Cosmic Stories and Stirring Science Stories were two pulp science fiction magazines that published a total of seven issues in 1941 and 1942. Both were edited by Donald A. Wollheim and launched by Albing Publications, appearing in alternate months. Wollheim had no budget at all for fiction, so he solicited stories from his friends among the Futurians, a group of young science fiction fans including James Blish and C.M. Kornbluth. Isaac Asimov contributed a story, but later insisted on payment after hearing that F. Orlin Tremaine, the editor of Comet—a competing science fiction magazine—was irate at the idea of a magazine that might "siphon readership from magazines that paid", and thought that authors who contributed should be blacklisted. Kornbluth was the most prolific contributor, under several pseudonyms; one of his stories, "Thirteen O'Clock", was very successful, and helped to make his reputation in the field. The magazines ceased publication in late 1941, but Wollheim was able to find a publisher for one further issue of Stirring Science Stories in March 1942 before war restrictions forced it to close again.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Stories_and_Stirring_Science_Stories

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

769:

The Lateran Council concluded proceedings intended to rectify abuses in the papal electoral process that had led to the elevation of the Antipopes Constantine II and Philip. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateran_Council_(769)

1638:

A rebellion by Catholic Japanese peasants in Shimabara over increased taxes was put down by the Tokugawa shogunate, resulting in greater enforcement of the policy of national seclusion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimabara_Rebellion

1738:

Serse, an opera by Baroque composer George Frideric Handel loosely based on Xerxes I of Persia, premiered in London. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serse

1922:

US Senator John B. Kendrick introduced a resolution calling for an investigation of a secret land deal, which led to the discovery of the Teapot Dome scandal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teapot_Dome_scandal

2013:

Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev set off two pressure cooker bombs (immediate aftermath pictured) during the running of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring 264 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Marathon_bombing

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

goy: A non-Jew, a gentile. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/goy

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

To lie is so vile, that even if it were in speaking well of godly things it would take off something from God's grace; and Truth is so excellent, that if it praises but small things they become noble.   --Leonardo da Vinci https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci