Ben Bova was the fourth editor of Analog; he followed John W. Campbell, Jr. and preceded Stanley Schmidt. In this book he has selected some of his editorials from his first five years at Analog-editorials which serve as pointers for the future rather than place markers of the past and present of Analog.
Table of Contents
- This Isn't Exactly the Way I Had Planned It (original)
- Inside Analog, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My job (original)
- The Mystic West (Analog, June 1972)
- Giant Step Backward (Analog, August 1973)
- Mental Energy Crisis (Analog, April 1974)
- Teaching Science Fiction (Analog, June 1974)
- Teaching Science Fiction Revisited (by James Gunn, Analog, November 1974)
- Teaching the Teachers (Analog, January 1976)
- The Idea Factory (Analog, July 1974)
- By Their Fruits (Analog, May 1975)
- Kelvin Throop Fights Back (Analog, August 1975)
- The SF Game (Analog, October 1975)
- New Worlds for Old (Analog, May 1976)
- Space: 1999, Marked Down from 2001 (American Film Review, Vol. 1, No. 4 )
![[Ben Bova photo]](images/Bova-Ben-400.JPG)
Ben Bova
In 1971 Ben Bova undertook the most frightening task in the science fiction field-following the late John W. Campbell as editor of Analog Science Fiction. His success in this endeavor may be partially judged by four successive Hugos for Best Editor (presented at the World Science Fiction Conventions in 1973 [Torcon II], 1974 [Discon II], 1975 [Aussiecon] , and 1976 [Midamericon]).
Mr. Bova has not imitated his predecessor but has built well upon the magazine's past, conserving the best of the old while opening new areas of science fiction for Analog.
Ben Bova was born 8 November 1932 and was brought up in South Philadelphia. Following graduation in journalism from Temple University, he was Technical Editor for Project Vanguard for the Martin Corp. just prior to assuming the editorship of Analog he was Manager of Marketing for Avco-Everett.
Although his position as editor of Analog precludes submission of short fiction to the science fiction magazines, Ben Bova has continued to turn out both fiction and non-fiction for book publishers.
Printing History
Hardcover state, 5-1/4"x7-1/4", ii+114 pp., ISBN: 0-915368-14-5, 800 copies, $7.00 at the convention ($10.00 as of end 1978, lowered to $8.00 October 1983), February 1977
Finebound hardcover state, 5-1/4"x7-1/4", ii+114 pp., ISBN: 0-915368-79-X, 15 copies bound in leather numbered and signed by the author, 3/4 leather, blue, french papers and gold hand details, $43.00 (lowered to $20.00 January 1978), February 1977. out of print!