Checklists

New Worlds

The history of New Worlds is extremely complex, and begins in 1936 with the creation, by Maurice K. Hansen, of a fanzine called Novae Terrae (Latin for New Worlds). After 29 issues, Hanson tired of the workload involved, and handed it over to John Carnell, who renamed the fanzine New Worlds, and restarted the numbering, but the magazine only existed for 4 issues, due to the outbreak of war in 1939. The main sequence started in 1946, still under the editorship of John Carnell, settling down to a monthly schedule in 1954 which continued, in digest format until mid-1964.

During this period there were two interesting variant issues, local distribution of Canadian and New Zealand editions, as well as one for U.S. Forces in Europe and, in 1960, there was even a short-lived, reprint, US version of the magazine.

When Carnell decided, in 1963, to close the magazine, Michael Moorcock wrote an impassioned letter of comment arguing for its continuance. Partly as a result of this, when a new publisher (Roberts & Vinter) was found for the magazine, Carnell recommended Moorcock as the new editor, and he duly took over in May 1964, with the magazine shifting to a paperback format. This period lasted a mere three years, initially with a bi-monthly schedule and then the standard monthly schedule, before the publisher went into receivership.

However, it had forged a reputation for itself in this period and, as a result of Brian Aldiss contacting the Arts Council on its behalf, it received a grant that allowed it, in 1967 after a brief hiatus, to continue in the large, glossy, format in which it became most famous/notorious. It struggled on in this format for a mere four years, with a variety of publishers and editors, until finally winding down (in that format) with a subscription-only issue (#201) in 1971.

Meanwhile, Moorcock had been investigating other avenues for New Worlds and 1971 also saw the launch of a quarterly paperback anthology series called New Worlds Quarterly. The schedule proved too ambitious, however, and the name reverted to New Worlds with the sixth issue, with the series as a whole folding after the tenth issue in 1976. Confusingly a series of six issues was also published by a different publisher in the US, with the first 4 US issues identical to the UK ones, the fifth US issue being a reprint of the sixth UK issue, and the sixth US issue a reprint of the seventh UK issue with a number of changes! Although this series did not officially continue the numbering of issues from the previous series, future series have been numbered as if they did, so issue numbers have been assigned as appropriate.

Two years later, the magazine saw a brief re-appearance as a semi-prozine, although this only lasted five issues from 1978 to 1979. There was then a hiatus of 12 years until the magazine reappeared in 1991 as an annual trade paperback, which lasted for four issues, and two separate one-off issues in 1996 and 1997. Although nothing has been heard of the magazine since, there is little doubt it will reappear before long in yet some other format.

1939
v1 #1, Mar
v1 #2, Apr
v1 #3, May
v1 #4, Aug

1946
v1 #1
(Jul)
v1 #2
(Oct)

1947
v1 #3
(Oct)

1948

1949
v2 #4
v2 #5

1950
v2 #6
Spring
v3 #7
Summer
v3 #8
Winter

1951
v3 #9
Spring
v4 #10
Summer
v4 #11
Fall
v4 #12
Winter

1952
v5 #13
Jan
v5 #14
Mar
v5 #15
May
v6 #16
Jul
v6 #17
Sep
v6 #18
Nov

1953
v7 #19
Jan
v7 #20
Mar
v7 #21
Jun

1954
v8 #22
Apr
v8 #23
May
v8 #24
Jun
v9 #25
Jul
v9 #26
Aug
v9 #27
Sep
v10 #28
Oct
v10 #29
Nov
v10 #30
Dec

1955
v11 #31
Jan
v11 #32
Feb
v11 #33
Mar
v12 #34
Apr
v12 #35
May
v12 #36
Jun
v13 #37
Jul
v13 #38
Aug
v13 #39
Sep
v14 #40
Oct
v14 #41
Nov
v14 #42
Dec

1956
v15 #43
Jan
v15 #44
Feb
v15 #45
Mar
v16 #46
Apr
v16 #47
May
v16 #48
Jun
v17 #49
Jul
v17 #50
Aug
v17 #51
Sep
v18 #52
Oct
v18 #53
Nov
v18 #54
Dec

