The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1953

by Anthony Boucher (Editor), J. Francis McComas (Editor), J.T. McIntosh (Contributor)

Contents:
Beggars All - J. T. M'Intosh
Heads You Win - Esther Carlson
Mission - Kris Neville
Anachronism - Chad Oliver
Jetsam - A. Bertram Chandler
Random Sample - T. P. Caravan
Soap Opera - Alan Nelson
The Devil at St. Bennet Fynk - Daniel Defoe
The Space Man - Oliver Saari
Bird Talk - John P. McKnight
Tomorrow's Weather - Hilbert Schenck, Jr.
Recommended Reading - The Editors
Cat - R. Bretnor
The Shape of Copyright to Come - Donald F. Reines
Devlin - W. B. Ready

Cover by Emsh
(from Beggars All, by J. T. M'Intosh)

128 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 1953

About the author

William Anthony Parker White, better known by his pen name Anthony Boucher, was an American author, critic, and editor who wrote several classic mystery novels, short stories, science fiction, and radio dramas. Between 1942 and 1947, he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle. In addition to "Anthony Boucher", White also employed the pseudonym "H. H. Holmes", which was the pseudonym of a late-19th-century American serial killer; Boucher would also write light verse and sign it " Herman W. Mudgett" (the murderer's real name).
In a 1981 poll of 17 detective story writers and reviewers, his novel Nine Times Nine was voted as the ninth best locked room mystery of all time.

Reviews

[John Loyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 • Beggars All • 24 pages by J. T. McIntosh
Good/OK. News travels around the galaxy on scout ships. Zone 43 wants nothing to do with them and chases Cope's ship out of the system. On their way back to Earth they hear a call from Omaruco and stop to investigate what turns out to be a lost colony. Cope is wondering about the society that has evolved, while he and his crew go about helping. Before they can leave ships from Zone 43 catch up and threaten them. My beggar and no concept of gratitude society just seems like mumbo jumbo. There is enough story to compensate.

28 • Heads You Win • 7 pages by Esther Carlson
OK. Roland has a tail and wonders whether to keep it or have it removed. Dr. Abercrombie says make the most of it, flaunt it even. The scientists don't want him. He's just a normal man that happens to have a tail. The circus doesn't want him, to prove it wasn't fake would require indecency. He just ends up getting a normal job, like janitor.

35 • Mission • 17 pages by Kris Neville
OK. Gene Martin goes back in time to prevent a disaster. He starts by contacting his newspaper reporter friend Ray. Ray then questions Gene's motives. Are they really benign? Or has Gene become evil?

52 • Anachronism • 5 pages by Chad Oliver
OK. Newcastle is a vampire, but nobody believes in him.

57 • Jetsam • 9 pages by A. Bertram Chandler
OK+. Astronauts go to the moon and find the ancient remains of other astronauts. Slight twist at the end.

66 • Random Sample • 3 pages by T. P. Caravan
OK+. A [mean and spoiled] little girl tells how she and her brother acted with the people from the big ship that landed while they were stomping ants.

69 • Soap Opera • 10 pages by Alan Nelson
Good. Nita wants a man who is on the way up. Everett has shown promise but always comes up short. Eventually one of his ideas turns into a nuisance for the entire city.

79 • The Devil at St. Bennet Fynk • 2 pages by Daniel Defoe
Bad. A couple goes to see watch wheel maker, and finds that he has hanged himself. They are going to cut him down. Right then another guy comes in with a stool and knife to do it, but this guy is taking his time or is incompetent and never does get the man down. We are then told the dallying guy is the devil and was delaying the couple to make sure the hanged man was dead.

81 • The Space Man • 8 pages by Oliver Saari
OK. Lantry is a space man. He tells Jeff how it all started with him as a farm boy in North Dakota. He eventually went to college where his boyhood hero Alphonse Craig was teaching. Fairly dull leading up to the last page where we find Lantry has a physical characteristic making him optimal for space.

89 • Bird Talk • 2 pages by John P. McKnight
OK+. Lynn tells John she can understand bird talk, to an extent. The talk forms foggy pictures in her mind.

91 • Tomorrow's Weather • 6 pages by Hilbert Schenk
OK. A weatherman is trying to figure out a place that might be safe from radioactive fallout. Sounds like there aren't many people left.

100 • Cat • 14 pages by Reginald Brentor
OK/Good. While on sabbatical Smithby becomes fluent in cat. He returns and the department chairman now on his sabbatical misses the introduction of several courses related to the cat language. Witherspoon convinces Flewkes to come back early and has plans to get rid of Dr. and Mrs. Smithby.

117 • Devlin • 10 pages by W. B. Ready
Bad. Huh? A town is a bit ashamed because they don't have a band for their parade. Devlin tells them they should get Irish pipes and garments. Loughlan, Curry and Ryan think this is a swell idea, they make the order, are excited when it arrives, and start practicing right away. Somehow the kilts look like skirts and the pipes are for inside rather than marching. They march in the parade anyway, take a wrong turn and are never heard from again.