Robert Silverberg is assembling a collection of 14 stories from Super-Science Fiction for Haffner Press. SSF launched during the sf boom of the mid-1950s. Paying a princely rate of 2 cents a word the magazine attracted fiction by Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, Harlan Ellison. James Gunn, Jack Vance, and Donald Westlake, and featured cover art by Frank Kelly Freas and Ed Emshwiller.

Running for 18 bi-monthly issues (Dec ’55 to Oct ’59), the magazine eventually devolved into a publication capitalizing on the then-current craze of “monster” stories. Editor Silverberg traces the genesis of Super-Science Fiction from it’s beginnings as an outlet for numerous colonization/expedition stories to its conclusion with such stories as “Creatures of the Green Slime,” “Beasts of Nightmare Horror” and “Vampires from Outer Space.” It’s fun, it’s cheesy, and we’re really looking forward to it!

Stephen Haffner plans to bring out the collection in 2011.

The full press release appears after the jump.

Ahoy, fellow astrogators!

A nice roll-out of items with this update:

1) Ol’ HP got a few missives recently and you can check them out here:

http://www.thecimmerian.com/?p=12524
http://sfscope.com/2010/03/haffner-publishing-huge-collec.html

2) We look to be complete as of 3/29 with fulfilling orders for the limited edition of WORLDS OF JACK WILLIAMSON.  It’s an amazing gathering of stories and essays of one of our favorite authors, and we hope you all enjoy the final product.  In the category of “you-have-been-warned,” there are 10 copies still available.

3) We’ve added a 21,000-word story “Last Call from Sector 9G,” to our Leigh Brackett collection SHANNACH–THE LAST: FAREWELL TO MARS.  It’s a peach!  Brackett melds noir characters with a political SF setting.  Wonderful stuff.

4) WITH FOLDED HANDS . . . AND SEARCHING MIND, THE COLLECTED STORIES OF JACK WILLIAMSON, VOLUME SEVEN is at the bindery and we look to receive copies on April 5th.

5) Be alert for some nice goodies to accompany the limited edition of DETOUR TO OTHERNESS. 

6) We’ve added the cover art for AN INSIDE LOOK to http://www.haffnerpress.com/.  This publication is only available with the pre-payment of these four upcoming books:
    THE UNIVERSE WRECKERS by Edmond Hamilton
    SHANNACH–THE LAST: FAREWELL TO MARS by Leigh Brackett
    TERROR IN THE HOUSE: THE EARLY KUTTNER, VOL. ONE by Henry Kuttner
    THE COLLECTED CAPTAIN FUTURE, VOLUME TWO by Edmond Hamilton

7) An early peek into what HP is bringing to you in 2011:  Contents are still being assembled, but Grand Master Robert Silverberg is editing a collection of 14 stories: TALES OF SUPER-SCIENCE FICTION!  Super-Science Fiction was one of the many digest-sized magazines that sprang up on the newsstands in the mid-1950s.  Paying a handsome 2 cents a word, Super-Science Fiction featured cover art by Frank Kelly Freas and Ed Emshwiller, and published fiction by Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, Harlan Ellison. James Gunn, Jack Vance, Donald Westlake, and more.  Running for 18 bi-monthly issues (Dec ’55 to Oct ’59), the magazine eventually devolved into a publication capitalizing on the then-current craze of “monster” stories.  Editor Silverberg traces the genesis of Super-Science Fiction from it’s beginnings as an outlet for numerous colonization/expedition stories to its conclusion with such stories as “Creatures of the Green Slime,” “Beasts of Nightmare Horror” and “Vampires from Outer Space.”  It’s fun, it’s cheesy, and we’re really looking forward to it!

8) Check out the Facebook page for the 34th Annual Williamson Lectureship here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=327979936618&index=1

9) Remember to check out www.haffnerpress.com where you can cast your vote for our presentation at PulpFest 2010 (www.pulpfest.com). Which will it be?  Captain Future or Leigh Brackett?  You decide!

That’s all for now.  Keep your proton-pistols charged, your jet-packs ready, and your star-charts up to date.  We’re all set for a big blast-off in 2010.  And, oh yeah . . .

Keep Watching the Skies!

Stephen Haffner
Big Poobah
HAFFNER PRESS