The Flickr Classicpulpart Image Generatr

Story Behind the Cover (by the artist)

“In times of peace, there is not pleasanter country in the world than Kent County, England – especially in cherry blossom time. I could very easily go into a long and nostalgic history of Kent, but that’s not the purpose of this story.

“From the chalk cliffs of the South Foreland, on a clear day, one can see right across the Channel to the coast of France. It was on a Sunday; I had left the 12th century church at Margaret-at-Cliffe and had walked to the South Foreland, the cliff you see in the background on the cover. I walked along the cliff road down to the Bay for lunch. It is a very pleasant memory. I don’t know what St. Margaret’s Bay looks like today.

“Now that the Nazi bombers are unable to get through to London, they sometimes make sneak attacks on the beautiful coastal towns and villages such as St. Margaret’s Bay. One such attack occurred in September, 1942. The new Messerschmitt Me. 210’s were met by an equally new ship, the Hawker Typhoon and the former were blasted out of the sky; out of nine 210’s only four badly battered Nazi ships reached France.

“The Me. 210 is reported to be a better dive-bomber than a fighter although it carries six guns, four in the nose and two .50-caliber remote-control guns in side blisters. It has two 1,270 hp Daimler-Bens engines; a top speed of 370 mph at 18,000 ft. and a 30,000 ft ceiling. It has a wing span of 53 ft. 9 in. and carries some 900 lbs. of bullet-proof armor.

“The Typhoon, until very recently was very hush-hush and even now all facts are not known about it. Model 1A carries twelve .303 Browning machine guns; 1B, four 20mm cannon. Its motor is a 2,400 hp, 24-cylinder Napier Sabre which gives it a speed in excess of 400 mph. The ship has a wing span of 41 ft. 7 in., which makes it England’s largest fighter. In flight it somewhat resembles the Focke-Wulf 190 and for that reason black bands have been painted under the wings for purposes of identification.”

“One man against the limitless wastes of time, he fought the strange, inhuman civilizations of Earth’s unguessable future, searching hopelessly among the never-ending tomorrows – for the road to one unforgettable yesterday!” [Prologue]

In 1973, physicist Martin Saunders, his girlfriend Eve, and his colleague McPherson construct a time machine. Saunders and his friend Sam Hull decide to give the time machine a test run and set it to the year 2073. When they arrive at their destination, Saunders finds his house in ruins and the nearby village completely gone. The men attempt to return to 1973, only to find that the time machine does not have the energy required to move backwards in time. In desperation, they begin to go forward in time in the hope of finding technology that can help them travel back home.

Saunders and Hull then begin a series of stops in the years 2500, 3000, 25,296, 50,000, 4,000,000, etc., eventually reaching the end of the universe, facing tough challenges along the way and never finding technology advanced enough to travel backwards in time. Time travel is one-way only. But, after traveling billions of years, Saunders comes to realize that the universe is cyclical. He may find his way home after all.

“Here are nine great novelettes from the first six years of ‘If Magazine!’ Like ‘The First World of If,’ which received such enthusiastic response from science fiction readers all over America, this is a volume of exceptional interest – distinguished examples of fine science fiction writing by outstanding writers. Stories that answer the age old question: ‘What would happen if – ?’ Stories that call into play philosophy, logic, facts and imagination to provide a diversity of entertainment that will appeal to all science fiction lovers, from astronomers to zoo keepers. Here is exciting, stimulating reading that provokes thoughtful reflection and presents some unusual and fascinating concepts about the world of the future. Here, too, is an extraordinary variety of mood, idea, theme and pace, with but one criteria – good science fiction.” [Editor’s Note]

CONTENTS:

“The Colonists” by Raymond F. Jones – If history be wrong – what, then, is a true colonist? (Raymond F. Jones is best known for his 1952 novel "This Island Earth," which was adapted into the 1955 film.}

“The Thing in the Attic” by James Blish – Honath, the arch doubter, found his faith in Hell . . . (James Blish later wrote the majority of the novelizations for the original "Star Trek" episodes, published in a series of 12 volumes.)

