p I4tk Anniversary ALL STAR ISSUE Fantasi/ and Science Fiction OCTOBER ASIMOV BESTER DAVIDSON DE CAMP HENDERSON MACLEI.SH MATHESON : Girl Of My Dreams RICHARD MATHESON 5 Epistle To Be Left In The Earth {verse) Archibald macleish 17 Books AVRAM DAVIDSON 19 Deluge {novelet) ZENNA HENDERSON 24 The Light And The Sadness {verse) JEANNETTE NICHOLS 54 Faed-out AVRAM DAVIDSON 55 How To Plan A Fauna L. SPRAGUE DE CAMP 72 Special Consent P. M. HUBBARD 84 Science; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star ISAAC ASIMOV 90 They Don’t Make Life Like They Used To {novelet) ALFRED BESTER 100 Guest Editorial: Toward A Definition Of Science Fiction FREDRIC BROWNS' 128 In this issue . Coming next month 4 F&SF Marketplace 129 Cover by Chesley Bonestell {see page 23 for explanation) Joseph IV. Fcnnan, publisher Avram Davidson, executive editoi: Isaac Asimov, science editor Edzvard L. Forman, managing editoi; The Magasine of Fa^itasy and Science Fiction, Volume 25, No. 4, IVhole No. 149, Oct. 1963. Published monthly by Mercury Press, Inc., at 40c o copy. Annual subscription $4.50; $5.00 in Canada and the Pan American Union; $5.50 in all ether countries. Ptibli- cation office, 10 Ferry Street, Concord, N. FI. Editorial and general mail should be soit ie 347 East 53rd St., Nezv York 22, N. Y. Second Class postage paid at Concord, N. H. Printed in U. S. A. © 1963 by Mercury Press, Inc. All rights, including translations into otJut languages, reserved. Submissions must be accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelopes the Publisher assumes no responsibility fur return of unsolicited manuscripts. In this issue . , . traditionally the month of our All-Star Issue . are the fol- lowing items, as promised: Item: story by RICHARD MATHE- SON, about a heel and a girl with a strange talent; Item: a long poem by Mr. ARCHIBALD MACLEISH, whose former appoint- ment as Librarian of Congress constitutes one of the few acts of ofl&cial patronage of the arts of which our Republic can recently boast; Item: a story of how the pilgrimage or diaspora of The People began, by ZENNA HENDERSON; Item: an AVRAM DAVIDSON tale hnking up movies, TV, and some of those con- cerned with both; Item: a cautionary and illuminating article on an aspect of Science Fiction and Science Fact too often overlooked, by L. SPRAGUE DE CAMP; Item: a far-out account of life and death, by P. M. HUBBARD; Item: one wild, ivild story by ALFRED BESTER, which we had to break a rule to pubhsh — and are not sorry, either; and, finally, as the last Item: a guest editorial by FRED (What Mad Universe) BROWN. Ahem . not in this issue, though promised, are stories by MACK REYNOLDS and TERRY CARR—dat ol’ debbd, “reasons of space,” precluded. Real Soon Now, though . meanwhile, partisans of these authors, please don’t try to loll the Editor. He left for Deneb III on the morning rocket. Coming next month . a novelet by ROGER ZELAZNY, with tlie intriguing (and deliberately-chosen) title of A Rose For Ecclesiastes. Accompanying this beautiful and unusual story is an unusual and beautiful cover, painted especially for it by HANNES BOK, one of the truly great Science Fantasy artists of all time. Also present will be a short novel by SIR L. E. JONES, about a discovery made on a Grecian isle . and what befell thereby. If you miss tliis issue you will be sprry. 4 “The second sight" as H is often called, or clairvoyance, has been so often and so well attested that it has been recognized as a legitimate and non-diabolical phenomenon by that stem, august, and level-headed body the Established Kirk of Scotland. Not particularly limited to that or to any other extrasensory ability is the ancient, ancient exhortation that great gifts durst not he used for mean purposes. Richard Matheson, in a modem key, spins a tale of life and death, love and hate and greed. GIRL OF MY DREAMS by Richard Matheson He woke up, grinning, in the them. If she did, he could realh’ darkness. Carrie was having a make it big. nightmare. He lay on his side He rolled onto his back. The and listened to her breathless nightmare was ending now; or moaning. Must be a good one, he coming to its peak, he was never thought. He reached out and sure which. What difference did touched her back. The nightgown it make anyway? He wasn’t inter- was wet with her perspiration. ested in the machinery, just the Great, he thought. He pulled his product. He grinned again, hand away as she squirmed against