Playboy is an American men's magazine, founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with a presence in nearly every medium. Playboy is one of the world's best known brands. In addition to the flagship magazine in the United States, special nation-specific versions of Playboy are published worldwide.
Although most famous in popular culture for its large photographs of female nudes, the magazine has a long history of publishing short stories by notable novelists such as Arthur C. Clarke, Ian Fleming, Vladimir Nabokov, P.G. Wodehouse, and Margaret Atwood. Playboy features monthly interviews of notable public figures, such as artists, architects, economists, composers, conductors, film directors, journalists, novelists, playwrights, religious figures, politicians, athletes and race car drivers. The magazine throughout its history has expressed a libertarian outlook on political and social issues.
To date, Harry Turtledove has had two short stories published in Playboy: "The Weather's Fine" and "The Girl Who Took Lessons".
Playboy in "Hindsight"[]
Michelle Gordian brought a copy of Playboy with her to 1953 in order to copy a short story by Arthur C. Clarke. When Pete Lundquist saw the centerfold, he was shocked at her owning such pornography and surprised at her claim that she bought it over the counter at a drugstore. However, he was somewhat reassured when he learned of the Clarke story since he didn't think he would be involved with something unsavory.
Before looking at the centerfold, Lundquist had glanced through a few pages and noted the quality of the color reproduction. He also noted in the advertisements the changing styles in women's clothing and hair and that mustaches and beards were once more common for men. The five dollar price on the cover also surprised him but Gordian assured him it was about the equivalent of 1953's dollar and a half.[1]
Playboy in Justin Kloster Stories[]
When Justin Kloster was not yet 15, he obtained a copy of Playboy's newest issue, and learned the facts of life from his intensive studies of Miss March 1993's centerfold. Justin never discussed this fact with any living soul, so it became the perfect password to communicate with his younger self after he invented time travel.
Literary comment[]
While the magazine is not named, Harry Turtledove's connection to Playboy, and his habit of referring to the same in his fiction, are strong indicators.
Playboy in Supervolcano[]
Marshall Ferguson would optimistically send his short stories to Playboy since they paid no-shit eating money but failed to sell anything. He then did occasionally sell the story, in a lesser market, for less money.[2]
Eventually, Marshall did sell Playboy a story, much to his surprise. Playboy paid $10,000, their standard short story fee for "Almost Sunset".[3] Marshall's father Colin Ferguson named his cat to commemorate this success.[4]
References[]
- ↑ Kaleidoscope, pgs. 113-114, MPB.
- ↑ All Fall Down, pg. 313, HC.
- ↑ Things Fall Apart, pgs. 116-118, HC.
- ↑ Ibid., pg. 187, HC.
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