ASTOUNDING

Astounding (SF/Biographies)

By Alec Nevala-Lee

Dey Street Books

ISBN #978-0062571946

Price $16.50 (hardback)

Price $13.39 (Paperback)

544 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“A Monument To The Past”

Astounding was the leading science fiction magazine in the Golden Age of SF. When John Campbell took over editorial control the stories became more believable than the previous soap opera appearing in the news rack magazines of the day. The authors submitting to Astounding knew that their stories better show real science and nuts and bolts technology if they wanted published in John Campbell’s magazine. Three such authors were Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and L. Ron Hubbard. This book covers them and John Campbell in biographies that dig into their backgrounds, showing not only their talents, but also their faults. It also looks at the women behind the men. It’s a history that looks into the magazine in that period when Astounding led the field.

I was captivated by the stories I heard about these men and women. As a young reader in the early 1950s, I discovered Astounding and the other SF magazines, and read everything I could find, especially these authors, but also other science fiction masters like A.E. van Vogt, Ray Bradbury, George O. Smith, and the rest. For those of you that want to learn more about Astounding and the Golden Age of science fiction and the authors, I highly recommend this book.

Tom Johnson

Author of WORLDS OF TOMORROW 

Writers of The Future

Let your imagination run wild.

If you’re ready to travel to a universe of mystery, sacrifice, and suspense, where the laws of physics are optional, book your journey here.

On this odyssey of enchantment, enlightenment, and endless possibility, you will meet a murderer who’s out to save mankind, a cyborg who robs the dead to rescue the living, and a lost boy who holds the key to peace. Discover visions of the world, of mankind, and of the future that are sure to open your eyes.

Every illustration will touch you.

Every word will move you.

Every idea will take you by surprise.

Just imagine.

Bonus: Learn how to write or improve your craft with tips from award-winning and bestselling author and editor Mike Resnick and New York Times bestselling author L. Ron Hubbard. Internationally renowned artist, Rob Prior, shares tips of the trade for aspiring illustrators.

“It’s one of the forces that keep science fiction alive.” —Orson Scott Card

The 35th collection of winners of the Writers and Illustrators of the Future competition features expertly crafted stories and art, spanning the gamut from hard core sci-fi to epic fantasy. 12 stories so fresh and new, they're 5–10 years ahead of the curve—the future is literally here and now.

Each year, the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests’ blue-ribbon judges search the world to discover and introduce to you the very best new talent in sci-fi and fantasy.

Created by L. Ron Hubbard, whose commitment to help new writers and artists gave rise to the annual Writers of the Future anthologies—a launching pad for writers and artists who are sure to command our attention for decades to come.

The 24 award-winning sci-fi and fantasy authors and illustrators are accompanied by New York Times bestselling authors L. Ron Hubbard, Rebecca Moesta, Mike Resnick, Dean Wesley Smith, and world-class artists Rob Prior and Echo Chernik and edited by David Farland.

Writers of The Future Vol 35 (SF Anthology)

Various Authors & Artists

Galaxy Press www.galaxypresss.com

ISBN #978-1619866041

Price $11.72 (Paperback)

Price $9.49 (Kindle)

428 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“The Annual L. Ron Hubbard Contest Winners”

Volume 35 continues the annual winners in the SF short story contests presented by the Galaxy Press L. Ron Hubbard folks, and this year is just as fascinating as previous years. Featuring this year’s 12 best international tales, as well as illustrated by the best international illustrators. Includes three short stories by professional authors L. Ron Hubbard, Dean Wesley Smith, and Rebecca Moesta. With essays on writing and illustrating by L. Ron Hubbard, Mike Resnick, and Rob Prior.

The winning stories this year are Untrained Luck by Elise Stephens, and illustrated by Aliya Chen; The First Warden by Kai Wolden, and illustrated by Alexander Gustafson; The Damned Voyage by John Haas, and illustrated by Allen Morris; Thanatos Drive by Andrew Dykstal, and illustrated by Qianjiao Ma; A Harvest of Astronauts by Kyle Kirrin, and illustrated by Sam Kemp; Super Duper Moongirl And The Amazing Moon Dawdler by Wulf Moon, and illustrated by Alice Wang; Are You The Life Of The Party? by Mica Scotti kole, and illustrated by Josh Pemberton; Release From Service by Rustin Lovewell, and illustrated by Emerson Rabbitt; Dark Equations Of The Heart by David Cleden, and illustrated by Vytautas Vasiliauskas; An Itch by Christopher Baker, and illustrated by Jennifer Ober; Dirt Road Magic by Carrie Callahan, and illustrated by Yingying Jiang; A Certain Slant Of Light by Preston Dennett, and illustrated by Christine Rhee.

