MINES, Samuel

(1909-)

   US editor who worked from 1942 for Standard Magazines, the chain that published STARTLING STORIES and THRILLING WONDER STORIES. Although an sf enthusiast - he published 4 stories in TWS, beginning with "Find the Sculptor" in 1946 - he concentrated mainly on non-sf pulps until SamMERWIN left the company in 1951, whereupon he took over the editorship of Startling Stories (Nov 1951-Fall 1954), TWS (Dec 1951-Summer 1954), FANTASTIC STORY QUARTERLY (Winter 1952-Fall 1954) and WONDER STORY ANNUAL (1952-3); he also edited all issues of the short-lived SPACE STORIES. Although he took control of the magazines at a time when the PULP-MAGAZINE industry was generally in decline, and the sf pulps in particular were suffering from the powerful competition of such new magazines as GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION and The MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION , SM wasgenerally successful in maintaining the standard to which Merwin had raised them. He ed The Best from Startling Stories (anth 1953; vt Startling Stories 1954 UK; vt Moment without Time 1956 UK); the bookcontained stories from TWS as well. SM left Standard in 1954; the various magazines did not survive him long. He held no further editorial positions in sf, although he did review books occasionally for LUNA MONTHLY.

   MJE