Fri 11 Nov 2022
Diary Review: ANALOG SCIENCE FICTION, April 1967.
Posted by Steve under Diary Reviews , Science Fiction & Fantasy[5] Comments
ANALOG SCIENCE FICTION, April 1967. Editor: John W. Campbell. Cover art by John Schoenherr. Overall rating: **½ stars.
JAMES BLISH & NORMAN L. KNIGHT “To Love Another.†#4 in the authors’ “A Torrent of Faces†series. [The four stories were expanded and combined as A Torrent Of Faces (Doubleday, 1967).] Novelette. A love story between a human woman and tectogenetically created Triton. Too extreme in its contrasts from the depths of the Pacific to the overcrowded city of Philadelphia. The unexpected result that their marriage would produce keeps the story from a lower rating. (2)
MACK REYNOLDS “Enemy Within.†A small child locks himself in a flying saucer. (1)
JOSEPH P. MARTINO “To Change Their Ways.†Novelette. Wilm Kirsten, Sector Supervisor, has to help convince settlers to use new grains to prevent famines. Analogous to problem of India, but one easier to solve. (3)
HARRY HARRISON “The Time-Machines Saga.†Serial; part 2 of 3. [Reprinted in book form as The Technicolor® Time Machine (Doubleday, 1967).] Review of full novel to be posted later.
COLIN KAPP “Ambassador to Verdammt.†The inhabitants of Verdammt, totally alien to alien minds, can control their environment at will. Somewhat the effects of LSD? (4)
Note: Reprinted in World’s Best Science Fiction: 1968, edited by Terry Carr & Donald Wollheim (Ace, paperback, 1968).
November 12th, 2022 at 7:37 am
I’ve always found Blish to be an inconsistent writer and his work with Knight to be near the bottom of his talent barrel. Reynolds was often entertaining but his work in ANALOG was often a one-trick pony. This sounds like a very minor piece well outside his typical economic/political science fiction; I might eventually give it a try. I haven’t read much by martino although I did catch this one in an Amabel Williams-Ellis/Mably Owen anthology and remember liking it. I’ve read both the Harrison and the Kapp — both were worth the price of admission.
November 12th, 2022 at 11:33 am
A neat compact summery of the entire issue, Jerry. Thanks! I wish I remembered more of these stories than I do, which is none at all. Most of this issue was made up of longer stories, so whether you liked them or not firmed up your opinion of the entire magazine. Two and a half stars on my part, though, means it was a totally average issue. Or “meh” perhaps.
November 12th, 2022 at 8:56 pm
ANALOG from this era was very hit and miss for me. Whole issues like this one would go by where I might read nothing but the science article and non fiction departments. This was around the time I only bought Analog off the stands because it was too uneven for my subscription standards.
November 12th, 2022 at 9:11 pm
Maybe I’m the only one feeling this way, but the current incarnation of ANALOG is pure sludge for me, from the first page to the last.
November 13th, 2022 at 1:32 pm
Steve, I feel the same way about ANALOG. I still subscribe but I have not read a story in a long time. I’m thinking of not renewing my subscription.
I still get Asimov’s and F&SF which I like better than Analog. Also Interzone but I think it’s getting ready to cease publication.