Fantastic Science Fiction
Fantastic was an American digest-size fantasy and science fiction magazine. It was published from 1952 to 1980. Ziff Davis started it as a fantasy companion to Amazing Stories. Within a few years sales went down. Howard Browne, the editor, was forced to switch to science fiction not fantasy. Browne lost interest in the magazine. The magazine often published poor-quality fiction in the mid-1950s, under Browne and his successor, Paul W. Fairman. At the end of the 1950s, Cele Goldsmith took over as editor of both Fantastic and Amazing Stories. Goldsmith helped to support the early careers of writers such as Roger Zelazny and Ursula K. Le Guin. In 1965 the magazines were sold to Sol Cohen, who hired Joseph Wrzos as editor and switched to a reprint-only policy. This was financially successful, but brought Cohen into conflict with the newly formed Science Fiction Writers of America. At the end of the 1960s, Ted White became editor and the reprints were stopped.
| Editor | Howard Browne |
|---|---|
| Categories | Fantasy fiction, science fiction |
| Publisher | Ziff Davis |
| Year founded | 1952 |
| Final issue | 1980 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
White worked hard to make the magazine successful, introducing artwork from comics artistsBut, in 1978, Cohen sold out his half of the business to his partner, Arthur Bernhard. White resigned soon after. Elinor Mavor was the next editor, but within two years Bernhard decided to close down Fantastic. He combined it with Amazing Stories, which had always enjoyed a slightly higher circulation.
Fantastic Science Fiction Media
Circulation and sellthrough (percentage of print run sold) for Fantastic
Cover of first issue; artwork by Barye Phillips and Leo Summers.
The second wish fulfilment cover, for October 1956, by Ed Valigursky
The main variations in title fonts. Issues shown are Summer 1952, September–October 1953, January 1961, January 1964, June 1971, October 1978, and April 1979: each is the first issue which used each style shown.
References
- Ashley, Mike (2000). The Time Machines: The Story of the Science-Fiction Pulp Magazines from the beginning to 1950. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-85323-865-0.
- Ashley, Mike (2005). Transformations: The Story of the Science Fiction Magazines from 1950 to 1970. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-85323-779-4.
- Ashley, Mike (2007). Gateways to Forever: The Story of the Science-Fiction Magazines from 1970 to 1980. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-84631-003-4.
- Atheling Jr., William (1967). The Issue at Hand. Chicago: Advent, Inc.
- Clute, John; Grant, John (1997). The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. New York: St. Martin's Press, Inc. ISBN 0-312-15897-1.
- Clute, John; Peter Nicholls (1993). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-09618-6.
- de Camp, L. Sprague (1953). Science-Fiction Handbook: The Writing of Imaginative Fiction. New York: Hermitage House.
- del Rey, Lester (1979). The World of Science Fiction: 1926–1976: The History of a Subculture. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-25452-X.
- Kyle, David (1977). The Pictorial History of Science Fiction. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-38193-5.
- Pohl, Frederik (1979). The Way the Future Was. London: Gollancz. ISBN 0-575-02672-3.
- Tuck, Donald H. (1982). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 3. Chicago: Advent. ISBN 0-911682-26-0.
- Tymn, Marshall B.; Mike Ashley (1985). Science Fiction, Fantasy and Weird Fiction Magazines. West: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-21221-X.
Other websites
Media related to Fantastic (magazine) at Wikimedia Commons