Science Fiction Pulps from Zephyr Used and Rare Books

Zephyr Used and Rare Books has presented us with a catalogue devoted to those two words that don't go together – science and fiction. Britannica describes science as “any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation. In general, a science involves a pursuit of knowledge covering general truths or the operations of fundamental laws.” Truths and fiction are about as diametrically opposed as they come. Yet here we have it, a catalogue of Science Fiction Pulps.

What science fiction refers to is a world that sounds like it is based on scientific precepts, but is totally imaginary. There are rocketships, advanced but fictional technology, fantastic worlds and creatures that don't exist. It sounds like science, but in reality it is fiction. It's a place where the science-oriented mind can let its imagination run wild.

While what we find here isn't always great literature, there are many writers whose names are notable today, such as Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, and H. P. Lovecraft. No wonder these stories could be riveting. What may be most interesting of all is not the writing within. The cover art can be truly amazing. That was how they got science fiction fans to purchase a copy. They often featured beautiful women, sometimes scantily clad, along with hideous creatures. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

One more point. This catalogue celebrates Zephyr's 30 years in the business. And, that's not fiction. That may sound like a long time, but for a book dealer, that's the definition of midpoint. Another 10,950 days to go. Here is a rundown of what you will find in Zephyr's Science Fiction Pulps.

There are numerous copies of Amazing Stories. They have been published, with some gaps, for almost a century. These range from the mid-1930s to the early 1940s. Most are individual copies but there is also a larger quarterly. Some of the featured stories are Murder by Atom, Moon of Arcturus (Arcturus is a real star), Fish Men of Venus, Rockets Over Europe (a wartime edition), Beyond the Stratosphere, Radium Airship of Saturn, Another Dimension, If the Sun Ran Amok, Blitzkreig in the Past (another war edition except we were fighting dinosaurs instead of Germans), Blitz Against Japan, West Point 3000 A.D., Life on Titan (it's scary), and Zagribud. Zagribud was some sort of robot.

Then there were Astonishing Stories. Was that name a play on the name of the then successful Amazing Stories? Do we even need to ask? Astonishing Stories had a short life, from 1940-1943. It was not regarded as a higher quality publication, using some stories rejected by others, but it did include some work by Bradbury, Lovecraft, and Asimov. The April 1941 issue includes Asimov's 23rd science fiction short story, Heredity. Other titles include The Deadly Swarm, Out of the Sea, The Vortex Master Makes War (by E.E. Smith, Ph. D), and the Abyss of Darkness. The November 1941 issue contains works by the “Aces of Science Fiction,” one of whom was L. Ron Hubbard. He was the creator of Scientology, a pseudo-science cum religion that has gathered thousands of followers, including some famous people. Many others believe he was still writing pseudo-science fiction.

Amazing Stories spawned multiple copycat titles, such as Astonishing Stories. Here is another – Astounding Stories. How many superlatives beginning with the letter “A” are there? It began in 1930 and has changed names and publishers so many times the connection is no longer recognizable. Astounding Stories followed the same vein, fantastic stories with a scientific appearance highlighted with the even more fantastic cover art. Zephyr has a large selection of these titles dated 1932-1937. The quality of this pulp magazine is regarded highly. Among the selections are a couple of first publication of well-regarded H. P. Lovecraft stories. Among the stories are Ancestral Voices, The Man Who Stopped the Dust, The Brain of Light, Sidewise in Time, The Eternal Wandered, Beyond Infinity, and Water for Mars (with that and an atmosphere, we could inhabit the planet). From Lovecraft there are At the Mountains of Madness and Part II of At the Mountains of Madness.

Trying to move more to the science than the sensational, Astounding Stories changed its name to Astounding-Science Fiction. Zephyr has a run of these too, with stories such as Something from Jupiter, Men Against the Stars, Blue Giraffe, Common Sense (by Robert Heinlein not Thomas Paine), and Gather Darkness. Isaac Asimov is among the writers as is Scientologist L. Ron Hubbard in multiple appearances. Among Hubbard's work is The Tramp from 1938, who obtained superpowers a year before Clark Kent did.

Finally, a sensational title not beginning with the letter “A.” Startling Stories ran from 1939-1955. Just as Amazing Stories was turning down the sensationalism for more serious science fiction, Startling Stories was filling the more absurd fantasy role. Cover art was particularly sensational, teaching us that women in science tended to dress for outer space as if they were going to the beach. They also often featured what must be one of the most uncomfortable pieces of clothing imaginable, metal bras. Maybe those are useful for deflecting ray guns. You can read about the Last Woman, the Great Ego, the Ancient Brain, the Cybernetic Brains, and the Man with the Iron Cap (he would have made a nice couple with one of those women with iron bras). In 2004, Thomas Frank wrote the best-selling political book “What's the Matter with Kansas.” Startling Stories knew the answer 60 years earlier – The Gods Hate Kansas. Sorry, Dorothy, you'd be better off returning to Oz.

There are other publications in shorter runs offered in this catalogue. Included are Planet Stories, Marvel Science Stories, Captain Future, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Quarterly, Wonder Stories, later retitled Thrilling Wonder Stories, and Super Science. The nice thing about these pulp magazines is most aren't very expensive. All but a few are priced in double digits, often lower middle double digits. You will pay several hundred if you want one of those renown Lovecraft firsts. If you aren't ready to collect on the Shakespeare First Folio or Bay Psalm Book level yet, this might be a good place to start.

Zephyr Used & Rare Books may be reached at 360-695-7767 or zephyrbook@gmail.com.