Three Times Infinity

by Leo Margulies (Editor), Leigh Brackett, Ray Bradbury

Science-Fiction Novelettes:
Lorelei of the Red Mist 1946 by Leigh Brackett & Ray Bradbury
The Golden Helix 1954 by Theodore Sturgeon
Destination Moon 1950 by Robert A. Heinlein

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories, Science Fiction Fantasy

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Leo Margulies was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, but was raised in Norwalk, Connecticut. After briefly attending Columbia University, Margulies began working for Munsey's Magazine, selling subsidiary rights to its stories. He later spent five years as head of East Coast research for Fox Films, a predecessor company of 20th Century Fox, and afterward became editorial chief of publisher Ned Pines' Standard Magazines. At one time in the 1930s, he reputedly edited 46 magazines, including the pulp magazines Startling Stories and Thrilling Wonder Stories.

During World War II, Margulies served as a war correspondent. He was on board the USS Missouri when the Japanese surrendered.

After the war, Margulies helped launch Pines' Popular Library line of paperback books. He was co-editor of the anthology My Best Science Fiction Story in 1949, and went on to compile several several science fiction and fantasy paperback anthologies. He was editor of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine at the time of his death.

In December 1975 he was attending a meeting in London of the Mystery Writers of America when he suffered a stroke. He died December 26 in Los Angeles, California.

Margulies was married to the former Cylvia Kleinman at the time of his death.

[From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Marg...]

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is good, early anthology of three novellas that Margulies edited in 1958, a very fine year. Margulies was a fine editor, and recognized the novella length as a particularly good form for the genre. Included are The Golden Helix by Theodore Sturgeon from a 1954 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories, one of his fine, early interplanetary tales; Destination Moon by Robert A. Heinlein, better known as a feature film; and Lorelei of the Red Mist by Ray Bradbury and Leigh Brackett, a classic sword and planet story by two masters of the genre. (The copyright page erroneously states the story first appeared in a magazine called Tops in Science Fiction in 1953, but it's actually from a 1946 issue of Planet Stories.) It's a fine trio of good,old-fashioned sf stories.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bracket and Bradbury’s “Lorelei in the Red Mists” collab nailed a decent Conan vibe, down to the main character’s name. Sturgeon’s “Golden Helix” planet colonizer had enough twists that I wanted to keep reading. Heinlein’s “Destination Moon was “just” worth my time.

[Matthew Bieniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked two of the three stories, the Bracket/Bradbury and Heinlein ones. The third, the Sturgeon story, started strong but I kind of lost interest about two-thirds of the way through. I've not read much science fiction but I recently picked up a number of anthologies of stories from magazines like Analog, Galaxy, Amazing Stories and the like, figuring that I could use them as a kind of sampler to see if the genre appealed to me. This book makes me eager to try more.

[Joseph Loehr]

This is a great book! Thee classic stories.

[Michael P. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like the first two stories enough to finish them. Finished the last. It was OK.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three very different novellas. First is from Ray Bradbury, obviously from early in his career. Has an Edgar Rice Burrows feel, brawny rougish men prove irresistible to the heaving- bosomed ladies. Then one from Theodore Sturgeon that's a really unique take on evolution, very imaginative and just a fun read. Finally Robert Heinlein showing his technical chops on the first moon launch, the story gets off to a relatively poor start but takes off when the crew does. Skip the first story, the other two are fun if you like 50s pulp sci-fi.

[David Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

An anthology of three SF novellas, listed in descending order of interest: "Destination Moon" by Heinlein (the first men on the moon may not make it back), "The Golden Helix" by Sturgeon (a planet reverses evolution) and "Lorelei of the Red Mist" by Bradbury and Brackett (a sword-and-sorcery thing on Mars).

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of three science fiction novellas by four prominent science fiction authors which I picked up used somewhere around Chicago as a kid and devoured in short order.

[Shari Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three great novellas from the early ages of SciFi. It would have received 4, but I don't much care for short stories...they always (at least the good ones), leave me wanting more.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three short stories of sci-fi craziness.