reaching over to the bedside ta- it, starting to make faint noises in ble for his cigarettes. Lighting her throat; it sounded as if she one, he blew up smoke. Now he’d were trying to say “No.” have to comfort her, he thought No, hell, Greg thought. Dream, with a frown. That was the part you ugly bitch; what else are you he could live without. Dumb lit- good for? He yawned and pulled tle creep. Why couldn’t she be his left arm from beneath the cov- blonde and beautiful? He ex- ers. Tliree-sixteen. He wound the pelled a burst of smoke. WeU, watch stem sluggishly. Going to you couldn’t ask for everjthing. get me one of those electric watches If she were good-looking, she one of these days, he thought. May- probably wouldn’t have these be this dream would do it. Too dreams. There were plenty of oth- bad Carrie had no control over er women to provide the rest of it 6 FANTASY AXD SCIENCE FICTIO.N Carrie jerked violently and sat ly on the wheel. One of these up with a cry, pulling the covers days, by God, he’d smack her from his legs. Greg looked at her right across her ugly face and outline in the darkness. She was walk out, free. Damn freak. He shivering. “Oh, no,” she whis- felt the skin begin to tighten pered. He watched her head be- across his cheeks. “Well?” he gin to shake. “No. No.” She start- asked. ed to cry, her body hitching with “I don’t—” sobs. Oh, Christ, he thought, this- “Which way, Carrie?" God, he’d ’ll take hours. Irritably, he like to twist back one of her pressed his cigarette into the ash- scrawny arms and break the damn tray and sat up. thing; squeeze that skinny neck “Baby?” he said. until her breatli stopped. She twisted around with a Carrie swallowed dryly. “Left,” gasp and stared at him. "Come she murmured. ’ere,” he told her. He opened his Bingo! Greg almost laughed arms and she flung herself against aloud, slapping down the turn him. He could feel her narrow indicator. Left — right into the fingers gouging at his back, the Eastridge area, the money area. soggy weight of her breasts against You dreamed it right this time, his chest. Oh, boy, he thought. you dog, he thought; this is It. He kissed her neck, grimacing at All he had to do now was play it the smell of her sweat-damp skin. smart and he’d be free of her for Oh, boy, what I go through. He good. He’d sweated it out and caressed her back. “Take it easy, now it was payday! baby,” he said, “I’m here.” He let The tires made a crisp sound her cling to him, sobbing weakly. on the pavement as he turned the ‘Bad dream?” he asked. He tried car onto the quiet, tree-lined to sound concerned. street. “How far?” he asked. She “Oh, Greg.” She could barely didn’t answer and he looked at speak. “It was horrible, oh, God, her threateningly. Her eyes were how horrible.” shut. He grinned. It was a good one. “How far? I said.” Carrie clutched her— hands to- TVhich way?” he asked. gether. “Greg, please ” she start- Carrie perched stiffly on the ed. Tears were squeezing out be- edge of the seat, looking through neath her lids. the windshield with troubled “Damn it!” eyes. Any second now, she’d pre- Carrie whimpered and said tend she didn’t know; she always something. “What?” he snapped. did. Greg’s fingers tightened slow- She drew in wavering breath. ” GIRL OF MY DREAMS 7 “The middle of the next block," She nodded tightly. "Yes.” she said. Greg clenched his teetli, a “Which side?" spasm of avidity sweeping “The right.” through him. Fifty thousand if Greg smiled. He leaned back it was worth a nickel, he drought. against the seat and relaxed. That Oh, you bitch, you crazy bitch, was more Uke it. Dumb bitch you really nailed it for me this tried the same old Tforget rou- time! He turned the wheel and tine every time. When would she pulled in at the curb. Cutting the learn that he had her down cold? engine, he glanced across the He almost chuckled. She never street. The convertible would would, he thought; because, after come from that direction, he this one, he’d ' be gone and she thought. He wondered who’d be could dream for nothing. driving it. Not that it mattered. “Tell me ivhen we reach it,” he “Greg?” said. He turned and eyed her coldly. “Yes,” she answered. She had “What?” turned her face to the window She bit her lip, then started to and was leaning her forehead speak. against the cold glass. Don’t cool "No," he said, cutting her off. it too much, he thought, amused; He pulled out the ignition key keep it hot for Daddy.