Unearth was one of the titles that appeared during the brief renaisance of magazine SF that began in 1977. The magazine’s policy was to find and develop new writers (it was sub-titled “The Magazine of Science Fiction Discoveries”). Initially, apart from the reprint “First Sales”, the fiction was by entirely unknown writers. During the magazine’s existance this policy
was expanded to include writers who had made three or fewer professional sales and all writers whose first sale had been to Unearth. Somtow Sucharitkul and William Gibson made their first sales to this magazine.
Sucharitkul also contributed a column on music in SF to Issue 6.
Other features included a regular science column by Hal Clement, a semi-regular column on writing by Harlan Ellison (with one colmn each by John M. Landsberg and Charles Platt), a regular film column by Craig Gardner and a regular book column by various writers.
All issues jointly edited by John M. Landsberg & Jonathon Ostrowsky-Lantz
First three issues folded and staped but remaining five properly bound digest size magazines. There were four issues in 1977, three in 1978 and one – the second anniversary issue – in 1979.
FICTION INDEX
Poul Anderson
Tomorrow’s Children(r)………………………Summer 1978
Mike Baron
Mrs. Millman Speaks………………………………..Fall 1977
Steven Bryan Bieler
Pastime…………………………………………….Winter 1979
James Blaylock
Red Planet………………………………………Summer 1977
The Ape-Box Affair……………………………..Spring 1978
Richard Bowker
Side Effect………………………………………Summer 1977
The Earth-Work…………………………………Winter 1979
Algis Budrys
Walk to the World(r)………………………..Summer 1977
Laura E. Campbell
Of Wyli Born……………………………………..Spring 1978
Rachel Susan Canon
Unwinding(/Harlan Ellison)*………………….Winter 1979
Hal Clement
Proof(r)……………………………………………..Spring 1977
Caroline Dechert
Alarice Aristhe (poem)……………………………Fall 1977
David DeWitt
Midwatch…………………………………………Winter 1978
Philip K. Dick
Roog(r)…………………………………………..Winter 1979
Chris Dornan
The Night the Arcturians Landed………………Winter 1977
Man in Vacuum……………………………………..Spring 1977
Film Noir…………………………………………………Fall 1977
Harlan Ellison
Glowworm(r)………………………………………Winter 1977
Meg Files
Has the Rain a Father?…………………………..Spring 1978
Paul Di Filippo
Falling Expectations…………………………….Winter 1977
David Frieze
Nocturne……………………………………………Spring 1977
Craig Shaw Gardner
Rocket Roll…………………………………………Spring 1978
Dance the Night Away………………………….Winter 1979
William Gibson
Fragments of a Hologram Rose…………………Summer 1977
Daniel Gordon
Uphill Racer…………………………………….Spring 1978
Keith L. Justice
The Symbol Hunter…………………………..Spring 1977
John Kelly
McPeter’s Intergalactic Circus…………………Fall 1977
The Last of the Demons………………………Winter 1978
Bruce Kent
The Last Sane Man on the Island of “Madhattan”…..Fall 1977
Damon Knight
Resilience(r)……………………………………Spring 1978
Fritz Leiber
The Automatic Pistol(r)……………………..Winter 1979
Kevin A. Lyons
The Star Creature………………………………….Winter 1979
K.W. MacAnn
The Two Christs of Ward Seven………………..Winter 1977
Michael Moorcock
The Dreaming City(r)…………………………….Winter 1979
Neil Olonoff
Indian Summer…………………………………….Summer 1978
Toby Perkins
Locksmith and Master of Love…………………Summer 1977
D.C. Poyer
Act of Mercy…………………………………………..Winter 1978
Rudy Rucker
Spacetime Donuts**……………..Summer 1978 – Winter 1979
Richard P. Saggio
Compliments of the Founding Fathers…………..Spring 1978
Daniel C. Smith
Opportunity…………………………………………….Winter 1977
Norman Spinrad
The Last of the Romany(r)……………………………..Fall 1977
Somtow Sucharitkul
Sunsteps………………………………………………Summer 1977
Timothy Robert Sullivan
Tachyon Rag……………………………………………Spring 1977
Downward to Darkness………………Fall 1977 – Winter 1978
Sterling Taylor
Garden Gate……………………………………………Spring 1977
Debra Thrall
Thanatos Coming……………………………………Winter 1977
Steve Vance
Conjugal Rites……………………………………….Winter 1978
The Seven Lions of The Sun……………………Summer 1978
Kate Wilhelm
The Mile-Long Spaceship(r)…………………..Winter 1978
Danny Williams
Skate Boat…………………………………Winter 1977
Roger Zelazny
Passion Play(r)…………………………….Winter 1978
* Story Contest Winner
** This was supposed to be a three part serial but part III
did not appear due to the magazine folding
(r) Reprint “First Sale” story
COVER ARTISTS
Thomas Barber
Fall 1977
Clyde Caldwell
Winter 1978 for Conjugal Rites
Spring 1978 for Rocket Roll
Winter 1979
Martha Flood
Summer 1977 for Fragments of a Hologram Rose
Steven Gildea
Winter 1977
Spring 1977 for Man in Vacuum
Paul Till
Summer 1978 for The Seven Lions of the Sun
Alternaties Corporation 
April 15, 2011 at 10:16 pm |
I enjoyed this brief look back at a fine magazine that was a great help to me early on. I always counted myself lucky to have been a part of its brief existence (and that both of my stories somehow rated cover art status). Steve Vance.
December 18, 2013 at 6:36 am |
I appeared in the magazine in winter 1978 with Midwatch. it was the first story they had accepted of an abnormal Length. It was a novellaand I was happy to see all of the artwork they put into it which was terrific. I have published a few other stories but never became a writer except for a few short stories in Kindle editions. today I am an abstract Impressionist painter living in Myrtle Beach South Carolina.
October 6, 2020 at 6:22 pm |
Steve and David, thanks for your kind words about Unearth! You and your stories are fondly remembered by Dr. Landsberg and me.
October 7, 2020 at 3:19 pm |
Jonathan, thanks so much for your kind words, as well … being in your publication was a big thrill and still puts a big smile on my face. I did not become a writer in the classic sense of writing fiction but did become a book editor and worked for a newspaper until I retired in the Greater Seattle area, as well as working in film and tv production. My daughter Erin is a film editor today in New York and doing quite well – she went to Cannes with her first film, and just finished working on a film starring Vanessa Kirby who is now in London working on back-to-back films Mission Impossible 7 and 8. Hugs to you all …
October 9, 2020 at 12:59 am |
David, it’s wonderful to know that being published in Unearth still makes you makes all these years later! We put our hearts and souls into the magazine, and regret only that we couldn’t keep it going longer. Congratulations to you and your daughter on great careers (and now art) – I wound up in technical documentation, and am now out and writing my first novel. (Installment #1 is on amazon.) Pamela (formerly John) practiced family medicine and is theoretically retired, but keeps working. Big virtual hugs back atcha!