Czech SFT in F&SF, 1962
One might be surprised to learn that three (!) works of Czech speculative fiction in translation—all by Josef Nesvadba—were published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction over the course of 1962.
Fantastic Fiction
In the Fantastic Fiction column, a distinguished cadre of fan writers will take you back to the 1961-1962 era of the first Seattle Worldcon and Century 21 Exposition, also known as the Seattle World’s Fair, events that cemented Seattle’s position as a global center for futurism and technological innovation. We hope immersion in the speculative fiction dreams and influences of the era will inspire you to make something—a story, costume, poem, argument, essay, panel idea, heart wish, or short film—to bring to our Worldcon.
Fantastic Fiction: A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke (September, 1961)
Here is a good question for nerdy trivia nights: Before winning a Hugo for Rendezvous with Rama in 1974, only one Arthur C. Clarke novel was a finalist for a Hugo Award for Best Novel. What was it?
Fantastic Fiction: A Rough-Cut Jewel
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen is the first book by Alan Garner. While it is not his greatest work, it is still solidly written. Its publication history is also interesting, speaking to the post-Tolkien publishing world.
Fantastic Fiction: Perry Rhodan – (West) Germany’s Space Hero
Science fiction has many long-running science fiction series. However, there is no series longer running than Perry Rhodan, which as of this writing has racked up a staggering 3,312 volumes since 1961. But who is Perry Rhodan and what makes his adventures so unique?
French SFT in F&SF, 1962
Three works of short science fiction/fantasy from France (in English translation) appeared in the pages of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1962: Henri Damonti’s “The Notary and the Conspiracy,” Charles and Nathalie Henneberg’s “Moon Fishers,” and Suzanne Malaval’s “The Devil’s God-Daughter.” All three were translated by Damon Knight, who was responsible for bringing several French-language speculative pieces into English during the 1960s and 70s.
Fantastic Fiction: Trans Writers in the 20th Century?
Ask anyone who was the first trans person to win a Hugo Award and they will probably say “Charlie Jane Anders”, back in 2012. I think my 2009 win is probably the first by an out trans person, but I wasn’t the first trans winner, not by a long shot.
Fantastic Fiction: Monkey Business
Before the first human spaceflight, Ham the astrochimp flew the sub-orbital MR-2 mission in January 1961 as a test of NASA’s Mercury-Redstone system. Discover the story of the pioneering primates who helped take human spaceflight out of the realm of science fiction and into reality and how Ham became one of America’s early space celebrities.
Fantastic Fiction: Kōbō Abe and Post-War Japanese SFT
Most of the magical realism and surrealism that has come into English literature from the Japanese is from Kōbō Abe (1924–1993). His slipstream novels and collections, which easily move among the various subgenres of science fiction, surrealism, and magical realism, are focused on the absurd and bewildering.
Fantastic Fiction: What’s in a Name? The Birth of the Term “Sword and Sorcery”
If you’re of a certain age, the phrase “sword and sorcery” conjures up visions of muscular barbarians and busty damsels fighting monsters or evil wizards on paperback covers illustrated by Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, or Jeffrey Catherine Jones. But did you know that the subgenre had no name for the first 30 years of its existence? And do you know how the term for the genre of “sword and sorcery” came to be?
The Flash #123 (July, 1961): The Flash of Two Worlds
Today superhero multiverses are everywhere, but back in 1961 we didn’t even have the concept. That is until one strange little tale changed everything: Flash #123, entitled The Flash of Two Worlds.