Thrilling Wonder Biographies

[1939] Howard V. Brown cover illustration — “…And if any of you readers have some original ideas about this cover, I would like to hear about it, care of THE READER SPEAKS…” — Ray Cummings on page 37

★★★

TENTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE of Thrilling Wonder Stories (subtitled: ‘The Magazine of Prophetic Fiction’ and imprinted: ‘A Thrilling Publication’), June 1939, Vol. XIII, No. 3, published by Hugo Gernsback, featured biographies and photographs of “Our Science Fiction Family” on the pages 17 to 103. The sterling lineup of biographies of contributors included artists Jack Binder, Howard V. Brown, H.W. Wesso, Alex Schomburg, Virgil Finlay and Frank R. Paul, and writers John Taine, Otis Adelbert Kline, Ray Cummings, John Coleman Burroughs, Hulbert Burroughs, Earl and Otto (‘Eando’) Binder, Jack Williamson, Dr. Edward Elmer (‘E.E.’) Smith, Clifford D. Simak, Manley Wade Wellman, Frank Belknap Long, Jr., Max C. Sheridan, Stanton A. Coblentz, Robert Moore Williams, Carl Jacobi, Ward Hawkins, Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, Arthur J. Burks, Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr., Ralph Milne Farley, Leo Morey, Mark Marchioni, Dr. David H. Keller and the late Stanley G. Weinbaum. Weinbaum’s last story (Dec 1938) was uncompleted at his death and was finished by his sister Helen Weinbaum.

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HUGO GERNSBACK’S MAGAZINE Science Wonder Stories began in June 1929 when another term to describe its type of storytelling was ‘scientifiction.’ The following year the magazine’s title was shortened to Wonder Stories. Eventually Gernsback sold the periodical to Ned Pines at Standard Publishing. As the pulp fiction market began to slump, Eando Binder and Alex Schomburg moved on to the burgeoning comic book field.

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[35]

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[103]

THANKS to Ulrich Merkl for the images.