| Issue Date |
Theme |
| Type |
Stories |
| 1952 FEB |
Worlds of If: Early Alternate Histories |
| intentional |
#171 - Edward Everett Hale: "Hands Off"; #172 - James Thurber: "If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox" |
| 1952 FEB |
mentioned in one story intro, 3 stories that show sf "can be a vehicle of deeply sincere religious expression" |
| unintentional |
#161 - R. Bretnor: "Mrs. Poppledore's Id"; #162 - Mildred Clingerman: "Minister Without Portfolio"; #171 - Edward Everett Hale: "Hands Off" |
| 1954 APR |
1st issue with all new stories, no reprints |
| intentional |
all stories, #472-483 are new; other all-new stories issues: 1954 AUG, NOV, 1955 MAY, NOV, 1956 FEB, JUL, 1957 AUG, NOV, 1958 FEB, MAY, AUG, OCT, 1959 FEB, MAR |
| 1954 OCT |
Legends of War ... and Women |
| intentional |
#550 - Nigel Kneale: "Peg"; #551 - Will Stanton: "The Girl in the Flaxen Convertible" |
| 1954 NOV |
two stories deal with the problems in the early days of spaceflight, one by a wife and child, second by the military and politicos |
| unintentional |
#557 - Judith Merril: "Dead Center"; #565 - Edmond Hamilton: "Sacrifice Hit" |
| 1955 AUG |
one story by Poul Anderson, another by Gordon R. Dickson, & then one by them both, so readers can see their talents alone & in collaboration |
| intentional |
#679 - Gordon R. Dickson: "Our First Death"; #682 - Poul Anderson: "Inside Straight"; #686 - Anderson & Dickson: "The Tiddlywink Warriors" (Hoka series) |
| 1956 APR |
UFOs: includes a negative report on UFOs by the U.S.A.F., a short story on the topic, and a book review on several UFO books now out |
| intentional |
#770 - United States Air Force: "Unidentified Aerial Objects"; #771 - Henry Gregor Felsen: "The Spaceman Cometh"; #775 - Anthony Boucher: Recommended Reading |
| 1956 MAY |
Of Mars and Men; two articles, one by a man, another by a women, written in response to R.S. Richardson's article in 1955 DEC, sexual mores on Mars |
| intentional |
#785 - Poul Anderson: "Nice Girls on Mars"; #786 - Miriam Allen deFord: "News for Dr. Richardson"; responses to #721 - R.S. Richardson: "The Day After We Landed on Mars" |
| 1956 NOV |
Gimmicks Three: inspired by Cogswell's 1956 JAN(#740) story, 3 stories in which each has a pact-with-the-devil, locked room, & time paradox gimmicks |
| intentional |
#862 - Isaac Asimov: "The Brazen Locked Room"; #863 - Miriam Allen deFord: "Time Trammel"; #864 - Theodore R. Cogswell: "Impact With the Devil"; inspired by #740 - Cogswell: "Threesie" |
| 1956 DEC |
two stories with the same theme, that of a human body being taken over by another being, the control being complete when the body is asleep |
| unintentional |
#869 - Anthony Boucher: "Gandolphus"; #870 - Jane Roberts: "The Red Wagon" |
| 1957 JAN |
Ghosts for Christmas; "two contrasting ghost stories" for Christmas, "one from the old school, and one from the new" |
| intentional |
#879 - Sheridan Le Fanu: "The Dead Sexton"; #882 - John Dickson Carr: "New Murders for Old" |
| 1958 OCT |
All New-All Star 9th Anniversary Issue (the first such anniversary issue; henceforth, almost every OCT issue will be an All Star Anniversary Issue) |
| intentional |
all stories, #1147-1158; #1154 - Poul Anderson: "Ballade of an Artificial Satellite"(pm) & #1158 - Alfred Bester: "The Men Who Murdered Mohammed" were written especially for this issue |
| 1959 MAR |
All New-All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1213-1224 |
| 1959 AUG |
done-to-death-themes: one each, disaster story, pact-with-the-Devil story, & two time travel stories - each a superior story; editor's note ask for reader responses |
| intentional |
respectively, #1280 - Carol Emshwiller: "Day at the Beach"; #1289 - Winston P. Sanders (ps. for Poul Anderson): "Pact"; #1282 - Poul Anderson: "Brave to Be a King"; #1288 - Isaac Asimov: "Obituary" |
| 1959 SEP |
Quintet: 3 vignettes & 2 poems, at least one is by a child under 12, the others were written by famous writers under a pseudonym. Can the reader guess which are which? (answers in next issue, 1959 OCT, p.15) |
| intentional |
