''Fantastic Novels'' was an American

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...

published by the Munsey Company of New York from 1940 to 1941, and again by

Popular Publications Popular Publications was one of the largest publishers of pulp magazines during its existence, at one point publishing 42 different titles per month. Company titles included detective fiction, detective, adventure novel, adventure, Romance nove ...

, also of New York, from 1948 to 1951. It was a companion to ''

Famous Fantastic Mysteries ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' was an American science fiction and fantasy pulp magazine published from 1939 to 1953. The editor was Mary Gnaedinger. It was launched by the Munsey Company as a way to reprint the many science fiction and fanta ...

.'' Like that magazine, it mostly reprinted science fiction and fantasy classics from earlier decades, such as novels by

A. Merritt Abraham Grace Merritt (January 20, 1884 – August 21, 1943) – known by his byline, A. Merritt – was an American Sunday magazine editor and a writer of fantastic fiction. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted him in 1999, ...

George Allan England George Allan England (9 February 1877 - 26 June 1936) was an American writer and explorer, best known for his speculative and science fiction. He attended Harvard University and later in life unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Maine. England wa ...

, and

Victor Rousseau Victor Rousseau ( Feluy, 16 December 1865 – Forest, 17 March 1954) also known as M. Victor Rousseau, was a Belgian sculptor and medalist. Biography Rousseau was of Walloon heritage and descended from a line of stonemasons. He began carv ...

, though it occasionally published reprints of more recent work, such as '' Earth's Last Citadel'', by

Henry Kuttner Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Early life Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...

and

C. L. Moore Catherine Lucille Moore (January 24, 1911 – April 4, 1987) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, who first came to prominence in the 1930s writing as C. L. Moore. She was among the first women to write in the science fiction and ...

. The magazine lasted for 5 issues in its first incarnation, and for another 20 in the revived version from Popular Publications. Mary Gnaedinger edited both series; her interest in reprinting Merritt's work helped make him one of the better-known fantasy writers of the era. A Canadian edition from 1948 to 1951 reprinted 17 issues of the second series; two others were reprinted in Great Britain in 1950 and 1951.

Publication history

In the early 20th century, science fiction stories were frequently published in popular magazines,Ashley, ''Time Machines'', pp. 16–23. with the Munsey Company, a major

publisher, printing a great deal of science fiction. In 1926 ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances i ...

'' became the first specialist pulp magazine publisher of science fiction.Malcolm Edwards & Peter Nicholls, "SF Magazines", in Clute & Nicholls, ''Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'', pp. 1066–1068. Munsey continued to print sf in '' Argosy'' during the 1930s, and in 1939 took advantage of the new genre's growing popularity by launching ''

'', a vehicle to reprint the most popular fantasy and sf stories from the Munsey magazines.Ashley, ''Time Machines'', pp. 150–151. The new title immediately became successful, and demand for reprints of old favorites was such that Munsey decided to launch an additional magazine, ''Fantastic Novels'', in July 1940, edited, like ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'', by Mary Gnaedinger. The two magazines were placed on bimonthly schedules, arranged to alternate with each other, though the schedule slipped slightly with the fifth issue of ''Fantastic Novels'', dated April 1941 but following the January 1941 issue.Thomas D. Clareson, "Fantastic Novels", in Tymn & Ashley, ''Science Fiction, Fantasy and Weird Fiction Magazines'', pp. 241–244. ''Fantastic Novels'' was suspended after that issue and merged with ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries''. The stated reason was that ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' "is apparently the favorite title", but it seems likely that production difficulties caused by World War II played a part. The June 1941 and August 1941 issues of ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' both carried the slogan "Combined with Fantastic Novels Magazine" on the cover.''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' vol. III, no 2 (June 1941), front cover.''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' vol. III, no 3 (August 1941), front cover. ''Fantastic Novels'' reappeared in 1948 through

, which had acquired ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' from Munsey at the end of 1942. Gnaedinger remained editor of ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' when Popular took over, and was editor of the second incarnation of ''Fantastic Novels''. The March 1948 issue, the first of the new series, was catalogued volume 1, number 6, as if there had been no break in publication. This version lasted for a further 20 issues, ending without notice with the June 1951 issue. It was apparently a sudden decision; the final issue had announced plans to reprint

Otis Adelbert Kline Otis Adelbert Kline (July 1, 1891 – October 24, 1946) born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, was a songwriter, an adventure novelist and literary agent during the pulp era. Much of his work first appeared in the magazine ''Weird Tales''. Kline was an ...

's ''Maza of the Moon''."In the Next Issue", ''Fantastic Novels'' vol. 5, no 1 (May 1951), p. 69.

''Fantastic Novels'' came into existence because of the demand from readers of ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' for book-length reprints. Gnaedinger observed that "Everyone seems to have realized that although heset-up of five to seven stories with two serials running, was highly satisfactory, that the long list of novels would have to be speeded up somehow".Thomas D. Clareson, "Famous Fantastic Mysteries", in Tymn & Ashley, ''Science Fiction, Fantasy and Weird Fiction Magazines'', pp. 211–216. When the new magazine was launched, ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' was partway through serialization of Austin Hall and

Homer Eon Flint Homer Eon Flint (born as Homer Eon Flindt; 1888 –1924) was an American writer of pulp science fiction novels and short stories. He began working as a scenarist for silent films in 1912 (reportedly at his wife's insistence).Munn, Vella (Mar ...

