Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, Spring 1977 edited by George H. Scithers

[james_davis_nicoll]

The debut issue of Asimov's, almost five decades ago.

Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, Spring 1977 edited by George H. Scithers

Comments

[bolindbergh]

Is the Martin Gardner story the one about the patient needing three kinds of surgery from three different specialists with only two pairs of gloves available?

[(Anonymous)]

Heh. I've heard that puzzle in a more adult rendition, without attribution to Gardner.

I started reading Asimov's magazine in 1979, still in the Scithers' era. Fond memories.

[(Anonymous)]

It is that case, and comments at https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/1761/doctors-dilemma include noting that while the patient is the director of the Mars colony, and is addressed with late 20th century courtesy, she is a Ms. Hooker.

I don't have a strong sense in other cases of Martin Gardner committing vulgarity - Isaac Asimov, yes. Although I remember that in Gardner's First book of columns, coverage of "flexagons" - reproduced here from 1956, seeking payment - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/flexagons/ , connected structures of paper leaves which can be shuffled, by folding the entire object, into most but not quite all hexagonal patterns - in the book, he mentioned that a reader manufactured a flexagon containing pieces of indecent female portraits. By careful design, these pieces couldn't be put together.

Robert Carnegie

[dwight_benjamin_thieme]

Hmm ... Possibly Dr. Irving Joshua Matrix's daughter, Iva Matrix? But perhaps only in the magician's assistant sense.

[(Anonymous)]

List of editors: "Sheila Williams: 2004-present"

A hilarious 2007 report from a (self-)noted SF expert (https://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/23/the-big-three/#comment-1698) says that Sheila is "a caretaker while Dell figures out how to quietly kill the mag"

[pameladean]

I too recall Shawna McCarthy's time as much longer than it was. Huh. P.

[(Anonymous)]

I understand the inspiration from the mystery magazines, but it still seems bizarre to choose one SF author to brand a whole magazine with. Who would you do it with today, George RR Martin?

[kgbooklog]

I hate to think what the publication schedule would look like for GRRM's magazine.

No, it would probably be Brandon Sanderson or John Scalzi doing something like what Rick Riordan is doing with kid's novels.

[dragoness_e]

I think I have this issue, and quite a few following. I certainly do remember "Kindertotenlieder". That was a nightmare-inducing story. I don't think it was supposed to be funny, any more than "It's a Good Life" was supposed to be funny. It is, however, the only story I remember from that issue.

[ba_munronoe]

According to the inflation calculator (https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm) $9.95 would be over $52 today - which would still be an awfully good deal for 40 new-quality books, even if they're mostly shorties and reprints.