Under The Moons Of Mars edited by Sam Moskowitz

Description

Bibliographic Details

• Author / Editor: Sam Moskowitz
• Title: Under The Moons Of Mars: A History and Anthology of "The Scientific Romance" in the Munsey Magazines, 1912-1920
• Publisher: ‎ Holt, Reinhart and Winston; First Edition (1970)
• Language: ‎ English
• Format: Hardcover – 433 pages
• ISBN-10: ‎ 0030818583
• ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0030818585
• Item Weight: ‎ 2.3 pounds
• Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.6 x 9.3 inches
• Book Condition: Used – Very Good / Rare-Collectible (shows some discoloration / staining on page edges)
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good (shows some minor handling / shelf wear on edges)
• Edition: First Edition

Synopsis:

A history and anthology of the scientific romances found in the Munsey magazines, 1912 to 1920. 

The book is divided into two sections, the first being an anthology of short fiction and chunks of serials from the period, all first published in such magazines as ARGOSY, ALL-STORY, and THE CAVALIER. Here's a listing: "Under the Moons of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs (from THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINE, February-July 1912) "Darkness and Dawn" by George Allan England (THE CAVALIER AND THE SCRAP BOOK, January 1912) "Polaris of the Snows" by Charles B. Stilson (ALL-STORY WEEKLY, December 18 1915-January 1 1916) "Palos of the Dog Star Pack" by J.U. Giesy (ALL-STORY WEEKLY, July 13-August 10 1918) "Friend Island" by Francis Stevens (ALL-STORY WEEKLY, September 7 1918) "The Moon Pool" by A. Merritt (ALL-STORY WEEKLY, June 22 1918) "The Girl in the Golden Atom" by Ray Cummings (ALL-STORY WEEKLY March 15 1919) "The Mad Planet" by Murray Leinster (THE ARGOSY, June 12 1920) "The Blind Spot" by Austin Hall and Homer Eon Flint (ARGOSY ALL-STORY WEEKLY May 14-June 18 1921)

Most of these, be warned, are incomplete sections of longer works, but as Moskowitz explains in the lengthy history of the magazines section that follows, the serials and novels are generally the best-remembered (or were, in 1970; now most of them are forgotten and out of print as well) and best-loved stories from the era.

Moskowitz provides short biographical notes on each author, and the stories (or parts of stories) are presented as they originally appeared – if they were later revised. But the history is fascinating, and Moskowitz goes into great detail about Frank Munsey, the "godfather" of the whole pulp era in American publishing, and the era before Burroughs, back to the late 1890s.

He explores to some extent the American attitudes about popular literature, the economics of the time which made the pulps viable.

About the Author/Editor:

Sam Moskowitz (June 30, 1920 – April 15, 1997) was an American writer, critic, and historian of science fiction.

As a child, Moskowitz greatly enjoyed reading science fiction pulp magazines. As a teenager, he organized a branch of the Science Fiction League. While still in his teens, Moskowitz became chairman of the first World Science Fiction Convention held in New York City in 1939. He barred several members of the rival Futurians club from the convention because they threatened to disrupt it. This event is referred to by historians of fandom as the "Great Exclusion Act".

In the mid-1940s, Moskovitz founded the Eastern Science Fiction Association (ESFA), a science-fiction fandom organization based in Newark, New Jersey which held conventions. By the early 1950s, he began working professionally in the science fiction field. He edited Science-Fiction Plus, a short-lived genre magazine owned by Hugo Gernsback, in 1953. He compiled about two dozen anthologies, and a few single-author collections, most published in the 1960s and early 1970s. Moskowitz also wrote a handful of short stories (three published in 1941, one in 1953, three in 1956).

His most enduring work is likely to be his writing on the history of science fiction, in particular two collections of short author biographies, Explorers of the Infinite and Seekers of Tomorrow, as well as the highly regarded Under the Moons of Mars: A History and Anthology of "The Scientific Romance" in the Munsey Magazines, 1912–1920. His exhaustive cataloging of early sf magazine stories by important genre authors remains the best resource for nonspecialists.

Moskowitz was also renowned as a science fiction book collector, with a tremendous number of important early works and rarities. His book collection was auctioned off after his death.

As "Sam Martin", he was also editor of the trade publications Quick Frozen Foods and Quick Frozen Foods International for many years.

First Fandom, an organization of science fiction fans active before 1940, gives an award in Moskowitz' memory each year at the World Science Fiction Convention.

Moskowitz smoked cigarettes frequently throughout his adult life. A few years before his death, throat cancer required the surgical removal of his larynx. He continued to speak at science fiction conventions, using an electronic voice-box held against his throat.

Throughout his later years, although his controversial opinions were often disputed by others, he was recognized as a leading authority on the history of science fiction.