Amazing Science Fiction Stories, September 1958 — Gold in the Sky
Cover for the September 1958 issue of Amazing Science Fiction Stories, illustrating Alan E. Nourse's serialized novel 'Gold in the Sky.' A spacesuited prospector stands over a slain rival amid scattered gold ingots on a barren asteroid or lunar surface, with a rocket ship glimpsed in the distance under a starry sky. The scene captures the pulp era's fascination with space-age greed, claim-jumping, and frontier violence, blending hard-SF trappings with melodramatic crime imagery typical of late-1950s Amazing covers.
The composition expertly packs crime, greed, isolation, and interplanetary adventure into a single frame — a body, a suspect, and scattered gold bars tell an entire noir thriller without a word. The contrasting red and silver suits heighten drama while the distant rocket reinforces the alien setting.
“CRY FROM A FAR PLANET AMAZING SCIENCE FICTION STORIES SEPTEMBER 35¢ GOLD IN THE SKY NEW ALAN E. NOURSE NOVEL MAC 9”
