The first color issue of The Digest Enthusiast makes quite the difference. Photos of old magazine covers in full color make the pages pop and help readers know what to look for when magazine hunting at conventions and used book stores. In addition to the usual news column (glad to learn about Analog's throwback logo design), TDE 11 features interviews with mystery novelist Janice Law, novelist Paul D. Marks, and Jeff Vorzimmer, editor of The Best of Manhunt (magazine). Particularly interesting to me were Vince Nowell, Sr.'s article on the bizarre 1967 sci-fi one-shot, Beyond Infinity, and TDE publisher Richard Krauss' very in-depth article "Leo Margulies: Giant of the Digests" (I had no idea there were The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. digest series published).
There's much more, of course: fiction (disclaimer: I illustrated one of the short stories, "Zymurgy for Aliens", by the late Joe Wehrle, Jr.), an article about an infamous magazine misprint, cartoons, short story reviews, a look at the latest issue of Paperback Parade and other goodies too numerous to mention here. If you love to read or collect digest magazines, you owe yourself a copy of this.
The latest volume of the one and only digest about digests is a strong one (and I'm not
stating that because I'm in it). I was completely absorbed in the interview with
painter and filmmaker Ed Emshwiller's daughter, Susan, also a fascinating artist.
Also intriguing: an overview of the many magazines Ray Palmer edited, another
copiously researched article by Steve Carper on one-shots published by digest magazine
publishers, and an interview with Victoria Green, Art Director for the Penny Press and
Dell Magazine brands (including Analog and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine). Plus:
short fiction, cartoons, many more articles, an overview of current digests released
and the proverbial more. If you enjoy digest magazines, you'll enjoy The Digest Enthusiast.
PayPal accepted! Conditions range from Fair (reading copy) to Very Fine. Average condition: Good+. Authors include Asimov, Clarke, Farmer, Edmund Hamilton, Poul Anderson, Larry Niven, Ben Bova, and much more. mneno@columbus.rr.com
Illustrators include Virgil Finlay, Kaluta, Dan Adkins, many more.
Books include:
Analog - Sept., 1970 (Cover worn/Good); July 1976 (Cover worn/Good)
Fantastic - Dec. 1968 (Good)
Galaxy - May, 1972 (Good); Sept., 1972 (Fine); Nov., 1973 (Fine); Dec.,
1973 (tape across cover/reading copy); Sept., 1974 (Good); Nov. , 1974
(Very Fine); Sept., 1975 (Good); Sept./Oct. 1979 (small tear in
cover/Fair)
Other Worlds - Aug., 1952 (two copies) (Good)
Science Fiction Adventures Yearbook 1970 (Fine)
Space Adventures - 1970, Spring (Very Fine)
Thrilling Science Fiction - April, 1974/All Virgil Finlay issue (Fair)
The Olentangy River Road Barnes and Noble in Columbus, Ohio hasn't sold science fiction digests for many, many years.
Not Analog. Not Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. Not Fantasy and Science Fiction. Month after month, year after year.
Because I'm incorrigibly optimistic, I occasionally ask a Barnes and Noble employee working at the Information desk about the policy. The answers I'm given are vague:
"Ask the person who orders the magazines - Curtis" - I've done that.
"All the magazine decisions are made at corporate headquarters."
"They don't sell here". Of course they don't. They're not on the shelf to sell. Besides, most of the seemingly thousands of magazine titles on the Barnes and Noble shelves don't "sell". They're returnable. They're still made available if a customer wants them, though.
I'm reminded of the story writer Mark Evanier told of finding no Disney comics on the rack of a comic book store. A paraphrase:
M. Evanier: "I don't see any Disney comics for sale in your store."
Store owner: "They don't sell here."
M. Evanier: "What happened to the ones you had before?"
Store owner: "We sold 'em."
My most recent discussion was with a gentleman in his early twenties (let's call him Bob) who asked if I ever get on the internet.
No, I can't, I'm too old and decrepit.
I was writing code, Bob, while you were running around in your Transformers pajamas, slurping Cap'n Crunch. I had a website for my indie comics in '96 when you were listening to your older brother's "MMMBop" CD.
Bob then wondered if I know that I can read those magazines online. Yeah, I think I know that.
Although recent evidence points to readers retaining more memory of what they've read when it was read on paper as opposed to online (see the article "Print vs. Online" from this week's Slate, for example: http://www.slate.com/id/2302014/ ), there is, nonetheless, general agreement that the hard copy book, newspaper and magazine industries will eventually be servicing boutique markets.
In the meantime, the only reason Bob's morter store job exists is because of customers wishing to purchase text printed on paper.
Are Barnes and Noble employees encouraged to direct customers away from their stores?
Now that Borders Bookstore (which always carried all of the science fiction digests) has left the book seller landscape, it would be awesome if Barnes and Noble, which for all practical purposes has a monopoly on bookstores in central Ohio, would carry long-running magazines like these which are available nowhere else in the area.
Analog is, as of 2011, the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre, initially published in 1930 in the United States as the pulp magazine Astounding Stories.
It'd be cool if I could buy it at the Lennox.
If you live in the area and would like to purchase science fiction digests at the Olentangy River Road Barnes and Noble, give the company a call at 614-298-9516.
