It was initially formed for only one purpose, to publish the Damon Knight book that became In Search of Wonder (originally titled Rx Science Fiction).
Collectors should note that a “secret” printing run of 100 brown paperbacks copies of In Search of Wonder were published as a market test.
[6][7] Robert E[dward] Briney, Jr. (2 Dec 1933-25 Nov 2011) was a noted science fiction and mystery fan, and was a founding member of Advent:Publishers, Inc.
His early period as a fan of science fiction was highlighted by the self-publication of Shanadu (SSR Pubs., Tonawanda, 1953, 101 pp., $1.50), an anthology containing three stories: "Quest of the Veil," by Thomas Eugene DeWeese, “The Fire- Born,” by Toby Duane (pseudonym of W. Paul Ganley—a founding member, along with Ken Krueger, of the Buffalo Fantasy League), and “The Black Tower,” by Brian J. McNaughton & Andrew Duane (pseudonym of R.E.
Due to their initial success with In Search of Wonder, now confident in their efforts, the group continued with their publishing organization for over sixty years.
Ed Wood was the editorial director, consulting with the various writers over content and motivating them to deliver the works on time, as promised.
Dikty denied the later but pointed out at the time that his anthology was selling, even better and faster than any of the early ones he had done with E. F. Bleiler, even to the Doubleday SF Book Club, and clearly could carry the line, so he believed a share wasn't out of the question.
[4] The partners saw it differently, and decided to drop Dikty, and stick from that point on to the one thing they could all agree on: nonfiction about the science fiction and fantasy field.
Smith’s unpublished fiction works: Have Trenchcoat—Will Travel, and Others: A novel of suspense, and three short stories (Advent:Publishers, Inc., Chicago, IL, 2001, 274 pp., $20.00).
He was one of the earliest writers of interstellar and intergalactic adventure stories, fondly referred to as “space opera.” His Skylark novels began to appear in the science fiction magazines in 1928, followed by his epic Lensman series starting in 1937.
Advent usually publishes only non-fiction related to science fiction, such as criticism or bibliography; we are bringing out this book primarily because of its associational interest to Doc Smith's many fans.