User talk:Rkihara/Archive 06

Asimov's Science Fiction, December 1995

Removed a duplicate entry for the cartoon on page 164 in this pub. Hauck 16:43, 4 July 2011 (UTC)

Asimov's Science Fiction, May 1999

Changed the title of Barton's story here, from _Soldier's Home_ to _Soldiers Home_. Hauck 19:28, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Asimov's Science Fiction, July 1999

Changed title of Stableford's story from _Another Bunch of the Family Tree_ to _Another Branch of the Family Tree_ se here. Hauck 19:33, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2000

Changed MacLeod's story title (from Chitty to Chity) to match title page in this pub. Hauck 13:03, 8 July 2011 (UTC)

The title page is incorrect, within the story itself it's spelled "Chitty."--Rkihara 01:33, 9 July 2011 (UTC)

Changes reverted per notes.--Rkihara 04:43, 13 July 2011 (UTC)

"Through a Dead Man's Eyes"

Just a note that I have turned "Through a Dead Man's Eyes" by Geoff St. Reynard in your verified Fantastic Adventures, October 1945 into a VT for Robert W. Krepps. Ahasuerus 05:03, 18 July 2011 (UTC)

Cantine: Holly vs Holley

Can you check this pub for the spelling of Holly/Holley Cantine's name? I think the canonical name should be Holley (my edition of Judith Merril's anthology, Contento and the NESFA-index and even Amazon.com agree. If all verified publications have the same name, I can change it. Thanks, --Willem H. 15:19, 24 July 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! It's Holley Cantine, unmerged and corrected.--Rkihara 17:00, 24 July 2011 (UTC)

Fuzzy Dups on Author names

Hi Rkihara, since you mentioned that you are working on Authors, the project I opened yesterday may be very interesting to you: Fuzzy_duplicate_finder_on_all_Authors Regards, Qshadow 18:01, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, I'll look it over. I have to confess to ignoring these types of possible errors in my drive to fill in the biographical data.--Rkihara 19:26, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Astounding, April 1942

Can you confirm the author's credit for "Silence Is—Deadly" on page 58 in this issue? Many sources give the spelling as "Bertrand L. Shurtleff" ("l" in the place of "i" in the last name). Thanks for checking. Mhhutchins 18:13, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! It's "Shurtleff." Corrected.--Rkihara 18:58, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Thank you. One less "fuzzy" match. Mhhutchins 19:40, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Fantastic Adventures, February 1946

According to this verified record, the essay "Werner - Famed Geologist" was written by Lynn Standish, but credited to Carter T. Wainwright. I could find no evidence that one is a pseudonym for the other. According to Miller/Contento, the contents page credits Standish and the title page credits Wainwright. It appears that one or the other is incorrect. ISFDB rules gives the title page preference and that's how it's recorded in the record. But I don't believe we should make Standish a pseudonym of Wainwright, as each author has a substantial body of work, and I was unable to find any source that states they're the same person. Thanks. Mhhutchins 19:40, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

Amazing, May 1991

Can you confirm the author credit for the story on page 29 in this issue? We have an author named "Daniel Pearlman" already in the db, and I was wondering if they're the same. Thanks. Mhhutchins 20:56, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

Yes, it should be Pearlman, corrected. Thanks!--Rkihara 21:59, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

Dorothy and the Sequels

Is this really Shortfiction or a poem? BLongley 22:16, 2 September 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! It's a poem, corrected.--Rkihara 15:25, 3 September 2011 (UTC)

Henry A. Norton / Henry M. Norton

Hi, you have verified this publication, containing a story written by Henry A. Norton. Here I have a site that claims the man is named Henry M. Norton. Could you please double check the "A." for me? --Dirk P Broer 18:01, 13 September 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the notification. To add to the confusion there's no "A.", he's credited as Henry Norton, no middle initial. Entry corrected. For what it's worth, The Day Index lists him as "Henry (A.) Norton" and credits two other stories to him.--Rkihara 17:30, 16 September 2011 (UTC)

Ralph E. Vaughn

Hi, in this verified pub could you please check whether there author's last name on page 58 is Vaughn or VaughAn. Cheers, P-Brane 09:50, 16 September 2011 (UTC).

I was about to ask the same, based upon this. --Dirk P Broer 11:23, 16 September 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! It's Vaughan, corrected.--Rkihara 17:12, 16 September 2011 (UTC)

Astounding Science Fiction, September 1945

Changed title of Raymond F. Jones' story to _Deadly host_ (without article). Hauck 18:11, 17 September 2011 (UTC)

Hobbyist

Hello, shouldn't the title of Russell's story be changed to "Hobbyist" (with quotes) in this pub, and shouldn't it become the canonical one (I'm not sure if it's systematically the one used in the first publication) ? Hauck 05:15, 18 September 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! It's actually ""Hobbyist" . . . " Corrected. The first printing is usually the canonical, but since most entries are without the quotes and ellipsis, trying to change it will make a mess of things.--Rkihara 05:50, 18 September 2011 (UTC)

Windfall

Changed author from Catherine Crook de Camp to Catherine C. de Camp as per title page in this pub.

Amazing Stories, January 1992

Can you confirm that the excerpt from The Mountain Made of Light is credited to Edward Meyers and not Myers in this issue? Thanks. Mhhutchins 15:21, 21 September 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! Index and title page credit "Meyers," but the cover reproduction credits "Myers." Obviously a mistake, will make the correction and add a note to the pub.--Rkihara 17:25, 23 September 2011 (UTC)

Bernard Irwin Taylor

Hi, I've reset the year of birth to 1937, as I can find not a single reference outside Contemporary Authors that agrees with that year. Reginald3 comes with 1936, others quote 1937 (and just plain Wiltshire, which is a county). --Dirk P Broer 10:58, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

Found other sources that did not show up a few hours ago, tried to cancel above mentioned request, got warning that it had no 'new' status. --Dirk P Broer 13:52, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

Looks like your change went through. I'll leave any changes you feel are necessary to you. I generally give Contemporary Authors priority over all other references as many of the entries comes from the authors themselves, and the remainder are usually pretty well researched. I have found a few mistakes though.--Rkihara 17:42, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

1934 gets supported by Howard Gotlieb Archival Research center, Debrett's (which also supports the date 1934-10-02), and of course Contemporary Authors. As other sources are generally less reliable and only state the year 1937, and no actual place of birth besides the county of Wiltshire, I think that 1934-10-02 is at present the most accurate data we have. --Dirk P Broer 20:32, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

I accepted your change earlier Dirk, but kept an eye out for this discussion, and I've accepted the correction backwards. (Since it was documented on the wiki bio page, I knew that it was safe and reversible). Thanks Kevin 21:30, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

Determining an original title

Hello, Ron! If it is possible (and you are willing to) I'd like to request your help in determining the original title of the story 'The Man Who Feared Robots' (1960) by Herbert W. Franke in this issue of MFSF. Maybe the original title is printed somewhere or, if not, would it be possible to give the maybe first and last two sentences of the story (depending they are not too long)? I am working on the bibliography of Franke right now. Stonecreek 09:28, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

The editor's intro says the story was taken from Franke's book "The Green Comet." Translators were Charlotte Franke-Winheller and Paul Ritchie. Total length 2-1/2 pages. Opening sentences:

The doctor said "Lean back please."

"I'm all right," answered the patient in a low voice.

Last two:

"What are we going to do," he asked, "if we make another mistake?" He fiddled with his skull–at the embossed joints near the hairline, in order to cool the positronic switches.

The doctor was silent. But he glanced with apprehension at the face of the man who slept.

Hope this helps.--Rkihara 16:57, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

Yes, thank you very much, your effort helped very much. In other translations of his short stories the title wasn't as much a riddle as in this case. The original 'Psychotherapie' was no help. Thank you again! Stonecreek 14:26, 7 October 2011 (UTC)

Amazing Stories, Fall 1999

I was setting up a pseudonym and noticed that we only have "part 1 of 2" for Dean Wesley Smith 's "The Space Vortex of Doom". Since you have verified 1999-2000 Amazings, I wonder if you may happen to know what happened to "part 2 of 2"? TIA! Ahasuerus 04:28, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

It was published as Chapter 1 instead of "part 1 of 2," and at the end of the story "To Be Continued . . . Find chapter two in the special release Captain Proton!, coming soon from Pocket Books." I changed the story title to reflect this, but now I'm wondering if I should have left as (part 1 of 2)?--Rkihara 03:40, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

According to reader reviews on Amazon, the second chapter did appear in Captain Proton: Defender of the Earth, which, as the Note field says, contains "[t]he "original" adventures of the pulp science fiction character Captain Proton, reverse engineered from a Star Trek Voyager Holodeck character. The book attempts to recreate the format and style of pulp era SF magazines, complete with "letters to Captain Proton", parodic "feature articles", short stories and parts of a serial." I will add the contents from Memory Beta.

In addition, it looks like Chapter 1 was reprinted in Star Trek: The Amazing Stories. Give me a few minutes to sort it out... Ahasuerus 04:13, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

OK, I think we are getting close. Captain Proton is now a sub-series under Star Trek: Voyager and a bunch of VTs and pseudonyms has been set up -- see Dean Wesley Smith's Summary page.

