The University of Iowa Libraries has acquired a massive science fiction collection from the late James L. “Rusty” Hevelin.
Heveline began collecting science-fiction works back in the 1930s and his collection includes more than 18,000 titles of pulp magazines, fanzines, and science fiction books. Here is more from the press release: “The collection contains thousands of pulps, ranging from the early Thrilling Wonder Stories, the eclectic Weird Tales, character titles such as The Shadow, The Spider, and Doc Savage, and many examples of mystery, western, and aviation pulps.”
“This vast collection of material rarely collected by traditional libraries is a goldmine for teachers and scholars,” explained Corey Creekmur, UI Associate Professor of English and Film Studies, in a statement. “Pulp magazines were central to mid- 20th century American popular culture, but their ephemerality has made them rare and inaccessible for later readers. The arrival of this collection makes Iowa a major archive for future research in this area.”