Science Wonder Stories

Fantastic Science–Fiction Art: 1926–1954; Lester Del Rey (Ballantine Books, ISBN 345-24731-0-595, cover by Frank R. Paul).

I first came across this book in 1975. That was the year that heavily-illustrated trade paperbacks and coffee-table books seemed to explode (or it might have been because I finally had access to a couple of real bookstores, and not just the spinning racks at the local magazine shops, drugstores and the five-and dime). There was Alternate Worlds by James Gunn. A couple of Betty Ballantine-edited volumes of illustrations by Frank Frazetta. And there was a heavily-illustrated hardcover volume (translated from either French or German) that I wish I could find again. It had, among other things, one of my favorite covers from Astounding (as well as the interior illustrations that went with this tale by H.P. Lovecraft).

I had a copy, lost it, and now (many years later) have found another copy (huzzah for the internet!). The text, by Lester Del Rey, is something of a mixed bag. He manages to give an overview of such illustrators as Frank R. Paul, Howard V. Brown and Hubert Rogers...but does so in a somewhat haphazard fashion. For example, this fine illustration is tossed off in less than a sentence. Argh. Double argh for the selection. A better book would have resulted from just showing the artwork that appeared in Astounding Science Fiction or Amazing Stories. More commentary would have helped, perhaps by an artist (see the next posting).

I'll hang on to it for the reproductions of several favorite covers. But this could have been a much better book!