I suspect that the most logical way to handle "The Space Vortex of Doom" (Chapter 1) and "Death of the Patrol" (Chapter 2) would be to create a sub-series under "Captain Proton", but a sub-series without a book length title is relegated to the Short Fiction Series area, so it wouldn't appear with the rest of the Captain Proton titles. In addition, the two "chapters" have different titles, so making them SERIALs would be awkward. I have turned them into SHORTFICTION for now since I can't think of a better way to handle this peculiar case... Ahasuerus 05:04, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

Amazing Stories, September 1928

I'm going to add Frank R. Paul as the cover artist to the September 1928 issue of Amazing Stories. You've already got a note attributing the cover artist as Paul, and he is further credited as the cover artist in this publication. I'll also note the additional source. I'm doing this so that I can link the interior art in the Korshak book to the cover record. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 23:01, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

Amazing Stories, July 1981

I'm trying to determine if the Malzberg piece on page 4 of this issue was one of the pieces reprinted in The Engines of the Night. There's a notice on the copyright page that one or more pieces appeared in Amazing Stories and I've narrowed it down to this one, but there's no such title in the essay collection. Can you give me the first line or two of the essay so that I can compare it with any piece in the collection? No rush, just when you get a chance. Much appreciation. Mhhutchins 21:36, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

The article has a subheading "L'etat C'est Moi." First sentence, "In 1969, as the recently appointed and juvenescent (29 is not an age as the poet should have pointed out; it is a condition). . . . Last sentence, "How can you take it seriously anymore?" Hope this helps.--Rkihara 23:42, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

That was easy. It was reprinted as L'Etat C'est Moi. I'll create a variant. Thanks a lot. Mhhutchins 02:36, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Editor credits for Amazing/Fantastic from 8/65 - 11/67

Could you please join this discussion when you get a chance? Thanks. Mhhutchins 17:33, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

Astounding Science-Fiction, February 1943

Just to let you know that I have turned "Probability Zero! (Astounding, February 1943)" in your verified Astounding Science-Fiction, February 1943 into a VT. As far as I know, Colin Keith was pseudonym that was only used by Malcolm Jameson. Ahasuerus 01:05, 20 October 2011 (UTC)

Thrilling Wonder Stories, June 1950

A new editor has discovered that Arthur C. Clarke's "The Reversed Man" in this issue is a variant title of his 1946 story "Technical Error". This is confirmed by Miller/Contento. I'm going to accept his submission to variant the record. Thanks. Mhhutchins 03:02, 20 October 2011 (UTC)

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, December 1987

As our one and only verifier of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, December 1987, could you please review this discussion? TIA! Ahasuerus 07:37, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

Astounding Science Fiction, April 1945

While checking your verified pub Astounding Science Fiction, April 1945 I noticed that the author name of Destiny Times Three, Part 2, on page 141 is stated as Fritz Leiber, Jr., and not Fritz Leiber. Is it okay if I change this? Darkday 18:05, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

I see you've changed it already. Authors are entered as credited in the pub, in this case Fritz Leiber, Jr. You need to change it back, then make Fritz Leiber, Jr. a pseudonym for Fritz Leiber. The title will then appear in the pub as "Fritz Leiber as by Fritz Leiber, Jr.," and under the canonical name as "Fritz Leiber also as by Fritz Leiber, Jr."--Rkihara 22:49, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

There's some confusion here. Darkday wanted to change "Fritz Leiber" to "Fritz Leiber, Jr." The record as of now still shows "Fritz Leiber" so it is unchanged. Could you please double check, and also check the appearance of Part 1 in the previous month Astounding Science Fiction, March 1945. Thanks Kevin 03:41, 27 October 2011 (UTC)

In this case, I also might be confused, but this is already a (Part) Variant of Destiny Times Three so I'm thinking it should simply be changed, not made as another variant of a variant. But I'm not an expert at magazines and may be turned around, so I'll defer to you on the mechanics. Kevin 03:41, 27 October 2011 (UTC)

The author credit of the two magazine records (serials) should be changed to "Fritz Leiber, Jr.". It is unnecessary to create another variant (based on author), as it's already a variant (based on title). You can't create a variant of a variant. Well, you could but it would be an error, and show up on this list. Mhhutchins 03:53, 27 October 2011 (UTC)

Hmmm, now I'm confused, unless you know something I don't, Darkday clearly stated that the serial was credited to Fritz Leiber, Jr., and that he wanted to change it to Fritz Leiber. In any case, parts 1 and 2 are credited to Fritz Leiber, Jr.--Rkihara 05:13, 27 October 2011 (UTC)

I'm sorry, I now understand that my initial comment can be read in two ways. What I meant was "I noticed that the author name of Destiny Times Three, Part 2, on page 141 is stated as Fritz Leiber, Jr. in the actual magazine, and not Fritz Leiber, as in the ISFDB record". I'm sorry for the confusion. I changed the author name and everything looks good now. Darkday 17:50, 27 October 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia Links

When adding external links (at least for the author's Wikipedia field, but I assume the software treats all external links the same), the "http://" needs to be included in the link. If not, the software treats it as a relative link and tries to display a non-existent page on the ISFDB. I've fixed a number of author Wikipedia links you recently added without the "http://" and should be able to get to the rest soon. I'll also make a feature request so that software handles these better (it would be nice if it auto handled it, but if that's to complicated at least a data entry validation check or clean-up script). Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 13:35, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the heads up. I click in the address bar to select, then drag and drop to enter the links. Sometimes the selection is incomplete, but I usually catch those. The incomplete links slipped under my notice.--Rkihara 16:03, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

Just noticed, the latest version of Firefox suppresses the "http://".--Rkihara 16:07, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

I knew that they were suppressing the display. It's too bad they chose to suppress it when copying and pasting. I would consider that a bug (especially given http vs. https). -- JLaTondre (talk) 17:35, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

Google Chrome also doesn't give the "http://" in the browser's address window. I wish HTML didn't require it as well. What's the point? Are there any other protocols? :) Mhhutchins 16:30, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

Chrome doesn't show it, but when you copy and paste an address, it includes the "http://". Yes, there are other protocols and while most of them aren't widely used, https is and sometimes websites don't handle it correctly if you try to access a https link from http. They should, but I've run into cases where they don't. That shouldn't matter too often though and I think it would be fine if our links defaulted to adding the http. I submitted a feature request. -- JLaTondre (talk) 17:35, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

I recently added the check for cover-images that quote an ISFDB Wiki-Page rather than an ISFDB Uploaded Image, it should be trivial to build such a check in for Wikipedia links too. So long as you don't want it too fancy. e.g. insist on only valid or selected language Wikipedia sites, or allow multiple Wikipedia links. Will "must start with http or https" do for now? BLongley 18:06, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

While it would be nice to make it optional, adding such a check at least prevents the problem. However, it's not just Wikipedia links. I confirmed it's web page and IMDB links as well. -- JLaTondre (talk) 20:04, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

IMDB link checks would be as simple as Wikipedia link checks. Actually, simpler, as there's only one IMDB isn't there? The first web page is easy to check too, and should be possible even when people enter several sites at once (which most people don't even know they can do). Not so easy to check whether they're actually to images, but I'm all for simple incremental improvements. (I think the backlog on software improvements is at least partly due to us having recently tackled big things like "language support" and "awards".) BLongley 00:00, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, March 1991

Hello, I changed the type of this piece from poem to short fiction, hope it suits you. Hauck 14:07, 6 November 2011 (UTC)

In the Hall of the Martian Kings

I think there's an error in this. Surely there isn't an entire collection in the first few pages of a magazine? BLongley 01:59, 15 November 2011 (UTC)

I'm afraid it's worse than that. Has someone merged the novella with the collection? See here. --Willem H. 08:23, 15 November 2011 (UTC)

I unmerged the title, checked all the publications and modified the collection. It should be back to normal now (I know the editions I own are). --Willem H. 19:54, 15 November 2011 (UTC)

Don vs Dan White

Can you check if Don's credited as Don or Dan White here? The same story is credited to "Don White" in the UK version. Jonschaper 03:25, 12 January 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! It's Don White. Corrected author and title.--Rkihara 04:27, 12 January 2012 (UTC)

Partial Edits

Thanks for the direction per Mod noticeboard. Until I get more adept at this, that will be the way I go. Syzygy 23:36, 12 January 2012 (UTC)

Michael Butterworth

I saw the notices you left on a couple of editors' pages concerning the author of the Hawklords series. According to this Wikipedia article, Michael Butterworth (1947) was the author of that series, the first book with Michael Moorcock, with whom he was associated in the late 60s British New Wave movement with works in the Moorcock-edited New Worlds. It is comic book writer Mike Butterworth who wrote The Trigan Empire along with the Space 1999 novelizations. His Wikpedia article is here. He's the (1924-1986) writer. Please recheck the Contemporary Authors entry to determine if they have a primary source. I've seen several wrongly attributed books perpetuated by CA's editors who aren't as diligent as they should be. I believe we should move these titles to Mike Butterworth (as variants) and return these titles to Michael Butterworth. If your research agrees with mine, I'll leave any changes to you. Thanks. Mhhutchins 03:32, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

Can I disagree here? I have a book by Michael Butterworth, Queens of Deliria, where Michael (1947) is given as author of both the Hawkwind novels as the Space 1999 novelisations. Reginald3 and Clute/Nicholls back me up as well. --Dirk P Broer 09:30, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

You mean "Hawklords" novels. Mhhutchins 15:03, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

Ledge of Darkness is really advertised as being the third in the Hawkwind Trilogy in Queens of Deliria. --Dirk P Broer 15:24, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

Sic "Mike Butterworth (Michael Butterworth) (January 10, 1924 – October 4, 1986) was a British comic book writer, best known for his comic strip The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire in the British weeklies Ranger and Look and Learn. He is not related to the novelist Michael Butterworth, author of the Hawklords series and the Space: 1999 novelizations."

