John Raymond science fiction magazines
Raymond was an American publisher of men's magazines who knew little about science fiction, but the field's rapid growth and a distributor's recommendation prompted him to pursue the genre.
They carried fiction by many names well known in the field or who later became famous, including Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, Robert E. Howard, and John Jakes.
[1] In October 1950, the first issue of Galaxy Science Fiction appeared; it reached a circulation of 100,000 within a year, and its success encouraged other publishers to enter the field.
When another distributor approached Raymond to ask if he would be interested in publishing a science fiction title, he suggested to del Rey that this second magazine should focus on action stories.
Raymond decided to expand further, launching Fantasy Magazine in March 1953, and Rocket Stories, which like Science Fiction Adventures was aimed at a juvenile readership, the following month.
Del Rey calculated the increased circulation that would be needed for these investments to show a net profit, and threatened to resign unless Raymond approved the changes.
Del Rey resigned, and later recalled that "Raymond informed everyone that I'd been fired, and his lawyer threatened to sue me for slander and libel because I'd returned the manuscripts to authors, stating that the new rate was in effect.
Del Rey again obtained material from well-known writers: Clifford Simak, Fletcher Pratt, and Murray Leinster appeared.
[6] Later issues featured three serialized novels: H. Beam Piper's Ullr Uprising, T. L. Sherred's Cue for Quiet, and Poul Anderson's The Escape, which was cut short after one installment when the magazine ceased publication.
[3] Del Rey explained his goals for the magazine in an editorial in the first issue: "We also feel that science fiction isn't meant to be educational.
"[7] Fiction in the first issue included The Fires of Forever, a novel by Chad Oliver, stories by L. Sprague de Camp and C. M. Kornbluth, and a non-fiction article by del Rey.
In the opinion of science fiction historians Ted Krulik and Bruce Tinkel, the magazine improved over its first year; they particularly praise Police Your Planet, a novel by del Rey that began serialization in the March 1953 issue under the pseudonym Erik van Lhin, and Raymond Gallun's Ten to the Stars.
[7] Well-known writers from whom del Rey was able to obtain stories included Algis Budrys, Robert Sheckley, Ross Rocklynne, and Wilmar Shiras.
[3] Many of the cover artists were well-known in the field, including Alex Schomburg, Mel Hunter, Ed Emshwiller, and H. R. Van Dongen.
Ashley considers that it although it took some time for the effects of Knight's reviews to appear, the column drove "a wedge into the [science fiction] world and [began] to separate what was good from what was bad".
[3][9] Science fiction historian E. F. Casebeer considers that the magazine published some good material, and that it contained "far more than its covers and title might imply".
Like fairy chess, it should be a game of logic where the basic rules are flexible, filled with some delightful surprise to twist the mind out of the rut, and must be played with consummate skill to be at all interesting.
[10] Del Rey published work by Algis Budrys, L. Sprague de Camp, John Wyndham, Clark Ashton Smith, Philip K. Dick, Katherine MacLean, Harry Harrison and Robert Sheckley, and obtained covers from Hannes Bok for all four issues of the magazine.
