New Worlds Science Fiction, No. 74

About this issue

This August 1958 issue of New Worlds (No. 74, Vol. 25) contains six science fiction stories and related features. The novelette "The Ideal Captain" by James White follows a spacecraft's launch sequence, introducing Lieutenant-Commander Surgenor, the Mizar's first officer and radioman—a figure of minor importance who nonetheless worries about his role among elite space-service personnel. Other short stories include Lester del Rey's "Stability," Sydney J. Bounds' "The Mules," Calvin M. Knox's "Slice of Life," Kenneth Bulmer's "Space Command," and Clive Jackson's "Death on the Wheel." An article by Kenneth Johns examines "The Challenge of the Sea." The editorial by John Cornell discusses the 1958 science fiction market, noting American magazine suspensions due to recession, visits from writers including Arthur C. Clarke, the establishment of a British Science Fiction Association, and preparations for the 16th World Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles.