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Notes
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US pulp science fiction and fantasy magazine, which ran from 1952 until 1974. During the 1950s, it occasionally carried the subtitle Worlds of Science Fiction. The magazine ran through a number of editors, but experienced its greatest success during the seven years (1962 to 1969) when it was edited by Frederick Pohl, during which time it won three consecutive Hugo Awards for best professional magazine (1966 to 1968). After the Nov./Dec. 1974 issue, the publishing house decided that rising publication costs made it impractical to continue publishing both If and their other science-fiction magazine, Galaxy: If was merged with Galaxy.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
PeriodicalNewspaper Details
Subtitle:
Worlds of Science Fiction. Between vol. 20, issue 1 (January 1970) and vol. 20, issue 10 (March/April 1971), it carried the secondary title If: The Magazine of Alternatives.
Frequency:
Variable. The magazine appeared either bi-monthly or monthly. It would maintain one schedule of release for long periods of time (for example, appearing monthly from 1964 to 1969), but did not maintain a regular schedule of release for its entire duration.
Range:
Vol. 1, issue 1 (Mar. 1952) - vol. 22, issue 8 (Nov./Dec. 1974), a total of 175 issues.
Mergers:
Merged with Galaxy after the Nov./Dec. 1974 issue.
Size:
Digest.
Price:
35 cents (vol. 1, issue 1 to vol. 12, issue 6); 40 cents (vol. 13, issue 1 to vol. 14, issue 6); 50 cents (vol. 14, issue 7 to vol. 17, issue 7); 60 cents (vol. 17, issue 8 to vol. 20, issue 6); 75 cents (vol. 20, issue 7 to vol. 22, issue 8).
Has serialised
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The Road to the Rim,
single work
novella
Ensign John Grimes of the Federation Survey Service is fresh out of the Academy and as green as they come. After boarding the Interstellar Transport Commission's merchant spaceship Delta Orionis as a passenger bound for deep space, Grimes finds himself involved, reluctantly, in salvaging another ship which has been attacked by space pirates. It doesn't help that his decision-making process has been influenced by the more than attractive Jane Pentecost (and Grimes is as green with women as his he is as a spaceman), or as a consequence of having been put under guard as a mutineer. As much as the odds will be stacked against him, Grimes soon begins to earn his infamous reputation as a 'lucky bastard.'
Last amended 28 Jul 2011 11:08:04