“A Monster Named Smith” by James E. Gunn – What a costly price one pays for bread and security . . . (The 1970-71 TV series "The Immortals" was based on Gunn's 1962 story of the same name.)

“The Jungle” by Charles Beaumont – Life by Austin’s science – or death by Bokawah’s magic! (Charles Beaumont wrote 22 episodes of "The Twilight Zone.")

“The Odd Ones” by Gordon Dickson – The Lut and the Snorap were witnessing something new . . .

“The Mold of Yancy” by Philip K. Dick – The people of Callisto all were beginning to look just alike! (Several Philip K. Dick stories have been adapted into popular movies, including "Blade Runner," "Minority Report," and "Total Recall.")

“Chrome Pastures” by Robert F. Young – The automobile was the new concept of the golden calf . . .

“Z” by Charles L. Fontenay – Does this prove a person can exist in three places at once?

“The Happy Herd” by Bryce Walton – Everyone was thoughtful, considerate, kind and very happy. (Bryce Walton wrote stories for the TV series "Captain Video" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents.")

What if mankind’s only purpose is to create robots who then evolve into the dominant species on Earth? Many authors have explored the idea of robots or artificial intelligence taking over as the dominant species. Here are a few notable examples:

1.Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) – Known for his “Robot” series. Asimov explored the ethical and societal implications of robots and AI. His famous “Three Laws of Robotics” are central to many of his stories, addressing how robots might interact with humans and each other.

2.Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) – In his novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” (1968), Dick delves into themes of artificial intelligence and what it means to be human. The story was later adapted into the film “Blade Runner” (1982).

3.William Gibson (1948-present) – His novel “Neuromancer” (1984) is a cornerstone of the cyberpunk genre and explores a world where AI and cybernetic enhancements play a significant role in society.

4.Dan Simmons (1948-present) – In his “Hyperion Cantos” series (1989-1999), Simmons imagines a future where AI and human consciousness coexist and interact in complex ways.

5.David J. Gunkel (1962-present) – In his book “The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on AI, Robots, and Ethics” (2012), Gunkel examines the moral and ethical considerations of intelligent and autonomous machines, including the idea of robots taking over.

These authors have addressed the question of robots becoming the dominant species in various ways, often exploring the ethical, philosophical, and societal implications.

“Galaxy” was one of the most important science fiction magazines of the 1950s through the mid-1970s. It was able to promote itself through the medium of radio. The series “Tales of Tomorrow” (January 1-April 9, 1953) was sponsored by “Galaxy” and broadcast adaptations of fifteen stories from the magazine.

Editor H. L. Gold's policy was comparatively free-ranging: he was interested in Psychology, Sociology, Satire and Humor, and the magazine reflected this. He worked closely with his writers (mostly by telephone, as he was confined to his apartment by acute agoraphobia) and is said to have had a hand in the conception of many of the famous stories he published.

Although the magazine's fiction encompassed a considerable variety of styles and preoccupations, the approach most identified with Gold's magazine is the irony and social satire of such authors as Damon Knight, Fritz Leiber, Frederik Pohl and Robert Sheckley. With the March 1952 issue, Willy Ley began his science column, “For Your Information,” which he continued until his death in 1969. Groff Conklin was book reviewer from the beginning to October 1955.

[Source: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]

Norman Saunders (1907-1989) was a prolific commercial artist who produced paintings for pulp magazines, paperbacks, men’s adventure magazines, comic books and trading cards. He painted for all the major pulp magazine publishers, including Fawcett Publications from 1928-1934 and as a free-lancer from 1935-1942. He was well known for his fast-action scenes and beautiful women and he worked in almost any genre – western, detective, sports and the saucy pulps (sometimes signed as “Blaine,” his middle name).

Saunders got his first assignment from the trading card company Topps in 1958, painting over the photos of baseball players who had been traded so that they would appear to be wearing the jersey of their new team. By 1962, he was creating artwork for other cards, including the infamous Mars Attacks series. Saunders painted the 55-card set.