''Winston Science Fiction'' was a series of 37 American juvenile
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 ...
books published by the
John C. Winston Company of Philadelphia from 1952 to 1960 and by its successor
Holt, Rinehart & Winston in 1960 and 1961. It included 35 novels by various writers, including many who became famous in the SF field, such as
Poul Anderson,
Arthur C. Clarke,
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fac ...
, and
Lester del Rey. There was also one anthology, ''The Year After Tomorrow'', edited by del Rey and others. There was one non-fiction book ''Rockets Through Space: The Story of Man's Preparations to Explore the Universe'' by del Rey which details the factual science and technology of rocket flight. Many of the dust jackets became science fiction classics; the artists included
Hugo Award
The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...
winners
Ed Emshwiller and
Virgil Finlay along with Hugo nominees such as
Mel Hunter and
Alex Schomburg.
Background
Juvenile science fiction hard covers had been published for some time prior to the beginning of the Winston series, most notably the
Tom Swift series published from 1910 to 1941. However, as the Tom Swift series declined, and the economic pressures of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
escalated, juvenile offerings became slim.
The Winston Publishing Company had a history of publishing material for youth since the early part of the 20th century, such as the ''Young People's Library of Entertainment and Amusement'' and ''The Forward Series for Boys and Girls''. After the publication of
Robert A. Heinlein's ''
Rocket Ship Galileo'' in 1947 revived the juvenile science fiction market, The Winston Publishing Company decided to develop a juvenile science fiction series that would be set apart from the pulp fiction of its time. Known and respected SF authors were hired, and each novel was to include a factual foreword explaining the science and technology referenced in the novel. The publisher's announcement of the series in ''Publishers Weekly'' clearly outlines the goals of the series:
Five compelling tales designed TO SELL to the expanding science fiction market! Only writers who have won the respect of the science fiction audience have been signed to write these accurate yet absorbing books. Each contains an explanation of new terms and a discussion of its scientific aspects. ... For all ages.
History
The series began in 1952 with the publication of the first 5 books: ''Earthbound'' by Milton Lesser, ''Find the Feathered Serpent'' by Evan Hunter, ''Marooned on Mars'' by Lester del Rey, ''Son of the Stars'' by Raymond Jones, and ''Five Against Venus'' by Philip Latham. Later in the year a second group of five novels were added to the series: ''Sons of the Ocean Deeps'' by Bryce Walton, ''Mists of Dawn'' by Chad Oliver, ''Rocket Jockey'' by Phillip St. John, ''Islands in the Sky'' by Arthur Clarke, and ''Vault of the Ages'' by Poul Anderson. Each book was an original written especially for the Winston series, and marketed for the juvenile audience.
Literary significance and reception
Differing from static characters like
Tom Swift and the
Lucky Starr series the Winston heroes show dynamic growth and character development throughout their novels and series.
[Sands, Karen and Frank, Marietta (1999). ''Back in the Spaceship Again: Juvenile Science Fiction Series Since 1945'', Greenwood Press. , p 6] This fact has contributed to the lasting influence of the series on its readers, creating accessible role models for young readers.
Artwork
The first edition dust jacket illustrations by famous science fiction artists have made the Winston set highly collectible. Contributors include
Hugo winning artists like
Alex Schomburg (who also created the endpapers used in every book of the series) and
Virgil Finlay, as well Hugo nominees like
Mel Hunter, and
Ed Emshwiller. There is even a cover ("The Ant Men") by
Paul Blaisdell, best known for his imaginatively extreme monsters in low-budget science fiction movies of the 1950s, such as "
It Conquered the World"
Winston cover art features colorful images of
spaceflight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly objects, usually spacecraft, into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such ...
,
exploration
Exploration is the process of exploring, an activity which has some Expectation (epistemic), expectation of Discovery (observation), discovery. Organised exploration is largely a human activity, but exploratory activity is common to most organis ...
(of Earth, Space, and Time) and other fantastical subject matter describing important scenes from each book. The art is similar in style to
pulp fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...
art of the time, but like the novels themselves, the art tends towards a believable and accurate portrayal of the subject matter. Artists like Mel Hunter had extensive training in scientific and technical illustration, and a broad knowledge of space technologies. This gives the covers a more serious feel than some other art of the time, and complements the educational attitude the authors took in writing their factual forewords describing the science and technology that appears in the books.
Books
The series was not numbered. This chronological list identifies the artists who usually illustrated the dustjackets only ("cover"), occasionally illustrated the novels too ("cover and interior illus.").
* ''
Earthbound
''EarthBound'', originally released in Japan as is a 1994 role-playing video game, role-playing video game developed by Ape, Inc., Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as the second e ...
'' by
Milton Lesser, cover by Peter Poulton (1952)
* ''
Find the Feathered Serpent'',
Evan Hunter
Evan Hunter (born Salvatore Albert Lombino; October 15, 1926 – July 6, 2005) was an American author of crime and mystery fiction. He is best known as the author of '' 87th Precinct'' novels, published under the pen name Ed McBain, which ar ...
