My last blog mentioned Gregory MacAllister, the journalist who appeared in several of the Academy novels. I should have added that Mac is the viewpoint character in “Breaking News,” a short story that has been picked up for the first all-color issue of Amazing Stories.
An interstellar returns from an exploratory mission. During its approach, it reports a discovery that will surprise everyone, but they will save the details. Shortly afterward, they change the story: No discovery, no surprises.
Nothing hostile out there, they say. Nothing to be afraid of. And no discovery. They were just misunderstood.
No way Mac is going to let that slip away. But to get at the truth, he will need an assist from his longtime friend Priscilla Hutchins.
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Amazing was among the pulp magazines I read during my formative years. It was one of the reasons I became interested in science fiction and, along with comic books, it gave me a head start in learning to read. It was the first magazine completely devoted to science fiction, launching its long run in 1926. It finally went missing in 2005, returned as an online magazine a few years later. In 2018 it reappeared in its original format and is now about to launch its all-color edition:
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Captain Future was one of the science fiction heroes who was already gone when I first wandered into the field. I was annoyed that references to his past adventures showed up constantly in the magazines, but he was gone. I don’t know why that happened. But I’m especially happy to report that the cover for the color issue indicates the presence of “Captain Future in Love,” by Alan Steele.
I first came across references to the character in 1945. He seemed so interesting I couldn’t believe he was permanently out of reach. Just be patient, I told myself. You may have to wait a while, but he’ll be back.
It took a bit longer than expected. But on the other hand, I thought we’d have a colony on Mars by 1970.