Magazine Review: Science Fiction Stories January 1960 edited by Robert A.W. Lowndes
Science Fiction Stories was a minor SF magazine published as Science Fiction starting in 1940, then under a couple of different titles until 1943 when it and its stablemate Future Fiction were cancelled due to paper costs. It was revived in 1950 and ran until early 1960, when the distributor abruptly chose not to carry any magazines by publisher Louis Silberkeit. (Some of the remaining material was published by his next venture, Belmont Books.) “The Original” on the cover was not part of the magazine’s name, but meant to tie back the 1950s edition to the 1940s version.
“The Coffin Ship” by Bill Wesley leads off the issue with a passenger in suspended animation aboard a spaceship waking up alone. Cy Munson is in way over his head; he knows nothing about science or the ship’s technology, having barely squeaked through college on a football scholarship. But he was picked for his newspaper’s representative from the circulation department because he was the only person available who could pass the rigorous physical requirements to go on the expedition to Capella. It’s unclear how far in the future this is supposed to be; the newspaper publisher claims “no one’s done any actual reporting in fifty years” but he’s clearly supposed to be an excitable Perry White type so may be exaggerating.
Cy is unable to figure out the ship’s controls, location or how to awaken any of the crew; he finally decides suicide is better than staying alive alone for an indefinite period. Happily, his suicide method proves to be the smartest thing he could have done. He may not be book-smart but Cy has some common sense.
The illustration by Emsh makes it appear that the passengers were frozen topless, and we are only spared female nipples by light streaks on the glass. This is not mentioned at all in the story. (Cy is completely able to avoid the ickier impulses recently seen in the movie Passengers.)
“The Plot, The Plot!” is an editorial by Mr. Lowndes, in which he discusses the idea that science fiction won’t be recognized as real literature until it unshackles itself from stories that are entirely driven by plot, as opposed to character exploration and development.
“Day of the Glacier” by R.A. Lafferty is that author’s first published science fiction story. The newest Ice Age begins on April 1, 1962, and the majority of Earth’s population is caught by surprise as the planet freezes over. Climatologist Dr. Erdogic Eimer and three planeloads of his colleagues and families aren’t quite as surprised, as they knew this was about to happen, and made arrangements to get to a particular valley that will remain survivable for the duration.
But their calculations were a day off, and they’re also surprised to discover that someone got to the valley before them. It turns out that the Communists decided to take advantage of April Fool’s to launch their takeover of North America. They nuked the ICBM launching sides and simultaneously murdered the most anti-Communist Congresspeople so their “Peace Party” puppets can seize control of the Federal government. But those nuclear explosions caused just enough atmospheric disturbance to start the Ice Age a day early.
Only Soviet climatologist Commander Andreyev had also worked out what was about to happen, and had just enough pull to get a military expedition sent with him to the valley a few days before the disaster he predicted but was not taken seriously about. Will the future civilization be Red?
The story’s not all that good, but I can see Mr. Lafferty’s trademark humor and tall tale tendencies in it. There’s a touch of casual sexism, of the “women are not as smart as men but are much more practical” variety.
“Puritan Planet” by Carol Emshwiller concerns a man named Morgan and his cat, whose spaceship has crashlanded on a planet named Brotherhood. Unfortunately, the one access hatch is now buried in the ground, and Morgan will not be able to get out without outside help. Worse, the planet was colonized by religious fanatics, who are forbidden to directly kill infidels but need not rescue them either…and they’ve already heard him swear. Morgan has an ace up his sleeve, if only he can figure it out.
Carol Emshwiller happened to be married to Ed Emshwiller, the artist known as Emsh, and is a noted SF writer in her own right. That said, this is a slight story and nowhere near her best.
“Once In a Blue Moon” by Norman L. Knight is a reprint from 1942. This novella is set in the far future, during the second expansion of humanity among the stars. The first expansion was a rush job, and new diseases and invasive species ran rampant. The new expansion is much more cautious, and a special expedition has been sent to the planet soon to be known as Kenia to determine if it’s safe to allow colonists to come there.
One of the expedition members is Ilrai, a Martian novelist seeking material for his next book. He is distrusted by expedition leader Counselor Sarrasen, as Martians are naturally telepathic to a high degree, while Sarrasen is a telepathic null, unable to send or receive. The friction between them is an important subplot.
The expedition members are startled to discover that they are not the first human to reach the new planet. They’re especially freaked that linguist and railroad hobbyist Mattawomba is a black man. Evidently the first expansion had segregated spaceships, and their end of the galaxy was settled exclusively by white folks. Only the long-lived Ilrai, who’s been to Earth, has seen black people before. (After a couple of pages, Mattawomba’s skin color ceases to be an issue.)
Turns out that Mattawomba is the sole survivor of a colony ship that was headed elsewhere when plague broke out. His lifeboat landed on the nearest habitable planet, and Mattawomba was able to ingratiate himself to the natives with his knowledge of steam engines. This raises new problems. First, the expedition is now quarantined on Kenia until it can be proved Mattawomba isn’t contagious, and second, he’s violated regulations regarding giving advanced technologies to aliens.
The story reaches its main climax when a hunting trip goes horribly wrong, and Commander Sarrasen gets lost in the Kenian wilderness. He has to rely on crewmates that he has underestimated or actively hated to save him.
This tale being from 1942 explains a lot, and it is quite good for when it was written. It’s exciting once the main action gets started, has some nice imagery, and has a neat bit at the end where there isn’t a title drop. Y’see, while there is a blue moon in the story, the title phrase is no longer in the farflung humans’ vocabulary. So one of them fumbles when that wording would be appropriate.
On the other hand, there’s one of those shoehorned romance subplots that are the bane of pulp adventure stories.
The issue finishes with the letters column. (Mr. Lowndes was known for being enthusiastic about engaging with readers.) Several of the letters reference a previous editorial about the declining number of fan letters in recent years. They suggest that the elimination of fan club spotlight areas was part of that. Another letter mentioned having sent in a subscription check. Alas, the writer would only get two more issues.
A minor issue, of most interest to the Lafferty collector.
