Just arrived: the May 1942, and January and March 1943 issues of Astounding!

The magazines I obtained last week arrived today. The postman duly delivered them despite the flooding rains we’re having here and I am grateful to him for that. The big issue in the pack is the May 1942 issue of Astounding. This has been by far the most difficult issue for me to get my hands on. This may be because it contains Isaac Asimov’s story, “Foundation” which is the very first story in his famous series. I have been looking forward to obtaining this issue since I first conceived of my Vacation in the Golden Age. Now I have it:

Here is the contents page for the May 1942 issue:

Van Vogt, Asimov, Bester, Heinlein in his Anson MacDonald guise. Willy Ley. Not a bad lineup. And here is the title and facing page for “Foundation”:

I also acquired two more issues that I didn’t have yet: January and March 1943:

And the contents page:

Here is the March 1943 issue:

And the contents page for the March issue:

But wait, that’s not all! These magazines came as a package alone with about 8 other issues from 1942. Now, I already have the rest of 1942. But most of the 1942 issues I have are already signed by van Vogt and/or Jack Williamson. The copies that came with today’s batch are not signed, but they are in better condition. It means that I can put the signed copies away in a safe place and read these newly received copies when its time for their appearance in my Vacation.