Mines, Samuel
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author, Editor.
(1909-1998) US editor who worked from 1942 for Standard Magazines, the chain that published Startling Stories and Thrilling Wonder Stories. Although an sf enthusiast – he published four stories in Thrilling Wonder Stories, beginning with "Find the Sculptor" in 1946 – he concentrated mainly editing on non-sf pulps until Sam Merwin Jr left the company in 1951, whereupon he took over the editorship of Startling Stories (November 1951-Fall 1954), Thrilling Wonder (December 1951-Summer 1954), Fantastic Story Quarterly (Winter 1952-Fall 1954) and Wonder Story Annual (1952-1953); he also edited all issues of the short-lived Space Stories. Although he took control of the magazines at a time when the Pulp-magazine industry was generally in decline, and the sf pulps in particular were suffering from the powerful competition of such new magazines as Galaxy Science Fiction and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Mines was generally successful in maintaining the standard to which Merwin had raised them. He edited The Best from Startling Stories (anth 1953; vt Startling Stories 1954; vt Moment without Time 1956), with an introduction by Robert A Heinlein; the book contained stories from Thrilling Wonder Stories as well. Mines left Standard in 1954; the various magazines did not survive him long. He held no further editorial positions in sf, although he did review books occasionally for Luna Monthly. [MJE]
Samuel Mines
born New York: 4 October 1909
died Waterbury, Connecticut: 27 September 1998
works
- The Best from Startling Stories (New York: Henry Holt, 1953) [anth: introduction by Robert A Heinlein: hb/Alex Schomburg]
- Startling Stories (London: Cassell and Company, 1954) [anth: vt of the above: hb/]
- Moment without Time (London: Science Fiction Book Club/Sidgwick and Jackson, 1956) [anth: vt of the above: hb/]
links
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