This is an odd issue of THRILLING WONDER STORIES in that the cover art isn't attributed to Earle Bergey. I don't know who painted it, but it's certainly an appealing, eye-catching cover. The list of authors with stories inside is pretty eye-catching, too: Ray Bradbury, Edmond Hamilton, Leigh Brackett, Murray Leinster, James Blish, Noel Loomis, Margaret St. Clair, and Rog Phillips. And it was edited by my old mentor Sam Merwin Jr. Some people today may not think so, but to me that was a great era in science fiction.
5 comments:
I agree on that being a good era for SF pulps--Thrilling Wonder, Startling Stories, Planet were all keepers. What a lineup in that issue. As for Sam Merwin, he was a good editor (and I sold him a few stories as well) and I also enjoyed his writing.
You are correct, sir. It was a great era in science fiction.
I’m 99% certain that it IS a Bergey cover. It may not be an example of his BEST work (the lady’s pose is a bit stiff and her outfit and accessories make her look like she just won a futuristic beauty paegant) but the général color scheme, the design of the spaceship and the aliens, the modeling of the shadows on her fleshy bits (her thigh especially) look very much like his work. Then of course, the brass detail on her dress is a dead giveaway. Again, maybe not his best work but not bad, not bad at all.
And yeah, that is one hell of a line-up of authors, sure enough! Jeez Louise. Brackett , Hamilton and Bradbury were enough to separate me from my money, but throw in St. Clair, Leinster, Brown and Blish (plus a handful of sweet Finlay illustrations) and we’re in All-Star territory.
From the War Years to the end of the pulp era, THRILLING WONDER and STARTLING are my favorite sf mags. This issue also happens to be available in full at the Internet Archive.
-b.t.
I’m 99% certain that it IS a Bergey cover. It may not be an example of his BEST work (the lady’s pose is a bit stiff and her outfit and accessories make her look like she just won a futuristic beauty paegant) but the général color scheme, the design of the spaceship and the aliens, the modeling of the shadows on her fleshy bits (her thigh especially) look very much like his work. Then of course, the brass detail on her dress is a dead giveaway. Again, maybe not his best work but not bad, not bad at all.
And yeah, that is one hell of a line-up of authors, sure enough! Jeez Louise. Brackett , Hamilton and Bradbury were enough to separate me from my money, but throw in St. Clair, Leinster, Brown and Blish (plus a handful of sweet Finlay illustrations) and we’re in All-Star territory.
From the War Years to the end of the pulp era, THRILLING WONDER and STARTLING are my favorite sf mags. This issue also happens to be available in full at the Internet Archive.
-b.t.
I don't know about you, but she'd stop me on the proverbial dime.
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