Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 42

# Catalog Note

This February 1954 issue of Authentic Science Fiction Monthly (Vol. 1, No. 42) features the opening of Bryan Berry's serial novel "Hidden Shepherds," illustrated by Davis. The story depicts a decaying colonial Venus centuries hence, where Earth settlers have largely departed for distant galactic pursuits, leaving behind sleepy towns like Karvora on the Sea of Moriston. The narrative introduces Dr. Norman Howell and his guide Jack arriving in a local tavern at dusk to locate a mysterious thin Earthman playing a crescent harp—a figure whose purpose remains unrevealed.

Additional contents include short stories by John Christopher ("Aristotle"), William S. Kals ("Top Secret"), Leonard Pruyn ("In Time of Sorrow"), and H.B. Hickey ("Process"). Scientific features cover possible extraterrestrial life forms, Neptune, and introductory articles on chemistry and projectiles, alongside book reviews and the inaugural installment of "The March of Science," surveying contemporary scientific developments.