Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition)

About this issue

This issue contains three novelettes and three short stories in the science fiction genre. The lead novelette is "The Aliens" by Murray Leinster, depicting humanity's first contact with the Plumies, an alien civilization expanding through the galaxy in parallel with human space exploration. The story follows the crew of the starship Niccola—including radar operators Jon Baird and Diane Holt—as they detect a Plumie vessel hidden among meteor swarms in the Theta Gisol system and prepare for potential conflict between the two spacefaring races. Also featured are "The Outsiders" by A. Bertram Chandler and "Familiar Pattern" by George Whitley. Short stories include Randall Garrett's "Dead Giveaway," Anne Walker's "A Matter of Proportion," and Theodore L. Thomas's "Day of Succession." An article by Kenneth Johns titled "Space for Madness" appears at page 77. Editor John W. Campbell Jr.'s editorial discusses Edwin Land's recent color-vision research and its implications for color television and film technology.