Magazine / Super-Science Fiction

"All the Troubles of the World", by Isaac Asimov
"Planet Of Parisites", by Calvin M Knox
"All Purpose Robot", by Jay Wallace

Created by the parent company of Crestwood Publications, Super-Science Fiction was a bimonthly Pulp Magazine, printing a Genre Anthology of Science Fiction stories every issue. The Chief Editor was WW Scott, who managed the series from its founding until its cancellation; December 1956 through October 1959.

Each year was numbered as a separate volume, and starting from April 1959, Scott tried to market the magazine to fans of Monster Horror films, competing with Famous Monsters Of Filmland. For the "Special Monster Issue", Scott required that all stories include some sort of monster. This attempt to retarget their demographics did not work, and the magazine closed down by the end of the year.

Robert Silverberg created an anthology based on his experience as one of the magazine's authors, titled Tales from Super-Science Fiction. It includes an introduction by Silverberg where he reminisces about what he learned by submitting stories to the magazine.

Not to be mistaken for Super Science Stories.

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Super-Science Fiction provides examples of:

• Fishbowl Helmet:
  • The December 1956 issue has a man wearing a full-body metal-looking diving suit on land. The helmet is a bubble shape that rises from the clavicle on all sides.
  • The February 1957 issue has a woman wearing what looks like clear plastic over her whole body, with wires and filters built into it to suggest an advanced anti-contamination outfit.
  • The April 1958 issue has two men in grey spacesuits with a bubble for a helmet. You can clearly see that their eyes are closed and they appear to be unconscious.
  • The October 1958 issue has several men underwater, wearing swim trunks, scuba tanks, and a bubble for a helmet.
  • The April 1959 issue has three men in spacesuits that use completely round and clear helmets.
• Horns of Barbarism: The April 1958 issue has a woman with a three-horned helmet, dressed in tiger-like furs. She is pulling two men in spacesuits along with a rope.
• Horse of a Different Color: The December 1958 issue has bird-like bipeds as domesticated mounts, with blue feathers/fur and gold-coloured saddle and tack.
• Human Disguise: The February 1959 issue has an inversion, where a woman has a green-skinned alien suit halfway on.
• Novelette:
  • Henry Slesar's "Who Am I?"
  • Russ Winterbotham's "Once Within A Time"
  • Harlan Ellison's "Mission: Hypnosis"
  • Arthur Sellings's "Brink Of Madness"
  • Harlan Ellison's "Invulnerable"
  • Don Berry's "Pushover Planet"
  • Robert Silverberg's "New Men For Mars", under the name Calvin M. Knox.
  • Robert Silverberg's "The Hunters Of Cutwold", under the name Calvin M. Knox.
  • Robert Silverberg's "Prison Planet"
  • Robert Silverberg's "Planet Of Parasites", under the name Calvin M. Knox.
  • JF Bone's "The Tool Of Creation"
  • Robert Silverberg's "The Loathsome Beasts" under the name Dan Malcolm.
  • Abraham Stern's "The Man Who Could Levitate"
• Pelts of the Barbarian: The April 1958 issue has a woman with a three-horned helmet, dressed in tiger-like furs. She is pulling two men in spacesuits along with a rope.
• Sexy Packaging: About half the covers featured some light-skinned lady (usually with blonde hair) and what little clothing she wears is skintight. None of the covers, however, were based on the stories in the magazine.
• Short Story:
  • Robert Silverberg's "Catch 'em All Alive!"
  • Harlan Ellison's "Psycho At Mid Point"
  • Milton Lesser's "Chance Of A Lifetime"
  • Manly Banister's "The Great Illusion"
  • Henry Slesar's "Mr Loneliness"
  • Evelyn E Smith's "Woman's Touch"
  • Harlan Ellison's "The Untouchable Adolescents", under the name Ellis Hart.
  • James E. Gunn's "Every Day Is Christmas"
  • Charles V De Vet's "Death Of A Mutant"
  • Winston K Marks's "One Woman For Venus"
  • Koller Ernst's "The Rim Of Eternity"
  • Lyle G Boyd and William C Boyd's "Pariah Girl", under the name Boyd Ellanby
  • Robert Silverberg's "Galactic Thrill Kids"
  • Curtis W Casewit's "Bright Flowers Of Mars"
  • Richard Wilson's "Hometown"
  • Robert Silverberg's "World Of A Thousand Colors"
  • Harlan Ellison's "Final Trophy"
  • Henry Slesar's "Desire Woman"
  • Richard R Smith's "The Well Fed Birds"
  • Henry Slesar's "The Dope", under the name O. H. Leslie.
  • Robert Bloch's "Broomstick Ride"
  • Richard R Smith's "Get Rich Quick"
  • JF Bone's "Quarantined Species"
  • Robert Silverberg's "Misfit"
  • Evelyn E Smith's "The Weegil"
  • Jack Vance's "Worlds Of Origin"
  • Arthur Zirul's "Secret Weapon"
  • Koller Ernst's "The Red Singing Sands"
  • Robert Silverberg's "The Happy Sleepers", under the name Calvin M. Knox
  • Richard R Smith's "The Old Timer"
  • Robert F Young's "Time Travel Inc"
  • Isaac Asimov's "All the Troubles of the World"
  • Jay Wallace's "All Purpose Robot"
  • Robert Moore Williams's "I Want To Go Home!"
  • Robert Silverberg's "The Seed Of Earth"
  • Harlan Ellison's "The Situation On Sapella Six"
  • Theodore R Cogswell and Hal Randolph's "Pain Reaction"
  • Robert Silverberg's "The Monsters Came By Night" under the name Charles D. Hammer
  • James Rosenquest's "Asteroid Of Horror"
  • FX Fallon's "Flying Saucers In The Sea"
  • George H Smith's "The Great Secret"
  • Robert Silverberg's "The Insidious Invaders" under the name Eric Rodman.
• Spell My Name With An S:
  • In the February 1957 issue, Manly Banister was written as Manly Bannister.
  • In the April 1957 issue, Curtis W Casewit was written as Curtis W. Casewitt.
  • On the cover of the April 1958 issue, Isaac Asimov was written as Issac Asimov.

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