Portal:Speculative fiction/Selected publications/6

Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was the creation of editor H. L. Gold, who found a responsive readership when he put the emphasis on imaginative sociological explorations of science fiction rather than hardware and pulp prose.

For the first issue, Gold obtained several stories by well-known authors, including Isaac Asimov, Fritz Leiber and Theodore Sturgeon, as well as part one of Time Quarry by Clifford D. Simak. Along with an essay by Gold, Galaxy's premiere issue introduced a book review column by anthologist Groff Conklin (which ran until 1955) and a Willy Ley science column. Gold's editorial staff included Washington Irving van der Poel as art director. Gold made efforts to improve the quality of the printing techniques, though the paper quality was not high enough for the full benefits to be seen.

In the summer of 1951, disagreements within World Editions led to attempts to disrupt Galaxy's distribution. The head of operations found out, however, and agreed to sell Galaxy to the printer, Robert M. Guinn. Guinn 's new company was named Galaxy Publishing Corporation, and it took over beginning with the October 1951 issue. Gold remained as editor, but lost the assistance of staff at World Editions, relying instead on help from Jerome Bixby, Algis Budrys, Theodore Sturgeon, and Gold's wife Evelyn Paige. Frederik Pohl, who was working as a literary agent, was also helpful in connecting writers with Gold.