Galaxy Science Fiction was a digest size science fiction magazine, the creation of noted editor Horace Leonard Gold, generally known as H. L. Gold.

Galaxy's premiere issue introduced a book review column by celebrated anthologist Groff Conklin, which continued till 1955, and a science column by Willy Ley that continued until his death in 1969 (before the Apollo 11 landing).

Galaxy published acclaimed science fiction for three decades under a succession of editors:

• H. L. Gold: October, 1950 - October, 1961 (See note under Frederik Pohl.)
• Frederik Pohl: ? 1959 - May, 1969 (Pohl took over from an ailing Gold sometime in 1959, though the masthead was not changed until the December 1961 issue.)
• Ejler Jakobsson: July, 1969 - May, 1974
• James Baen: June, 1974 - October, 1977
• John J. Pierce: November, 1977 - March/April, 1979
• Hank Stine: June/July, 1979 - September/October, 1979
• Floyd Kemske : 1980

Begun as a monthly, the magazine varied between monthly and bimonthly status at different times during its 30+ year run. In 1953 a French edition, Galaxie, was launched, and in 1957, a German edition, Galaxis. After Groff Conklin stepped down as book reviewer, his column was continued by Floyd C. Gale. (Indications that Conklin himself continued the column after 1955 appear to be in error.) In February, 1965, Pohl brought Algis Budrys on as book reviewer; he was succeeded later, sometime before 1972, by Theodore Sturgeon, who passed the job to Spider Robinson in 1975. With the January 1975 issue, Galaxy incorporated its sister magazine, Worlds of If, founded in March of 1952, with which it had shared several editors. Galaxy ceased publication in 1980. In the early 1990s the magazine was purchased by E. J. Gold, son of the founder, who published eight bimonthly issues in 8x11 format on pulp stock between Jan/Feb 1994 and Mar/Apr 1995. Plans to continue Galaxy online did not develop, though the former editor maintains a scattering of Galaxy-related web pages.

External links

• index, 1950-1995
• Galaxy covers from the 1950s.