Thanks for the clarification. I misread the Wikipedia article concerning the Space 1999 novelizations (pretty late at night after a long weekend) and I've struck those parts in my original message. My main purpose here was to let Ron know that the Hawklords novels that he changed were by Michael Butterworth (1947) not Michael Butterworth (1924-1986). Mhhutchins 15:01, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

I have to confess to misreading the Wikipedia article too. I'm a speed reader and the faster I read, the more dyslexic the input. Anyway, the Bibliography in Contemporary Authors mixes titles from both of the Michael Butterworth's listed in the Wikipedia. There's also a second listing in CA that identifies him as a woman born in 1943 and in the same listing as 1924, so CA is probably unreliable in regards to Butterworth. There are no primary sources listed by either CA or the Wikipedia, so until I know better, I'll revert my changes and leave Butterworth alone for now.--Rkihara 17:34, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

You might mail him, he can be reached at Savoy Books or at michaelbutterworthbooks@googlemail.com Bet he can laugh about the mix-up of Butterworths as well. --Dirk P Broer 20:10, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! I sent an email this morning.--Rkihara 17:44, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

I just received a response from Michael Butterworth who tells me that our present bibliography is correct, but incomplete. He also offered to provide input on the missing items. I am forwarding a copy of our correspondence on the mod list.--Rkihara 05:22, 18 January 2012 (UTC)

Ah, direct communication! Whatever happened to that? We used to talk person to person before this new-fangled internet stuff... ;-) BLongley 17:00, 18 January 2012 (UTC)

Astounding (UK)

I have a submission on hold from a new editor [Malcolmf]. An edition not yet in the grid for the UK editions of Astounding. I don't do magazines and am not sure how to coach him on this. Also he did the submission from scratch so if accepted as-is will require at least 30 merges for contents. I think he needs to start again and then import the contents [if he clones the US issue it would need some unmerging and then get placed into the UK grid - I think???]. Could you have a look, please? Thanks! --~ Bill, Bluesman 21:37, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

Starting over is probably the easiest way to deal with it. I've only entered a few new editions into the grids, and I've forgotten how to do that, though it was easy enough. I'll enter it if I can figure it out how to do it again, or ask someone who is doing it on a regular basis. I'll leave a note on Malcolmf's page.--Rkihara 00:15, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

Issues are added to the grid when you update the editor record generated by the submission by entering the series name under which the magazine was entered, in this case "Astounding/Analog (UK)". But as I mentioned on the editor's page, it would be better to reject the current submission, and create a stub record containing only the header information, no contents. Then import the contents from the corresponding US issue. After that's accepted, the editor can then add or remove content records to match his issue. This avoids many submissions to merge the content record. Mhhutchins 02:02, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

I see someone's already created a stub record. But I don't understand how we wound up with three editor records for the same issue! (Look at JWC,Jr's page.) Two are empty, so they can be either deleted or merged. Once that's done update the last editor record with the series data. Then it will be on the grid. Mhhutchins 02:07, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

I made the stub, and maybe I created the extra editor records when I was trying to recall how to handle this. I managed the link Malcolmf's contribution to the proper grid entry, so that's taken care of.--Rkihara 02:52, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

And now there's all that merging.... I wonder if it would be easier to just delete the entire contents and then import from the US issue? --~ Bill, Bluesman 03:04, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

How did those new content records get into the pub record? The original submission is still in the queue. Now that they're there, it wouldn't do any good to remove them. You'd have to merge them anyway. Or delete each one after you've removed it from the record. And it's still not in the grid. I'm talking about the database grid, not the useless and unnecessary Wiki grid. Mhhutchins 03:14, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

I added a tag to the submission to get the submission into the Wiki grid. The database grid didn't exist the last time I did this and it's only partially implemented. I don't know how to work the database grid, so what do you suggest I do? --Rkihara 03:26, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

Now there are four editor records! As I said above: edit this editor record by placing it into the series for the magazine, in this case enter "Astounding/Analog (UK)" (without the quotes) into the series field. Then merge it with this editor record (the one for 1954). Mhhutchins 04:14, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

Michael's right, it is far easier to clone a US Magazine to a UK one (if you know how to work around the software ban on cloning a magazine - change it to an Anthology, clone it, fix the original and the clone back to Magazine, adjust for differences) or, much safer, create a stub and Import contents from the nearest US equivalent. BLongley 03:59, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

The clone-work-around is too complicated. Just import the contents from the more complete pub. But it's beyond that point now. There are already contents in the record. Someone will have to merge all of them. Next time use the method I've been talking about: 1) create a stub record without contents, 2) import the contents from the more complete record, 3) add or remove contents to match the issue you're working with. It's too late to do that now. Mhhutchins 04:14, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

Agreed: as I said, it's much safer to create a stub and Import contents. (I know export is another option but I really think that's one of our least used features and nobody would miss it.) Sometimes I give too many alternatives. :-/ BLongley 04:51, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

I'm not so sure that Michael's right about "useless and unnecessary Wiki grid" - yes, Ahasuerus has made it much easier to allow the software to generate the database grid, but that is not perfect (look at any weekly, fortnightly or quarterly magazines) and likely never will be (it's not just "Fall" versus "Autumn" but those pesky Antipodeans can't even agree on which season is in the middle of a calendar year!) But I'd recommend letting the software do most of the work, and only maintaining the Wiki version when the software goes "Huh?" BLongley 03:59, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

As the French say "les goûts et les couleurs..." Mhhutchins 04:14, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

I thought you didn't do French stuff, Michael? :-0

I had to Google the translation myself. It has fewer "U"s in English, probably even fewer in American. ;-) BLongley 05:02, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

I didn't realise I'd start such a fuss. But thanks, all of you for advice on workaround for cloning! Rkihara, if you can edit the grid, it will make my task simpler. I have to hand the following issues of UK Astounding that aren't already in the database:

1953: Nov
1954: Jun Aug Oct Dec
1955: Apr Sep Nov Dec
1956: Feb Mar Jun Aug Sep Dec
1957: May
1958: Jul Aug Sep Dec
1959: Jan Oct
1960: Mar Apr Jun
1961: Jan Feb Mar Apr Jul Dec

The grid stops at 1961: I also have most of 1962 and about half of 1963 for Analog: these are definitely a UK edition (priced 2/6!) I have two or three pre-1953 Astounding issues somewhere that I think are the UK edition as well. You can see why I need to import content from the US edition. Malcolmf 09:43, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

Actually I caused most of the fuss. I pretty much stopped entering magazines a couple of years ago and the ISFDB has moved on since. The database grid, http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/seriesgrid.cgi?28873, is more complete. The links under "Magazines" lead to the Wiki grid, which is being phased out. The easiest way I know of to reach the database grid is by opening the listing for a magazine, then clicking the link to the issue grid at the top. Let me know if you're successful at creating the stubs.--Rkihara 17:33, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

Don't worry, we're used to people coming in here and throwing all our misconceptions aside! We're trying to expand our remit from the US origins - even English English seems unappreciated or misunderstood at times. :-/ I for one would welcome more comparisons of the UK reprints of US magazines (or vice versa). Some scholar might be able to use us to figure out whether such was down to copyright reasons, censorship due to cultural differences, or exchange rates, or alignments of the planets, or the death of John Campbell's favourite cat, or some other arcane reason. BLongley 09:52, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

Ah, I think I see how the import/export works. I've made a stub, when/if it gets approved, I'll see how well it works. And, to complicate matters, I also have a stack of Galaxy magazines from the 1950s that seem to be a UK edition. Examining a random sample issue, "No 22", the nearest match is US edition August 1954: pagination is different to the US version, cover layout is slightly different with a UK price (same picture), UK adverts, and one story less than the US issue. (Cogswell's "Invasion Report" is missing) So I might need to submit these as well. But that can wait until I've put in the astoundings and analogs Malcolmf 10:41, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

On Writing SF

Is Asimov's foreword in this record spelled correctly? Mhhutchins 03:43, 17 February 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. A mistake, corrected.--Rkihara 17:22, 18 February 2012 (UTC)

Passion Play

Scanned in an image and expanded the notes slightly for [this] --~ Bill, Bluesman 18:37, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

Identified specific artist credit for Unknown, June 1943

The credits to Isip, M. Isip, and R. Isip were rather jumbled, mainly because most of the work they did in the Street & Smith periodicals were only credited as "Isip". After looking at the individual works (based the scans on unz.org) I've identified each brother's signature and have been separating the "Isip" credits. M. Isip's signature is a very smooth horizontal signature as can be seen at the bottom of the illustration on page 151 of Unknown, June 1943. While R. Isip has a looping signature as seen on page 107 of Unknown, April 1941. There are still credits in the ISFDB for Isip and I see you have many of the verified pubs in which they appear. If you get some spare time, would you be able to see if you can identify any of them based on the signature? There were one or two in the scans of Unknown issues where I could find no signature, and their separate styles aren't individual enough for me to distinguish their work. Thanks for helping. Mhhutchins 05:24, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

Forgot to mention that I changed the credits of the title records in Unknown, September 1949 before I realized that you'd verified the issue. (You don't see that the pub record's been verified when you're changing a content title record.) So I added a note to the pub record about the source of the credit for the two illustrations on pages 79 and 111. I apologize for doing this before consulting with you first. Mhhutchins 05:30, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

I'll try to check my entries for Isip in the next couple of days. Feel free to make corrections or additions to pubs that I've verified.--Rkihara 08:52, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

Done. Credited R. Isip for "General Swamp . . . Astounding, Sept. 1939 based on identifying R. Isip as the artist for "Last Hope" in the same issue.--Rkihara 21:24, 12 March 2012 (UTC)

Book Review in Unknown Worlds, June 1943

I prepare data for introduction of Unknown Worlds, December 1942 an I've found a review of Anthony Boucher for the book A Book of Prophecy (see here) and I see this same book is also reviewed by Albert Parry in Unknown Worlds, June 1943. It's a little confuse ! On a scan of Unknown Worlds, June 1943, it appear as a review from a review published in Saturday Review of Litterature July 25, 1942. I let you only judge what can be do. Thanks. ChanurBe 13:54, 9 March 2012 (UTC)

Sorry to be slow in responding, but I am a little tied up by my personal affairs. The three books referenced by Boucher under the heading "Prophets and Critics," in the June 1943 issue would have been more properly entered as footnotes to what appears to be an editorial discussion, as they are quoted in support of his discussion and are not properly reviewed. They do qualify for entry under our rules of acquisition as reviews, however slightly, so I am leaving them unchanged.--Rkihara 22:33, 14 March 2012 (UTC)