1957
v19 #55
Jan
v19 #56
Feb
v19 #57
Mar
v20 #58
Apr
v20 #59
May
v20 #60
Jun
v21 #61
Jul
v21 #62
Aug
v21 #63
Sep
v22 #64
Oct
v22 #65
Nov
v22 #66
Dec

1958
v23 #67
Jan
v23 #68
Feb
v23 #69
Mar
v24 #70
Apr
v24 #71
May
v24 #72
Jun
v25 #73
Jul
v25 #74
Aug
v25 #75
Sep
v26 #76
Oct
v26 #77
Nov
v26 #78
Dec

1959
v27 #79
Jan
v27 #80
Feb
v27 #81
Mar
v28 #82
Apr
v28 #83
May
v28 #84
Jun
v29 #85
Jul
v29 #86
Aug/Sep
v29 #87
Oct
v30 #88
Nov
v30 #89
Dec

1960
v30 #90
Jan
v31 #91
Feb
v31 #92
Mar
v31 #93
Apr
v32 #94
May
v32 #95
Jun
v32 #96
Jul
v33 #97
Aug
v33 #98
Sep
v33 #99
Oct
v34 #100
Nov
v34 #101
Dec

1961
v34 #102
Jan
v35 #103
Feb
v35 #104
Mar
v35 #105
Apr
v36 #106
May
v36 #107
Jun
v36 #108
Jul
v37 #109
Aug
v37 #110
Sep
v37 #111
Oct
v38 #112
Nov
v38 #113
Dec

1962
v38 #114
Jan
v39 #115
Feb
v39 #116
Mar
v39 #117
Apr
v40 #118
May
v40 #119
Jun
v40 #120
Jul
v41 #121
Aug
v41 #122
Sep
v41 #123
Oct
v42 #124
Nov
v42 #125
Dec

1963
v42 #126
Jan
v43 #127
Feb
v43 #128
Mar
v43 #129
Apr
v44 #130
May
v44 #131
Jun
v44 #132
Jul
v45 #133
Aug
v45 #134
Sep
v45 #135
Oct
v46 #136
Nov
v46 #137
Dec

1964
v46 #138
Jan
v47 #139
Feb
v47 #140
Mar
v47 #141
Apr
v48 #142
May/Jun
v48 #143
Jul/Aug
v48 #144
Sep/Oct
v48 #145
Nov/Dec

1965
v48 #146
Jan
v48 #147
Feb
v48 #148
Mar
v48 #149
Apr
v48 #150
May
v49 #151
Jun
v49 #152
Jul
v49 #153
Aug
v49 #154
Sep
v49 #155
Oct
v49 #156
Nov
v49 #157
Dec

1966
v49 #158
Jan
v49 #159
Feb
v49 #160
Mar
v49 #161
Apr
v49 #162
May
v50 #163
Jun
v50 #164
Jul
v50 #165
Aug
v50 #166
Sep
v50 #167
Oct
v50 #168
Nov
v50 #169
Dec

1967
v50 #170
Jan
v50 #171
Feb
v50 #172
Mar
v51 #173
Jul
v51 #174
Aug
v51 #175
Sep
v51 #176
Oct
v51 #177
Nov
#178
Dec

1968
#179
Feb
#180
Mar
#181
Apr
#182
Jul
#183
Oct
#184
Nov
#185
Dec

1969
#186
Jan
#187
Feb
#188
Mar
#189
Apr
#190
May
#191
Jun
#192
Jul
#193
Aug
#194
Sep
#195
Nov
#196
Dec

1970
#197
Jan
#198
Feb
#199
Mar
#200
Apr

1971
#201
Mar
New Worlds Quarterly
(#202)
New Worlds Quarterly 2
(#203)

1972
New Worlds Quarterly 3
(#204)
New Worlds Quarterly 4
(#205)

1973
New Worlds Quarterly 5
(#206)
New Worlds 6 (#207)
in US as New Worlds #5 (1974)

1974
New Worlds 7 (#208)
in US, with some changes, as New Worlds #6 (1974)

1975
New Worlds 8
(#209)
New Worlds 9
(#210)

1976
New Worlds 10
(#211)

1977

1978
#212, Spring
#213, Summer
#214, Winter

1979
#215, Spring
#216, Sep

1991
New Worlds 1 (v62, #217)

1992
New Worlds 2 (v62, #218)

1993
New Worlds 3 (v62, #219)

1994
New Worlds 4 (v62, #220)

1995

1996
New Worlds No. 221 (#221)

1997
New Worlds (v64, #222)

2022
New Worlds (#223)

2023

2024
v66, #224, September

New Worlds Science Fiction (Canada)

Probably started in early 1954 and continued through 1956, ended due to a strike, and started back again with issue 99, and then continued to 142. As far as is known the contents were identical to the UK issues but issues were dated a month or two later. Other issues probably exist.