L. Ron Hubbard wrote The Idealist, which was illustrated by Brian C. Hailes, Plus, he also wrote Tomorrow’s Miracles. Dean Wesley Smith wrote Lost Robot, inspired by Bob Eggleton’s One of Our Robots Is Missing, used as the cover of this issue. Rebecca Moesta wrote The Yellow Submarine, which was illustrated by David Furnal. Mike Resnick wrote Tips For Embryonic Pros, and David Forland wrote the Introduction. The illustrations appear in both color at the front of the book, as well as b&w with the stories.

Only the best stories and illustrations were selected for this anthology, and each is rated in the overall final 5-Stars for their unique and exciting tales, in visual and words. I enjoyed the whole book, so will not pick any favorites. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of BEHIND THE MASK

Writers of The Future Volume 33

The Best New Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: 28 Award-Winning Authors and Illustrators Accompanied by Anne McCaffrey, Robert J. Sawyer, Larry Elmore, Todd McCaffrey, Bob Eggleton.

Writers of The Future Volume 33 (SF)

By Various Authors & Artists

Galaxy Press

ISBN #978-1619866297

Price $10.12

400 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“Some of The Best New SF This Year.”

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of The Future continues to bring new authors and artists to the field in their many contests over the years. This current issue is no exception. The cover is by Larry Elmore, illustrating the story, The Dragon Killer’s Daughter. It also contains stories by contest winners, as well as old pros, while introducing new artists to the genre. Each story is different, while the writing is topnotch, and the story telling keeps the reader turning the page. 12 winning writers and two published finalist are included, as are 12 winning artists. Not a better SF anthology will be found this year. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of THESE ALIEN SKIES

The Iron Duke

He’s a lady’s man, a man’s man—and a wanted man, on the run in 1930s Europe….

Meet Blacky Lee, ruggedly handsome with a quick wit and a roguish charm.  Think Clark Gable—with larceny in his heart and a price on his head.  A price put there by the German Gestapo.  But Blacky’s always got an angle, and this time it’s as audacious as they come.  He’ll hide in plain sight, impersonating the crowned head of a Balkan kingdom.  He’ll become The Iron Duke.

Can he pull it off?  Win the love of a country…and of a beautiful woman?  All Blacky has to do is risk everything—and, for once in his life, find a way to do the right thing.

The Iron Duke (Adventure)

By L. Ron Hubbard

Galaxy Press www.goldenagestories.com

ISBN #978-1592123193

Price $9.95

128 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“A Great Adventure Yarn.”

Blacky Lee and Stud Doyle are running from NAZIs. The pair are a couple weapons scam artists, trying to make money while selling worthless guns to the enemy. On the run, they just make it into the Balkens, where Blacky is mistook for Philip, the Archduke of Aldoria; deciding to ride and on the identity, he pretends to be the monarch, and Stud becomes his private physician, Dr. Pierre Cartier. But it isn’t long before his imposter is found out. His only hope is the Countess Zito who may have taken a liking to him.

Originally published in the July 1940 issue of FIVE NOVELS MONTHLY, this novelette is an exciting tale about the adventures of a pair of never-do-wells who jump out of the frying pan into the fire. This yarn was lots of fun, and highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of THE CARNIVAL OF DEATH

The Magic Quirt

When it comes to boiling up a pot of coffee or stirring up a pot of stew, Old Laramie’s about as good a man as you’re going to find. But other than cooking three squares a day for the cowpunchers over at the Lazy G ranch, Laramie’s not good for much. He’s about as heroic as Walter Brennan on a bender.

But Laramie’s luck—and life—are about to take an amazing turn. Quite by accident, he somehow manages to save a family of Mexicans from bandits, and as a token of their gratitude they give him The Magic Quirt—a horsewhip that he’s told will turn him into a new man.

