Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition)

About this issue

This March 1954 British edition of Astounding Science Fiction features several science fiction and military narratives. The main short novel, "The Gulf Between" by Tom Godwin, presents two parallel scenarios: one involving a dying observer aboard an accelerating spacecraft piloted by his doctor, and another depicting Lieutenant Knight commanding the Fourth Platoon during a Korean War assault on Hill 23. Knight and his men face orders from Captain Cullin—a ruthless officer pursuing personal glory—to serve as a suicide decoy while other platoons attack the enemy's flanks. Knight, who knew Cullin since childhood, despises the captain's demand for absolute obedience and questions the premature assault, given that Company B will arrive that night. The narrative explores tension between military discipline and personal conscience as soldiers face potentially meaningless death. Additional content includes novelettes, short stories by James White and others, and an article by George Pal on filming War of the Worlds.