The City of Mummies Interior Art

You've got the primary verification of Amazing Stories, March 1941 which contains illustrations for Burroughs' story "The City of the Mummies". I've been working on Heins' A Golden Anniversary Bibliography of Edgar Rice Burroughs which contains a portfolio of J. Allen St. John illustrations of Burroughs' work including this story. The Heins book reproduces the full page from the original magazine appearance and the first illustration for this story shows a page number of 9, whereas you have an uncredited interior art on page 8. The illustration in my book has the word "MUMMIES" in the illustration and the caption "This was no swordsman I faced, but a monstrosity out of Barsoom's Hell!". It may be that I only have half of the illustration and it actually begins on page 8, since I only have the second half of the story title. If so, I would suggest that we not merge the records. However, you may want to credit St. John. If page 8 only contains the lettering for the first half of the title, we may or may not want to merge the records. I'd lean towards merge in that case. The Heins book also lists a second illustration for the story. Unfortunately it doesn't show the page number, but it has the story title at the head of the page and is captioned "Pan Dan Chee unbuckled his sword to lay it at her feet". If you can tell me the page number it appears on, I can add the record, unless you'd prefer to do it yourself. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 21:57, 18 March 2012 (UTC)

After some thought I changed the page number for the first illustration from p. 8 to p. 9, since the portion extending into p.8 is trivial and covers less than 1/8 of the page. The missing portion of the title is superimposed on this. I missed the second illustration, it's on p. 31. I added the illustration and credited St. John in both cases and noticed a couple of other errors which I also corrected. I'll leave any merges to you.--Rkihara 00:40, 19 March 2012 (UTC)

Unknown, June 1943

The review of The Magus on page 159 of this issue should be credited to "Comte de L'Avro" instead of Anthony Boucher. This is a pseudonym of Orval Graves. In two earlier issues of Unknown, he used "Comte de L'Avro" as the byline, but signed "Orval Graves" at the end of each piece. Editor ChanurBe and I are having difficulty deciding whether we should credit "Comte..." as the author of the two pieces. Happily in your case, only "Comte..." is used on the piece in your verified record. And this explanation clarifies the note you placed in the record's note field. Yes, it's odd how the piece's title and credit are displayed. The average user would think the author of the book is "Comte...", not the author of the review! Mhhutchins 05:28, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

Also, I forgot to mention: the review of page 156 by Anthony Boucher is a review of "Speaking of Prophecies" by Albert Parry, which is a review of A Book of Prophecy by Cournos. Personally, I'd bypass the whole rigamarole and create an essay titled "Prophets and Critics" by Anthony Boucher and get rid of the review records entirely. Your call though. Either way you handle it, the piece is by Boucher, not Parry. Thanks. Mhhutchins 05:39, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

Changed as you suggested. Probably the best way to handle it. As I noted previously it would have been better to have footnoted the referenced books.--Rkihara 21:27, 26 March 2012 (UTC)

Fantastic Adventures - January 1948

As the sole verifier of the aforesaid issue of Fantastic Adventures (FA), I am hoping that you may check something for me. I was doing an update of Thrilling Science Fiction (TSF) reprint magazines and in the April 1972 issue, the essay The Thing on the Moon which appears on the bep of this issue, originates in FA Jan. 1948 The header in the TSF essay states "see front cover", tying it to the article. I was wondering if anything was tied in with that article in FA, perhaps on the bep or the back cover. If there is, is it an image and is it accredited? Thank you for any help that you can lend on this. --John L.-- Syzygy 17:52, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

I missed that. There's an illustration by Malcolm Smith on the bc.--Rkihara 18:31, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

Does it match the cover of TSF April 72 or does it show a black and white image of just a spaceship? BTW, thanks for checking.--John L.-- Syzygy 21:35, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

It's a match but maybe 40% of the painting is cropped out. Measuring the original; one inch on the left, three-quarters on the right, and an inch-and-a-half on the bottom. The masthead covers the upper two inches. The TSF cover scan is also oversaturated and color shifted.--Rkihara 22:29, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

Thank you so much!! That at least will identify the cover art for this issue. As for oversaturation and color shift, I don't think so. I have that TSF issue right here and matches pretty closely with the scan. Probably the publisher's idea to make it eye-catching when it was sitting in the racks with other magazines. --John L.-- Syzygy 22:44, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

Artist for six issues of Fantastic identified

Hello, since you transiently verified some of these issues, I thought you might be also interested in this. They comprise of the issues from July 1967, November 1967, March 1968, May 1968, August 1968 & December 1968. They are all made into variants of the original cover art. Stonecreek 18:17, 24 April 2012 (UTC)

"Rev. Chief Sequoyah"

FYI, according to this biblio, Rev. Chief Sequoyah and Oge-Make are pseudonyms used by L. Taylor Hansen. I have set up VTs and pseudonyms, which affected three of your verified Amazings. Ahasuerus 08:04, 9 May 2012 (UTC)

F&SF Review Inquiry

The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror: Sixteenth Annual Collection contains an essay by Elizabeth Hand (Inside Out: On Henry Darger) which is two thirds of one of her book reviews from F&SF. The anthology and Hand's website credit it as coming from the May 2002 issue. However, your verified May issue has that Books review column by James Sallis and the F&SF website shows it as from the Oct/Nov 2002.

I assume the F&SF website is correct, but before I add a note to the essay, could you check your verified Oct/Nov 2002 copy to see if the Books review column matches what is shown at the F&SF link above? I would appreciate it. Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 23:15, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

The F&SF website listing for Oct/Nov 2002 matches my copy--Rkihara 02:53, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

Fantastic Lives

Hello, Ron! I don't know if it's a major change, but I've added a cover image to your verified pub. AND have put it into the pub. series 'Alternatives' (I also added some notes), Christian, Stonecreek 18:14, 22 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, in general you don't need to notify me if you add missing content which includes covers.--Rkihara 22:19, 22 May 2012 (UTC)

The Silent Strength of Stones

you verified The Silent Strength of Stones and I'm gonna add some details.Ofearna 22:42, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

That's fine.--Rkihara 03:04, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Strangers on/in Paradise

Can you chime in on [this] discussion when you have a chance? Thanks. --~ Bill, Bluesman 23:05, 2 June 2012 (UTC)

ASF 04&05-2012

Added comma in the title of Rinehart's story. Hauck 14:08, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Cover of Thrilling Wonder Stories, April 1938

When you get a chance could you double check the cover artist for the April 1938 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories? It is currently listed as "Howard V. Brown". However, Miller/Contento lists it as "?". The cover on the endpapers for Williamson's Spider Island credits it as by "Wesso (H. W. Wessolowski)". I just added the individual cover art to the Williamson publication, which is why I'm asking. There is at least one error in in the credits in the Williamson book ("Howard W. Brown"), so I wouldn't be surprised if there were others. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 16:05, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

I'm unable to locate my copy, but I'll keep looking. Tuck says all covers by H.V. Brown to Aug. 1940, though the Day Index, lists it as "?", and credits one cover to Wesso in that time period. If you find a definitive answer feel free to make the change.--Rkihara 20:16, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Probability Zero in Astounding, 11/1942

Is there an essay on page 126 of this issue with this title? It appears that this is just a group title for the four stories that follow. Mhhutchins 05:07, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

And the same question about this issue, page 99. Cheers, P-Brane 06:17, 12 July 2012 (UTC).

And these: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]. Also, in some of these, the group title is essay but the individual titles are shortstory. Cheers, P-Brane 06:25, 12 July 2012 (UTC).

"Probability Zero" was one of the departments of Campbell's Astounding for which he solicited stories that were completely improbable. Departments are usually classified as type "essay" regardless of their contents. The F&SF Competitions are another example of this practice, where short one to two paragraph stories are listed under the type essay. It is contradictory, but we don't have a type "department" which would fix this problem.--Rkihara 04:04, 14 July 2012 (UTC)

F&SF May 1957 - Poem Title 'Atom-Splitters' vs 'Atom Splitters'

I was doing a verification on The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, Seventh Series and I came across Lyric for Atom Splitters which originally appeared in your verified pub F&SF May 1957. In my book in hand the title is listed as 'Lyric for Atom-Splitters' (With hyphen). I also happen to have a scan of the May 1957 F&SF issue, and on page 128, the poem appears there also as with the hyphen 'Lyric for Atom-Splitters'. I also found 2 other typos in the listing for this pub, so I beleive this is an across the board typo (Likely all instances have the hyphen). This is just an FYI note, that pending a check from the other verifiers of the other publications, I'll update the record to match the copy and scan I have in hand. - Thanks - Kevin 02:50, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

Hyphenated on title page, without hyphen in index.--Rkihara 15:07, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

I updated the pub as described. (Turns out that not all locations had a hyphen so I created a variant as well.) - Thanks Kevin 21:53, 18 August 2012 (UTC)

The Metal Man and The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson

I recently acquired the "P/C" edition of Williamson's The Metal Man and Other. While I can't figure out what "P/C" is supposed to stand for (Publisher's Copy?), it is essentially the limited edition, without the numbering or the slipcase. I made several changes to the limited edition before cloning it for the "P/C" and wanted to point them out in case you wanted to apply the same changes to the trade edition. The changes I made are:

1. Added the artwork from the endpapers and plates.
2. Added the frontispiece and limitation page artwork.
3. For the story "The Girl from Mars", I swapped out the full version for the excerpt variant. If you have information that this is really an excerpt, please let me know. It looks to me like it is the full story. Aside from that, the previous variant had the wrong form of Breuer's name
4. For the novel, The Birth of a New Republic, the wrong form of Breuer's name was also listed. I assume with both of these we can go by the author credit in the table of contents, since none of the stories list authors on their title page (as you would expect with a collection).
5. I deleted the "Appendix" essay. There isn't really an essay here, just a table of contents describing what is in the appendix.
6. I removed "The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume 1" from the publication title.

If you decide to delete your contents and re-import from one of the other editions, you'll want to delete the limitation page artwork, of course.

