The Dawn of Scientifiction
Travel back to the dawn of science fiction with the very first issue of Amazing Stories, originally published in April 1926. This landmark magazine changed the literary landscape by introducing readers to tales of scientific wonder, imaginative futures, and thrilling discoveries. Now, you can explore this influential piece of history in a newly transcribed and carefully formatted PDF edition.
This issue includes stories by some of the most celebrated names in early science fiction—H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Edgar Allan Poe, among others. These are not merely entertaining tales; they are foundational texts that helped shape the science fiction genre as we know it today. Each story invites you to imagine new worlds, challenge current thinking, and embrace the limitless possibilities of human curiosity.
I transcribed this edition from the original pulp magazine, preserving its spirit while ensuring modern readability. The PDF is completely free to download and share. However, it’s important to remember that while the material is in the public domain, the authorship belongs to the original creators. Their contributions deserve to be respected and acknowledged.
Therefore, you may freely read, distribute, and enjoy this edition for personal or educational purposes—but please, do not sell it or use it for commercial gain. This project exists to honour and preserve the legacy of early science fiction, making it accessible to anyone with a passion for storytelling and imagination.
The Vision of Hugo Gernsback
Hugo Gernsback, the “Father of Science Fiction,” envisioned a magazine that educated as much as it entertained. By launching Amazing Stories, he provided a dedicated home for speculative tales that had previously been scattered across general interest periodicals. His editorial mission encouraged readers to look toward the stars and imagine the technological triumphs of tomorrow.
Before Amazing Stories, readers found speculative tales scattered across “slick” magazines or cheap “all-story” pulps. Hugo Gernsback changed everything by coining the term “scientifiction”. He defined this new genre as a “charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision.” By creating a dedicated home for these stories, Gernsback gave a disparate group of writers and readers a shared identity and a sense of purpose.
The Iconic "Frank R. Paul" Cover
The April 1926 cover vividly depicts a scene from Jules Verne’s Off on a Comet. It shows explorers on the comet Gallia as it speeds through the solar system, with a beautifully rendered Earth visible in the distance. Paul’s bold use of colour and grand scale defined the visual language of science fiction for decades, proving that the “sense of wonder” was just as important as the prose itself.
Amazing Stories Vol.1 - Contents of this edition
“Off on a Comet” by Jules Verne
In this thrilling adventure, Jules Verne takes readers on a journey that stretches the boundaries of imagination. When a comet unexpectedly passes close to Earth, it whisks a group of people away, plunging them into a new world where the laws of nature are bent and strange phenomena abound. The story follows Hector Servadac, a French captain, as he navigates the unknown landscapes of the comet, confronting not only the mysteries of space but the resilience of the human spirit.
“The New Accelerator” by H.G. Wells
H.G. Wells delivers another gripping tale that lives up to his stellar reputation. In this story, a brilliant physiologist and chemist creates a powerful compound that alters human perception of time. Wells crafts a vivid and fast-paced narrative, drawing readers into a world where science pushes the boundaries of experience. With his distinctive British style and energetic storytelling, he invites us to explore the thrilling consequences of human experimentation and ambition.
“The Man From the Atom” by G. Peyton Wertenbaker
The tale explores a man who expands to cosmic proportions. The author guides us through the man’s surreal sensations, emotional turmoil, and eventual despair, building toward a powerful and unexpected conclusion. It’s a bold blend of imagination and psychological depth, turning a simple concept into something vast and unforgettable.
“The Thing From—Outside” by George Allen England
This story challenges the idea that intelligence must come in a familiar, human-like form. It suggests that consciousness could exist beyond flesh and blood—perhaps even within gases or unseen structures far beyond our current understanding. In this tale, a group of people confronts an invisible and unknown presence stalking them. The story explores the fear of the unseen and the unsettling possibility that alien intelligence may already be among us, hidden in forms we can’t yet comprehend.
“The Man Who Saved the Earth” by Austin Hall
What begins as a simple childhood curiosity soon spirals into a discovery with the power to end the world. A young boy, fascinated by light and lenses, grows into a visionary scientist who uncovers a strange new element—an opalescent force capable of levelling mountains and extinguishing life in seconds. His invention promises boundless power, but it quickly turns into a nightmare. As the magnitude of what he’s created dawns on him, he races to undo the devastation he has set in motion. This is a tale of genius turned tragic—a modern Prometheus who stares down the apocalypse of his own making and pays the ultimate price to stop it.
“The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” by Edgar Allan Poe
In this chilling tale, Edgar Allan Poe turns to mesmerism not just as a plot device, but as a dark mirror for exploring life, death, and the unknown that lies beyond. Unlike the more contemplative tone of Mesmeric Revelations, here Poe pushes deeper into horror. He guides us through a disturbing experiment in which a dying man is hypnotised at the edge of death—and held there. What begins as a clinical inquiry into consciousness soon unravels into one of the most gruesome and unforgettable conclusions in literature. With surgical precision, Poe dissects the boundary between life and death, delivering a philosophical meditation wrapped n sheer terror.
Why Poe, Verne, and Wells?
You might wonder why the first issue relied so heavily on established names like Poe and Verne. Gernsback strategically used these “literary giants” to lend legitimacy to his new venture. By anchoring the debut issue with recognised masters, he proved that science fiction was not mere “trashy” fiction, but a serious intellectual pursuit. This bridge between 19th-century classicism and 20th-century futurism allowed the genre to gain a foothold in the public consciousness.
An Era of Boundless Optimism
The year 1926 sat in the heart of the “Roaring Twenties,” a period defined by rapid industrialisation and a fascination with the machine age. The public watched as:
Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fuelled rocket.
Aviation moved from daredevil stunts to a viable form of transport.
Radio began to shrink the world, bringing voices from across the globe into the living room.
Amazing Stories captured this electricity. It reflected a world that no longer viewed science as a distant academic subject, but as a force that would soon allow humanity to conquer the deep sea and the furthest reaches of space.
Wrapping Up
By revisiting these pages, we reconnect with the raw wonder that launched a thousand starships in the minds of readers worldwide. I hope this edition inspires you to look at our own rapidly changing world with the same curiosity and excitement that Hugo Gernsback felt a century ago.
Another vintage pulp magazine: