SUPER SCIENCE STORIES

   US PULP MAGAZINE. 31 issues, published by Fictioneers, Inc., a subsidiary of Popular Publications; 16 issues Mar 1940-May 1943, 3 of the 1941 issues (Mar-Aug) being under the title Super Science Novels; ed Frederik POHLuntil Aug 1941, then Alden H. Norton. The magazine was revived by Popular Publications, continuing the old volume numeration, for 15 more issues Jan1949-Aug 1951, ed Ejler JAKOBSSON, with Damon KNIGHT assistant ed on some issues. In both incarnations the magazine varied between quarterly and bimonthly.SSS, a companion to ASTONISHING STORIES, featured standard pulp adventure sf, and in its 1st incarnation was an important market for the FUTURIAN group, Pohl buying a good deal of material from himself(including many of his early collaborations with C.M. KORNBLUTH). The most notable story was Genus Homo (Mar 1941; rev 1950) by L. Sprague DE CAMP and P. Schuyler MILLER. It also published a number of early stories by Isaac ASIMOV and James BLISH's first story, "Emergency Refueling" (1940),and his much superior "Sunken Universe" (1942) as by Arthur Merlyn. The 2nd incarnation published Chad OLIVER's debut story, "The Land of LostContent" (1950). SSS had a greater importance to the HISTORY OF SF than the quality of its stories would suggest; it was an important training ground.The Canadian magazine of the same title, published by Popular Publications, Toronto, continued publication for 2 years after the firstUS version ceased, publishing 21 issues in all Aug 1942-Dec 1945, the last 5 under the title Super Science and Fantastic Stories. From Aug 1942 to Feb 1944 the Canadian SSS drew its material in alternate issues from the US SSS and Astonishing Stories. From the Apr 1944 issue onwards some original stories were used (11 in all), including "The Black Sun Rises" (June 1944) by Henry KUTTNER, but mostly it ran stories from the PopularPublications reprint magazine FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES. The 2nd incarnation of SSS was also reprinted in Canada 1949-51, as Super Science Stories. There were 2 series of UK reprints: Thorpe \& Porter reprinted 3whole issues in 1949-50; and Pembertons published 14 consecutively numbered issues of selections from both versions of the US magazine 1950-53.

BS/PN