(Cover price 1/9 – an increase of 75% over 69 months.)

This is the issue I bought at an antique fair last year along with the corresponding magazine issue from July 1952. The dimensions had by this time shrunk to 8 x 5½ inch. As well as the fiction there is an editorial, an article, some book reviews and a puff for the next issue. The cover illustration is by Kelly Freas. The seventeen interior illustrations are by Freas and van Dongen. The layout is in single columns.

The Gentle Earth by Christopher Anvil
Invaders from another planet land in the central US as a first step. Their knowledge of conditions on Earth – climatic and social – isn’t adequate. The story is meant to be humorous and is diverting enough but it’s a throwaway.

The Shrines of Earth by Robert Silverberg
Earth is a rural backwater, peopled by flute players. It is under threat from the Hrossai and the locals hatch a plan to inveigle help from former colony worlds to protect the ancient shrines of Earth.

Article: Science Fiction in a Robot’s Eye by Jack Williamson
This comments on a “recent” study of stories from 3 SF magazines over the years 1951-3 where statistical techniques were used for analysis. Bug-eyed monsters were rare, predictive type stories over-represented and minorities treated better than in other magazine fiction of the time.

One Per Cent Inspiration by Edward Wellen
A tale about how a Montana farmer one day in 1998 invented the teleportation drive.
This had one linguistic term I don’t remember seeing before, “stacks of timothy.” Apparently timothy is a kind of grass used for hay.

Citizen of the Galaxy, part 3 of 4 by Robert A Heinlein
Since I’m never likely to come across parts 1, 2 and 4, I didn’t bother with this.

Atlas Publishing & Distributing, London. A Street and Smith Publication (Cover price 1/-!)

This is a 10 x 6½ inch magazine which I bought at an antique fair late last year along with the corresponding magazine issue of March 1958. Apart from a few adverts, this one contained nothing but fiction, in double column layout. The cover illustration is uncredited. Three of the four interior illustrations bear the relevant artist’s signature.

Space Fear by James H Schmitz
A very much told, rather than shown, farrago about the overthrow of a psychic illusionist who is holding a planet in thrall. Replete with cardboard characters with unbelievable motivations.

Philosophical Corps by E B Cole
The Corps of the title go about planets ridding them of the influence of degraders who have disturbed the natural order of things by exposing the inhabitants to galactic technology before the natural time. Packed with clunky expository dialogue.

Casting Office by Henderson Stark
History is represented as a sort of horror play by an Author (who parrots Shakespeare) undone by backers who dislike the ending he has written.

Experimentum Crucis by Andrew MacDuff
A trader from Earth pulls off a deal with an alien in a far away system. He may not have got the bargain he thinks.

High Threshold by Alan E Nourse
Someone with a high threshold for adaptation is required to understand the properties, and withstand the dangers, of a strange cube which distorts things – something to do with negative absolute temperatures and negative molecular motion. The only suitable candidate – a woman – has an unusual response.

Protected Species by H B Fyfe
An inspector of colonial installations on a visit to the Planet Torang, decides the local large animals are worth protecting. It is a fateful decision. The twist in the tale – even if a bit deus ex machina – is an effective one.