SCIENCE FICTION MONTHLY, (ed. Julie Davis)

Science Fiction Monthly [all 28 issues published].

New English Library (NEL): London. 1974-1976. First editions (& 1st printings). Oversize magazines.

All 28 issues published 1974-1976, edited by Aune Butt (first four issues), then Julie Davis for the rest. Large (40cm x 30cm) magazine: ''this was primarily a poster magazine, reprinting paperback cover paintings on extra large pages and was issued unstapled, allowing the ''prints'' to be easily removed and mounted. The issues were filled out with stories and articles. Sales dropped steadily as the novelty wore off'' (Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Weird Fiction Magazine Index: 1890-2006, by Stephen T. Miller & William G. Contento).

''UK magazine, tabloid-size (28mm x 40cm). 28 monthly issues Feb 1974 - May 1976 (2 vols of 12 issues, a third vol of 4 issues), numbered, undated, published by New English Library . Born after the demise of NEW WORLDS, Science Fiction Monthly - published by a paperback-book company which had a big sf list - was the only UK sf magazine of its time. It featured much full-page colour artwork, often in the form of pull-out posters, in an effort to find a teenage audience similar to that for pop-music magazines. Neither editor had previous experience of sf, and at first the quality of fiction was low, though it improved under Julie Davis's editorship. From the beginning a feature was the number of well researched factual articles, review pages, news pages and interviews, with Mike Ashley and Walter Gillings regular contributors. Featured UK authors included Robert P. Holdstock, Bob Shaw, Brian M. Stableford and Ian Watson; reprints of well known US stories also appeared. The juvenile policy succeeded at first, but circulation dropped from above 100,000 to below 20,000. A plan to replace it with SF DIGEST was aborted. A spin-off book is The Best of Science Fiction Monthly (1975) ed. Janet Sacks'' (Frank H. Parnell & Peter Nicholls/Encyclopedia of SF). NF/Fine copies.