#1292 - Sonny Powell(Bester): "The Black Nebulea"; #1293 - John Cunnington: "Up, Down, and Sideways"; #1294 - Nina Pettis: "Witch's Charm"; #1295 - Billy Watson (Sturgeon): "The Man Who Told Lies"; #1296 - Mary Austin(Jane Rice): "Night Thought" |
| 1959 OCT |
10th Anniversary All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1306-1319 |
| 1960 MAY |
this issue made up of pairs: #'s1395 & 1397 - insights into the pleasures & pangs of the laws of chance; #'s 1398 & 1400 - chilling bedtime stories; #'s 1401 & 1402 - an irresistible force in action |
| intentional |
#1395 - Fritz Leiber: "The Oldest Soldier; #1397 - Fred McMorrow: "The Man From Tomorrow"; #1398 - Rex Lardner: "American Plan"; #1400 - John Collier: "The Tender Age"; #1401 - Gordon R. Dickson: "One on Trial"; #1402 - Porges: "A Specimen for the Queen" |
| 1960 SEP |
unitentionally most of the stories in this issue share a theme - easy for man to fail to realize what is happening to him & the world around him - and this can be very dangerous |
| unintentional |
#1447 - Evelyn E. Smith: "A Day in the Suburbs"; #1448 - Raffel: "Goodbye"; #1449 - Dickson: "Button, Button"; #1450 - Bretnor: "The Man on Top"; #1453 - Elliott: "The NRACP"; #1454 - Reed: "Two in Homage"; #1455 - Whitehill: "Doctor Royker's Experiment" |
| 1960 OCT |
11th Anniversary All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1457-1468 |
| 1961 MAR |
All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1513-1521 |
| 1961 OCT |
12th Anniversary All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1595-1606 |
| 1962 MAR |
All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1657-1668 |
| 1962 JUL |
Special Summer Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1712-1725 |
| 1962 SEP |
Special Theodore Sturgeon Issue; includes a special cover by artist Ed Emshwiller; the 1st issue dedicated to an author of note |
| intentional |
#1745 - Davidson: "Introduction to ..."; #1746 - Sturgeon: "When You Care, When You Love"; #1747 - Blish: "T. S.'s Macrocosm"; #1748 - Merril: "T. S."; #1749 - Moskowitz: "Fantasy and Science Fiction by ..."; #1750 - Robin Sturgeon: "Martian Mouse" |
| 1962 OCT |
13th Anniversary All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1759-1772 |
| 1962 DEC |
Special Binary Issue; cover art of binary stars & two science articles on binary numbers |
| unintentional |
includes cover art of binary star by Chesley Bonestell & #1790 - Isaac Asimov: "Science: One, Ten, Buckle My Shoe"; #1791 - Frederik Pohl: "On Binary Digits and Human Habits" |
| 1963 MAR |
two stories that share the same theme - that the protagonist of the story believes that the world is centered around him |
| unintentional |
#1830 - Avram Davidson: Introduction to "The Question" ... and "The Importance of Being Important"; #1831 - Larry M. Harris & Donald E. Westlake: "The Question"; #1832 - Calvin W. Demmon: "The Importance of Being Important" |
| 1963 MAY |
Special Ray Bradbury Issue; includes a special cover by artist Joe Mugnaini(who has done the covers of many of Bradbury's books); the 2nd issue dedicated to an author of note |
| intentional |
#1863, 1866 - Avram Davidson: "Introduction"; #1864 - William F. Nolan: "Bradbury: Prose Poet in the Age of Space"; #1865 - Ray Bradbury: "Bright Phoenix"; #1867 - Ray Bradbury: "To the Chicago Abyss"; #1868 - William F. Nolan: "An Index to the Works ..." |
| 1963 OCT |
14th Anniversary All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1930-1942 |
| 1964 MAR |
All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #1996-2010 |
| 1964 JUN |
one story in this issue & one in next issue(1964 JUL) are science fiction stories that explore the Presidential theme(both written before the death of President Kennedy) |
| unintentional |
#2055 - Avram Davidson: "The Unknown Law" |
| 1964 JUL |
Special Sumer Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #2057-2070 |
| 1964 JUL |
one story in this issue & one in the previous issue(1964 JUN) are science fiction stories that explore the Presidential theme(both written before the death of President Kennedy) |
| unintentional |
#2057 - Philip K. Dick: "Cantata 140" |
