''Dynamic Science Fiction'' was an American

pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 until around 1955. The term "pulp" derives from the Pulp (paper), wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed, due to their ...

which published six issues from December 1952 to January 1954. It was a companion to '' Future Science Fiction'', and like that magazine was edited by Robert W. Lowndes and published by Columbia Publications. Stories that appeared in its pages include "The Duplicated Man" by Lowndes and

James Blish James Benjamin “Jimmy” Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his ''Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel ''A Case ...

, and "The Possessed" by Arthur C. Clarke. It was launched at the end of the pulp era, and when publisher Louis Silberkleit converted ''Future'' to a digest format in 1954, he decided not to do the same with ''Dynamic'', simply cancelling the magazine.

Publishing history and contents

Although science fiction had been published in the United States before the 1920s, it did not begin to coalesce into a separately marketed genre until the appearance in 1926 of ''

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 appearance ...

'', a

published by

Hugo Gernsback Hugo Gernsback (; born Hugo Gernsbacher, August 16, 1884 – August 19, 1967) was a Luxembourgish American editor and magazine publisher whose publications included the first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stories''. His contributions to ...

. By the end of the 1930s the field was booming. Between early 1939 and mid-1940 publisher Louis Silberkleit launched three sf pulp magazines: ''Science Fiction'', ''

Future Fiction ''Future Science Fiction'' and ''Science Fiction Stories'' were two American science fiction magazines that were published under various names between 1939 and 1943 and again from 1950 to 1960. Both publications were edited by Charles Hornig f ...

'', and '' Science Fiction Quarterly''. All three had ceased publication by the end of World War II, killed by a combination of falling sales and wartime paper shortages. In 1950 and 1951 Silberkleit revived ''Future Fiction'', and ''Science Fiction Quarterly'', and the following year he launched ''Dynamic Science Fiction'', with the first issue dated November 1952.Ashley (2005), p. 44. All three of the magazines were edited by Robert W. Lowndes, who had also edited most of the earlier issues for Silberkleit. In mid-1953 Silberkleit cut rates and slowed down payment to contributors as a result of falling circulation. By this time Silberkleit was experimenting with the digest format for ''Science Fiction Stories'', and he soon cancelled ''Dynamic Science Fiction'', leaving only ''Science Fiction Quarterly'' in pulp format. Silberkleit initially paid reasonably good rates, and Lowndes was able to obtain some good quality material. Some of the stories include Arthur C. Clarke's "The Possessed" (March 1953);

Lester del Rey Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the fantasy editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy an ...

's "I Am Tomorrow" (December 1952), and

and Lowndes' novel ''The Duplicated Man'' (August 1953, with Lowndes' name concealed by a pseudonym, "Michael Sherman"). Lowndes also published nonfiction, including two long critical essays by James E. Gunn, "The Philosophy of Science Fiction" (serialized in the March and June 1953 issues), and "The Plot Forms of Science Fiction" (serialized in the October 1953 and January 1954 issues). These four articles formed Gunn's Master of Arts thesis; Gunn subsequently became a prominent science fiction critic.

Bibliographic details

Robert W. Lowndes was the editor of all six issues of ''Dynamic Science Fiction'', which remained in pulp format throughout its run. It was priced at 25 cents throughout, and was 128 pages for the first four issues, and 96 pages for the last two.Ashley (1985), pp. 196–98. Three issues were reprinted in the U.K. by Thorpe & Porter, of Leicester. These were dated January, June and November 1954, and were pulp format. They were priced at 1/- and were 96 pages. They correspond to the U.S. issues from June 1953, December 1952, and January 1954 respectively. There are no anthologies of stories drawn solely from ''Dynamic Science Fiction,'' but in the 1960s Ivan Howard edited several anthologies for Silberkleit's publishing imprint, Belmont Books, with contents drawn solely from Silberkleit's magazines. These included:Rhoades (2008), p. 72. * Six of the seven stories are from ''Dynamic Science Fiction'', mostly from the first issue. * Four of the eight stories are from ''Dynamic Science Fiction.''

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External links

* {{ScienceFictionPulpMagazines 1952 establishments in the United States 1954 disestablishments in the United States Defunct science fiction magazines published in the United States Fantasy fiction magazines Magazines established in 1952 Magazines disestablished in 1954 Pulp magazines Science fiction magazines established in the 1950s Columbia Publications Science fiction magazines disestablished in the 1950s