Regarding the last item, my understanding is that we generally don't include series names as part of the title even when it appears on the title page of the book. I'd like to also delete the series name from the other books in the series where it is still listed on the publication: Wizard's Isle, Spider Island and The Crucible of Power. I don't know why I didn't bring up the first two when I was working on those publications. I'll wait until I hear from you and Hauk, before I make those changes.

Finally, I also acquired a copy of the trade edition of Crucible of Power and will be adding the artwork on the endpapers. I'll let you know if I come across anything else.

Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 15:16, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

"The Girl from Mars" within "The Metal Man . . ." is the full story. The identification as an "excerpt" probably occurred when someone did a merge without checking. The type "essay" is used for magazine departments and the like. This was brought up a few notes earlier on my discussion page, re: "Probability Zero," which was the title of a magazine department containing short stories. The artwork on the endpapers falls under the the general exclusion rule, i.e., artwork smaller than one-third page. We often break this rule, but in the case of the Williamson collections it really clutters up the listings, so I would prefer to leave it out, but will go along if the other verifiers agree to it. No problem with you deleting the series name from the title or correcting errors.--Rkihara 06:51, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

I apologize. I didn't think the addition of the artwork was controversial and already have added it to The Crucible of Power. However, I can't seem to find the rule to which you are referring. this template talks about always including cartoons of larger than 1/3 page size when they are not credited. It doesn't say to exclude smaller ones. Please let me know if you know of a rule somewhere that I'm missing.

I'm not certain how I feel about the inclusion of an ESSAY title to group a section of a book. Has this been discussed at Rules and standards discussions? It may be worth bringing before a larger group.

I'll go ahead and delete the series name from the titles. I'll hold off on the other changes while we're discussing them. Mainly because for Metal Man it will be easier to replace all the content than deal with each individual item. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 12:37, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

No need to apologize, this is a discussion. It's relatively common to separate sections of a book under "Essay." An advanced search under title/appendix brings up over 400 entries, restricting to title/appendix/essay brings up over 300. The majority are entered as "Appendix: " with the title of the entry separated by a colon, e.g., "Appendix: Pictures in Color" and identifies it as separate from the other the material in the book. That appears to be the better approach than entering the appendix followed by the its undifferentiated contents as I did. A search for "Introduction" under the type Essay brings up over 10000 entries, and so on. The "one-third" cutoff is from memory and I haven't reviewed the rules in some time. Other than that "what's in" and "what's out" is a little vague. Small pieces of filler art, even if unique are almost always excluded, cartoons no matter what size are almost always included, and I've entered countless small pieces of art (percentage wise, although large enough by digest standards). We've had a lot of discussion and agonizing over this, and it boils down to individual preference, but I do think that the majority of us would not have entered the cover reproductions on the end papers. As they say, "too much information," sort of like entering all of the art in a book collecting the art of Emsh. It might be worth visiting this again in Rules and Standards.--Rkihara 17:19, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

The apology was for adding the artwork items without first getting your assent. Though, your note about how to deal with your verified pubs would have lead me to believe that I didn't need it, which is also likely why I didn't inform you that I added the endpaper art to each volume of the Williamson series (except 6, which I haven't tracked down yet). I get a general feeling from the help pages INTERIORART are a guide for what should be included. They never specifically prohibit something. The strongest they get (photographs and diagrams) is "do not need to be included". I'm afraid I am the kind of person who would enter all the artwork from an Emsh collection (and have done so for St. John and Paul), which is why I didn't think twice about entering the Williamson covers.

I don't know that I can think of a method of marking material as an appendix that I agree with. I don't like the ESSAY title for the section header since it doesn't really represent real content. I don't care for prepending "Appendix:" to the title of included item, especially if the title pages aren't credited that way. For magazine departments, I've generally placed each included item in a series, much as you did with Probability Zero only without the group item. It does seem a similar problem to magazine departments.

I'll go ahead and post both these topics at Rules and standards discussions and see what other folks say. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 02:16, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 1983

I was about to link to a new scan I made of this issue, but then I noticed that my copy has a $2.00 price on the cover, whereas yours has a $1.75 price. The colophon of my issue lists a $1.75 price, like the cover of yours does... is this a common practice? How should I record this? Thanks, Albinoflea 03:11, 13 August 2012 (UTC) (I'm leaving the same note on Swfritter's page.)

It beats me. Maybe it's a Canadian price?--Rkihara 06:04, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

The Challenge from Beyond

Please join in this discussion when you get a chance. Mhhutchins 05:42, 15 August 2012 (UTC)

A question on an interior art piece by Gary Freeman

Hello, Ron! In this pub is one of originally three pieces of art for Gilgamesh in the Outback reproduced - but I don't have an idea which one. Would you be so kind to check which one it is in your verified pub? Depicted is Dr. Schweitzer taking a look on Gilgamesh's wound. Stonecreek 10:43, 20 August 2012 (UTC)

It's illustration [3], p. 166.--Rkihara 17:42, 20 August 2012 (UTC)

Thank you very much! That helped a lot. Stonecreek 18:26, 20 August 2012 (UTC)

Baron Münchausen's Scientific Adventures

I added the diacritical mark over the u in the title of "Baron Münchausen's Scientific Adventures" in the April 1928 issue of Amazing. I also corrected the associated illustration. I'll be making the same changes to the March and May issues. I assume that the other parts of the serial have the title in the same form. I'll change the others if you'd like and correct the parent title record to match. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 02:34, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

Sure, go ahead.--Rkihara 03:10, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

Doc Smith's Name in Amazing Stories, August 1928

I changed the form do Doc Smith's name in the first part of The Skylark of Space from "Edward E. Smith" to "Edward Elmer Smith" to match how it appears on the title page. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 17:16, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

Jonathan Swift Sommers

Somehow Philip José Farmer's pseudonym had an extra "m" in the database. I corrected this, indirectly changing your verified The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November 1976. Thanks, --Willem H. 14:06, 28 August 2012 (UTC)

Your verified Asimov's of April/May 2012

I think the story "Greener" in this issue is by Josh Roseman (per Roseman's site), not Rosenbaum as it's listed. I don't have the physical issue, so I wanted to check with you before I did anything (if it's not too inconvenient for you to double-check). Dwarzel 20:07, 31 August 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. It's Roseman, corrected.--Rkihara 20:43, 31 August 2012 (UTC)

Asimov's Science Fiction, February 2012 Minor Corrections

I made the following minor title and credit corrections to your verified pub Asimov's Science Fiction, February 2012. The author D. Thomas Minton was incorrectly credited without his last 'n' as Minto. The author the William John Watkins was corrected from a middle name of Jon and his poem title was corrected from The Atom's Lattice Could Yield Such Beauty Yield to The Atom's Lattice Could Such Beauty Yield. - Thanks Kevin 04:00, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

Asimov's Science Fiction, March 2012 - Added Content

I updated the contents of your verified publication Asimov's Science Fiction, March 2012. I added the poem on page 13, A Change in the Gravity. Thanks Kevin 04:10, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

Amazing Stories, June 1991

You verified this issue of Amazing Stories. Could you please check the credit for the artist of "Erasure" on p. 57? We list it as by "William Warren, Jr.", but it's almost certainly the same as "William R. Warren, Jr.", but I don't know whether to "correct" our entry, or variant it. Thanks, Chavey 05:56, 28 December 2012 (UTC)

It's William Warren, Jr. I would make it a pseudonym.Rkihara 00:36, 30 December 2012 (UTC)

Startling Stories, January 1948

Please respond to this question concerning your verified record which was posed by a new user on the Help Desk. Thanks. Mhhutchins 03:31, 3 February 2013 (UTC)

"The Black Nebulae (Quintet, Part 1)"

FYI, I have changed the spelling of Alfred Bester's "The Black Nebulae (Quintet, Part 1)" to "The Black Nebulea (Quintet, Part 1)" after checking my copy of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, September 1959. The title was apparently deliberately misspelled by Bester (along with many other words in the body of the story) since Bester was trying to write the way a 10 year old might write. I also deleted the following note:

• Correcting title as it seems more a typo than intention: 7 Google hits for "Nebulea", but apparently mutually copied without comment or verification; 7 too for "Nebulae", though all from one page at Everything2. Also, changing the type to Poem per various mentions online - makes more sense with the subtitle. Anybody can verify this?

• Spelling is "Nebulae" verified by mention in F&SF October 1959, and end of year index F&SF December 1959. See synopsis above.

Although the title of the story was spelled "Nebulae" on page 15 of the October 1959 issue where the authors' identities were revealed, that's not how it appeared in the September 1959 issue. Ahasuerus 05:46, 9 February 2013 (UTC)

Month Spellings

I corrected the spelling of the month within the magazine title parenthetical for:

• The Club House (Amazing Stories, Septermber 1972)
• Discussions (Amazing Stories, Novemer 1942)
• Correspondence Corner (Amazing Stories, Novemer 1942)

Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 20:57, 10 February 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, no need to notify me if you're correcting typos.--Rkihara 17:05, 11 February 2013 (UTC)

Silverberg Essays

In Robert Silverberg's Reflections and Refractions, each essay credits the original publication. However, there are a number of essays that have credit issues. As you have verified the source magazines, I was hoping you would help me resolve these issues. In each case, the start and end of the essay is quoted after the essay title.

• "Boomers and the Science Fiction Boom" (During the fall and winter of 1982-83, somewhere between half and three-quarters of the books ... while the illiterate young 'uns divert themselves with the electronic hardware that science fiction predicted?) and "Alternative Energy Sources" (There has been much talk, in this era of energy crises and heightened sensitivity to ... Even windmills.) are both credited to Amazing Stories, July 1983.
• "Genetic Luddites Yet Again" ("Against stupidity," Isaac Asimov would say, quoting Schillar, "the gods themselves content in vain." ... Against stupidity, the man said, the gods themselves contend in vain.) is credited to Asimov's Science Fiction, November 1992. Silverberg's contribution to that issue is part of an Isaac Asimov obituary. While the essay mentions Asimov, that's not the main point so I question whether the credit is correct.
• "The Gay Gene: One" (What may be a startling discovery indicating that ... perhaps because of my own innate and immutable biological destiny.) and "I'd Like to Talk to You, Robert" (This is not an era in which traditional courtesies are thriving ... I guess we'd call him "Bill".) are both credited to Amazing Stories, January 1991.
• "Warning: Radiation Zone" (When governmental bureaucracies start turning out reports ... limited to the pulpy pages of Astounding Science Fiction and Amazing Stories.) and "Jack Williamson" (This is an opening paragraph of a science fiction story ... small token of acknowledgement for all that his has achieved.) are both credited to Amazing Stories, November 1988.

