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Analog, July 1961: A Retro-Review

Analog, July 1961: A Retro-Review

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analog-july-1961This is one of the earlier issues after Astounding completed its name-change to Analog. (The issues from February through September 1960 showed both titles on the cover – so October 1960 was the first purely Analog issue.)

Its Table of Contents is familiar to readers of the magazine even to the present day – there’s an editorial, there’s In Times to Come, there’s The Reference Library (book reviews), there’s the letter column (Brass Tacks). There is also a Science Fact article, and a serial, two novelettes, and two short stories.

The only item you won’t find in most present-day issues is The Analytical Laboratory, which ranks the stories from the issue two months earlier based on reader votes. (This was discontinued some time after I became a subscriber in the ’70s – I remember sending in my postcard with my votes a number of times.)

At any rate, for the April issue the number one story was the opening of Clifford Simak’s serial “The Fisherman”, better known these days by the book title, Time is the Simplest Thing.

The cover shows an asteroid mining setup. It’s by Thomas, who did a few covers for Analog in 1961 and 1962, and nothing much else I can find. I don’t even know his first name. Interiors are by Douglas, John Schoenherr, and H. R. Van Dongen.

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Electric Velocipede 25 Now Available

Electric Velocipede 25 Now Available

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electric-velocipede-25-smallJohn Klima’s groundbreaking magazine Electric Velocipede continues to innovate in its new electronic format. John tells us:

This is one of our strongest issues to date. I’m very proud of the stories and poems (nine!) in it. The stories will be going up through bi-weekly through the end of the year, but we’re putting the entire issue on sale right away so that people can get it now and read it on their e-reader of choice… Our first story, “The Night We Drank Cold Wine” by Megan Kurashige has received incredible response from readers to date.

Many of you are already helping spread the word about the issue, but because I think it’s pretty special that we’re at our 25th issue (with four issues planned for next year!)

Let’s talk turkey for a moment. Electric Velocipede is one of the best independent genre magazines out today, period. It’s been nominated for the World Fantasy Award four times and won the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Fanzine.

In September, it closed a successful Kickstarer round, funding the next four issues, and even reached the $7,500 stretch goal that allowed it to make electronic versions of all its past issues.

It’s an exciting time for the magazine and if you’re not paying attention, you’re missing out on some of the most exciting short fiction the field has to offer.

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Interzone 243 and Black Static 31

Interzone 243 and Black Static 31

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527526Together again, TTA Press releases Interzone and Black Static in the same month as part of its new publishing scheduling. (I understand the economic reasons why the publishers are doing this, but I liked the old way of alternating issues. Ah, well, if it’s the price to be paid for having a magazine that is actually printed instead of pixalated, it’s well worth it.)

The Nov–Dec issue of Interzone is the second in the new slightly more compact format, with novelettes by Jon Wallace, and Jason Sanford, plus stories by Chen Qiufan (translated by Ken Liu), Caroline M. Yoachim, and Priya Sharma. Cover art is ‘The Star’ by Ben Baldwin.  Features include “Ansible Link” by David Langford (news and obits); “Mutant Popcorn” by Nick Lowe (film reviews); “Laser Fodder” by Tony Lee (DVD/Blu-ray reviews); book reviews by Jim Steel and the team, including an interview with Adam Roberts conducted by Paul Kincaid.

Black Static features cover art by Richard Wagner; novelettes by Jackson Kuhl, Steven J. Dines, and Victoria Leslie; stories by Seán Padraic Birnie, Steven Pirie, and James Cooper; illustrations by Ben Baldwin, David Gentry, and Rik Rawling; comment columns by Stephen Volk and Christopher Fowler; book reviews by Peter Tennant; and DVD/Blu-ray reviews by Tony Lee.

Gygax Magazine: A New Gaming Magazine from TSR Games

Gygax Magazine: A New Gaming Magazine from TSR Games

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gygax-magazine3There’s been some buzz recently about Gygax Magazine, a new online tabletop gaming magazine set to launch in December.

Editor Jayson Elliot, in a post at ENWorld, revealed that the core team behind the magazine includes Ernie Gygax, Luke Gygax, Tim Kask, James Carpio, and Jim Wampler. The first issue is scheduled for December. TSR, the original publishers of Dungeons and Dragons, was purchased by Wizards of the Coast in the 1997. According to Jayson the TSR trademark was abandoned about nine years ago, and they were able to register it last year. Their first project is Gygax, a gaming magazine, “because we wanted a way to bridge the traditions of the old guard with the awesome new games that are out today.”

Here’s what Tim Kask, founding editor of The Dragon magazine, had to say on his Facebook page:

Gygax is a gaming magazine for new and old players alike. We are looking forward to the games of tomorrow and today, while preserving the traditions and history that got us where we are now.

