The Brave Little Toaster in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 1980

Cornwall, Connecticut: Mercury Press, Inc. August 1980. Digest-size Magazine. First Edition. Fine. No Mailing label. In protective cover.

Thomas M. Disch's hugely popular children's novel The Brave Little Toaster first appeared in print in the August 1980 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction with cover art by Gahan Wilson six years before it was published in book form. It won the 1980 British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Short Fiction, the 1981 Locus Poll Award for Best Novelette, and the 1982 Seiun Award for Best Translated Short Story. It was also nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and Balrog Awards and inspired an additional book and three children's movies. Disch published The Brave Little Toaster in an adult science fiction magazine after it was rejected by children's book publishers who thought the notion of appliances talking and having characters was just too far-fetched and children would not accept it. Even after Disney bought the story rights and had the movie in production Doubleday only reluctantly published the story in book form in 1986 as The Brave Little Toaster: A Bedtime Story for Small Appliances.

Also includes "What He Wore for Them" (novelette) by Bruce McAllister; "Strata" (novelette) by Edward Bryant; "Gambling Man" [Howie Wyman] by Thomas A. Easton; "Fascination" by Bill Pronzini and Barry N. Malzberg; "The Monuments of Science Fiction" by John Kessel; "Real Estate" by Jerrold Mundis; "And Mercy Mild" by Lori Allen; "Books" by Algis Budrys; "Films: Return of the What?" by Baird Searles; "Science: Milton! Thou Should'st Be Living At This Hour" by Isaac Asimov; "Cartoon: Alright, then — now what are you going to do?" by Gahan Wilson; "Acrostic Puzzle" by Georgia F. Adams.