Other Worlds, Universe Science Fiction, and Science Stories

About Other Worlds, Universe Science Fiction, and Science Stories in brief

Other Worlds, Universe Science Fiction, and Science Stories were three related US magazines edited by Raymond A. Palmer. Other Worlds was launched in November 1949 by Palmer’s Clark Publications and lasted for four years in its first run. In 1955 he ceased publication of both magazines and brought back Other Worlds, numbering the issues to make the new magazine appear a continuation of both the original Other Worlds and also of Universe. In 1957 Palmer changed the focus of the magazine to unidentified flying objects, retitling it Flying Saucers from Other Worlds. In that form it survived until June 1976. In 1945 Palmer, the editor of Amazing Stories, published “I Remember Lemuria”, by Richard Shaver, in the March 1945 issue. He formed his own publishing company, Clark Publications, in 1947, and launched Fate in 1948. In 1949 Palmer launched Other Worlds Science Stories in digest format; the editor was listed as Robert N. Webster, a pseudonym Palmer used to conceal his activities since he was still working at Ziff-Davis when the first issue appeared. In 1950 Palmer sold Fate to William Hamling and launched Imagination, which published its first issue in the fall of 1950. In June 1950 Palmer suffered a serious accident and was temporarily paralyzed, and Bea Mahaffey took over in his absence. Palmer was able to help with editing both magazines even while in the hospital, but by September he decided to sell Imagination toWilliam Hamling, and keep Other worlds.

The first issue of Galaxy Science Fiction & Science Fiction was published at the end of October 1950, and the second issue in October 1950. Both were very successful, with higher budgets than Palmer could afford, but as a result Other Worlds suffered as Palmer was unable to pay his printer. In 1953 Palmer formed a partnership with a Chicago businessman to create Bell Publications, and printed Universe Science fiction from June 1953. He then took over both Science Stories and Universe science Fiction under a new company. The last issue of Universe was published in June 1957, and after the September 1957 issue no more fiction appeared. It was the last issue to be published in that form, and it was followed by The Galaxy Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in October 1958. The magazine was later sold to Simon & Schuster for $1,000,000 ($1,500,000 today). The magazine went out of business in 1961, but Palmer continued to edit Universe until his death in 1973. He died in his home in Cleveland, Ohio, on December 31, 1974. He is survived by his wife, Bea, and their three children, their granddaughter and great-granddaughter. He also had a son, David, who was born in 1946, and a step-son, and a son-in-law, who died in 1998. He was buried in a cemetery in Ohio. He had a daughter, Sylvia. Palmer, who died in 2002, died in a car accident.