Early Seattle Sci-Fi Zine "Science Fiction Newsletter", 1951-52
Archive
[Sci-Fi][Zines] Archive of four issues of 1950s Seattle sci-fi zine "Science Fiction Newsletter". Seattle: William L. Crawford / Fantasy Publishing Company, 1951–1952. A four-issue run of Science Fiction Newsletter, the influential fan-published trade bulletin edited by William L. Crawford, a founding figure in American science fiction publishing. Issued between 1946 and 1952, the Newsletter served as both a bibliographic digest and a social hub for midcentury sci-fi fan community, reporting on new books, conventions, fan culture, and the professional activities of writers like Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, and Bradbury. These issues provide insight into the formation of science fiction as a distinct publishing category and cultural movement in the postwar period. Archive includes:[1] Science Fiction Newsletter. No. 19. March 1951. Includes a “Checklist of 1950 Books” compiled by Sam Moskowitz, with detailed listings of recently published sci-fi titles including Asimov’s Pebble in the Sky and Clarke’s Prelude to Space. William N. Austin solicits responses for his annual readers’ poll. Also features coverage of the Fantasy Book award for design, won by Jack Williamson’s The Cometeers, and reviews of Campbell’s The Moon is Hell and Merritt’s Dwellers in the Mirage.
[2] Science Fiction Newsletter. October 1951. Convention-themed issue devoted to Nolacon (the 9th World Science Fiction Convention in New Orleans), with front-page headline “New Orleans Hot, The Convention Not.” Includes candid photo spread showing authors and fans (e.g., Fritz Leiber, Forrest J Ackerman), along with humorous captions such as “Kyle registers horror.” Additional features include “Books and Writers,” new title announcements, and fan gossip.
[3] Science Fiction Newsletter. March 1952. Illustrated cover showing a stylized rocket emerging from a shelf of Jules Verne books. Contents include “The Big Bloodshot Eye,” a roundup of fan wire recording projects, and “The Fantasy Bookman,” a regular column by Darrell C. Richardson, here reviewing Robert Spencer Carr’s Beyond Infinity. Also includes fandom updates, convention previews, and Chicago Science Fiction Society news.
[4] Science Fiction Newsletter. May 1952. Cover art by famed fan artist Richard Bergeron, whose sinuous, maze-like alien design reflects the blending of fan creativity and sci-fi surrealism. Features include reviews of The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction (Boucher & McComas), Campbell’s Astounding Science Fiction Anthology, and short takes on Damon Knight, Heinlein, and Simak. Contains poetry by Stan Woolston, announcements from New York fan circles, and commentary on fanzine special issues
All four issues well-preserved in original self-wrappers, with moderate wear and toning as expected. Some staining and toning to wrappers; interior pages uniformly clean and legible. Overall very good condition. Four zines from one of the most important postwar sci-fi fan publishers, capturing the period when science fiction was shifting from pulp subculture to mainstream literary genre.
Item #22442
Price: $285.00
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