This is retrospective review of stories published in If, which was frankly started as a sister magazine to Galaxy which would pay less for stories and therefore might give less established writers more opportunities. In fact, it adopted a wide-ranging editorial policy which let it publish what turned about to be popular and in some cases later famous stories, such as "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison. Besides the stores, the book
includes a retrospective account of the magazine by Pohl (which furnished the information given in my opening), one of its former editors, and comments by several of the authors about the stories they wrote. Not all the stories are to my taste, but many of them are well written. ( )

"If" was not just a science fiction/fantasy magazine. It was one of the best, and this retrospective gives just a hint of the magic. ( )