Where did all the Amazing, Astounding, Astonishing and Scientific Wonder begin?

If you have ever imagined, "Is there life on other planets?, Can man travel to other galaxies?, Is it possible to move through time?" - then you understand about having a "Sense of Wonder". Many of today's conveniences have been developed and created by scientists and inventors who consumed weekly doses of the fantastic pulps as youngsters. Their ability to imagine has supplied us with the incredible advances of the 20th Century. This article is a brief history of Science Fiction that reveals the methods to develop a collection and to discover your imagination.

In the last half of the nineteenth century, novels by Jules Verne and H. G. Wells sparked interest in Scientific Romances. Through 1925, other writers began to publish similar novels and stories with more frequency in magazines like Colliers, Pearsons, All-Story, Argosy, Blue Book, Science & Invention and Weird Tales. In early 1926, Hugo Gernsback published the first all Science Fiction magazine AMAZING STORIES. It began as a magazine reprinting stories by Verne, Wells, Poe and other scientific writers. At the start of 1926, their were no true Science Fiction writers because their were no SF magazines to support their efforts - this fact would now change.

Within three years, Amazing Stories moved away from reprints and toward offering new stories and encouraging new writers like Miles J. Bruer, E. E. "Doc" Smith, Jack Williamson and John Cambell, Jr. as well as producing an Annual and Quarterlies. By mid-1929, the genre was defined and dubbed Science Fiction. By 1930 the new pulps, Science Wonder Stories, Air Wonder Stories and Astounding Stories were competing with Amazing for marketshare.

Throughout the 1930's, Science Fiction gradually matured. John W. Cambell, Jr. became the editor of Astounding Science Fiction in 1938 and insisted upon raising the level of storytelling. New authors like L. Ron Hubbard, Isaac Asimov, A.E. Van Vogt, Robert Heinlein, Frederick Pohl and Theodore Sturgeon worked closely with Cambell to produce scientifically accurate and enthralling tales. Science Fiction was now out of its infancy and the Golden Age of Science Fiction had begun.

This newfound quality, started a Science Fiction boom in the pulps from 1939-1955 and the number of individual titles increased dramatically. So much so, that many titles existed for only a short time and then disappeared into oblivion due to the excessive competition. In the mid 1950's, the SF pulp rein slowed and only the major titles remained. However, SF had now spilled over into other marketplaces: Motion Pictures, Hardcovers, Paperback Books, Comics, Radio, Television, Toys and other areas of everyday life.

So where do you begin collecting? A good place to start would be to pick a title, author, year and/or story type. Start with a small grouping that you can attain within a few months. Once you have accomplished this you'll be ready to take on a bigger, more difficult batch. You could begin by purchasing a single issue of each of the major titles from a specific year (ie. Amazing, Astounding, and Wonder from 1935). Once finding a title of interest, then purchase an entire year of issues (ie. Planet Stories 1940). If you wish to research an Author, then search internet sources for a biography, list of his/her works and their first appearances. If you appreciate great cover art, then watch eBay listings to view the fantastic covers.

This is just a start for uncovering mounds of information that can hold your attention for a lifetime. Pulp prices can range from $5 to over a $1000 depending upon their content. Many worthwhile items can be found from $10 to $50 - so keep your eyes open. Find your niche and remember to have fun!

If you have found this guide helpful please give it a "Yes" vote below. If you have any questions that I can help answer please feel free to contact me through my username MorbidMonster*com.

Thanks - Dave