by Science Fiction, Isaac Asimov
[Magazines and Periodicals][Literature][Sci-fi] Astounding Science Fiction archive of four issues. New York: Street & Smith Publications, January–December 1945. Original illustrated wraps. This postwar quartet of Astounding Science Fiction documents a transitional moment in the genre as authors grappled with nuclear anxieties, technological utopianism, and post-fascist global reordering. Under editor John W. Campbell Jr., the magazine continued its influential “Golden Age” output, developing rigorous speculative narratives through hard science and moral philosophy. These issues feature early entries by foundational voices such as Isaac Asimov, A.E. van Vogt, and Fritz Leiber, Jr., and include work under the pseudonym “Lewis Padgett,” the collaborative pen name of Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore—Moore being one of the earliest and most significant women in American science fiction.
[1] Astounding Science Fiction, Vol. XXXIV, No. 5. (January 1945). Features “The Mixed Men” by A.E. van Vogt, a foundational novelette exploring themes of identity, rebellion, and human-machine hybridity that presaged cybernetic fiction. Includes short stories “The Canal Builders” by Robert Abernathy and “Enter the Professor” by E. Mayne Hull. Notably, “The Waveries” by Fredric Brown uses humor and allegory to imagine a world where non-verbal alien parasites disrupt Earth’s electromagnetic functions, undermining modern communication. Cover by Timmins.
[2] Astounding Science Fiction, Vol. XXXV, No. 1. (March 1945). Contains Part I of “Destiny Times Three” by Fritz Leiber, Jr., a parallel-universe thriller that remains one of the earliest science fiction treatments of alternate timelines and totalitarian control. The issue also features “Blind Alley” by Isaac Asimov, a quietly profound short story examining the psychological plight of an alien confined by humans, reflecting postwar debates on displacement and power. Additional contributions by A. Bertram Chandler and George O. Smith.
[3] Astounding Science Fiction, Vol. XXXV, No. 2. (April 1945). Highlights “Dead Hand,” an early Foundation story by Isaac Asimov, which explores the collapse of empire and the logic of psychohistory—a fictional science blending mathematics, sociology, and historical determinism. Includes “Correspondence Course” by Raymond F. Jones and “Brains for Bricks” by Malcolm Jameson. The article “Little Enough” by J.J. Coupling offers technical speculation on energy systems during a time of growing public awareness of atomic power.
[4] Astounding Science Fiction, Vol. XXXVI, No. 5. (December 1945). Features “Beggars in Velvet” by Lewis Padgett, a pseudonym for the husband-wife duo Henry Kuttner and Catherine L. Moore. Moore’s significant yet often underacknowledged role as co-author places her among the pioneering women in science fiction’s formative years. Also included is the conclusion of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation serial “The Mule,” a key arc in the saga where a single mutant individual disrupts the predictive stability of psychohistory—Asimov’s most memorable antagonist. Contributions by George O. Smith and Malcolm Jameson round out the issue. Cover by Timmins.
All issues exhibit moderate wear consistent with age. Light edgewear and expected toning throughout, with creasing to spines and minor chipping to extremities. Significant chipping to back wrappers on March and April issues and to bottom spine of January issue. Overall good condition. This archive captures critical voices of speculative fiction’s Golden Age and documents contributions by one of the most important female writers in the genre’s early history. (Inventory #: 21800)
[1] Astounding Science Fiction, Vol. XXXIV, No. 5. (January 1945). Features “The Mixed Men” by A.E. van Vogt, a foundational novelette exploring themes of identity, rebellion, and human-machine hybridity that presaged cybernetic fiction. Includes short stories “The Canal Builders” by Robert Abernathy and “Enter the Professor” by E. Mayne Hull. Notably, “The Waveries” by Fredric Brown uses humor and allegory to imagine a world where non-verbal alien parasites disrupt Earth’s electromagnetic functions, undermining modern communication. Cover by Timmins.
[2] Astounding Science Fiction, Vol. XXXV, No. 1. (March 1945). Contains Part I of “Destiny Times Three” by Fritz Leiber, Jr., a parallel-universe thriller that remains one of the earliest science fiction treatments of alternate timelines and totalitarian control. The issue also features “Blind Alley” by Isaac Asimov, a quietly profound short story examining the psychological plight of an alien confined by humans, reflecting postwar debates on displacement and power. Additional contributions by A. Bertram Chandler and George O. Smith.
[3] Astounding Science Fiction, Vol. XXXV, No. 2. (April 1945). Highlights “Dead Hand,” an early Foundation story by Isaac Asimov, which explores the collapse of empire and the logic of psychohistory—a fictional science blending mathematics, sociology, and historical determinism. Includes “Correspondence Course” by Raymond F. Jones and “Brains for Bricks” by Malcolm Jameson. The article “Little Enough” by J.J. Coupling offers technical speculation on energy systems during a time of growing public awareness of atomic power.
[4] Astounding Science Fiction, Vol. XXXVI, No. 5. (December 1945). Features “Beggars in Velvet” by Lewis Padgett, a pseudonym for the husband-wife duo Henry Kuttner and Catherine L. Moore. Moore’s significant yet often underacknowledged role as co-author places her among the pioneering women in science fiction’s formative years. Also included is the conclusion of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation serial “The Mule,” a key arc in the saga where a single mutant individual disrupts the predictive stability of psychohistory—Asimov’s most memorable antagonist. Contributions by George O. Smith and Malcolm Jameson round out the issue. Cover by Timmins.
All issues exhibit moderate wear consistent with age. Light edgewear and expected toning throughout, with creasing to spines and minor chipping to extremities. Significant chipping to back wrappers on March and April issues and to bottom spine of January issue. Overall good condition. This archive captures critical voices of speculative fiction’s Golden Age and documents contributions by one of the most important female writers in the genre’s early history. (Inventory #: 21800)
(818) 224-4555
