Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Isaac Asimov. Best known for his science fiction, Asimov wrote or edited more than 500 books in his lifetime. It has been estimated that he also wrote more than 90,000 letters and postcards.
Beginning with the short story “Marooned Off Vesta” — published in the March 1939 issue of AMAZING STORIES — Isaac Asimov wrote hundreds of stories, novels, poems, articles, and editorials for the pulp and digest magazine markets. In 1977, the prolific author founded ISAAC ASIMOV’S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE with Joel Davis. Although the author served as the editorial director of ASIMOV’S, he “insisted on hiring excellent personnel to edit the magazine.” Still published today, the magazine has won countless awards.
Although he was born and raised in Brooklyn and taught biochemistry at Boston University, PulpFest was not able to include Professor Asimov among the boatload of “B’s” that the convention will be celebrating from August 6 – 9 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry on Mars (Pennsylvania, that is).
PulpFest 2020 will celebrate the centennial of Ray Bradbury’s birth, the 100th anniversary of BLACK MASK, and the 120th anniversary of the birth of WEIRD TALES cover artist Margaret Brundage. There will also be presentations brimming with Baum, Burroughs, Barsoom, Brackett, B-movies, and more. And don’t forget about our guest of honor, the beautiful Eva Lynd, one of the top magazine models of the fifties and sixties.
We couldn’t cram former pulpster Isaac Asimov onto our boatful of “B’s.” However, PulpFest would still like to salute this exceptional author and his many contributions to science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and many other fields on the centennial of his birth on January 2,1920.
(The cover artist for the March 1939 issue of AMAZING STORIES was Robert Fuqua. This was the pen name of Joseph Wirt Tillotson, an artist best known for his illustrations for the Chicago-based pulp magazine company, Ziff-Davis Publications. Tillotson created his pseudonym to protect his reputation in the field of advertising art.)
