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Inspiration, v. 4, issue 1, April 1946

Page 9

INSPIRATION     9

20[[cent symbol]]

ASTOUNDING
STORIES
OF SUPER-SCIENCE
SUPER SCIENCE AND SPACE PIRATES

[[text in flag illustration]]
A CLAYTON MAGAZINE[[end text in illustration]]

The advent of the Clayton ASTOUNDING with the January 1930 issue was interesting from a statistical point of view. For the first time a science-fiction magazine was started by someone other than Hugo Gernsback; for the first time a science-fiction magazine was published in small size and for a price of less than 25[[cent symbol]]; and for the first time a science-fiction magazine was in the hands of a publishing company primarily concerned with fiction mags rather than science magazines. The Clayton ASTOUNDING was primarily interested in reaching the general reading public rather than a selected group.
It is unfair to say tho, that the new magazine was not so much interested in the quality of their stories as they were in circulation. The same charge can be made of a number of other magazines, including the Gernsbacks. True, the Clayton mag specialized in adventure, but they were often excellent science-fiction. Not generally realized now is the fact that Clayton was one of the foremost quality publishers of the time, altho they used pulp format. The leading Clayton mag of the era, FIVE-NOVELS, had the reputation of consistently printing stories of the best slick quality. So the new ASTOUNDING wasn't just another "pulp". The editor of the Clayton ASTOUNDING, as every fan knows, was Harry Bates.
1930 was one of the big years in science-fiction history, and the new type of literature was becoming increasingly popular. With the start of ASTOUNDING, there were no less than 4 monthlies on the market, and it's not generally known that in 1930 there were a total of 41 monthlies and 8 quarterlies published, a figure quite a bit in excess of that of today, and comparing favorably even with the banner years of 1940-41.
Cover artist for the new mag was Wesso, who held that spot, I believe, for every issue of the Clayton mag, and generally did a good job altho his pictures generally suffered from an overdose of action in line with the magazine's policy. The story titles in the first issue are a key to that policy -- "The Beetle Horde", "The Cave of Horror", "The Stolen Mind", "Invisible Death". My own favorite in the issue was simply-titled "Tanks" by Leinster, altho it is somewhat doubtful if this can be considered science-fiction. It was realistic enough, but concerned a supposed war in 1932 which ended with the as-yet-unproved assertion that infantry was no longer useful in war. Maybe I'm just prejudiced thru being a former infantryman. Leinster also had some accurate prediction of the invaluable use of what he called "fog-gas" in war, which was of interest to me because I was primarily concerned with screening smokes for my first two army years. Suffice it to say that this is one story I've read several times. Cover spot on that first issue was given to "The Beetle Horde" by Rosseau, and the story is about as the title would indicate.

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INSPIRATION 9 20[[cent symbol]] ASTOUNDING STORIES OF SUPER-SCIENCE SUPER SCIENCE AND SPACE PIRATES [[text in flag illustration]] A CLAYTON MAGAZINE[[end text in illustration]] The advent of the Clayton ASTOUNDING with the January 1930 issue was interesting from a statistical point of view. For the first time a science-fiction magazine was started by someone other than Hugo Gernsback; for the first time a science-fiction magazine was published in small size and for a price of less than 25[[cent symbol]]; and for the first time a science-fiction magazine was in the hands of a publishing company primarily concerned with fiction mags rather than science magazines. The Clayton ASTOUNDING was primarily interested in reaching the general reading public rather than a selected group. It is unfair to say tho, that the new magazine was not so much interested in the quality of their stories as they were in circulation. The same charge can be made of a number of other magazines, including the Gernsbacks. True, the Clayton mag specialized in adventure, but they were often excellent science-fiction. Not generally realized now is the fact that Clayton was one of the foremost quality publishers of the time, altho they used pulp format. The leading Clayton mag of the era, FIVE-NOVELS, had the reputation of consistently printing stories of the best slick quality. So the new ASTOUNDING wasn't just another "pulp". The editor of the Clayton ASTOUNDING, as every fan knows, was Harry Bates. 1930 was one of the big years in science-fiction history, and the new type of literature was becoming increasingly popular. With the start of ASTOUNDING, there were no less than 4 monthlies on the market, and it's not generally known that in 1930 there were a total of 41 monthlies and 8 quarterlies published, a figure quite a bit in excess of that of today, and comparing favorably even with the banner years of 1940-41. Cover artist for the new mag was Wesso, who held that spot, I believe, for every issue of the Clayton mag, and generally did a good job altho his pictures generally suffered from an overdose of action in line with the magazine's policy. The story titles in the first issue are a key to that policy -- "The Beetle Horde", "The Cave of Horror", "The Stolen Mind", "Invisible Death". My own favorite in the issue was simply-titled "Tanks" by Leinster, altho it is somewhat doubtful if this can be considered science-fiction. It was realistic enough, but concerned a supposed war in 1932 which ended with the as-yet-unproved assertion that infantry was no longer useful in war. Maybe I'm just prejudiced thru being a former infantryman. Leinster also had some accurate prediction of the invaluable use of what he called "fog-gas" in war, which was of interest to me because I was primarily concerned with screening smokes for my first two army years. Suffice it to say that this is one story I've read several times. Cover spot on that first issue was given to "The Beetle Horde" by Rosseau, and the story is about as the title would indicate.