“Amazing Stories Quarterly,” Vol. 4, No. 3 (Summer, 1931). Cover art by Morey for “Cosmic Menace” by A.W. Bernal.

“Here is a ‘different’ story. The earth is tight in the grips of a menace never before heard of – something which cannot be fought off or conquered by the best weapons of defense obtainable. There seems no choice between the two alternatives given the human race. What is there to be done? Our new author gives us a story of striking originality, unusually interesting and quite plausible in its scientific aspects. We welcome our new author.” [Editor’s Introduction]

“As the Darkness gradually drew ever nearer, Universarian scientists began to speculate anxiously as to what the cosmic disturbance really was. And they found out. The Darkness was a sea of dust! An ocean of minute particles of destroyed worlds – powdered remains of dead suns that had crashed in mighty collision. An ocean without end! Millions upon millions of miles of dust – fragments of meteors, crumbled planets, disintegrated satellites – in one measureless mass.

“And it was moving! It was flowing through infinity, restless, ever-advancing. Dust! A cosmic destroyer! Its huge bulk inundating worlds, stars, universes, as an ocean of water pours over grains of sand. Dust! . . . Countless wild plans and suggestions poured into the Universal Astronomical News System Headquarters on the three inhabited worlds. They worked ceaselessly to find some feasible way of thwarting the doom which was slowly descending upon the solar system to wipe it out. . .

“Tquerl Vraltu, Deket, rapidly led up to his subject by first pointing out the futility of trying to combat the Dust. Then, like a bombshell came his startling idea.

“And so, Mr. President,” he was almost shouting now, “I am convinced that there is but one way to save earth – force her from her orbit!” [Quoting the story]

So, the cover depicts a scene in which the earth is seen flying from its orbit after tons of “atomite” are released in the pits of Brazil, which were specially prepared for the discharge.

-----------------------------------------------------

A similar premise is in China's fifth highest-grossing film of all time, "The Wandering Earth," released in 2019:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TDII5IkI3Y
It follows a group of astronauts and rescue workers guiding the Earth away from an expanding Sun.

A prequel, "The Wandering Earth 2," was released this year.

Taken in: United States / Virginia / Washington Forest (show map)

Taken on: June 27, 2023

Tags:

pulp fiction

pulps

magazine

magazines

pulp magazine

pulp magazines

magazine cover art

pulp magazine cover

pulp magazine covers

magazine cover

magazine covers

pulp cover

pulp covers

Amazing

Amazing Stories Quarterly

Amazing Stories Quarterly Magazine

science fiction

pulp art

Volume 4, number 3

cover art

magazine art

vintage pulp cover

vintage pulp covers

vintage pulp art

illustration

illustrations

drawing

drawings

vintage pulp magazine

vintage pulp magazines

stories

artwork

front cover

fiction magazine

Summer 1931

1931

bedsheet size

Radio-Science Publications, Inc.

color cover

A.W. Bernal

Cosmic Menace

rocket ship earth

menace

dust

space dust

Morey

Amazing Stories

dust cloud

sea of dust « less

Sets appears in: • Pulp Magazines

Groups appears in: • Science Fiction Unleashed • SciFi Books more » • PULP • Pulp Fiction • Science Fiction Art • Vintage Illustration • Anything Sci-Fi • Ciencia Ficción (science fiction) • Anything goes Magazine Covers « less

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro, f/2.8, 1/35 sec, 9mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Lens:	iPhone 14 Pro back triple camera 9mm f/2.8
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.029 sec (1/35)
Focal Length:	9mm
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Express Windows 10 (Windows)
Show full info

Stats: 3,631 views