The Covers of Science Wonder Stories


The first issue of Science Wonder Stories appeared in 1929.  It was published by Luxembourg-born businessman, Hugo Gernsback.  Along with publishing magazines, Gernsback also owned a radio station and was an amateur inventor.  He was also a tireless supporter of science fiction, arguing that his pulp magazines should be read by students in school because science fiction was educational as well as being entertaining.

Science Wonder Stories was one of the many magazines that Gernsbeck founded.  The first issue was published in 1929 and featured stories and artwork from several pioneers of the science fiction genre.  In 1930, Gernsbeck merged Science Wonder Stories with another magazine, Air Wonder Stories.  The new magazine was called Wonder Stories and ran until 1964.

Below are some of the covers of Science Wonder Stories.  All of these covers were done by Frank R. Paul.

It’s The End Of The World!: Pulp Art of the Apocalypse


The end of the world has always been a popular subject, as you can tell by looking at the artwork below.  Some of these were done for magazines and some of them for paperbacks but what they all have in common is that they deal with the end of the world as we know it.

Presented for your consideration, pulp art of the apocalypse:

by Robert Gibson Jones

by Ed Valigursky

by Barye Philips

Artist Unknown

Artist Unknown, suspected to be Ralph Brillhart

by Ralph Brillhart

by Ralph Brillhart

Artist Unknown

by Ralph Brillhart

Artist Unknown

by Frank R. Paul

by Frank R. Paul

by Sam Peffer

by Robert McGinnis

Artist Unknown

by Hubert Rogers

The Fantastic Covers of Famous Fantastic Mysteries!


Famous Fantastic Mysteries was published from 1939 to 1953.  The covers, which were done by some of the best illustrators of the day, are highly valued by collectors and, from the examples below, it’s easy to see why.  Check out these exciting covers from Famous Fantastic Mysteries!

by Virgil Finlay

by Virgil Finlay

by Virgil Finlay

by Virgil Finlay

by Virgil Finlay

by Norman Saunders

by Lawrence Sterne Stevens

by Lawrence Sterne Stevens

by Lawrence Sterne Stevens

by Lawrence Sterne Stevens

by Frank R. Paul

Artist Profile: Frank R. Paul (1884 — 1963)


Frank R. Paul was born in Austria, studied art in Vienna and Paris, immigrated to the U.S. in 1906, and went on to become one of the most influential science fiction artists of all time.  After working as a graphic designer, Paul was hired to illustrated a science magazine in 1916.  Paul went on to do hundreds of covers and interior illustrations for pulp magazines like Amazing Stories, Wonder Stories, and Planet Stories.  In 2009, he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Adventure in A World Beneath Antarctica Andromeda Master of the Asteroid One Prehistoric Night Planet of the Knobheads Sciencefiction Tetratheda of Space The Ideal The Malignant Flower The Moon Doom The TIme Trap