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galacticjourneyLast year, Galaxy moved to a bi-monthly format. Coincident with that was a drop in writer rates per word. I had had concerns that there would be a corresponding drop in quality. Thankfully, this year's issues have been of consistently high quality.
All pictures by Dick Francis
Moreover, Galaxy really isn't a bi-monthly anymore. Inside the front cover of this month's (October) issue is a full-page advertisement for IF magazine, which is now owned by the same publishers, has the same editors, and appears in Galaxy's off months. Quacks like a duck; sounds as if Galaxy is a monthly, and every other month, is an oversized issue, to boot.
One of the reasons Galaxy can still fill its pages is that both the editor (H.L.Gold) and his brother (Floyd Gold, known as Floyd Gale) are both fair writers in their own right. Their opening novella, co-written under the pseudonym "Christopher Grimm," is called Someone to Watch Over Me, and it is almost excellent.
Len Mattern is a space merchant, seasoned from decades of meandering from star to star in a tramp freighter. His obsession is the high-class prostitute, Lyddy, and Len has spent his entire adult life amassing sufficient wealth to wed her, which he does at the story's beginning. The rest of the tale is told mostly in flashback. In this universe, traversing hyperspace has the most unsettling effect on travelers: they become unnatural beasts with tentacles and extra eyes. All but the most hardened spacer must knock her/himself out for the journey or suffer profound psychological trauma.
Mattern, however, has discovered that hyperspace is a destination, as well as a conduit, and it is inhabited. Moreover, some items that are useless in our dimension become highly valuable in the other, and vice versa. Mattern becomes the first to establish trade relations with the horrible but peaceful aliens. One of them even accompanies Mattern for the next decade of highly lucrative commerce, becoming a combination best-friend and perpetual shadow.
If the story has any flaw, it's a sort of dismissive view of women, though, to be fair, one of the best characters is the alien queen, at once beautiful and terrible. My favorite line: "I see no reason...why a male should be deemed incapable of ruling, provided he is under careful supervision."
Worthwhile reading. I'm glad the Gold brothers are writing as well as editing.
E.C. Tubb's Last of the Morticians is short and unremarkable, about two undertakers weathering a lack of business resulting from the recent advent of immortality. Their solution: bury something other than people!
Willy Ley's article this month is a little scattered, but the latter two thirds (he has split the column in three this time) is quite good. And bad Ley is still fine reading. I especially liked his piece on "Zilphion," a now-extinct Graeco-Roman spice plant.
Last for today is the very good "A Death in the House," by Cliff Simak. Simak is a very uneven writer, I have found, but when he's on top of his game, he is a real stand-out. Death is reminiscent in tone and subject of Dickson's E Gubling Dow from May's Satellite, but far better in in execution. In this tale, Old Mose (whom, until I saw the illustration, I pictured as Black), is a lonely farmer whose heart is big enough to rescue a rather repulsive alien that he finds mortally wounded on his property. It's really quite a beautiful story with a rather happy ending. In stark contrast to Garrett, Simak actually kept me up until I'd finished!
From what I can tell, the rest of the magazine is excellent, too. This issue may well earn the coveted four star rating. Only Galaxy has managed this feat of consistent quality in 1959, though excellent stories have appeared in other magazines, of course.
Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!
(Confused? Click here for an explanation as to what's really going on)
All pictures by Dick Francis
Moreover, Galaxy really isn't a bi-monthly anymore. Inside the front cover of this month's (October) issue is a full-page advertisement for IF magazine, which is now owned by the same publishers, has the same editors, and appears in Galaxy's off months. Quacks like a duck; sounds as if Galaxy is a monthly, and every other month, is an oversized issue, to boot.
One of the reasons Galaxy can still fill its pages is that both the editor (H.L.Gold) and his brother (Floyd Gold, known as Floyd Gale) are both fair writers in their own right. Their opening novella, co-written under the pseudonym "Christopher Grimm," is called Someone to Watch Over Me, and it is almost excellent.
Len Mattern is a space merchant, seasoned from decades of meandering from star to star in a tramp freighter. His obsession is the high-class prostitute, Lyddy, and Len has spent his entire adult life amassing sufficient wealth to wed her, which he does at the story's beginning. The rest of the tale is told mostly in flashback. In this universe, traversing hyperspace has the most unsettling effect on travelers: they become unnatural beasts with tentacles and extra eyes. All but the most hardened spacer must knock her/himself out for the journey or suffer profound psychological trauma.
