Science Fiction Plus, October 1953

# Catalog Note: *Science-Fiction+ Magazine, October 1953

This issue features several speculative fiction works of varying lengths. The lead novelette is "The Celestial Brake" by Thomas Calvert McClary (author of Rebirth), which concerns mysterious celestial phenomena and the relationship between rival scientists Hugh Tate and Dr. Otto Albrecht as they investigate an unexplained disturbance affecting Earth's astronomical observations—apparently caused by some form of undetectable energy field affecting planetary motion. The complete short novel "Strange Compulsion" by Philip Jose Farmer is illustrated by Virgil Finlay. Other short stories include Jack Williamson's "Operation: Gravity," Eric Frank Russell's "Postscript," Roger Dee's "Worlds Within Worlds," and Anne McCaffrey's short-short "Freedom of the Race." The issue also contains editor Hugo Gernsback's essay "The Mighty Mite," contemplating humanity's brief cosmic significance, and astrophysicist Donald H. Menzel's article "Our Atomic Sun."