Galaxy Science Fiction, April 1955. Cover by Ed Emshwiller

Who’s ready for another retro-review of Galaxy Science Fiction? (You are!) And here it is — the April, 1955 issue.

The intense cover is “Hostile Reception on Aldebaran” by Ed Emshwiller. I really like the seams in the gloves and the general aesthetics of the futuristic gun.

[Click the images for galaxy-sized versions.]

“The Servant Problem” by William Tenn – “This was the day of complete control…” Garomma leads the world as the Servant of All. Wherever he goes, people shout, “Serve us!” Their obedience and adoration for him is worshipful. Except for the Servant of Security whom he fears might try to take his place. Thankfully, Moddo, the Servant of Education, is the most trustworthy person in his inner circle. Moddo, however, has his own ambitions that he’s been planning for the past thirty years.

I loved this story and how it shifts from one perspective to another, beginning with Garomma. Each character’s narrative gives a unique view into how they see themselves and how they view other characters. It’s written well in that there’s such a contrast in viewpoints, largely due to who each character really is and who they present themselves to be.

“Don’t Shoot” by Robert Zacks – Joe invents a holographic projector that experiences minor issues at times. The potential in the invention draws the interest of Mr. Eammer, one of the biggest movie producers in Hollywood. But once Joe understands the reality of the glitches, he realizes the projector could become a dangerous tool for someone as ruthless and corrupt as Mr. Eammer.

This wasn’t Zacks’ first publication, but it was his first story in Galaxy. He also had a story in the September issue, which I’ll review in due time (yes, really). Mr. Eammer was a well-constructed, consistent example of bully leadership. Zacks clearly understood how to write a narcissist. I felt so repulsed by the character, which was clearly his intent.

“The Lifeboat Mutiny” by Robert Sheckley – The AAA Ace Interplanetary Decontamination Service is on a new job, tasked with making the water-covered planet Trident more habitable. Gregor and Arnold buy a used lifeboat to transport them around the vacant planet.

Unfortunately, the autonomous lifeboat was created to serve Dromes and to keep them alive at all costs. Despite Gregor and Arnold’s claims to be human, the lifeboat believes the two men are actually delusional Dromes.

Sheckley’s AAA stories tend to mix humor and tension well. This one continues in that vein, making another nice addition to the collection.

“Target One” by Frederik Pohl — In a future wrecked by nuclear war, three men attempt to fix it. Time travel is impossible, but they can use K-mesons – particles that aren’t bound by the same space-time laws as other matter. By directing them at one young man in the past – they can destroy his brain before he can become a leading physicist who helped usher in the atomic age. Their target is Albert Einstein.

I’ve seen many stories with loose plots or references to killing Hitler before he can rise in power. This is the first I’ve seen where the plot centers on killing Einstein. And given who they’re targeting, there’s a stronger moral argument of saving society by murdering someone and actually recognizing it as murder. This one’s a quick read if you pick it up. Or if you prefer listening to a radio dramatization (in which the men actually time travel), it was picked up as an episode of X Minus One.

“Origins of Galactic Advice to the Lovelorn” by Edward Wellen. This is a collection of advice columns, like a “Dear Abby” on a galactic scale. I can appreciate what Wellen was doing with this, but it just didn’t connect with me.

“Man’s Best Friend” by Evelyn E. Smith — Gervase is chosen to become the next Overlord. All he needs to do is assassinate the current Overlord. And if he does so with a Florea Simper Fidelis Gun, the vice president of that company promises Gervase a sum of six billion credits to do with as he wishes.

This is a humorous tale by Smith. I liked the overall premise of the story, particularly the logistics of overlord succession plans.

“Hurricane Trio” by Theodore Sturgeon — Yancey and his wife Beverly take a vacation, renting a cabin by a lake. They arrive in the pouring rain, struggling to find their cabin. When they finally find it, they’re greeted by Lois.

And nothing, nothing at all told Yancey that, in this second, a line fell across his face, so that forever his biography would consist of the parts life-before-Lois and life-since-Lois, with nothing between them but a sheet of rain and a door that opened altogether, fearlessly.

This was, by far, my favorite story within this issue. Once again, Sturgeon masters character development like no other. It begins with a bit of confusion about Yancey, stating that he’d died once. And for much of the piece, it feels like a literary story. Until it suddenly doesn’t, and in that moment, the reader’s confusion dissipates, ramping up to a well-structured ending that feels very realistic.

A Way Home (Jove paperback reprint, February 1978). Cover by George Bush

“Hurricane Trio” appeared in two Sturgeon collections: A Way Home, first published by Pyramid Books in March 1956, and Thunder and Roses, Volume IV of The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon (North Atlantic Books, November 1997).

I really can’t say enough about this story. I think this one stands the test of time better than most.

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Matthew Wuertz’s project to review every issue of Galaxy magazine in order of publication began with the January 1950 issue. See all his reviews here.