The Golden Atom

Golden Atom #10 (Winter 1943), cover art by Rosco E. Wright

Golden Atom was a science fiction fanzine edited by Larry Farsace (Litterio B. Farsaci) and published by Kodiak City Publications in Rochester, NY, U.S.A.

Named for Ray Cummings' series that began with The Girl in the Golden Atom, the first issue appeared on October 20, 1939. The first ten issues, published from 1939 till 1943, were in letter-sized mimeographed format; two special issues, appearing in 1955 and 1959, were letterpress format.

Science Fiction writer and contributor Sam Moskowitz, editor of Helios and New Fandom, regards Golden Atom as "arguably the most valuable repository of new research and reference on SF" during the time it was initially published.

Farsace published a six-part series on the fiction of Ray Cummings titled "Golden Atom Tales" and Fred W. Fischer wrote the column "From The Observation Deck" on stories appearing in the older pulp magazines, for which Farsaci compiled bibliographies. Also included was a reprint of Donald Wollheim's Curious Stories, a fan magazine that had previously been published in an edition of only 4 copies.

Contributors of prose included Forrest J Ackerman (Voice of the Imagi-Nation, Novacious), John W. Campbell, Benjamin De Casseres, Louis Russell Chauvenet, Farsaci, Fred W. Fischer (The Southern Star), Walter Fleming, Nils Helmer Frome (Supramundane Stories), Joseph Gilbert, Edmond Hamilton, Henry Hasse, Erle M. Korshak, Francis J. Litz, P. Schuyler Miller, Sam Moskowitz, Dale Tarr, Fred A. Senour, Ray J. Sienkiewicz, Bob Tucker (Le Zombie), Harry Warner Jr. (Horizons, Spaceways), and others.

Poetry was published by Stanton A. Coblentz (Wings), Elizabeth Starr Cummings (Ray Cummings' daughter), Farsaci, Virgil Finlay, Nora May French, Amanda Benjamin Hall, Jean Howard, Frank Belknap Long, H. P. Lovecraft, Kenneth Macley, David Paul, Stella River, Clark Ashton Smith, George Sterling, Chad Walsh, Donald Wandrei, Harry Warner Jr., Stanley G. Weinbaum, and Rosco E. Wright (Beyond, Eusifanso, Viewpoints).

Letters came from Forrest J Ackerman, Jim Avery, John V. Baltadonis (Fantasy Fiction Pictorial, Fantasy Fiction Telegram), Robert H. Barlow (Leaves), Phil Bronson (The Fantasite), John W. Campbell, Ray Cummings, J.J. Fortier (Starlight), Paul Freehafer (Polaris), Nils Helmer Frome, Joseph Gilbert (The Southern Star), Mary Gnaedinger (editor of Famous Fantastic Mysteries), Edmond Hamilton, Harold Hersey (editor of Thrill Book), Charles D. Hornig (The Fantasy Fan), H.C. Koenig, Erle Korshak, Gertrude Kuslan (The Nucleus), H.P. Lovecraft (published posthumously), Robert W. Lowndes, Robert A. Madle (Fantascience Digest), Marvis Manning, Sam Moskowitz, Mark Reinsberg (Ad Astra), Milton A. Rothman, A. Langley Searles (Fantasy Commentator), Ray J. Sienkiewicz, Clark Ashton Smith, Jack F. Speer (The National Fantasy Fan), R.D. Swisher, Willy Sykora, Harry Warner Jr., John Wasso Jr., Olon F. Wiggins, Donald A. Wollheim, and others.

Cover art was contributed by Farsaci, Jean Finlay, Virgil Finlay, Charles Hickox, and Rosco E. Wright.