Mattern, however, has discovered that hyperspace is a destination, as well as a conduit, and it is inhabited. Moreover, some items that are useless in our dimension become highly valuable in the other, and vice versa. Mattern becomes the first to establish trade relations with the horrible but peaceful aliens. One of them even accompanies Mattern for the next decade of highly lucrative commerce, becoming a combination best-friend and perpetual shadow.
If the story has any flaw, it's a sort of dismissive view of women, though, to be fair, one of the best characters is the alien queen, at once beautiful and terrible. My favorite line: "I see no reason...why a male should be deemed incapable of ruling, provided he is under careful supervision."
Worthwhile reading. I'm glad the Gold brothers are writing as well as editing.
E.C. Tubb's Last of the Morticians is short and unremarkable, about two undertakers weathering a lack of business resulting from the recent advent of immortality. Their solution: bury something other than people!
Willy Ley's article this month is a little scattered, but the latter two thirds (he has split the column in three this time) is quite good. And bad Ley is still fine reading. I especially liked his piece on "Zilphion," a now-extinct Graeco-Roman spice plant.
Last for today is the very good "A Death in the House," by Cliff Simak. Simak is a very uneven writer, I have found, but when he's on top of his game, he is a real stand-out. Death is reminiscent in tone and subject of Dickson's E Gubling Dow from May's Satellite, but far better in in execution. In this tale, Old Mose (whom, until I saw the illustration, I pictured as Black), is a lonely farmer whose heart is big enough to rescue a rather repulsive alien that he finds mortally wounded on his property. It's really quite a beautiful story with a rather happy ending. In stark contrast to Garrett, Simak actually kept me up until I'd finished!
From what I can tell, the rest of the magazine is excellent, too. This issue may well earn the coveted four star rating. Only Galaxy has managed this feat of consistent quality in 1959, though excellent stories have appeared in other magazines, of course.
Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!
(Confused? Click here for an explanation as to what's really going on)
no subject
Date: 2014-08-12 07:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-12 01:46 pm (UTC)"Someone to Watch Over Me"
Date: 2014-08-15 08:13 pm (UTC)Nice cover art. I note it's credited to "Wood," which I assume must be Wallace Wood, although it doesn't look like his usual style.
"Someone to Watch Over Me" was interesting. I had a few problems with it. I thought the real identity of the young crewman was pretty obvious. As a minor quibble, I found the alien words distracting. ("Kqyres" in particular.)
Overall, however, I thought the way in which the character of the protagonist changed over time was well done. The story reminds me a bit of the legend of Faust, as well as "The Secret Sharer." As you can tell, I found the relationship between the protagonist and his alien "familiar" to be the most intriguing part of the story. The way in which the protagonist is manipulated into doing what he thinks he wants to do was nicely done, as was the emotional cost paid for it.
I found the ending a bit disappointing, since the protagonist now seems to get everything he might ever want, and the emotional cost for it seems to have been forgotten. A slightly less "happy" ending would have been more appropriate, I believe. And I can't help but feel sorry for the "queen." ("Mbretersha" was another word that I stumbled over every time I read it.) She is apparently going to be stuck in what she can't help but think of as a monstrous shape for the rest of her life. (Maybe the happy couple can spend half their time in our universe and half their time in hyperspace.)
The interior illustrations were OK, but didn't capture the weirdness of hyperspace.
I might give this one 3.5 stars out of 5.
Re: "Someone to Watch Over Me"
Date: 2014-08-15 11:20 pm (UTC)Also, I think the characters got used to and came to enjoy their alternate forms. When in Rome...
"A Death in the House"
Date: 2014-08-16 03:06 am (UTC)Two stars out of five.
The article about the mysterious extinct plant was quite interesting. The American chestnut hasn't quite been wiped out entirely by the devastating blight that entered the USA early this century, but perhaps it will disappear completely before the 21st century is here.
"A Death in the House" was excellent. Beautifully written, in the kind of seemingly simple style which is so difficult to do. It manages to be powerfully emotional without being sentimental. Fine characterization, very believable, and with an ending which is perfect. Simak excels at rural science fiction.
Five stars out of five.
Re: "A Death in the House"
Date: 2014-08-16 08:29 am (UTC)Re: "A Death in the House"
Date: 2014-08-16 03:43 pm (UTC)