Series:Imagination

This is an ISFDB Bibliographic Comments page for the Imagination series. This page may be used for a list of the titles in the series, bibliographic comments or extended notes about the series, or discussion on how to organize and/or record the works in the series. The link above leads to the ISFDB series record for Imagination. To discuss what should go on this page, use the talk page. For more on this and other header templates, see Header templates.

Imagination

Title Data

Title: Imagination

Publisher: Greenleaf Publishing Company

Editor: Raymond_A._Palmer[2];William_L._Hamling Note: Editorials and letter columns are usually signed with the initials 'wlh' which is presumed to refer to Hamling. Palmer signs with the initials 'Rap'. See below for a discussion of editorial credit for the first two issues.

Issues: 63

Series:

• The Editorial (Imagination)
• Imagination Science-Fiction Library
• Fandora's Box (Imagination)
• Scientifilm Marquee (Imagination)

Outside links

Outside links: Volume 1, No. 5 of Earl Kemp's El dedicated to William L. Hamling, Imagination and Imaginative Tales

Tuck Essay

From Tuck's Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy:

      This magazine was begun by R. A. Palmer as a companion to Other Worlds,
    but was soon taken over by Hamling. Most issues included a long novel, but
    not many were noteworthy, most being in the interplanetary/space 
    opera/adventure field.
      A very good fan section was run by Mari Wolf, Apr 1951-Apr 1956, and then
    by R. Bloch until the magazine ceased. This was considered a great loss, as 
    it was one of the few departments of its type in the magazines. From June 
    1958 space articles (by Henry Bott) were a feature.
      A companion, Imaginative Tales, began in late 1954, changing its title
    to Space Travel before ceasing in 1958. The title Imagination was
    originally suggested by F. J Ackerman and used for a high-class amateur 
    magazine produced by the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society for 13 issues 
    (Oct 1937 - 1938).

Much of the original data for Imagination was supplied by Bill Anderson.

Editorial credit for the first two issues

Both Tuck and Mike Ashley in Transformations credit Ray Palmer as the the editor of the first two issues. William Hamling himself credits Palmer as the editor in response to a letter in the February 1951 issue of Fantastic Adventures, the last issue of that magazine which Hamling edited. Although there is no editorial credit given for the first two issues, the editorials and letter column responses are signed 'Rap', initials which Palmer commonly used. The first two issues are published by Clark Publishing Company which also published Palmer's Other Worlds which has a similar look. Ashley relates a convincing scenario which suggests that a severe injury that Palmer received in a fall was the reason he gave up ownership of Imagination. Palmer has credited Bea Mahaffey with the bulk of the workload during his recuperation. Based upon statements from Hamling, Miller/Contento in Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Weird Fiction Magazine Index credit Hamling as the editor with Palmer serving as a front, presumably because Hamling was still working for Ziff-Davis when the first issue of Imagination was published. Palmer used a similar ploy when he used George Bell as a front for Universe Science Fiction when Palmer was forced to suspend Other Worlds in order to avoid creditors. The February issue of Imagination contains a hand-off editorial signed by 'Rap' and an introductory editorial signed by 'wlh' neither of which states that Hamling was involved in the first two issues. The artist William E. Terry is credited as Bill Terry in the first two issues as he normally was in his Other Worlds appearances while Hamling generally credited him as W. E. Terry in Imagination.

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Issues

1958	-	Feb	-	Apr	-	Jun	-	Aug	-	Oct	-	-
1957	-	Feb	-	Apr	-	Jun	-	Aug	-	Oct	-	Dec
1956	-	Feb	-	Apr	-	Jun	-	Aug	-	Oct	-	Dec
1955	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	-	-	Oct	-	Dec
1954	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
1953	Jan	Feb	-	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
1952	Jan	-	Mar	-	May	-	Jul	-	Sep	Oct	-	Dec
1951	-	Feb	-	Apr	-	Jun	-	-	Sep	-	Nov	-
1950	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Oct	-	Dec

Bibliographic Tasks

Task	Status
Data Entry	Complete
Physical Verification	Complete
Merge titles	Complete
Cross check reviews	Complete
Determine canonical names	Complete
Check for pseudonyms	Complete