Short Fiction Various: Planet Stories Sampler. V1. 12 Jan 2012

[crutledge]

Planet Stories was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published by Fiction House between 1939 and 1955. It featured interplanetary adventures, both in space and on other planets, and was initially focused on a young readership. Malcolm Reiss was editor or editor-in-chief for all of its 71 issues. Planet Stories was launched at the same time as Planet Comics, the success of which probably helped to fund the early issues of Planet Stories. Planet did not pay well enough to regularly attract the leading science fiction writers of the day, but did manage to obtain work from well-known names on occasion, including Isaac Asimov and Clifford Simak. In 1952 Planet published Philip K. Dick's first sale, and went on to print four more of his stories over the next three years.

OUT OF THIS WORLD—HENRY HASSE

There was no escape but death from that fetid prison planet and its crazed, sadistic overseer.

THE LAST MONSTER—GARDNER F. FOX

EXAMPLE—TOM PACE

Malevolent death reared out of inky space before the hurtling liner. From it a frantic voice reached Commander Gray—”You know what to do!” He smiled grimly. Yes, he knew what to do . . .

FOG OF THE FORGOTTEN—BASIL WELLS

The fog of their world matched the fog in their minds. Rebelling against science, they smashed it, dragged their people down into the ancient mists. But Ho Dyak wanted light.

PATCH—WILLIAM SHEDENHELM

Old pilots like Pop Gillette weren’t needed any more to run the big ships. Nowadays you were boosted and roosted by the grace of Gimmick. Sooner or later, Pop predicted, something was gonna louse up . . .

LAST NIGHT OUT—LEE GREGOR

They shoved through the hate-filled crowds of Terra, looking for a little pleasure, a little entertainment. For tomorrow Ensign Grey and his blue-furred space-mate, Canopus 43C, would go off to war—if tomorrow ever came.

GRANDMA PERKINS AND THE SPACE PIRATES—JAMES McCONNELL

Raven-haired, seductive Darling Toujours’ smoke-and-flame eyes kindled sparks in hearts all over the universe. But it took sweet old Grandma Perkins, of the pirate ship Dirty Shame, to set the Jupiter moons on fire.

THE BEAST-JEWEL OF MARS—V. E. THIESSEN

The city was strange, fantastic, beautiful. He’d never been there before, yet already he was a fabulous legend—a dire, hateful legend.