Would you mind checking Silverberg's columns in these magazines against the quotes to see which credits are correct? Thanks for your help. -- JLaTondre (talk) 23:34, 17 February 2013 (UTC)

Amazing July 1983 - The first sentence is identical, the rest after the first ellipsis does not occur anywhere else in the essay. Probably rewritten and expanded as the "electronic hardware" mentioned in the quote did not exist in 1983.

Amazing November 1988 - The quoted lines "(This is an opening paragraph of a science fiction story ... small token of acknowledgement for all that his has achieved.)" are the first and last lines of the essay. I could not find the first quote, "(When government . . .)" anywhere in the magazine.

Amazing January 1991 - The attribution is incorrect. The essay starts "This is not an era in which traditional courtesies . . ." and ends "Hans William Anderson. Not a bad name . . ." The essay is about how various SF writers prefer to be addressed.

Asimov's November 1992 - The attribution is incorrect. The essay starts "There is an enormous vacant space . . ." and ends "He leaves us all with wonderful memories . . ."

I skimmed through magazines and as far as I could tell, there were no other essays by Silverberg in these issues. I could have missed something though.--Rkihara 18:22, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, much appreciated. -- JLaTondre (talk) 21:44, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Steven Ray Daugherty

Would you mind double checking your verified Amazing Science Fiction Stories, January 1982 to see if Comnet 2 Enters The 21st Century is credited to Steven Ray Daugherty as listed or to Steven Roy Daugherty? And if it credited to Ray, is there anything that indicates (like other story credits) that it is the same author and a pseudonym should be established? Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 15:07, 1 March 2013 (UTC)

It's Steven "Ray" Daugherty on the title page and index. There are no editorial notes or story credits connected with the story.--Rkihara 17:00, 2 March 2013 (UTC)

Startling Stories, July 1942

Hello. In your verified 60679 corrected the numbering of illustrations to "City of Glass". There wer two with [3]. Thank you, ForJohnScalzi 04:57, 5 March 2013 (UTC).

Thanks!--Rkihara 21:24, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

Asimov's, January 2013

Per ISFDB standards, I changed each of the records for the reviews of the Harvey Horrors comic book collections from REVIEW to ESSAY in this record. Thanks. Mhhutchins 02:25, 16 March 2013 (UTC)

Ah, I remember seeing the discussion about that. Thanks!--Rkihara 05:54, 16 March 2013 (UTC)

NonNonBa

I'm assuming you may have created this publication record because of a review in a recent issue of Asimov's which you verified. This work is a graphic novel, not a work of nonfiction (even though it can be considered semi-autobiographical). It is not eligible for the database because its author isn't considered "above the threshhold". In this case the Asimov's review should have been entered as an ESSAY type record. If you disagree with this assessment, please bring it up for discussion on one of the community pages. Thanks. Mhhutchins 21:19, 20 March 2013 (UTC)

It wasn't apparent from the review, I'll change the entry. The reviewer did describe it as autobiographical and it appears so from the review. Thanks!--Rkihara 21:46, 20 March 2013 (UTC)

Asimov's, December 2012

Hello! I added three illustrations to Asimov's Science Fiction, December 2012. I hope you're okay with this. MLB 08:52, 25 March 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, That's fine.--Rkihara 16:23, 25 March 2013 (UTC)

Asimov's, April-May 2013

Does the title of Straus's piece in this issue include "The" unlike its usual title? Thanks for checking. Mhhutchins 03:10, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

It's listed that way in the index, but not on the title page.--Rkihara 04:16, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

Suspected typo...

... for the author of this essay - as the following reviews are all by Paul Di Filippo. Stonecreek 19:21, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, corrected.--Rkihara 16:26, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

The Impatient Ape/Age

In your entry of Asimov's April 1997 you list the Steven Utley poem as "The Impatient Age". Is this correct? It is reprinted in the July 2013 issue of Asimov's here as "The Impatient Ape". MLB 08:26, 9 June 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, corrected. It is "Ape," but the correct title is "This Impatient Ape." --Rkihara 15:56, 9 June 2013 (UTC)

Amazing Stories, November 1992

Hello! Have a question about your verified 56622. On page 62, there is an excerpt from "Freedom Flight" with illustration attributed to David Alexander. But illustrations in the book 5984 are by Paul Alexander. Could you please check. Thank you, ForJohnScalzi 00:37, 19 June 2013 (UTC).

It's David Alexander, one of the pubs must be in error.--Rkihara 16:30, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Allen S. Kilne vs Allen S. Kline

Hi,

You seem the be the verifier of all instances for Allen S. Kilne. This reprint sheds some doubt as to that name.--Dirk P Broer 14:43, 4 July 2013 (UTC)

Yes, it was Allen S. Kline, corrected. Thanks. I was not responsible for the December 1929 issue, but I corrected it per Day Index as Dragoondelight is long gone.--Rkihara 03:55, 5 July 2013 (UTC)

Meet the Author: Eando Binder

Hello, Ron! Editor MLB has verified a similarly titled essay in this magazine reprint and gives a short organizational synopsis in the notes. Maybe this somehow fits your essay in this magazine? Stonecreek 20:42, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

I don't have the earlier issue, but the review appears to be quite different than the one in the issue MLB verified. Eando Binder in the later issue is described as a single author rather than a collaboration.--Rkihara 05:37, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for looking! It was a slim chance. Stonecreek 12:31, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

"Russkies Go Home" by Mack Reynolds

Some sources claim that "Russkies Go Home" in your verified The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November 1960 is a novelette rather than a short story. Could you please double check the page count? TIA! Ahasuerus 01:11, 26 July 2013 (UTC)

Yes, it's a novelette, corrected. Thanks!--Rkihara 16:03, 26 July 2013 (UTC)

Thanks! Ahasuerus 18:43, 26 July 2013 (UTC)

Amazing Stories, August 1991 / The Face of the Waters

Hello. Amazing Stories, August 1991 contains the novella The Face of The Waters by Robert Silverberg. Do you know how this novella is related to the novel of the same name? I suppose either the novella was expanded into the novel, or the novella is in fact an excerpt of the novel. Interestingly, the illustration in Amazing Stories is called The Face of The Waters (excerpt), which seems to support the latter. But then the novella should also have "(excerpt)" in the title, I think. Thanks for looking into this. Darkday 20:26, 29 July 2013 (UTC)

Thanks! It's an novella length excerpt. I'll make the correction.--Rkihara 17:06, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

Thanks a lot! Now I know that I don't have to track down that magazine. Darkday 23:08, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

"Vulcan: Ice xxx" in Nov. 1942 Astounding

Hi. See the submission I have on hold. It wants to change the title in your verified Astounding Nov 1942 from "Ring" to "King". Would you please double-check? Thanks. --MartyD 11:19, 25 August 2013 (UTC)

Thanks! I missed that, "King" is correct.--Rkihara 16:01, 25 August 2013 (UTC)

Don't forgt to correct the accompanying art record. Mhhutchins 16:46, 25 August 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, I saw it and will do it if it's not already done. --MartyD 00:09, 26 August 2013 (UTC)

Double verification

Primary and transient for [this] issue of Analog. Cheers! --~ Bill, Bluesman 18:49, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

And [this] issue. --~ Bill, Bluesman 18:51, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, fixed.--Rkihara 22:44, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

Norstrilia - Cordwainer Smith

Added notes from NESFA website to Norstrilia.SFJuggler 00:15, 4 November 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, no need to notify me if adding missing info.--Rkihara 00:26, 4 November 2013 (UTC)

Wellman's Wonder as I Wonder Vignettes

In your copy of the March 1962 issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction is a grouping of Manly Wade Wellman's John the Balladeer vignettes that is listed there as a single short story. I have replaced the single story with the individual vignettes for those publications where I had a copy or that were unverified. My reason for doing this is that in this collection, they all appear individually and interspersed among other stories. Additionally, Miller/Contento makes it clear that the magazine appearance is a grouping of individual vignettes. To keep the grouping, I've made a new sub-series. I'd like to suggest the same change for the magazine appearance if you and the other verifier agree. I'll contact and direct him here. If you do agree, the 7 ids for the individual titles are "93442,93441,93440,93439,93438,93437,971490" if you want to paste them into the new import individual titles tool. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 14:00, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

OK by me.--swfritter 01:08, 28 November 2013 (UTC)

The situation may be more complicated, as the editorial comments indicate that the vignettes were written to link together the stories in the collection which was apparently just an idea at the time. The vignettes in the published collection may not be identical. This is from the editor's intro:

" . . . Mr. Wellman has in mind that the stories might be joined together by vignettes of the following sort, and we hope you will be as approving of the whole idea as we are . . ."

