Thu 5 Sep 2024
SF Diary Review: GALAXY SF – August 1967.
Posted by Steve under Diary Reviews , Magazines , Science Fiction & Fantasy[9] Comments
GALAXY SF – August 1967. Editor: Frederik Pohl. Cover artist: Dember. Overall rating: ***
ROBERT SILVERBERG “Hawksbill Station.” Novelette. Reviewed separately and appearing here. (4)
ROGER ZELAZNY “Angel, Dark Angel.” Dark Angels bring death to individuals who threaten the stability of galactic society, Of what significance is Sensibility? (2)
K. M. O’DONNELL “We’re Coming through the Windows.” A letter to Mr. Pohl about a time-machine. Funny but hopeless. (1)
R. A. LAFFERTY “Ginny Wrapped in the Sun.” Reversible evolution, told Lafferry-style. Is this based on an Asimov article? (3)
RICHARD WILSON “9-9-99.” Letters between the last two men on Earth, about a bet that can’t be paid off. (2)
H. H. HOLLIS “Travelers Guide to MegaHouston.” Non-fact article. The domed city of the future has its roots today in the Astrodome and the US pavilion at Expo76. Not very interesting. (1)
TED THOMAS “The Being in the Tank.” A strange man appears in the works of a hydrazine plant. Why didn’t this appear in Analog? (2)
LINDA MARLOWE “Hide and Seek.” Population controlled by a children’s game. (3)
MIRIAM ALLEN deFORD “The Great Stupids.” Discrimination because of age, and how to combat it — with soda pop. (2)
POUL ANDERSON “To Outlive Eternity.” Serial; part 2 of 2. Review to be posted here soon.
September 6th, 2024 at 4:49 am
I love your comments on these older SF digests. Fascinating to see what the Future looked like back then!
September 6th, 2024 at 7:28 pm
They’ve been fun for me, too. It’s good to know I’m not boring everyone with them.
September 6th, 2024 at 9:43 am
I was a subscriber to GALAXY in 1967 so I know I read this issue. The “hopeless” K. M. O’Donnell is better known as Barry N. Malzberg.
September 6th, 2024 at 7:25 pm
I think I knew O’Donnall was Barry Malzberg back then, but I’m not sure. I hope he never reads this old review!
September 6th, 2024 at 9:42 pm
Galaxy in this period, while it featured many fine writers, and once in a while something like Silverberg’s HAWKSBILL STATION, was, for me, the least of the SF digests.
September 7th, 2024 at 6:07 am
I have to disagree with David about Galaxy in the sixties. I still have my issues and it was my favorite SF magazine. I especially liked the Silverberg stories that Fred Pohl published.
I hope Steve continues these diary posts. While I often disagree with his ratings, I love reading the comments.
September 7th, 2024 at 8:28 pm
“I hope Steve continues these diary posts…”
And hopefully you’re not the only one. I’m only in the beginning pages of book two of four of these old reviews. I’m enjoying them too!
September 7th, 2024 at 5:27 pm
From what I remember of 1967, GALAXY was also being edited by Frederik Pohl who was also editor of WORLDS OF IF and WORLDS OF TOMORROW. Perhaps GALAXY got short shrift with Pohl’s other magazines.
I’m proud to admit that I managed to collect an entire run of GALAXY…which I subsequently donated to the Special Collections of the State University of New York at Buffalo. It’s part of the George Kelley Paperback and Pulp Fiction Collection.
September 7th, 2024 at 8:23 pm
That’s a good story, George. I didn’t start buying GALAXY SF in the form of new copies unless maybe 1963 or so. It was one of my favorite magazines at the time, but I also loved the other two Pohl titles you mention. I came very close to having a complete set of GALAXY’s, missing only one or two, but for some reason I never plunged on and got them all.