The Men Who Saved Sword & Sorcery
It’s easy to assume, while perusing through old Lancer paperbacks or any of the dozens of 1970s novels, that Sword & Sorcery was a roaring Read More
Tag: John W. Campbell
Astonishing Stories: Bargain Basement Science Fiction
When you don’t have plenty of money, sometimes you just have to settle for second best. Or you have to be more creative. Certainly this Read More
Leigh Brackett, Queen of Space
Leigh Brackett was one quarter of Space Opera’s Big Four (Edmond Hamilton, Henry Kuttner, C. L. Moore. These four were actually two married couples who Read More
William Hope Hodgson: The Bottleneck
Horror writers use many techniques to heighten the terror in their work. One of my favorites is the bottleneck. As with traffic jams, the bottleneck Read More
Going to the Dogs – Two Beginnings
It’s not often you get to see how a writer begins his or her career. The exception is in wonderful books like The Early Del Read More
Robot Pulp History in 24 Covers
The first Pulp magazine to offer robot stories was not a purely Science Fiction mag but Weird Tales, which featured the first robotic brain, giant Read More
More Than Just Silver Underwear: The History of Space Opera
The term “Space Opera”, used to define a certain branch of Science Fiction, was coined by Wilson Tucker in 1941. It was not meant to Read More
Adventures in Pusad or How L. Sprague de Camp Tried To Steer Sword & Sorcery
In the October 1939 issue of Unknown, editor John W. Campbell published a story called “The Elder Gods” by Don A. Stuart. Though not an Read More
Guns Drawn: Space Westerns!
In recent years, Joss Whedon’s Firefly and Serenity have brought the Space Western back to the public eye. Though not a commercial success, Whedon’s tales Read More