''Science Fiction of the Thirties'' is an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

short stories edited by

Damon Knight Damon Francis Knight (September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002) was an American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He is the author of " To Serve Man", a 1950 short story adapted for ''The Twilight Zone''.Stanyard, ''Dimensions Behind ...

. It was first published in hardcover by

Bobbs-Merrill The Bobbs-Merrill Company was an American book publisher active from 1850 until 1985, and located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Company history The Bobbs-Merrill Company began in 1850 October 3 when Samuel Merrill bought an Indianapolis bookstore ...

in January 1976; a book club edition was issued simultaneously by the same publisher together with the Science Fiction Book Club, and a trade paperback edition by

Avon Books Avon Publications is a leading publisher of romance fiction. At Avon's initial stages, it was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. The shift in content occurred in the early 1970s with multiple Avon romance titles reaching and ma ...

in March 1977. The book collects eighteen tales by various authors originally published in the 1930s and exemplifying American magazine science fiction of that decade, together with a foreword and three essays on the period by the editor, and a bibliography. The stories were originally published in ''

Astounding Stories ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William Cl ...

'' and ''

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 ...

'', the premier science fiction magazines of the time. The book reproduces period illustrations that accompanied the stories' original appearances by H. W. Wesso,

Leo Morey Leo is the Latin word for lion. It most often refers to: * Leo (constellation), a constellation of stars in the night sky * Leo (astrology), an astrological sign of the zodiac * Leo (given name), a given name in several languages, usually masc ...

Paul Orban Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo P ...

, Howard V. Brown, Elliott Dold, Jr.,

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson Lantion, Filipino retired police general * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia * Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thom ...

, and

Charles Schneeman Charles Schneeman (November 24, 1912, in Staten Island, New York – January 1, 1972, in Pasadena, California) was an American illustrator of science fiction. Life Schneeman was born in the Staten Island borough of New York City. In 1922, his ...

* "Foreword" (

) * "The Early Years" (

) ** "Out Around Rigel" (''Astounding Stories'', December 1931) (

Robert H. Wilson The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, praise, reno ...

) ** "The Fifth-Dimension Catapult" (''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', January 1931) (

Murray Leinster Murray Leinster () was a pen name of William Fitzgerald Jenkins (June 16, 1896 – June 8, 1975), an American writer of genre fiction, particularly of List of science fiction authors, science fiction. He wrote and published more than 1,500 ...

) ** "Into the Meteorite Orbit" (''Amazing Stories'', December 1933) ( Frank K. Kelly) ** "The Battery of Hate" (''Amazing Stories'', November 1933) ( John W. Campbell, Jr.) * "The Middle Period" (

) ** "The Wall" (''Astounding Stories'', May 1934) ( Howard W. Graham) ** "The Lost Language" (''Amazing Stories'', January 1934) (

David H. Keller David Henry Keller (December 23, 1880 – July 13, 1966) was an American writer who worked for pulp magazines in the mid-twentieth century, in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres. He was also a psychiatrist and physician to shell-sh ...

) ** "The Last Men" (''Astounding Stories'', August 1934) ( Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) ** "The Other" (''Astounding Stories'', December 1934) ( Howard W. Graham) ** " The Mad Moon" (''Astounding Stories'', December 1935) ( Stanley G. Weinbaum) ** "Davey Jones' Ambassador" (''Astounding Stories'', December 1935) ( Raymond Z. Gallun) ** "Alas, All Thinking" (''Astounding Stories'', June 1935) ( Harry Bates) ** "The Time Decelerator" (''Astounding Stories'', July 1936) ( A. Macfadyen, Jr.) ** "The Council of Drones" (''Amazing Stories'', October 1936) (

William K. Sonnemann William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

) * "The End" (

) ** "Seeker of Tomorrow" (''Astounding Stories'', July 1937) (

Eric Frank Russell Eric Frank Russell (January 6, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was a British people, British writer best known for his science fiction novels and short stories. Much of his work was first published in the United States, in John W. Campbell's ''Asto ...

and Leslie T. Johnson) ** " Hyperpilosity" (''Astounding Science-Fiction'', April 1938) (

L. Sprague de Camp Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American author of science fiction, Fantasy literature, fantasy and non-fiction literature. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, both novels and works of ...

) ** "Pithecanthropus Rejectus" (''Astounding Stories'', January 1938) (

Manly Wade Wellman Manly Wade Wellman (May 21, 1903 – April 5, 1986) was an American writer. While his science fiction and fantasy stories appeared in such pulps as '' Astounding Stories'', '' Startling Stories'', ''Unknown'' and '' Strange Stories'', Wellman i ...

) ** " The Merman" (''Astounding Science-Fiction'', December 1938) (

) ** "

The Day Is Done 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 and ...

" (''Astounding Science-Fiction'', May 1939) (

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 ...

) * "Bibliography"

Notes

{{reflist 1976 anthologies Science fiction anthologies Bobbs-Merrill Company books

Contents

Notes