JF Ptak Science Books   Post 1329

In a continuing series of odd alphabets (Occupational Alphabet, Action Alphabet and a Touch of Evil, Alphabet of Giants)  that I’ve posted to this blog I offer this, a collection of covers of paperback novels, pulps, mystery magazines, true loves, romance, and of course astonishing science fiction.  That these are considered “Golden Age” is interesting–I understand the overall feel of what “Golden Age” is supposed to mean, though the messages in the images (even exclusive of their texts) are definitely not-so-golden from where we sit in 2011.

I think that looking at this sort of material is important when considering the fleeting history of normalcy, and that these images help to define what was popularly considered to be the edge of “normal” for that time. 

A is for Ambidextrous

 

B is for Blonde

C is for Complete Love

D is for Dumb

E is for Effortlessness

F is for Future (Love)

G is for GI Jane

H is for Hope

I is for Insist

J is for Junk

K is for (amazon) Knights

 

L is for Lonely

M is for My, Mine, Maybe

N is for Night

O is for Out

P is for Popular
Q is for Queer (“Society’s Greatest Curse”)  In 1959–the year this book was published–the gay issue outranked nuclear holocaust, civil rights, the Cold War, and everything else according to the cover copy.

(Couldn’t not include this one, possibly the first of its genre when published in 1950, and which over time has sold – 4 million copies.)

R is for Rope

   

S is for Soalr is for Sun

T is for Temptation

U is for Under (the Whip)   [See STRANGE SISTERS for more.]

V is for Venus

W is for Whirling

X is for X-Ray

 

 Z is for Zzzzzs