Spanning three incarnations since 1930, this is perhaps the most influential magazine in the history of the genre. Begun as Astounding Stories between 1930-1938, it published lurid pulp fare and launched E. E. Smith's Lensmen series. A name change to Astounding Science Fiction established a new direction for both the magazine and the genre under editor John W. Campbell, Jr. Between 1938-1960, Campbell militated for plausible scientific extrapolation and straightforward prose. His editorship catalyzed the careers of Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein, among others. It also introduced the controversial dianetic theories of L. Ron Hubbard in May 1950. Emphasizing hardware-orientated stories that eschewed literary experimentation—what has come to be labeled "hard science fiction"—the magazine became Analog and remained under Campbell's guidance until his death in 1971. Such classics as Frank Herbert's Dune and Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight initially appeared in Analog. It remains a fixture of the genre today.

Further Reading:

Aldiss, Brian. Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction. New York, Atheneum, 1986.