's ''The Blind Spot'', with the third episode appearing in the May/June 1940 issue. Rather than complete the serialization, Gnaedinger printed the novel in its entirety in the first issue of ''Fantastic Novels'', ensuring that readers of ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' would also acquire the new magazine. Over the next four issues she printed

Ray Cummings Ray Cummings (born Raymond King Cummings) (August 30, 1887 – January 23, 1957) was an American author of science fiction literature and comic books. Early life Cummings was born in New York City in 1887. He worked with Thomas Edison as a ...

' ''People of the Golden Atom'',

Ralph Milne Farley Roger Sherman Hoar (April 8, 1887 – October 10, 1963) was an American state senator and assistant Attorney General, for the state of Massachusetts. He wrote and published science fiction under the pseudonym of Ralph Milne Farley. Family Hoar w ...

's ''The Radio Beasts'', and two novels by

: ''The Snake Mother'' and ''The Dwellers in the Mirage''. Gnaedinger's interest in reprinting Merritt's work helped make him one of the better-known fantasy writers of the era. In the second series, from 1948 to 1951, Gnaedinger continued to reprint work by Merritt, along with other reader favorites from the Munsey years. Works by

, Ray Cummings, and Francis Stevens (the pen name of

Gertrude Barrows Bennett Gertrude Barrows Bennett (September 18, 1884February 2, 1948), known by the pseudonym Francis Stevens, was a pioneering author of fantasy and science fiction.''Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965'' by Eric Lei ...

) appeared,Davin, ''Partners in Wonder'', p. 99. as well as (occasionally) reprints of more recent work, such as '' Earth's Last Citadel'', by

and

, which had been serialized in ''Argosy'' in 1943.Malcolm Edwards & Brian M. Stableford, "Henry Kuttner", in Clute & Nicholls, ''Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'', pp. 682–683. In the early 1950s, when first ''Fantastic Novels'' and two years later ''Famous Fantastic Mysteries'' ceased publication, it is likely that the audience for science fiction was growing too sophisticated for these early works. Each issue, except the last one, featured a lead novel with additional short fiction.Brian Stableford & Peter Nicholls, "Fantastic Novels", in Clute & Nicholls, ''Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'', p. 405. The cover artwork was mostly by

Virgil Finlay Virgil Finlay (July 23, 1914 – January 18, 1971) was an American pulp fantasy, science fiction and horror illustrator. He has been called "part of the pulp magazine history ... one of the foremost contributors of original and imagi ...

Lawrence Stevens Lawrence Stevens (25 February 1913 – 17 August 1989) was a South African boxer who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was born in Johannesburg and died in Durban, Natal. Both of his parents were born and raised in Johannes ...

, Peter Stevens, and

Norman Saunders Norman Blaine Saunders (January 1, 1907 – March 7, 1989) was a prolific 20th-century American commercial artist. He is best known for paintings in pulp magazines, paperbacks, men's adventure magazines, comic books and trading cards. On occasio ...

, with one early cover contributed by Frank R. Paul.Day, ''Index to the Science Fiction Magazines'', p. 171.Ashley, ''Time Machines'', p. 280.

Bibliographic details

Mary Gnaedinger edited ''Fantastic Novels'' for both the Munsey and Popular Publications series. Five issues appeared between July 1940 and April 1941, and an additional twenty from March 1948 to June 1951. The schedule was bimonthly, with only two irregularities: the issues that would have been dated March 1941 and March 1951 were each delayed by a month. The volume numbering was regular throughout, with four volumes of six numbers, and a final fifth volume of one number. The magazine was printed in pulp format throughout both series, and was priced at 20 cents for the first two issues; then 10 cents for the remainder of the first series and 25 cents for issues in the second series. ''Fantastic Novels'' was 144 pages for the first two issues, 128 pages for two issues, and 112 pages for the last issue of the first series; it was 132 pages from the start of the second series until the November 1950 issue, and then 128 pages for January 1951, and 112 pages for the last two issues. A Canadian reprint edition ran from September 1948 to June 1951; these were published by the Toronto-based New Publications. They were half an inch taller than the U.S. editions and used different back-cover advertisements, but were otherwise identical to the U.S. issues of the same date.Tuck, ''Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 3'', pp. 559–560. Two issues were released in Britain: a single issue was released in March 1950; it was a copy of the November 1949 U.S. issue but was neither numbered nor dated. The other British issue was a copy of the May 1949 issue, cut to only 64 pages; it was released in June 1951 and was undated but numbered 1. Both these issues were published by Pemberton's and distributed by

Thorpe & Porter Thorpe & Porter (widely known as T & P) was a British publisher, importer, and distributor of magazines and comic books. At first, the company was known for repackaging American comics and pulp magazines for the UK market. Later on, it became a pu ...

Notes

References

Sources

* * *Davin, Erik Leif (2006). ''Partners in Wonder''. Lanham MD: Lexington Books. . * * * *

External links