Magazine Review: Science Fiction Adventures May 1953 edited by Philip St. John
Science Fiction Adventures was a short-lived digest-sized magazine, running from 1952 to 1954. It was aimed at slightly younger readers, and edited by Lester del Rey under a pseudonym. Apparently, there was a dispute over payment, and del Rey quit as of 1954 with Harry Harrison filling in for the last few issues. The cover by Van Dongen does not match any of the interior stories.
The opening editorial is about how much fan clubs mean to the field of science fiction–enough that each issue will now have a article about a notable science fiction fan club.
“The Other Cheek” by Theodore G. Cogswell starts off the fiction section by taking us to the far future, where the Earthlings and Polarians are negotiating over the future of the neutral planet Saar. They’re not much concerned with what the Saarians think about the situation, as it’s a matter of which powerful star nation will be “protecting” Saar from the other.
Meanwhile, freighter captain Kit Carpenter has been called up from the reserves to deliver a diplomatic pouch between planets. He’s sorely undertrained for a military mission, and when a Polaris military ship ambushes and captures him, Kit has little choice but to go along. However, the warlike Polarians are acting oddly.
This humorous story reminds me of “Errand of Mercy” from Star Trek, but does not have the same twist.
“What Goes Up” by Robert Sheckley has a man fleeing debt collectors stow away aboard a starship. He’s kicked off on the first inhabited planet available. Edgarson soon discovers that on Porif, anything that has more than a 50% chance of occurring absolutely will, and anything with less than a 50% chance of occurring absolutely won’t. Since Porifians are aces at statistics, this makes life very certain there. And yet they still have a stock market, so Edgarson thinks he can make a killing. He’s not completely wrong.
As often with Scheckley, very funny.
“Among the Fen: This Is the PSFS” by Robert A. Madle is that first article about a fan club, in this case the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, which had secured the Eleventh Worldcon for their city. Most of this information has appeared elsewhere of course, but the history of fandom is always of interest to fen. Lester del Rey is mentioned in the article…he wasn’t a member of PSFS at the time, but was on the Worldcon 11 Concom.
“On Streets of Gold” by Irving E. Cox, Jr. is set on Venus. After the disastrous plague that destroyed the Mars expedition, this is the last chance for manned exploration of the solar system. Commander Curt Hallen is not happy about the presence of Commander Clark, the leader of the doomed Mars mission, as a “special advisor.” But Congress insisted.
It turns out there’s primitive humanoid life on Venus, with walls of glass and streets of gold. (It’s the one metal that doesn’t rust in Venus’ atmosphere.) There’s also hostile reptilians who attack with venomous snake weapons. Curt is convinced that the Earthlings can avoid the mistakes that caused the near extinction of his Comanche ancestors, but Clark isn’t so sure, and he’s been hiding a secret.
As it turns out, the Earthlings have made one basic assumption which leads to further disaster, but there are survivors. (The next issue blurb mentions a sequel story.)
“Survivors” by Richard M. Snodgrass is a dark story in which a man carries a dead dog back to town. He’s worried about what the townspeople will think, as the canine is a hero to them, a survivor of the Bikini tests and a symbol of the lasting peace that came afterwards. He carries the dog through the quiet streets…too quiet.
“The Dissecting Table” by Damon Knight is the book review section. He liked both The Long Loud Silence by Wilson Tucker and Witches Three by Fritz Leiber, James Blish and Fletcher Pratt.
“The Rocket Pistol” by Robert D. Sampson takes place in a large city where a hawk-nosed man is handing out toy pistols to children. They shoot pretty sparks, but a handful of them are actual disintegrator rays. The authorities are racing against time, and the reluctance of boys to give up their toys.
The final story in this issue is Part 2 of 3 of “Police Your Planet” by Erik van Lhin (pen name of Lester del Rey.) Bruce Gordon is an ex-boxer, ex-cop, ex-reporter, and now ex-citizen of Earth. He exposed hellish conditions on the Mercury colony, and Security exiled him to Mars. They did, however, leave a small thread of hope. If Gordon is willing to spy for Security, he may be allowed to return.
As it turns out, the government of the Mars colony is corrupt on a scale even Gordon, who’s been knocked out of three careers because of normal corruption is shocked by. He doesn’t want to be a snitch for Security, so tries to find ways to get enough cash for an illegal ticket off the planet. This includes joining Mars’ spectacularly corrupt police department, which is really just the most powerful protection racket.
However, he starts part two working in an outlying district for the one known honest police captain, which isn’t lucrative, but feels better somehow.
But that soon ends, and with elections coming up, the gangs are feuding over which of them will now be the ones in power.
Gordon has a personal problem as well, having earned the enmity of Sheila Carey, granddaughter of racketeer “Mother” Carey, who was Gordon’s mentor in the early days on Mars. She keeps coming after him, but also sparing him at odd moments.
The character I like best is Izzy, who tries to be a legitimate crooked cop–he may be in it for the graft, but he has standards and rules for himself.
Content note: Sheila has rape in her backstory, one of the reasons she’s on the outs with her grandfather, and Gordon isn’t above forcing kisses on her.
This is pretty macho stuff, hard men in a hard land making hard choices. The part ends with Gordon being forced into a corner by Security–he has to clean up Mars or die!
The letters column has the editor (Lester del Rey) giving Lester del Rey space to respond to criticism of an article on phonetic spelling by Lester del Rey.
Overall, a solid issue, but maybe a bit too Lester del Rey-centric.