Our articles and features cover current independent and major publisher games such as Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, The One Ring, Shadowrun, Godlike, Labyrinth Lord, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, Warhammer 40k Roleplay, Traveller, and others, as well as classic out-of-print games with a modern following, like AD&D, Top Secret, and Gamma World.

Our features include comics by Phil Foglio (What’s New With Phil and Dixie), Jim Wampler (Marvin the Mage), and Rich Burlew (Order of the Stick). Contributors include Jim Ward, Cory Doctorow, James Carpio, Ethan Gilsdorf, Dennis Sustare, and many more. Publishing quarterly in print as well as PDF and iPad editions, we hope each issue of Gygax will be an anticipated and treasured addition to any gamer’s library.

The magazine hasn’t even launched yet and it’s already stirring controversy, with Gygax’s widow, Gail, stating publicly “Gygax Magazine… does not have the support of the Gygax Family Estate.” Stay tuned for further updates as they become available.

Venture, March 1957: A Retro-Review

Venture, March 1957: A Retro-Review

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venture-science-fiction-march-1957-smallAnother magazine from 1957, at the cusp of the Space Age, though this one appeared several months before Sputnik. Venture was a companion magazine to F&SF, intended to focus on pure Science Fiction. Ten bi-monthly issues appeared beginning in January 1957. It was revived in 1969, and six quarterly issues appeared from May 1969 through August 1970. I’ve always thought it a shame they couldn’t (it would seem) make a go of it, though I must say I’d never read a copy until now.

The look and feel of the magazine is similar to F&SF: 132 pages (including the covers), same font and column layout. Unlike F&SF, there are interior illustrations (by John Giunta). There are no features except for a sort of editorial (called “Venturings”) on the inside front cover.

The cover illustration, for Leigh Brackett’s “The Queer Ones”, is by Dick Shelton and it’s a bit odd: in two colors (red and olive green, plus black and white), showing a woman shooting a sort of raygun. It does accurately (if in a slightly symbolic way) depict a scene from the story.

As I said, no features, so let’s get right to the fiction. The stories are:

“Too Soon to Die” by Tom Godwin (15,100 words)
“The Lady was a Tramp” by Rose Sharon (6,700 words)
“Friend for Life” by Gordon R. Dickson (5,200 words)
“The Queer Ones” by Leigh Brackett (14,000 words)
“Blind Alley” by Charles L. Fontenay (2,600 words)
“Vengeance for Nikolai” by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (7,700 words)

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Apex Magazine #42

Apex Magazine #42

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apex-magazine-42-smallIssue 42 fiction include “Splinter” by Shira Lipkin, “Sprig” by Alex Bledsoe, “Erzulie Dantor” by Tim Susman, and “The Glutton: A Goxhat Accounting Chant” by Eleanor Arnason.

Non-fiction includes “The 21st Century SF/F Professional at Conventions” by editor Lynne M. Thomas, “Behind the Convention Curtain: Programming” by Steven H. Silver, and “An Interview with Alex Bledsoe” by Maggie Slater.

The cover art is by Nicoletta Ceccolli.

Visit the magazine at www.apex-magazine.com.

Kobold Quarterly Magazine Goes Down Fighting

Kobold Quarterly Magazine Goes Down Fighting

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kobold-quarterly-fall-2012-smallThe terrific gaming magazine Kobold Quarterly — which we featured here just two weeks ago — has ceased publication. The final issue is #23, Fall 2012.

Publisher and editor Wolfgang Baur posted this announcement on Friday:

It’s a fact that in every fantasy roleplaying game… a kobold’s life is short. They’re wily and quick, but they have few hit points. Sooner or later they go down — fighting. That day has come for Kobold Quarterly magazine. After five years of publication, Shelly and I are closing the doors on the little fanzine that could.

I always hoped that Kobold Quarterly would someday be my full-time gig, but it was not to be. My sincere thanks go out to everyone who contributed to the magazine, starting with our stalwart subscribers, advertisers, authors, and artists. Thanks also to those who bought only an issue or two; for us, every sale was crucial…

And now, as adventurers do, we will gather in the tavern to hoist mugs of ale and talk about the monsters we slew and the treasures we won. And then we will begin planning and scheming for the next adventure. Kobolds might be easy to knock down individually, you see, but they always come in big numbers. The kobold crew will keep serving you with free articles, the free Courier newsletter, Kobold Press adventures and sourcebooks, and other projects.

Subscribers are being offered the option of a 150% refund in Kobold Store credit, or a 100% refund via PayPal or paper check. Contributors are being assured that even though the magazine is folding, Kobold Press is still going strong, and articles scheduled to appear in future issues may be picked up for other Kobold Press publications such as the Pathfinder New Paths line, Midgard Adventures, and other new releases.