1954
v9 #25
Sep v9 #27
Nov

1955
v11 #32
May v12 #34
Jul

1960 v33 #99
Nov v34 #100
Dec

1961 v34 #101
Jan
v34 #102
Feb v35 #103
Mar v35 #104
Apr v35 #105
May v36 #106
Jun v36 #107
Jul v36 #108
Aug v37 #109
Sep v37 #110
Oct v37 #111
Nov v38 #112
Dec

1962 v38 #113
Jan v38 #114
Feb v39 #115
Mar v39 #116
Apr v39 #117
May v40 #118
Jun v40 #119
Jul v40 #120
Aug
v41 #121
Sep v41 #122
Oct v41 #123
Nov v42 #124
Dec

1963 v42 #125
Jan v42 #126
Feb v43 #127
Mar v43 #128
Apr

New Worlds Science Fiction (New Zealand)

Probably started in early 1954 and continued through 1964. As far as is known the contents and cover dates were identical to the UK issues.

New Worlds Science Fiction (U.S. Forces European Edition)

Nothing is known about this variant beyond the single issue seen where the contents and date are identical to the UK issues. Other issues may exist.

1954
v10, #30
Dec

New Worlds Science Fiction (U.S.)

1960

v1 #1
Mar

v1 #2
Apr

v1 #3
May

v1 #4
Jun

v1 #5
Jul

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

Variant Issues

When New Worlds was relaunched in 1946, the first issue had a cover by Bob Wilkin (as shown above), but sold poorly. When issue #2 appeared in late 1946 with a cover by Victor Caesari it sold so well that in early 1947 Carnell had the remaining stock of #1 stripped of the covers. He then had a new cover - the Caesari one, with the date, number and story title blanked out - wrapped around the stripped issue #1. It also sold well.

The second "variant" issue is much rarer as John Carnell described in "A History Of New Worlds", published in A History And Checklist Of New Worlds (B.S.F.A. fanzine, 1959, ed. Eric Bentcliffe).

The first issue from the new printer (No: 21) should have commenced in April but was delayed at the works and eventually was published with a dateline of June 1953. At the same time and in the same format, Nova had launched 'Nova Novels' and four titles had been put in hand at the printers. Only the first one - "Stowaway to Mars" by John Beynon ever saw print. The printer had undertaken more than he could cope with, and the editorial wheels ground almost to a halt as delay followed delay and no 'New Worlds' No: 22 was printed. On various occasions, while still at the printers, it was dated August, then Autumn, then October and finally December, before actually going to press.
Even after the issue had been printed further delays ensued before I received three advance copies - on the 16th January 1954! We refused to accept delivery in view of the fact that the issue was already out of date and thereafter we were involved in semi-legal discussions which precluded the possibility of continuing publication. Two of the three copies of that ill-fated original No: 22 were used by the solicitors as evidence, the third copy I retained; the rest were held under bond and subsequently destroyed. It therefore transpires that I now have the only copy of that original issue No: 22 in the world -- for what that is worth!
Naturally, you will not find the unpublished issue of No: 22 listed in the accompanying checklist, as it was never officially on sale. But for those who keep records the complete contents were as follows:-

cover - by Quinn (blocks for which were eventually released to us and used on 'Science Fantasy' No: 13)

lead novelette:

"This Precious Stone" by H.J.Murdoch

short stories:

"Only an Echo" by Alan Barclay

"Come Away Home" by Francis G. Rayer

"The Perfect Secretary" by J.F.Burke

"All Glory Forgotten" by Kenneth Bulmer

"Museum Piece" by John Christopher

article:

"Radiac" by John Newman

If you look through the checklist you will find that all the stories were subsequently used in later issues of 'New Worlds'.

If anyone knows what happened to that remaining copy please contact me!

1947
v1 #1
Variant

1953 #22
Variant