It specialised in speculative literature, political discussion, often of a socialist bent, and the arts.

Its contributors included Bertram Fletcher Robinson, Upton Sinclair, George Bernard Shaw, Maxim Gorky, George Griffith, H. G. Wells, Rudyard Kipling, Rafael Sabatini, Sapper, Dornford Yates and E. Phillips Oppenheim, many of whose short stories and novelettes first saw publication in Pearson's.

[1] British publisher C. Arthur Pearson established and served as the editor of the monthly magazine from 1896 to 1899.

Succeeding editors included: The magazine ceased publication in November 1939 after 527 issues.

[2] It eventually diverged into more US-oriented authors and separate editorial oversight, which included: The United States version was published by J. J.