One of the men has a problem of his own – he can’t sleep, ever – and this strange behavior causes the others to accuse him of tampering with the dead creatures… until they discover the real secret.

Three explorers come to a planetoid inhabited by creatures who seem to die with no provocation. The story this issue is pretty weak, however. But he became best known as a radio historian. Jim Harmon wrote one outstanding SF story (“The Place Where Chicago Was”) and some other good stuff among a few dozen stories he published from 1954-1967. “The Stainless-Steel Knight”, by John Rackham (10300 words) “The Planet With No Nightmare”, by Jim Harmon (6800 words) Other features include Science Briefs, a puzzle, and a brief article about the Wendigo, by Theodore Sturgeon (on the masthead as “Feature Editor.”) There is also an attempt to start (restart?) a letter column, to be called Hue and Cry, though this single page only briefly quotes a letter from one Lawrence Crilly, requesting a lettercol. (Sometimes the illustrator was credited, sometimes I could read the signature, and in one case there was no signature and no credit.) There’s also a page called IFun, with two single panel comics, by Wagner.Īdvertisements include the ubiquitous Rosicruans, U.

(It’s a depiction of a manned satellite orbiting Earth, apparently watching for rocket launches and the like.) Interiors were by Wood, Larry Ivie, and West, and someone unidentified in one case. The cover is by Dember, called “Operation Overlook,” not illustrating any story. (I believe it’s generally regarded that Pohl was editor in all but name for some time prior.) During this period, the cover and spine read only If Science Fiction, though the title page still had “Worlds of” ambiguously placed, so that one could read it either If: Worlds of Science Fiction or Worlds of If Science Fiction. Gold’s official tenure as editor – Frederik Pohl became editor (officially) with the first issue of 1962. I’ll get back to Cele Goldsmith’s magazines soon enough, but I happened to grab this issue of If, so it’s up next.

The Junkmakers by Albert R. Teichner