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Scientifictionist, v. 1, issue 4, April 1946

Page 6

[text is in two columns; first column]
cause the magazine at that time was publishing only stories along tried and true lines instead of the more interesting and experimental fiction of its more successful competitors.
Gernsback was the father of pulp science-fiction, and of the slogan as well. When he left AMAZING and started SCIENCE WONDER, the long winded and inspirational "Prophetic Fiction is the Mother of Scientific Fact" was at the top of every editorial page, and was carried thru for some time in WONDER as well. It would doubtless be argued by most scientists that no fiction writer actually ever really contributed anything to science's improvement, but that still didn't halt the splendor of the statement.
For AIR WONDER's forst issue in 1929 Gernsback had "The Future of Aviation Springs from the Imagination." Most experts will say that it springs from some hard work at the designing boards. Last issue of AIR WONDER had the more accurate slogan, "Startling Stories of Future Aviation."
When AIR WONDER and SCIENCE WONDER were combined into WONDER was when the imagination really ran riot. In addition to the old SWS slogan on the editorial page, a new one was added to the cover. This was probably the all time prize. Evidently designed to intrigue the eye of the casual news-stand buyer, the words "Mystery - Adventure - Romance" were emblazoned boldly across the top of the cover. The adventure part, at least, was accurate, as practically all science fiction in those days was 90% adventure. But the romance was generally dragged in by the hair, and the biggest mystery was where they dug up some of those stories. WONDER did have more than its share of good stories,but most of them were pretty bad.
In 1932 WONDER had a new slogan,which was pretty good and destined to outlive just about any other slogan. This was "The Magazine of Prophetic Fiction", originally used on the cover, but later relegated to the contents page where it stayed for quite some time, well into the THRILLING WONDER era. On the accuracy count, we'll have to wait a few hundred years to see how some of the longer range stories fared. The shorter range tales haven't been too good at forecasting the future. In 1934 WONDER became, by its own admission, "The Best in Science Fiction." That was strictly a matter of opinion, and my own belief is that ASTOUNDING was better then and forever after.
THRILLING WONDER had one of the best remembered of slogans on the cover of its first few issues, "Stranger Than Truth!" No comment on that one, and for once the slogan makers were correct.
The CLAYTON ASTOUNDING had its slogan "Stories of Super Science" as part of the title, and had more than its share of "Super Science", with mad scientists and death rays galore. The Street and Smith ASTOUNDING seems to have gotten along fairly well without any definite slogan.
STARTLING revived the atrocity again by calling itself, on the spine, "Scientifiction at its Best"and on the contents page, "The Best In Scientifiction." Once more it's a case of everyone to his own opinion. CAPTAIN FUTURE was, of course, "The Wizard of Science", and there are those who would replace the last word with something else.
The generally good SUPER SCIENCE didn't bother with a slogan at first, but in 1941 admitted that it was "The Big Book of Science Fiction." That was about the time Palmer started his telephone directory issues of AMAZING.
MARVEL, in 1939, was "The Magazine of Super Science Stories." And, following shortly in another variation of the old Clayton motif, COMET tales were advertised as"Stories of Super Time and Space." I  made up a song once about Super Science, to the tune of "Super Suds" which I'll put into print if I ever get the nerve.
SCIENCE FICTION, for just one issue, the first, was composed of "Fantastic Stories of the Future." Hornig should have known better, for altho the slogan was correct it was just the sort of thing a fan would tear apart.
Last on this incomplete list is PLANET, and the slogan they used on every cover until very recently. This one has a certain beauty in that it is just the sort of thing a non-reader expects science fiction to be. The slogan, in all its splendor, is of course "Strange Adventures on Other Worlds - The Universe of Future Centuries." And with that beautiful thought, I'll close.

page 6

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[text is in two columns; first column] cause the magazine at that time was publishing only stories along tried and true lines instead of the more interesting and experimental fiction of its more successful competitors. Gernsback was the father of pulp science-fiction, and of the slogan as well. When he left AMAZING and started SCIENCE WONDER, the long winded and inspirational "Prophetic Fiction is the Mother of Scientific Fact" was at the top of every editorial page, and was carried thru for some time in WONDER as well. It would doubtless be argued by most scientists that no fiction writer actually ever really contributed anything to science's improvement, but that still didn't halt the splendor of the statement. For AIR WONDER's forst issue in 1929 Gernsback had "The Future of Aviation Springs from the Imagination." Most experts will say that it springs from some hard work at the designing boards. Last issue of AIR WONDER had the more accurate slogan, "Startling Stories of Future Aviation." When AIR WONDER and SCIENCE WONDER were combined into WONDER was when the imagination really ran riot. In addition to the old SWS slogan on the editorial page, a new one was added to the cover. This was probably the all time prize. Evidently designed to intrigue the eye of the casual news-stand buyer, the words "Mystery - Adventure - Romance" were emblazoned boldly across the top of the cover. The adventure part, at least, was accurate, as practically all science fiction in those days was 90% adventure. But the romance was generally dragged in by the hair, and the biggest mystery was where they dug up some of those stories. WONDER did have more than its share of good stories,but most of them were pretty bad. In 1932 WONDER had a new slogan,which was pretty good and destined to outlive just about any other slogan. This was "The Magazine of Prophetic Fiction", originally used on the cover, but later relegated to the contents page where it stayed for quite some time, well into the THRILLING WONDER era. On the accuracy count, we'll have to wait a few hundred years to see how some of the longer range stories fared. The shorter range tales haven't been too good at forecasting the future. In 1934 WONDER became, by its own admission, "The Best in Science Fiction." That was strictly a matter of opinion, and my own belief is that ASTOUNDING was better then and forever after. THRILLING WONDER had one of the best remembered of slogans on the cover of its first few issues, "Stranger Than Truth!" No comment on that one, and for once the slogan makers were correct. The CLAYTON ASTOUNDING had its slogan "Stories of Super Science" as part of the title, and had more than its share of "Super Science", with mad scientists and death rays galore. The Street and Smith ASTOUNDING seems to have gotten along fairly well without any definite slogan. STARTLING revived the atrocity again by calling itself, on the spine, "Scientifiction at its Best"and on the contents page, "The Best In Scientifiction." Once more it's a case of everyone to his own opinion. CAPTAIN FUTURE was, of course, "The Wizard of Science", and there are those who would replace the last word with something else. The generally good SUPER SCIENCE didn't bother with a slogan at first, but in 1941 admitted that it was "The Big Book of Science Fiction." That was about the time Palmer started his telephone directory issues of AMAZING. MARVEL, in 1939, was "The Magazine of Super Science Stories." And, following shortly in another variation of the old Clayton motif, COMET tales were advertised as"Stories of Super Time and Space." I made up a song once about Super Science, to the tune of "Super Suds" which I'll put into print if I ever get the nerve. SCIENCE FICTION, for just one issue, the first, was composed of "Fantastic Stories of the Future." Hornig should have known better, for altho the slogan was correct it was just the sort of thing a fan would tear apart. Last on this incomplete list is PLANET, and the slogan they used on every cover until very recently. This one has a certain beauty in that it is just the sort of thing a non-reader expects science fiction to be. The slogan, in all its splendor, is of course "Strange Adventures on Other Worlds - The Universe of Future Centuries." And with that beautiful thought, I'll close. page 6