, cover
Henry Sharp (1952)
* ''
Five Against Venus'',
Philip Latham (Robert S. Richardson), cover
Virgil Finlay (1952)
* ''
Islands in the Sky'',
Arthur C. Clarke, cover
Alex Schomburg (1952)
* ''
Marooned on Mars'',
Lester del Rey, cover
Paul Orban (1952)
* ''
Mists of Dawn'',
Chad Oliver, cover Alex Schomburg (1952)
* ''
Rocket Jockey'',
Philip St. John (Lester del Rey), cover Alex Schomburg (1952)
* ''
Son of the Stars'',
Raymond F. Jones, cover Alex Schomburg (1952) – Clonar, book 1
* ''
Sons of the Ocean Deeps'',
Bryce Walton, cover Paul Orban (1952)
* ''
Vault of the Ages'',
Poul Anderson, cover Paul Orban (1952)
* ''
Attack from Atlantis'', Lester del Rey, cover
Kenneth S. Fagg (1953)
* ''
Battle on Mercury'',
Erik Van Lhin (Lester del Rey), cover Kenneth S. Fagg (1953)
* ''
Danger: Dinosaurs!'',
Richard Marsten (Evan Hunter), cover Alex Schomburg (1953)
* ''
Missing Men of Saturn'', Philip Latham, cover Alex Schomburg (1953)
* ''
The Mysterious Planet'',
Kenneth Wright (Lester del Rey), cover Alex Schomburg (1953)
* ''
Mystery of the Third Mine'',
Robert W. Lowndes, cover Kenneth S. Fagg (1953)
* ''
Planet of Light'', Raymond F. Jones, cover Alex Schomburg (1953) – Clonar, book 2
* ''
Rocket to Luna'', Richard Marsten (Evan Hunter), cover by Alex Schomburg (1953)
* ''
The Star Seekers'',
Milton Lesser, cover
Paul Calle (1953)
* ''
Vandals of the Void'',
Jack Vance
John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. He also wrote several mystery novels under pen names, including Ellery Queen.
Vance won the World Fantasy Award for Life Ach ...
, cover Alex Schomburg (1953)
* ''
Rockets to Nowhere'', Philip St. John (Lester Del Rey), cover Alex Schomburg (1954)
* ''
The Secret of Saturn's Rings'',
Donald A. Wollheim, cover Alex Schomburg (1954)
* ''
Step to the Stars'', Lester del Rey, cover Alex Schomburg (1954) – Jim Stanley, book 1
* ''
Trouble on Titan'',
Alan E. Nourse, cover Alex Schomburg (1954)
* ''
The World at Bay'',
Paul Capon
Harry Paul Capon (18 December 1912, in Kenton, Suffolk – 24 November 1969) was a British author who wrote fiction in various genres. He also worked as an editor in three films for Maurice Elvey (1887–1967), as an administrator in film and TV ...
, cover Alex Schomburg (1954)
* ''
The Year After Tomorrow'', eds. Lester del Rey, Cecile Matschat, and Carl Carmer, cover and interior illus.
Mel Hunter (1954) – anthology of nine short stories
* ''
The Ant Men'',
Eric North, cover
Paul Blaisdell (1955)
* ''
The Secret of the Martian Moons'',
Donald A. Wollheim, cover Alex Schomburg (1955)
* ''
The Lost Planet'',
Paul Dallas, cover Alex Schomburg (1956)
* ''
Mission to the Moon'', Lester del Rey, cover Alex Schomburg (1956) – Jim Stanley, book 2
* ''
Rockets Through Space'', Lester del Rey, cover and interior illus.
James Heugh (1957) – Special Companion Book (nonfiction)
* ''
The Year When Stardust Fell'', Raymond F. Jones, cover James Heugh (1958)
* ''
The Secret of the Ninth Planet
''The Secret of the Ninth Planet'' is a science-fiction novel written by Donald A. Wollheim and first published in the United States in 1959 by the John C. Winston Co. Wollheim takes his heroes on a grand tour of the Solar System as that team st ...
'', Donald A. Wollheim, cover James Heugh (1959)
* ''
The Star Conquerors'',
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fac ...
, cover Mel Hunter (1959)
* ''
Stadium Beyond the Stars'', Milton Lesser, cover Mel Hunter (1960)
* ''
Moon of Mutiny'', Lester del Rey, cover
Ed Emshwiller (1961) – Jim Stanley, book 3
* ''
Spacemen, Go Home'', Milton Lesser, cover Ed Emshwiller (1961)
References
{{reflist
External links
Winston Science Fictionat the
Internet Speculative Fiction Database
The Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) is a database of bibliographic information on genres considered speculative fiction, including science fiction and related genres such as fantasy, alternate history, and horror fiction. The ISFDB ...
American science fiction
American speculative fiction publishers
Children's science fiction novels
Science fiction book series
Science fiction publishers
Young adult novel series