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Ferman, Edward L

Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Editor.

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(1937-    ) US editor, son of Joseph W Ferman; Ferman formally took over the editorship of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in January 1966, a post in which he remained until June 1991, having previously been managing editor since April 1962 under Avram Davidson and then his father. Under Ferman's editorship The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction generally prospered: for many years it was one of only two sf magazines – Astounding being the other, later joined by Asimov's Science Fiction – to have maintained a regular schedule, and its circulation has remained fairly stable. F&SF won the Hugo for Best Magazine five years in succession (1969-1972) under Ferman and, after that category was dropped, Ferman won the replacement Hugo for Best Editor in 1981, 1982 and 1983. It would be fair to say that, although the magazine inevitably lost much of its distinctive flavour of the 1950s, larger market forces and changes in the nature of the genre have had much to do with that diminution of specialness. In 1991 Ferman appointed Kristine Kathryn Rusch as editor, retaining the post of publisher; Gordon Van Gelder became editor in 1997, and in late 2000 Ferman sold him the magazine outright.

During his long stay at the helm, Ferman edited various anthologies drawn from the magazine, including volumes fifteen to twenty-four of the Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction series [see Checklist]. There were also four anniversary volumes: Twenty Years of the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (anth 1970) with Robert P Mills, The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: A Special 25th Anniversary Anthology (anth 1974), The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction: A 30-Year Retrospective (anth 1980), which won the Locus Award, The Best from Fantasy & Science Fiction: A 40th Anniversary Anthology (anth 1989), The Best from Fantasy & Science Fiction: A 45th Anniversary Anthology (anth 1994) with Kristine Kathryn Rusch and The Best from Fantasy & Science Fiction: The Fiftieth Anniversary Anthology (anth 1999) with Gordon Van Gelder, who had become F&SF editor in 1996. Despite their varying title formats, and the several publishers involved in these anthologies, the overall array of these F&SF anthologies presents a very consistent pattern of stories; and they are listed chronologically in the Checklist below. With Barry N Malzberg Ferman collaborated on a notable original anthology, Final Stage: The Ultimate Science Fiction Anthology (anth 1974; rev test restored 1975), a reprint collection, Arena: Sports SF (anth 1976) and Graven Images: Three Original Novellas of Science Fiction (anth 1977). In 1998 he received the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement. He was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2009. [MJE/JC]

Edward Lewis Ferman

born New York: 6 March 1937

works as editor

series

The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction

other Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction anthologies

individual titles as editor

links

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