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Inspiration, v. 4, issue 1, April 1946

Page 31

INSPIRATION
31

For July 1938, I liked best Simak's "Rule 18", and Rocklynne's best of his cops and robber series, "The Men and the Mirror". One of the stories in August was definitely a classic, the Stuart, "Who Goes There?" The theme was not new, but the treatment was one of the most excellent ever given a story. Same issue had Burks' "Hell Ship", Kuttner's "The Disinherited" and Heckman's "Asteroid Pirates".

The Hubbard serial "The Tramp" started in September, which issue also had Clark's "Double! Double!" Top story in October was Sell's "Other Tracks", one of the best of the parallel time stories, and Simak's "Hunger Death". Rocklynne's "Who Was Dilmo Deni?" takes the prize for November. December was quite an issue, with Gold's "A Matter of Form" rating highest, and also getting ASTOUNDING's first Nova award. Also very good were "The Merman" by de Camp, "Helen O'Loy" by Del Rey, and the Wellman serial "Nuisance Value". 

Best for January 1939 were de Camp's "The Incorrigible", Jameson's "Mill of the Gods", and Phillips' "Maiden Voyage" in that order. A classic in the February 1939 ASTOUNDING, Williamson's "Crucible of Power", along with "Palooka from Jupiter" a Schachner story I liked very much.

Stuart's "Cloak of Aesir" is tops for March, altho it is closely pushed by a personal favorite of mine, Jameson's humorous, "Children of the 'Betsy B'". There was also Burks' "Follow the Bouncing Ball" and Casey's "Star Crash". See that I neglected the Simak serial "Cosmic Engineers," which began in February.

April has the start of another Williamson Legion serial, and one of the best, "One Against the Legion". Schachner's "Worlds Don't Care" and Jameson's "Catalyst Poison" were very good, altho the latter smacked strongly of fantasy. This April issue had also what is probably the best cover every used on ASTOUNDING. May has Berryman's "Special Flight" and del Rey's "The Day is Done", an unusual and excellent cave-man. I liked "The Morons" by Vincent, in June.

The first story by A. E. van Vogt was in the July 1939 ASTOUNDING, and it was one of the best, "Black Destroyer", which I'd rate well up among the classics. Also liked were Asimov's first story, "Trends", and Rocklynne's "The Moth". Another new writer with a good story, Heinlein with "Life-Line", came in August -- but I liked de Camp's "The Blue Giraffe", and especially del Rey's "The Luck of Ignatz" better. Also very good was Bond's "Stowaway". The Engelhardt serial "General Swamp, C. I. C." also rated very high, making the issue as a whole a superlative one.

September is down just a little, altho Gallun's "Masson's Secret" and Wellman's "Forces Must Balance" are very good.

The serial starting in October 1939 was heralded as the greatest story of E. E. Smith's career, and I'm not going to argue about that. "Gray Lensman" was not only Smith's greatest story, but was as good as anything I've ever read. The cover portraying Kimball Kinnison, by Rogers, is also excellent. In addition to the lensman, there were Berryman's "Space Rating" and "Rust" by Kelleam. In November I liked Heinlein's "Misfit" and Vincent's "Power Plant".

December 1939 had the excellent van Vogt "Discord in Scarlet", Casey's "Thundering Peace" for good space-opera, and one of the best of the Past-Present-and-Future series, Schachner's "City of the Corporate Mind". Campbell had been editor for a little over two years, and by this time had built up quite a stock of good writers to build a generally superlative magazine. Almost every issue was near-perfect, and even the stories I don't mention would, almost all of them, have stood out had they been in any other mag.

1940 was the peak year for science-fiction with a dozen magazines on the market, 3 of them being monthlies. It was to be expected that their leader would have a superlative year, and the ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION for 1940 is perhaps the best s-f that has ever been published, both from the standpoint of quality and quantity.

Saving...

INSPIRATION 31 For July 1938, I liked best Simak's "Rule 18", and Rocklynne's best of his cops and robber series, "The Men and the Mirror". One of the stories in August was definitely a classic, the Stuart, "Who Goes There?" The theme was not new, but the treatment was one of the most excellent ever given a story. Same issue had Burks' "Hell Ship", Kuttner's "The Disinherited" and Heckman's "Asteroid Pirates". The Hubbard serial "The Tramp" started in September, which issue also had Clark's "Double! Double!" Top story in October was Sell's "Other Tracks", one of the best of the parallel time stories, and Simak's "Hunger Death". Rocklynne's "Who Was Dilmo Deni?" takes the prize for November. December was quite an issue, with Gold's "A Matter of Form" rating highest, and also getting ASTOUNDING's first Nova award. Also very good were "The Merman" by de Camp, "Helen O'Loy" by Del Rey, and the Wellman serial "Nuisance Value". Best for January 1939 were de Camp's "The Incorrigible", Jameson's "Mill of the Gods", and Phillips' "Maiden Voyage" in that order. A classic in the February 1939 ASTOUNDING, Williamson's "Crucible of Power", along with "Palooka from Jupiter" a Schachner story I liked very much. Stuart's "Cloak of Aesir" is tops for March, altho it is closely pushed by a personal favorite of mine, Jameson's humorous, "Children of the 'Betsy B'". There was also Burks' "Follow the Bouncing Ball" and Casey's "Star Crash". See that I neglected the Simak serial "Cosmic Engineers," which began in February. April has the start of another Williamson Legion serial, and one of the best, "One Against the Legion". Schachner's "Worlds Don't Care" and Jameson's "Catalyst Poison" were very good, altho the latter smacked strongly of fantasy. This April issue had also what is probably the best cover every used on ASTOUNDING. May has Berryman's "Special Flight" and del Rey's "The Day is Done", an unusual and excellent cave-man. I liked "The Morons" by Vincent, in June. The first story by A. E. van Vogt was in the July 1939 ASTOUNDING, and it was one of the best, "Black Destroyer", which I'd rate well up among the classics. Also liked were Asimov's first story, "Trends", and Rocklynne's "The Moth". Another new writer with a good story, Heinlein with "Life-Line", came in August -- but I liked de Camp's "The Blue Giraffe", and especially del Rey's "The Luck of Ignatz" better. Also very good was Bond's "Stowaway". The Engelhardt serial "General Swamp, C. I. C." also rated very high, making the issue as a whole a superlative one. September is down just a little, altho Gallun's "Masson's Secret" and Wellman's "Forces Must Balance" are very good. The serial starting in October 1939 was heralded as the greatest story of E. E. Smith's career, and I'm not going to argue about that. "Gray Lensman" was not only Smith's greatest story, but was as good as anything I've ever read. The cover portraying Kimball Kinnison, by Rogers, is also excellent. In addition to the lensman, there were Berryman's "Space Rating" and "Rust" by Kelleam. In November I liked Heinlein's "Misfit" and Vincent's "Power Plant". December 1939 had the excellent van Vogt "Discord in Scarlet", Casey's "Thundering Peace" for good space-opera, and one of the best of the Past-Present-and-Future series, Schachner's "City of the Corporate Mind". Campbell had been editor for a little over two years, and by this time had built up quite a stock of good writers to build a generally superlative magazine. Almost every issue was near-perfect, and even the stories I don't mention would, almost all of them, have stood out had they been in any other mag. 1940 was the peak year for science-fiction with a dozen magazines on the market, 3 of them being monthlies. It was to be expected that their leader would have a superlative year, and the ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION for 1940 is perhaps the best s-f that has ever been published, both from the standpoint of quality and quantity.