Plunder from the Used Book Store

While the kidlettes are shooosting down the snow-covered slopes of Suburbia (more specifically, my front yard) I went on a hunt ( more specifically a used book hunt at the Yellowed Pages Used Books store).


I love reading vintage paperbacks, especially the old science fiction of the 50's and 60's. And today I hit paydirt! Rocketship Galileo (originally published 1947) by Robert Heinlein is a classic. Likewise Fredric Brown's Martians, Go Home (1955). Murray Lienster is another top author of the period, I found his Space Platform (1953) in near-pristine condition. And there's one of the prized anthologies edited by Martin Greenberg (the co-founder of Gnome Press, which was always on the cutting-edge of the s.f. genre of the day). This one's titled Men Against the Stars (1950).

Oooh, which one to dig into first??

Another thing.... Who says you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover? Being unmistakably a product of their time mid-century book cover illustrations, especially for the science fiction, suspense, mystery (you know... the "manly-man" type of reading?), were almost never failing at being intriguing, inventive or creatively abstract and modern. And, of course, always eye-catching!

Gio Ponti Poalo de Poli Cat, a Bar and Zanuso too!

Rain, rain, go away...

While shivering away in the very damp central States, waiting to resume the never-ending task of painting the home, I've been once again browsing through eBay for wonderful MCM treasures yet to discover. You probably know how dangerous that can always be. There are a few things that caught my eye, all hopelessly beyond my wildest dreams of aquisition...

But I can always dream!



Rare Gio Ponti Poalo de Poli Cat
Italy, c. 1956 fire-enameled copper- beautiful Blue enamels
$3,000.00 or best offer
offered by: Fast Growing Princess





INTERIORS + Industrial Design Magazine
Bonniers; Marco Zanuso; Felix Augenfeld; Today's House On 34th Street; R. Buckminster Fuller's Autonomous Dwelling Unit; etc.
June 1949
Marco Zanuso
$99.99
offered by: modernism101



Bar Cabinet By Gio Ponti
Italy 1950. 4 pieces, beautiful and rare. Marble top. Rosewood Bar and Back Bar set.
Brass legs. Display vitrine in the back bar cabinet.
$4500.00 or best offer
offered by: Nappi Antiques

What's on my Nightstand: "Worlds Without End"

Worlds Without End
by Clifford D. Simak

Published 1955, 1956
Cover art by Richard Powers
Cover price: 50¢

A collection of three science fiction short stories:

• Worlds Without End - Dreams constructed and maintained by society.
• The Spaceman's Van Gogh - A world-to-world search for an elusive secret.
• Full Cycle - A link between yesterday and the tomorrow that was here already.

In the Headlines - "Look to the Skies!"

Yes, the Invasion has begun! But being the resourceful humans that we are, we're ready and waiting (and some of us might even make a profit in the process).

They're out there. Yes, and our Armed Forces are out there too, at the forefront as always. Plunging forward to where no man has gone before.

And it's been scientifically proven -- Women love a man who sees strange glowing objects in the night sky.

Has any one seen the missing hubcap from my Olds???

- - -

All images taken from the Fawcett publication "Mysteries of Other Worlds Revealed" published in 1953. This magazine along with another "The Complete Book of Outer Space" were passed down to me by Dad at the impressionable age of six or seven. And by golly, what an impression they made, sparking off a lifelong passion for all things in Outer Space and Beyond!

Be sure to come back for more tomorrow... it's "Flying Saucer Hysteria Week," only on Atomic Living!

What's on my Coffee Table? - "The Invasion Begins"

It's any day in the 1950's.

There's trouble brewing underneath the calm optimistic exterior of America.

The question lurking in the back of many people's minds - "Are we under the threat of being invaded?"

An invasion not just by unfriendly forces overseas, but quite possibly by beings from another world.

Like the title of the book says, flying saucers were serious business back in mid-century American culture. Flying Saucer Occupants was published in 1967, Flying Saucers-Serious Business in 1966, and The Flying Saucer Reader in 1967.

The ORBIT Newsletter, was put out by Leonard H. Stringfield, founder of CRIFO (Civilian Research, Interplanetary Flying Objects) - just one of the many saucer enthusiast groups to spring up in the 1950's and 60's. General news accounts of glowing orbs seen in the sky were faithfully published each month for the membership.

This batch, dated 1956-57, came from my Grandmother of all people! She was loaned them by a friend... and they just never got returned ;X

Thick pulp magazines were very popular reading back in the day. The publishers however didn't necessarily try to stick to "just the facts ma'am." There was a fair amount of speculation and fanciful story-telling mixed in with the supposed news items. As for me, I like the collage-style art, with the cut out of the United Planets Cruiser C-57D from the movie Forbidden Planet on the cover. The pulp publication date is 1957.

The United States, under threat of a flying saucer invasion.

Think it's all just a bunch of malarkey? Nothing but a big joke?

Yes, that's just what I used to think too. Then it suddenly dawned on me, and now it all makes sense...

Mars wants our women.

- - -

Stay tuned, all this week... it's "Flying Saucer Hysteria Week," only on Atomic Living!

(pssst!... Thanks to blogger 1950's Atomic Ranch House for providing the inspiration for this post)

On My Nightstand - "You Only Live Twice"

You Only Live Twice
by Ian Fleming
Published 1964
The twelveth novel in the James Bond series.
Bond goes native in Japan in order to dispatch Blofeld.
Overview

You only live twice:
Once when you're born
And once when you look death in the face.

— You Only Live Twice, epigraph

How to be the Best at Everything

It all started with the The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden.

There's more and more of these coming out now. If you'd like to help your kids to get away from those thought-numbing video games and enjoy kidhood a little more like you did, then I'd recommend that you pick up a copy or two of the "How to be the Best at Everything" books.

And now there's even a volume especially for you Mom, and one for good ol' Pop.

Eight-year old Junior read his copy cover to cover and kept him busy over his winter break with the fun ideas and activities.