FANTASTIC

   US DIGEST-size magazine, companion to AMAZING STORIES; published by ZIFF-DAVIS (Summer 1952-June 1965), Ultimate Publishing Co. (Sep 1965-Oct 1980); ed Howard BROWNE (Summer 1952-Aug 1956), Paul W. FAIRMAN (Oct 1956-Nov 1958), Cele GOLDSMITH (Dec 1958-June 1965; as Cele G. Lalli from July 1964), Joseph ROSS (Sep 1965-Nov 1967), Harry HARRISON (Jan-Oct 1968), Barry N. MALZBERG (Dec 1968-Apr 1969), Ted WHITE (June 1969-Jan 1979), Elinor Mavor (Apr 1979-Oct 1980; initially under the pseudonym Omar Gohagen). From Nov 1980 Fantastic was merged with AMZ. After the title was bought by Sol Cohen's Ultimate Publishing Co. in 1965 it mainly published reprints until mid-1968; the reprint policy was finally phased out completely under White soon after he took over from Malzberg. For much of its early life F was bimonthly, but at its height - in the Goldsmith period - it went monthly, beginning with Feb 1957. The Ultimate Publishing version began in Sep 1965 as a bimonthly, but the magazine went onto a quarterly schedule in 1976. The title underwent numerous minor changes, appearing as Fantastic Science Fiction (Apr 1955-Feb 1958), Fantastic Science Fiction Stories (Sep 1959-Sep 1960), Fantastic Stories of Imagination (Oct 1960-June 1965) and Fantastic Stories at various periods. Browne originally intended F to attract a wider audience than AMZ, and published tales under bylines famous outside the sf field, including Raymond Chandler, Truman Capote, Mickey Spillane and Evelyn WAUGH (the Spillane byline was probably not authentic). After 1953, when it absorbed the much older FANTASTIC ADVENTURES, F deteriorated to become a downmarket sf magazine indistinguishable from AMZ. But from 1958, under the more adventurous editorship of Goldsmith, it improved dramatically, becoming arguably the best fantasy magazine existing. Fritz LEIBER revived his Fafhrd and Gray Mouser for an issue containing only his stories (Nov 1959), and the series remained an irregular feature. Authors whose first published stories appeared in F include Thomas M. DISCH, Ursula K. LE GUIN and Roger ZELAZNY. David BUNCH was a regular (and controversial) contributor. Following a bad period in the mid-1960s after the magazine was sold, F improved again under White, featuring a notable series of articles by Alexei and Cory PANSHIN, Science Fiction in Dimension (1970-73), publishing much early work by Gordon EKLUND and some excellent covers by Stephen FABIAN. New Conan stories by L. Sprague DE CAMP and Lin CARTER helped to boost circulation a little, but the magazine's situation remained financially precarious despite the fact that "adult fantasy" had been spectacularly revived as a paperback genre. Its deterioration after White quit was rapid and deservedly terminal.Although the words "science fiction" appeared on the cover at different times for four or five years, F was always mainly known for fantasy, being particularly strong in SWORD AND SORCERY.An undated bimonthly UK reprint ran for 8 issues, published by Strato Publications Dec 1953-Feb 1955. An anthology of stories from F is The Best from Fantastic (anth 1973) ed Ted White.

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