor Reveals to His Brilliant Pupil the Greater Path to Glory.


Murder Madness (Part 3 of 4) by Murray Leinster

More and More South Americans Are Stricken with the Horrible "Murder Madness" That Lies in the Master's Fearful Poison. And Bell Is Their One Last Hope as He Fights to Stem the Swiftly Rising Tide of a Continent's Utter Enslavement. (Part Three of a Four-part Novel.)



Produced by Greg Weeks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team