This is the first issue of a magazine that, as far as I can tell, is still in circulation today. In 1960, the title was changed to Analog Science Fiction and Fact, and over the years, it has had many editors and contributors. I noticed this on the front page of the Gutenberg website, and in my quest to read more genres this year, I added it to my list of things to read. It has 7 stories.
The Beetle Horde (A Two Part Novel) - Victor Rousseau - This story is a cliffhanger with the second part being in the next issue of the magazine. A group of scientists is trying to find the south pole. When two of them have a plane crash, they end up in a "center of the earth" scenario. Here they find a race of underground people being ruled by five foot tall beetles. Soon the two adventurers meet the leader of the beetles and are shocked to discover they share something in common with him. Also, he's a loon. I found this story to be pretty entertaining, and I wouldn't object to reading the rest of it.
The Cave of Horror - Captain S. P. Meek - The picture at the beginning of this story was a bit terrifying, especially when I read the caption to it. A man being snatched up into the air by an unknown assailant? Pass! In this story, a creature is attacking anything that ventures into Mammoth Cave, a well-known landmark in Kentucky. A bit of science and determination discovers what it is, but will they be able to stop it? I liked this short story, but I was a bit bummed at all the creature deaths. I'm a sucker for critters, so that always seems to bug me. Overall, a good story!
Phantoms of Reality - Ray Cummings - This one involves Charlie following his friend to another dimension through the use of vibrations. It's quite the adventure, and it was a good story. I like the way they used the different dimensions to affect both worlds in this short but satisfying story.
The Stolen Mind - M. L. Staley - I'm not sure what to say about this one. A man named Quest answers an ad for a job and gets a lot more than he bargained for. This was the most confusing one I read, but not from a science standpoint. I didn't understand why the man needed Quest to begin with (maybe I missed that in the science-y part), and I had trouble following what was going on a lot of the time. I also wanted to know what happened to Philip, but...too bad!
Compensation - C. V. Tench - A missing professor, a strange box in his laboratory and a suspicious police chief. This short story was pretty good, but I had parts of it figured out before the end. Not too bad, but very short.
Tanks - Murray Leinster - This one is a bit strange. Since this story revolves around a war of 1932, and the magazine came out in 1930, the war being fought is not quite on par with WWII. It's still interesting to think how another war was on the horizon. Not in 1932, but not long after, either. This one seemed the least science fiction-y to me. I guess the way the war is fought, but at that time, I could well believe that people would think battles would be fought in such a manner. The HQ tank, however, I'm not so sure about. Overall, it was not one of my favorites, but it wasn't bad. The little jabs at tanks vs. infantry were amusing though.
Invisible Death - Anthony Pelcher - An impossible murder, an invisible car, a ransom demand. All these things come together to give Lees the case of his life. He has to discover how Dr. Darrow was murdered and why no one can see the assailants to this or any of the following crimes. I liked this one. Just enough science fiction and enough clever reveal to make it entertaining.
This was a nice little jaunt into the science fiction genre. My favorite story had to be Invisible Death. I loved the invisible element and the reveal was pretty nifty. Other than the first story, all of these were complete tales, so it was a satisfying read overall. Fun magazine!
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