Having said that, if you feel it is warranted, I have no problem with the proposed changes.--Rkihara 17:54, 28 November 2013 (UTC)

I do feel it is still warranted. I did a little more research from the printings I have at hand. All of my copies mention the March 1962 issue of F&SF as the source in either the copyright statement ([8], [9] & [10]) or on an acknowledgements page ([11]). I also read the first vignette, "Then I Wasn't Alone" in both in both versions, side by side. I did detect one small change in the text "a-playing" in the standalone version vs. "playing" in the grouped version. Otherwise, they seem identical to me. That variance seems small enough to me for both versions of the individual vignette to be covered by a single title. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 14:44, 1 December 2013 (UTC)

Asimov's Science Fiction, August 2012

I have added this story to a series. Just letting you know. MLB 10:56, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

I have also added the illustrations to the poems and the printing date (found on the contents page). MLB 11:07, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

Foreign Exchange

Could you verify the author on the story "Foreign Exchange" from this publication? According to Nina Kiriki Hoffman (author) and Kevin J. Anderson (editor) this story was re-printed in 2013 and is by Nina Kiriki Hoffman... and I'm confused!!! Susan O'Fearna 19:49, 28 January 2014 (UTC)

It's credited to Robin Aurelian in the index and on the title page. Either it's a story with the same title or Robin Aurelian is a pseudonym.--Rkihara 21:21, 28 January 2014 (UTC)

It's the same story. I've compared the text of the F&SF publication with Amazon's Look-Inside of the recent reprint. The only explanation is that either Aurelian is a pseudonym of Hoffman or one of them is miscredited in one of the publications. Mhhutchins 21:53, 28 January 2014 (UTC)

Spider Island

Can you confirm that the cover art for Thrilling Wonder Stories, April 1938 in this record is credited to Wesso? The ISFDB record shows that cover is credited to Howard V. Brown. Thanks for checking. Mhhutchins 20:36, 18 February 2014 (UTC)

I'm the primary verifier for both. The attribution in Spider Island is Wesso, but I'm not able to determine exactly who is responsible for the cover of April 38 issue of TWS. The Day index attributes the cover to Howard V. Brown, but I cannot find a signature. The cover and interior illustration are similar, but not quite identical, as if the cover had been redrawn. The latter is signed, and it looks like "Wesso" but I'm not absolutely sure. It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume the same artist drew both. I'm going to think about it for a bit.--Rkihara 23:12, 18 February 2014 (UTC)

I've decided that the cover and interior illustration for the same story are Wesso's, and have changed the magazine credits to reflect this.--Rkihara 00:41, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

A question: if your art attribution is based on the signature, shouldn't you credit it to the artist's canonical name. There seems to be a discrepancy between how magazine art is handled compared with book art. If a book's cover art isn't credited, but there is a visible signature, we don't enter the signature, but the artist's canonical name. Shouldn't this be consistent throughout the database? Mhhutchins 02:05, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

It's been the practice the editors working on magazines to enter magazine art as signed (as books are entered), unless the artist is specifically identified in the credits. This is needed to determine the canonical names in the first place, as artists sign their works in multiple ways, sometimes in the same issue. If you looked through each variant over time, the canonical (most used) name flipped back and forth as we entered more data. In my case I've normalized the names in each issue to the most complete form of the name found in the issue.

In the case of Wesso, if you look there may actually be more entries under H. Wesso, than H. W. Wesso.

I haven't entered that many books, but I've also noticed that a large number of book authors have their canonical names listed as pseudonyms, possible because a pseudonym was assumed to be canonical before a significant number of works were entered.--Rkihara 06:56, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

It's not a matter of how to choose which is the canonical name, or that even choosing the most popular one is the way to go. My point was to question the use of signatures as actual credit when there are more complete forms of that name in the database. (Your comparison to authors isn't valid, since authors don't "sign" their work.) For example, Paul Alexander signs most of his work with just his last name, but you won't find one credit under just "Alexander" even when the books themselves don't credit the artist. You state that artists will sign their works differently. If that's the case, I have to wonder why magazine editors decided a signature should be the basis for crediting work at all. If a work is signed "Finlay", why not just credit it to Virgil Finlay and save the trouble of varianting, creating "pseudonyms", etc? (I don't think many sf fans would have needed to wait to see which of those should be considered the canonical name based on the number of records in the db.) When entering cover art credit for books, that's the method used all of the time for signature-based credits. The method to credit magazine art differently from books may have come from a decision by those who entered magazine records, but it's not documented (as far as I know) and it's sufficiently different from the method used to credit book art to confuse other editors (at least, this one.) Still, there's nothing that requires the methods be identical, as long as it's documented so that all editors know that they're different. Thanks. Mhhutchins 18:16, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

I understand your argument about signatures. There was discussion about this around the time I started on the ISFDB, when I was inclined to enter the popular name of record rather than as signed. The majority opinion was to enter the name as signed, if not credited otherwise by the magazine. I do enter the canonical name if the artist signed the work with a mark. The canonical name chosen by frequency of use is something I remember seeing but don't remember where. As for magazine credits, the magazines themselves were not consistent, not between themselves or from issue to issue. Emsh is a good example, magazines credited his art to Ed Emsh, Emsh, Ed Emsler, Emsler, Ed Emshwiller, Emshwiller, Willer, etc, many times in spite of how Emsh signed his work. As many variations as signatures. The practice does forestall arguments about the canonical name.--Rkihara 22:31, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

But no one could make a valid case for that artist's canonical name being anything other Ed Emshwiller, regardless of how he signs his work, or how the publishers credited it. The situation is different when it comes to authors because the book or story is unequivocally and explicitly credited to one name. If Emshwiller published a book credited to "Emsh", then it would be necessary to create a pseudonym to link it to his canonical name. Publishing a book or a story in a book or periodical, is different from publishing a piece of artwork illustrating a story or book. I don't recall there ever being a discussion about crediting magazine interiorart differently from cover art. If there were such a conversation, perhaps it was held just among those editors who were entering magazines records and not opened up to the whole group. Or maybe I missed it. Other eccentricities in magazine interioart record entry, like not numbering the first illustration when multiple pieces illustrate a story, and disambiguating with "(reprint)" and "(cover)" in the title field, have played havoc with merging and varianting interiorart records. It may have been the insularity of the group of editors making those decisions that created this distinction in how works are credited in the db. Most of those decisions may have even been made before either you or I joined the effort. It's obviously too late now to actually do anything about it, but it sure is frustrating. Most of the editors who entered these magazine records are no longer around, and they didn't bother while they were here to do the necessary varianting of records once the canonical name was determined. It's left to those of us who had no say in the decision to clean up after them. See this list, for example. I've cleaned it up from almost 400 authors/artists down to about 100. Most the big ones still remain to be fixed. Thanks for allowing me the chance to vent. Please don't take anything I've said here as personal. Mhhutchins 23:47, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

I think if you took a vote, you'd find that Ed Emshwiller would not be the universal choice. I prefer Ed Emsh myself. There was a bit of discussion about what canonical name to use for Edward E. Smith (E. E. Smith would have been my choice), as well as Emsh. The present system of numbering the interiorart records of magazines seems reasonable, as numbering the only piece of art implies there are others. Disambiguating the cover is automatic, labeling art reprints is a good idea. The problem is that these things are not written down. Even at this late period, it wouldn't hurt to have a voted-on list of rules for artwork, the same for the less obvious canonical names. Once this is done it seems like a script could be written to normalize things.--Rkihara 01:41, 20 February 2014 (UTC)

"Amazing Stories", Oct. 1928.

You verified this publication, so I'm hoping you can resolve a question for me. This issue lists a story by Clare Winger Harris as "Menace FROM Mars". When it was reprinted in her collection Away from the Here and Now, it was titled "Menace OF Mars". I have found two reputable sources that say that the 1928 title was "FROM", and two reputable sources that say it was "OF". Of course this may mean that it's titled one way in the magazine's Table of Contents, and another way at the story's title page. Could you please check which way it's worded at the story's title page? Thanks, Chavey 00:14, 14 March 2014 (UTC)

Thanks, it's "The Menace of Mars," in the ToC and on the title page. Corrected.--Rkihara 06:25, 14 March 2014 (UTC)

Analog 1991

Hi, Ron! You have double verifications on the Mar, Apr, May, June, July, Aug, Nov, Dec and Mid-Dec issues for 1991. Thorough!! ;-)) --~ Bill, Bluesman 15:55, 19 March 2014 (UTC)

Also Nov '90. --~ Bill, Bluesman 16:08, 19 March 2014 (UTC)

Thanks, fixed! Not sure how this happened--Rkihara 19:51, 19 March 2014 (UTC)

'88: Jan, Feb, May, July, Aug. '87: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, June, Aug, Sept, Nov, Mid-Dec. I notice they're all around X-mas ... extra rum in the egg-nog?? ;-)) --~ Bill, Bluesman 20:27, 19 March 2014 (UTC)

'86 Jan-July, Oct. '85 Feb-May, July-Aug, Oct, Dec, Mid-Dec--~ Bill, Bluesman 20:35, 19 March 2014 (UTC)

'84 - Jan, Mar, Apr, May, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec. --~ Bill, Bluesman 20:55, 19 March 2014 (UTC)

Thanks again, all fixed. I've been thinking about this and it might have been because I usually double check after verifying a box of mags. If they were out of order, I might have checked the transient verification to keep from doing it twice.--Rkihara 23:16, 19 March 2014 (UTC)

Serialization of Wiliamson's The Legion of Space

There's an error in the titling of the six parts in the serialization of this work. The last two parts were titled "(Part 5 of 5)" and has been merged into one. (I was working on varianting the interiorart work by Dold when I saw the duplicate titles appeared in two different issues of Astounding.) Thanks for checking it out. Mhhutchins 16:53, 21 March 2014 (UTC)

Thanks, corrected.--Rkihara 01:38, 23 March 2014 (UTC)

Henry Gade

I recently added the facsimile reprint of Amazing Stories, February 1942 and I listed the piece by Henry Gade as a piece of short fiction. This piece, A City on Ganymede, fits the rules for being a fiction, and I have been asked to ask other editors who have listed pieces in this series by this author if these are articles or fictions. I suspect that they should be judged on piece by piece basis. If you think that this is worth discussing, please drop me a note on the "My Messages" page. MLB 20:31, 21 March 2014 (UTC)

Startling Stories, Fall 1946

I added a couple of letters to the Fall 1946 issue of Startling Stories, which I wouldn't have bothered you with per your note. However, I also changed the credit for the story "Afraid" from "V. E. Thiessen" to "W. E. Thiessen" as it appears in the magazine. It is miss-credited, and I've varianted it back to the author's actual name. Miller/Contento also notes the mistake in the crediting. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 20:17, 23 March 2014 (UTC)

