[PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS]

• Title: Science Fiction Monthly, Vol. 2, No. 5
• Publisher: New English Library
• Date: May 1975
• Format: British tabloid-size magazine, 11" × 15.75", 28 pages. Partial color, partial B&W.
• Cover Art: E. M. Clifton-Day
• Pull-Out Poster: Jim Burns, 3-page full-colour pull-out (laid in, folded once)
• Features: "Ihl-Kizz" by Robert P. Holdstock, "Gentlemen, Be Seated" by Robert Heinlein, "Green in the Evening" by Margaret Little, "Part Two of SF on TV", and more.
• Language: English
• Inclusions: Jim Burns 3-page pull-out colour poster (folded once, as issued)

[OVERVIEW]

May 1975, and Science Fiction Monthly delivers one of its most collectible issues. Vol. 2, No. 5 pairs Robert Heinlein — the dean of American science fiction, author of Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers — with Robert P. Holdstock, then at the very beginning of a career that would culminate in the Mythago Wood sequence and a World Fantasy Award. The 3-page pull-out colour poster is by Jim Burns: the Welsh-born illustrator who would go on to become one of the most decorated SF artists of the twentieth century, a multiple Hugo Award winner whose work defined the visual language of British science fiction paperbacks for three decades. This issue is a snapshot of a genre on the cusp of transformation.

[WHY THIS VOLUME IS A PRIZED COLLECTOR'S ITEM]

1. Historical & Documentary Value: Robert Heinlein's appearance in a British tabloid SF magazine is itself a collector's event. Alongside early Holdstock, this issue captures two generations of the genre in a single, remarkable document.
2. Visual & Artistic Value: The Jim Burns 3-page pull-out colour poster is the crown jewel of this issue. Burns's work from this period — before his Hugo wins and international recognition — is among the most sought-after in the SF illustration market. A full tabloid-scale Burns poster in surviving condition is genuinely rare.
3. Format Rarity: The oversized tabloid format (11" × 15.75") was commercially ambitious and short-lived. Surviving copies in collectible condition are increasingly scarce — particularly those retaining the original pull-out poster.

[CONDITION]

Very Good Vintage Condition — Remarkable Survival for a Tabloid-Format Periodical

• Covers & Spine: Covers retain strong color and structural integrity, with vivid original color. Minor curl to the lower right corner of the front cover. The spine shows light age-toning consistent with 51 years of natural patina.
• Binding: Secure and intact.
• Interior & Pages: Pages display the warm, honey-toned aging characteristic of period newsprint — no tears, no writing, no clipping.
• Pull-Out Poster: Jim Burns 3-page colour poster present and intact. Folded once for storage, as is standard for this oversized format. Color retention excellent.
• Please carefully inspect all high-resolution listing photos to verify the exceptional vintage condition.