The transformation is indeed magical. Suddenly Laramie is performing feats of ingenuity and courage that would make even the Lone Ranger proud. But magic is a funny thing—and as Laramie’s about to discover, sometimes it’s all an illusion.

Also includes the Western adventures, Vengeance Is Mine!, the story of a young man who sets out to avenge his father’s death only to commit an act beyond redemption, and Stacked Bullets, in which a game of chance is fixed, a whole town is cheated, and nothing but a stack of bullets can make things right.

The Magic Quirt (Western Fiction)

By L. Ron Hubbard

Galaxy Press www.goldenagestories.com

ISBN #978-1592123766

Price $9.95

136 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“Western Fun.”

This book actually contains three western stories from the pulp magazines: The lead story, THE MAGIC QUIRT, which was originally published in the July 1948 issue of THE RIO KID WESTERN. Plus, VENGEANCE IS MINE and STACKED BULLETS.

         THE MAGIC QUIRT has the Lazy G trail cook rushing to catch up with the punchers when he loses control of the wagon and almost runs down some cowboys harassing an old Indian and his wife. The cowboys were a nasty bunch, but took off before they could finish their dealings with the Indians.  The old Indian wants to thank Old Laramie for his help, but the cook doesn’t want any payment. Still, the Indian gives him an Aztec statute with snakes on it, saying it will make him a big man. Now Old Laramie has been reading books on magic and things, and now believes the statue is magic and will, indeed, make him a big man. He quits his job, goes into town and gambles, winning big stakes, then has a shoot out with those cowboys he’s ran away earlier. He thinks it’s all because he’s a big man now, and it’s the magic of the statue, only to discover the statue is one of hundreds the old Indian makes and sells to the white man. They have no magic, and Old Laramie passes out. A really enjoyable read.

         VENGEANCE IS MINE is more prophetic. Young Whitey Bates takes some time off at the ranch to check on his father who has been mining for gold in the hills all his life. When he reaches the little cabin he finds his father dying from a gunshot wound and he’s talking out of his head. Finally, Whitey thinks he calmed his dad down enough to be coherent, and asks who shot him? The old man keeps voicing a name, and Whitey believes it’s the name of his killer. He rides out after his dad dies, and trails after the man. Half dead himself now, he’s led to a small town where the man is supposed to be. Stumbling into a bar he sees four men and asks if either of them is the name of the killer. An old man steps out and admits it’s his name, and Whitey shoots him. Whitey has been poisoned by cactus needles from a Century Plant and is dying, and begs the men to fund the doctor for him. Now he discovers the man he has killed was the doctor. Whitey’s father had still been out of his head when he named his killer, and remembered a name from his past. In fact, the shooting had been an accident when Whitey’s father stumbled into brush and he shot himself.

         STACKED BULLETS: In the little town of Stud Hoss, Charley Montgomery is sitting at poker table with ninety thousand dollars from the sell of his spread to the Ringo Brothers. Two of Charley’s pals clean him out, then makes him a proposition; they’ll give him one thousand dollars back if he will shoot the Ringo Brothers. But Charley has made a deal and the Ringo Brothers promised to treat the town right with the water on the property. Well, evidently they lied, for Charley’s pals shows him signs that were printed up, charging everyone for use of that water. Now Charley is angry for he’s been lied to. And the Ringo Brothers come into the saloon calling Charley a rustler because all the cattle are gone from his spread. Now there’s nothing to it but a gunfight. After the lead has been thrown, and Charley is the only one left alive, his poker friends clear their conscious. You see, the deck they were playing with was marked, so they took Charley’s money to make him need the thousand dollars they were offering for the killing of the Ringo Brothers. And the missing cattle, well they took them, too, to make the Ringo Brothers suspect Charley of rustling. Naturally, since everything worked out, they give Charley his money back. And then set back down for more poker. Well, definitely an odd one, since one of Charley’s poker buddies was the sheriff. Guess the law just wasn’t exactly what it was supposed to be in the Old West. Hubbard’s writing in these old pulp yarns is excellent, and the stories are entertaining. My favorite of the three in this volume, however, is the lead story, THE MAGIC QUIRT. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of SENORA SCORPION