Analog Oct 1990

Duplicate verification for [this]. Haven't been covering this whole year so not sure if it's the only one. --~ Bill, Bluesman 22:47, 5 April 2014 (UTC)

Thanks! Fixed. Checked whole year.--Rkihara 04:27, 6 April 2014 (UTC)

Amazing Stories, August 1934 and T. O'Conor Sloane

I changed the author credit for the story "Photo Control" to add the "B.Sc." as Brown is credited in the August 1934 issue of Amazing. I also noted that the editor is credited as "T. O'Conor Sloane" as opposed to "T. O'Conor Sloane, Ph.D.". His editorial is similarly credited. In both instances his credit in the magazine appears with the degree suffix. I checked the handful of issues that I own from 1931-1935 and they all have his name with the "Ph.D". Additionally, that is how he is listed in Miller/Contento. I suspect that he is always credited thus and if you can verify that for the other issues, I'd suggest that we take the two titles under the current "T. O'Conor Sloane, Ph.D.", change them back to the current canonical name and then add the "Ph.D." to the canonical name. There are two other editors with primary verifications, though I suspect that one is not active. I'll leave notes directing them to this discussion. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 13:07, 10 April 2014 (UTC)

I agree. Make any changes you feel are necessary.--Rkihara 15:34, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

Done and thanks. Let me know if anything looks odd and I'll try to fix it. Thanks again. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 01:49, 12 April 2014 (UTC)

Interiorart credit

I've been trying to clean-up this script which finds title records attributed to pseudonyms. I've got the list down from more than 300 names to about 20. The biggest problem has been (and continues to be) how interiorart records for magazines have been entered into the database. Not having the issues of the magazines, I can only take the word of editors who have done primary verification of the records. It's been my assumption that those editors entering these records used the same standards for crediting interiorart records as they would for all ISFDB publication records, i.e. using the credit as stated in the publication itself. So you can understand my frustration when trying to get all of these interiorart records varianted to the canonical artist name (and I've varianted thousands over the past year), just to discover that the entry standards have been inconsistent. For example, I've started varianting the records for F. Kramer to Frank Kramer, and I stumble upon this pdf of the October 1943 issue of Unknown Worlds. The credit for each artist is given on the title page of each story, but that credit doesn't match the ISFDB record for that issue. On page 9, the illustrations are credited to "Kramer", while the ISFDB record credits "F. Kramer". Both of these are considered pseudonyms of Frank Kramer. I didn't establish the canonical name for this artist, so I must go along with what another editor has determined. So I am backed into a corner in trying to determine whether I should go through all of the effort of varianting thousands of more titles based on records which really don't reflect the actual credit as given in the publication. Should I just drop the matter and allow these dangling records to languish on pages of pseudonyms? Or do I waste more time by creating variants which I'm not certain are properly varianted? I can't discuss this with the editors who entered most of these magazine records, expecting them to recheck their issues to see if they followed the ISFDB standards. Many of them are either inactive or only pop up occasionally. You seem to be the last of those magazine editors who is at semi-active. Can you perhaps help me understand what went into the decision in this particular case to credit "F. Kramer" instead of either the stated credit or the canonical artist? BTW, the other interiorart credtis for this issue follow the same pattern, e.g. "A. Williams" for the stated credit of "Williams" on page 125. Thanks. Mhhutchins 01:38, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

I left a comment in the notes most magazines explaining how I entered illustrator's names, which in short was the most complete form of the name found in the publication, including signatures. For example (fictitious), I might find artwork by Emsh, credited in a pub as Emsh, Emshwiller, E. Emsh, Ed Emshwiller, and maybe in the TOC as Edward Emshwiller, etc. I would credit all in that particular issue to Edward Emshwiller. I pulled my copy of Unknown Worlds and although the illustrations were credited as by "Kramer" in the TOC and first page of each story, they were signed "F. Kramer." A lot of canonical names for authors had not been established when I was really active and there was a bit of discussion about what form to use for Ed Emsh. Unless a canonical name had already been determined, I left all names unvarianted.--Rkihara 07:20, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

We only use signatures on art to identify the artist when the work isn't explicitly credited. Once we've determined the identity of the artist, we use the canonical form of the name as the credit. If a work is explicitly credited, as in these cases, that is the credit to enter. If that credit is a non-canonical form of the name, we create variants. That's what I've been trying to do because the original editors chose not to do it, leaving thousands of dangling records. Mhhutchins 17:03, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

Nothing so stated in the help notes and since you say that we (the magazine editors) were all doing this together there was general agreement among us on this. I think the problem is, is that what is understood among book editors is not necessarily what works with magazines. You should go through a decade of pulp magazines sometime, where nearly half of them have illustrations that are identified only by signature, and within each magazine, there are three variations of signature. Not to mention that the canonical name is/was unknown.--Rkihara 18:53, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

I'm still not certain that the canonical names for a lot of these artists are established, as well as the authors. I've got it in my head that I was told that unless the canonical name was well established it would be determined by the most published name, but I don't remember where I got that. I've seen a few examples where the assigned canonical name was used only a few times, and the so-called "pseudonym" maybe fifty or more times. That doesn't seem logical to me!--Rkihara 07:20, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

Regardless of whether you are "not certain that the canonical names for a lot of these artists are established", someone was and created one for each of them. (Otherwise they wouldn't show up on the error list.) It's always been an ISFDB policy to create a canonical name in these cases. Otherwise there would be separate pages for all of the artist credits for someone we are certain is the same artist. Mhhutchins 17:03, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

That might be the situation now, but I made the first entries for quite a few of these illustrators and I chose not to force a canonical name, re., my understanding of how they were picked. Someone later chose to make the legal name or a little used name for the canonical name for some of these, and that's why the real canonical name became pseudonyms in some cases.--Rkihara 18:53, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

I'm willing to go back through all my magazines and enter art credits as given for each story, but that will make things much worse. Printed credits were often inconsistent from story-to-story and might not agree with the TOC, and signatures often varied from illustration-to-illustration.--Rkihara 07:47, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

We only use the TOC when the work isn't credited on the pages on which it appears. That has been the standard since before I started here. The variations in an artist signature require that we only use them to establish the identity of the artist, not to determine the credit. I've come to the conclusion that I will stop trying to clean up these records, as it is obvious that the editors who entered them weren't following the standards and weren't concerned that an artist's work appears on a single summary page. Mhhutchins 17:03, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

You keep mentioning so called "standards" that don't appear in the help notes, at least in the printed copies that I have. In lieu of written standards each group of editors will develop their own "understood" standards to deal with undefined issues. I wouldn't dispute what you feel are the standards for entering books, but magazines are not quite the same. Standards for Apples and Oranges will overlap, since they're both food, but to force standards for Apples onto Oranges doesn't make sense. The point of a Wiki is that it's self-centering over time but with the ISFDB editing restrictions and limited number of editors it gets there very slowly. If the standards for magazines and canonical names are codified and agreed upon, I will go back and fix "all" of my entries to match.--Rkihara 18:53, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

"My Life as a Child" by Disch

It's my understanding that this is an autobiographical essay published in two parts, the first in this issue. If so, it should be typed as ESSAY instead of SERIAL (which is for works of fiction only). Can you please check to see if my assumption is correct? Thanks. Mhhutchins 04:26, 5 May 2014 (UTC)

Thanks! It's as you say, I've made the corrections.--Rkihara 14:59, 5 May 2014 (UTC)

Astounding, April 1952

Can you confirm that the story "Cosmophyte" in this issue is credited to Julian Chain? The UK edition of Astounding credits the same story to "Julian Fane". There was a British author Julian Fane, but he never wrote for Astounding. Maybe someone in the UK thought they were correcting an error in the US edition. Because of the identical name, I've disambiguated the author of the story in the UK issue. Thanks for checking. Mhhutchins 04:27, 9 May 2014 (UTC)

The TOC and title page credit "Julian Chain."Rkihara 04:35, 9 May 2014 (UTC)

Amazing June 1967

Hello, I've changed the author of _Atomic Fire_ from Raymond Z. Gallun to Raymond Gallun as per title page, toc and cover. Hauck 16:22, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

Thanks!--Rkihara 16:26, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

Ditto for Robert A. Heinlein to Robert Heinlein. Hauck 16:27, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

Amazing September 1968

Hello, I've changed the title of Jones' story from _Labyrinth_ to _"Labyrinth"_ as per title and bottom of pages.Hauck 16:55, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

I'm likely going to make other miinor changes to 70's Amazings. Hauck 17:43, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

Go ahead.--Rkihara 17:45, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. Hauck 17:51, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

The Valley of Mystery

Re this publication record: Artist credit was changed from "A.S. Forrest" to "A. S. Forrest" per ISFDB standards. Also, the publisher was changed from "Thomas Nelson and Sons" to "Thomas Nelson & Sons" which is the canonical name of the publisher in the ISFDB (you should have got a warning about this publisher not being in the database upon approving the submission.) The author was changed to "Captain Oswald Dallas" as indicated in your source, the OCLC record. Also, the format of sourcing the OCLC record was changed to conform to ISFDB standards from "OCLC Number 6610843" to "OCLC: 6610843". Thanks. Mhhutchins 04:52, 26 May 2014 (UTC)

A Dog Day or The Angel in the House

Re this publication record. I added a SHORTFICTION content record to this CHAPTERBOOK typed publication. I also changed the publisher from William Heinemann to E. P. Dutton to match the OCLC record which you linked to the record. (And also changed the format of sourcing the OCLC.) And last, I added brackets to the page count field to match the OCLC record. Mhhutchins 05:13, 26 May 2014 (UTC)

Thanks! Comments noted. Changed html for OCLC I copied it quite a while back and didn't realize the format had changed.--Rkihara 15:20, 26 May 2014 (UTC)