On my way to do some grocery shopping, I came across a gun show at the local fairgrounds. With not much else going on, I decided to check it out. There were some cool stuff at the show - my favorite was an impeccably restored Thompson sub machine gun with gold trim.
What really caught my eye though, and what I ended up purchasing, had nothing to do with weapons. I found a set of 10 original Astounding Science Fictions magazines. Not in the best of condition, but certainly readable and with the unmistakable Old Book Smell that leads me to despise things like Keendles.
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| Some of the less interesting covers (seriously) |
For those of you without retainers, can breath through their nose and that have girl friends, Astounding Science Fiction was a pop sci fi serial that ran from 1938 to 1960 (when it became Analog magazine, itself a great read). Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein were both regular contributors who published some of their earliest work there.
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| This man's side burns could kick your ass |
After getting the set of 10 that covers mid 1952 to mid 1953, I am seriously thinking about committing to collecting the entire magazine. The stories represent the golden age of science fiction - the sort of stuff that got me interested in computers as a kid when I was reading through gym class (asthmatic). The covers and illustrations inside that punctuate the stories are
fantastic and the colors still pop like a brand new comic book after 60 years. The series was popular enough that they aren't an incredibly expensive habit for their age and quality.
So if you happen to have some of these lying around and want to make some quick money, let me know!
