Imaginative Tales
Encyclopedia
Imaginative Tales was an American fantasy and science fiction magazine
launched in September 1954 by William Hamling
's Greenleaf Publishing Company. It was created as a sister magazine to Imagination
, which Hamling had acquired from Raymond A. Palmer
's Clark Publishing in 1951. Both Imagination and Imaginative Tales ceased publication at the end of 1958 in the aftermath of major changes in US magazine distribution due to the liquidation of American News Company
.
Imaginative Tales originally focused on fantasy, rather than science fiction, but later switched to science fiction adventure stories. With the July 1958 issue, Hamling changed the title to Space Travel in an attempt to bring in readers interested in space because of the recent launch of Sputnik, but the change did not improve circulation. The magazine folded in November 1958, having lasted for 26 issues in total. It published little of note, though it did feature stories by well-known writers such as Philip K. Dick
and Harlan Ellison
.
, where it had been titled Shades of Toffee. The "Toffee" series, about an attractive woman who was a figment of imagination of the main character, Marc Pillsworth, also took up the entire second issue, which contained two "Toffee" novellas, "Toffee Takes a Trip" and "Toffee Haunts a Ghost", and no other fiction. Both stories were reprints that had been originally published in 1947 in Fantastic Adventures. The third issue included original fiction for the first time: Raymond E. Banks' novella "The Earthlight Commandos". Few original stories by well-known authors appeared, but it did print original fiction by Robert Bloch
, Philip K. Dick
, Robert Silverberg
and Harlan Ellison
. Silverberg in particular appeared frequently, and several issues contain multiple stories by him under a variety of pseudonyms and house names.
Science fiction magazine
A science fiction magazine is a publication that offers primarily science fiction, either in a hard copy periodical format or on the Internet....
launched in September 1954 by William Hamling
William Hamling (publisher)
William Lawrence Hamling was a Chicago-based publisher active from the 1950s into the 1970s.Hamling began as an author. His Shadow of the Sphinx is a horror novel about an ancient Egyptian sorceress. First published during the 1940s in Fantastic Adventures, it was described by Lin Carter as "the...
's Greenleaf Publishing Company. It was created as a sister magazine to Imagination
Imagination (magazine)
Imagination was an American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in October 1950 by Raymond Palmer's Clark Publishing Company. The magazine was sold almost immediately to Greenleaf Publishing Company, owned by William Hamling, who published and edited it from the third issue,...
, which Hamling had acquired from Raymond A. Palmer
Raymond A. Palmer
Raymond Arthur Palmer was the influential editor of Amazing Stories from 1938 through 1949, when he left publisher Ziff-Davis to publish and edit Fate Magazine, and eventually many other magazines and books through his own publishing houses, including Amherst Press and Palmer Publications...
's Clark Publishing in 1951. Both Imagination and Imaginative Tales ceased publication at the end of 1958 in the aftermath of major changes in US magazine distribution due to the liquidation of American News Company
American News Company
American News Company was a magazine distribution company founded in 1864 by Sinclair Tousey, which dominated the distribution market in the 1940s and 1950s...
.
Imaginative Tales originally focused on fantasy, rather than science fiction, but later switched to science fiction adventure stories. With the July 1958 issue, Hamling changed the title to Space Travel in an attempt to bring in readers interested in space because of the recent launch of Sputnik, but the change did not improve circulation. The magazine folded in November 1958, having lasted for 26 issues in total. It published little of note, though it did feature stories by well-known writers such as Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
and Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
.
Contents and reception
The first issue contained Charles F. Myers' novel Toffee, reprinted from the June 1950 issue of Fantastic AdventuresFantastic Adventures
Fantastic Adventures was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1953 by Ziff-Davis. It was initially edited by Ray Palmer, who was also the editor of Amazing Stories, Ziff-Davis's other science fiction title. The first nine issues were in bedsheet format, but in June 1940...
, where it had been titled Shades of Toffee. The "Toffee" series, about an attractive woman who was a figment of imagination of the main character, Marc Pillsworth, also took up the entire second issue, which contained two "Toffee" novellas, "Toffee Takes a Trip" and "Toffee Haunts a Ghost", and no other fiction. Both stories were reprints that had been originally published in 1947 in Fantastic Adventures. The third issue included original fiction for the first time: Raymond E. Banks' novella "The Earthlight Commandos". Few original stories by well-known authors appeared, but it did print original fiction by Robert Bloch
Robert Bloch
Robert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction. He is best known as the writer of Psycho, the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock...
, Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
, Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:...
and Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
. Silverberg in particular appeared frequently, and several issues contain multiple stories by him under a variety of pseudonyms and house names.