Kobold Press will continue to publish the free Kobold Courier e-newsletter, as well as big commercial releases such as the The New Paths PDFs, Player’s Guides for Midgard, and two top-secret projects in the works for 2013. Read more about the excellent Midgard in Wolfgang’s recent Black Gate post.

While we know that the only constant in the gaming industry is change, the loss of Kobold Quarterly is a real blow to the field. It was an excellent magazine that captured the spirit and excitement of the best of the early gaming magazines, and it will be missed.

December Asimov’s Science Fiction Now on Sale

December Asimov’s Science Fiction Now on Sale

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asimovs-december-2012-smallOkay, technically, it’s probably no longer on sale. And we usually don’t cover Asimov’s anyway, since it’s chiefly science fiction in content. But as I was putting this issue away, I was so struck by the moody and beautiful cover by Laura Diehl, illustrating Chris Beckett’s fairy-tale inspired “The Caramel Forest,” that I decided to make an exception and feature it here. So sue me.

I can’t just feature the cover, though, as that would be kinda weird, and make for a very short article. So I typed up the contents of the entire issue. You’re welcome.

NOVELLA

  • “Sudden, Broken and Unexpected” — Steven Popkes

NOVELETTE

  • “The Waves” — by Ken Liu

SHORT STORIES

  • “The Caramel Forest” — Chris Beckett
  • “The Wizard of West 34th Street” — Mike Resnick
  • “The Black Feminist’s Guide to Science Fiction Film Editing” — Sandra McDonald
  • “The Pipes of Pan” — Robert Reed

There’s also poetry by Bruce Boston, Karin L. Frank, and Robert Frazier, and the usual features, including “Merry Armageddon,” an editorial by Sheila Williams; a Reflections column by Robert Silverberg; book reviews by Peter Heck; and the SF Convention Calendar by Erwin S. Strauss.

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Infinity, January 1958: A Retro-Review

Infinity, January 1958: A Retro-Review

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infinity-january-1958-smallThis is the fifth installment in Rich Horton’s retro-reviews of science fiction and fantasy digest magazines from the mid-20th Century. The first four were the February 1966 Analog, the December 1965 Galaxy, the January 1966 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and If, October 1957.

Click the images for larger versions.

The last magazine I reviewed came from October 1957, the month Sputnik was launched. This one is dated January 1958, and presumably appeared on stands a month or so after Sputnik, but was editorially complete just prior to the launch. And I’ve got another October 1957 issue coming.

So — these are, I would argue, three examples of SF magazines on the very cusp of the Space Age.

Infinity lasted from the end of 1955 through 1958, a total of 20 issues. It was published irregularly but roughly bimonthly. The editor throughout was Larry Shaw, and his work was justly very well regarded. The most famous story he published was Arthur C. Clarke’s “The Star” in the very first issue.

Shaw also edited the companion magazine, Science Fiction Adventures, which became the John Carnell-edited UK magazine by the same name (Carnell’s magazine started as a reprint edition of the US magazine, but continued with original stories after the US version folded). An earlier US magazine of that name was edited by Lester Del Rey pseudonymously, and the title was used again later for one of Sol Cohen’s horrid reprint magazines.

This issue had a cover by Ed Emshwiller, illustrating Richard Wilson’s serial “And Then the Town Took Off”, and interior illustrations by Emsh, Bill Bowman, Richard Kluga, and John Schoenherr. The only ads are the ubiquitous SFBC on the back cover (inside and out), and on the inside front cover an inhouse ad urging the reader to subscribe to Infinity and Science Fiction Adventures.

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Keep up on Fantasy Gaming with Kobold Quarterly

Keep up on Fantasy Gaming with Kobold Quarterly

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kobold-quarterly-fall-2012-smallIn the early days of the adventure gaming hobby, the field was pretty diverse, with a healthy assortment of successful RPGs and board games. Much like today, as a matter of fact.

One major difference, however, was that each of the major titles was supported with its own magazine: Dragon (for D&D and other TSR games), Different Worlds (Runequest, Call of Cthulhu), Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Tunnels and Trolls), White Dwarf (Warhammer), Space Gamer (The Fantasy Trip), The Journal of the Traveller’s Aid Society (Traveller), and many others. Board gamers, too, weren’t overlooked on the magazine rack, with Nexus (Star Fleet Battles), Ares (SPI’s sci-fi games), The General (Avalon Hill), and others.

With the exception of White Dwarf, all those magazines are dead today.

And I miss them. Many were good, and a handful — including The Space Gamer and Different Worlds — were excellent. They kept us up-to-date on rapid market changes, talked-up overlooked games, and generally kept the level of excitement high around the whole industry.

I never expected the era of the specialized gaming magazine to return. For one thing, I know what it takes to keep a magazine alive these days (a series of miracles).

But Wolfgang Baur’s Kobold Quarterly has changed my mind.

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