Pulp International - Isaac+Asimov

Mar 11 2018

Better killing through chemistry.

Above is a 1958 Avon edition of The Death Dealers, sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov's first foray into the mystery genre. When a chemistry professor's best student dies of an apparent lab accident the professor ponders taking over the protege's cutting edge research as a way to impress peers—and perhaps earn a long denied tenure. But he's deduced there's a murderer loose and is worried the police might deduce it too, and consider the valuable research a perfect motive. While Asimov lays out the killing and resulting dilemma in a methodical way, and the world of chemists on a college campus is one he knew well as a professor of biochemistry at Boston University, the linear nature of the plot and emotional coolness of the characters don't allow the mystery to truly grip the reader. Yet the book is very readable—the details of life on campus, the politics, the maneuvering for that elusive tenure, are all interesting. And the backdrop of advanced chemistry, the detailed but not overwrought descriptions of experiments and processes, the fact that most of the characters are geniuses in their field, all work well. But there are so many mystery masterpieces out there we can only feel good recommending The Death Dealers to voracious readers in the genre. Or to Asimov fans. Neither group will be disappointed. All others, no guarantees.

Boston University Avon Publications Isaac Asimov cover art literature sci-fi

Vintage Pulp

Jun 26 2012

Strange adventures on other worlds.

Above and below are ten covers of Planet Stories that appeared between 1948 and 1952, with beautiful, lurid, pulp art from Allen Anderson. The magazine published only interplanetary adventures, and its mix of rocket ships, swashbuckling heroes, space princesses, and hideous aliens proved extremely popular. Some of the many writers whose work graced its pages include Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Leigh Brackett, John D. McDonald, Philip K. Dick, and Clifford D. Simak. Planet Stories ran seventy-one glorious issues, from 1939 to 1955. How could you not be excited to read when this is what awaited you on the newsstands?

Planet Stories Allen Anderson Isaac Asimov Ray Bradbury Leigh Brackett John D. McDonald Philip K. Dick Clifford D. Simak magazine art literature

Vintage Pulp

Sep 10 2010

Guns don't kill people, femmes fatales kill people.

Above, assorted pulp covers of gun-brandishing women, including a nice image in panel six from Robert Maguire. And yes, we know that the Anglicized "femmes fatale" is accepted in the U.S. and elsewhere, but living in a place where there are quite a few French people, we could never get away with that. Noun and adjective must agree, so it's "femmes fatales."

Dan Gregory Mary Roberts Rinehart Isaac Asimov Jess Wilcox A.J Collins Mike Roscoe Robert Maguire cover art cover collection literature

Vintage Pulp

Dec 9 2008

Italian sci-fi zine has published quality fiction for more than five decades.

Arnoldo Mondadori Editore’s magazine I Romanzi di Urania first hit newstands in Italy in 1952. It helped expose Italians to veteran sci-fi writers such as Isaac Asimov, Roger Zelazny, and Robert Heinlein, and also published the work of Italian and French writers. We located a Urania archive here that contains hundreds of cover scans. It’s well worth a look. Just remember Urania doesn’t rhyme with either urine or anus. It’s pronounced oo-RAH-nia.

Italy I Romanzi di Urania Arnoldo Mondadori Editore Isaac Asimov Roger Zelazny Robert Heinlein literature