| 1964 OCT |
one story each by husband & wife sf writers Leigh Brackett & Edmond Hamilton, to honor them on the occasion of their being Guests-of-Honor at the 1964, 22nd World Science Fiction Convention; each story preceded by an introduction by Avram Davidson |
| intentional |
#2101 - Avram Davidson: "Introduction to Leigh Brackett's ..."; #2102 - Leigh Brackett: "Purple Priestess of the Mad Moon"; #2103 - Avram Davidson: "Introduction to Edmond Hamilton's ..."; #2104 - Edmond Hamilton: "The Pro" |
| 1964 OCT |
15th Anniversary All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #2101-2112 |
| 1965 JUN |
results of a short story contest, for the best stories to have both a Univac & a Unicorn in them; incl. an introduction by Doris P. Buck, and two winning vignettes; contest announced in 1964 DEC with a poem by Buck(#2134), titled "From Two Universes ..." |
| intentional |
#2214 - Doris Pitkin Buck: "Introduction: Short Story Contest Winners"; #2215 - Herb Lehrman(1st place): "The Ancient Last"; #2216 - Greg Benford(2nd place): "Stand-In" |
| 1965 OCT |
16th Anniversary All Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #2256-2270 |
| 1966 APR |
a story & an article, both on the same subject: memory transference |
| unintentional |
#2327 - Philip K. Dick: "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale"; #2334 - Theodore L. Thomas: "The Science Springboard: Injected Memory" |
| 1966 MAY |
a book review, an introduction & an article about H.P. Lovecraft |
| unintentional |
#2345 - Fritz Leiber: "Books"(includes an essay on the book Lovecraft: Selected Letters, 1911-1924); #2350 - Avram Davidson: "Introduction to ..."(#2351); #2351 - J. Vernon Shea: "H.P. Lovecraft: The House and the Shadows" |
| 1966 AUG |
a two-part novella by John Brunner, & a book review with a long essay on Brunner's works |
| unintentional |
#2380 - John Brunner: "The Productions of Time"; #2383 - Judith Merril: "Books" (includes a long essay on Brunner's works) |
| 1966 AUG |
a story with a "dizzying view of the universe(s)", & a science essay with "a more rational discussion of cosmogony"(what Ferman calls 'editorial balance') |
| unintentional |
#2384 - Moses Mallette: "The Seven Wonders of the Universe"; #2390 - Isaac Asimov: "Science: BB or Not BB, That Is the Question" |
| 1966 OCT |
17th Anniversary Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #2401-2413 |
| 1966 OCT |
Special Isaac Asimov Issue; includes a special cover by Ed Emsh, and a special cartoon by Gahan Wilson(#2407); the 3rd issue dedicated to an author of note |
| intentional |
#2401 - Edward L. Ferman: "In This Issue"; #2402 - Asimov: "The Key"; #2403 - de Camp: "You Can't Beat Brains"; #2404 - Asimov: "I. A.: A Bibliography"; #2405 - Asimov: "Science: Portrait of the Writer As a Boy"; #2406 - Asimov: "The Prime of Life" |
| 1967 JUN |
has Special Charles Beaumont Section; the fourth issue dedicated to an author of note |
| intentional |
#2492 - Charles Beaumont: "Gentlemen, Be Seated"; #2493 - William F. Nolan: "Charles Beaumont: The Magic Man, A Personal Appreciation"; #2494 - William F. Nolan: "A Charles Beaumont Index: 1951-1965" |
| 1967 AUG |
two stories that are concerned with mosquitoes or other insects |
| unintentional |
#2518 - Ted Thomas: "The Science Springboard: Mosquito"; #2519 - Charles Harness: "Bugs" |
| 1967 AUG |
three stories "deal in some manner with either the arms, space, or intelligence race between the Soviet Union & the U.S." |
| unintentional |
#2510 - Tom Purdom: "Reduction in Arms"; #2511 - Ilya Varshavsky: "The Conflict"; #2519 - Charles Harness: "Bugs" |
| 1967 SEP |
two stories with a common theme, "a confrontation between West African magic & British-American rationalism" |
| unintentional |
#2527 - Shamus Frazer: "The Cyclops Juju"; #2528 - William Sambrot: "Night of the Leopard" |
| 1967 OCT |
18th Anniversary All-Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, # 2536-2548 |
| 1968 JAN |
Special 200th Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #2572-2583 |
| 1968 OCT |
19th Anniversary All-Star Issue |
| intentional |
all stories, #2695-2709 |
