The second issue ever of Astounding Stories has been placed online by Gutenberg, after adventures in copyright clearance that would probably make strong men shudder and weep! (For the uninitiated, the old Street and Smith magazine contents have been more legal and money trouble to potential reprinters than a tort lawyer with a grudge.) But if you want to explore the long history of a magazine that still survives, even today, as Analog, you will think all Gutenberg’s pains worth it.
I was a bit intimidated at first, because pre-Campbell Astounding gets dismissive remarks from many historians of sf. But these stories are solid pulp tales by solid pulp writers. Don’t expect them to be more than they are, and you’ll have a great time.
My audio version of Astounding‘s February 1930 issue begins with “Old Crompton’s Secret” by Harl Vincent (Harold Vincent Schoepflin), a little story of the dark side of science and men’s dreams. (Sorry about not breaking it into more manageable lengths.)
If you like this story, you can find other stories by Harl Vincent listed at FictionMags and ISFDB.
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[…] Fiction: Listen to “Old Crompton’s Secret” by Harl Vincent at Maria […]
Three more Harl Vincent stories can be found on my blog, typed out from the original ancient pulp magazines by yours truly.