Science fiction has a long and rich history of avid readers and fans becoming published writers and creators themselves. In the twentieth century, that often began with self-published “fanzines,” a word combining “fan” and “magazine” (and now frequently shortened to “zine”). Such publications extend back to the early twentieth century, with writers such as H. P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury creating and writing for science fiction fanzines.
Zines have also been an important outlet for those who found it difficult to break into mainstream publishing, including women and groups traditionally underrepresented in mainstream outlets. In 1974 the Cherokee writer Craig Kee Strete created Red Planet Earth, calling it “A Magazine of American Indian Science Fiction.” It appears to be the first such publication for Indigenous writers of science fiction.
Red Planet Earth ran for six issues, all of which are quite hard to find today. The Newberry holds four of the six. Each issue included a mix of short stories, editorials, poetry, and other contributions, both from Strete himself and other Indigenous contributors.
While the zine’s run was fairly short, it included some remarkable stories and essays. The fourth issue, for example, features Strete’s story “Time Deer,” about an elderly man who slips back and forth through time as he remembers (or experiences) his encounters with a deer. It was nominated for a Nebula award and has been anthologized many times. The issue also includes a piece by the Tewa anthropologist Alfonso Ortiz, entitled “Fourteen Strings of Purple Wampum to Writers about Indians.” Mary Lynn Blackburn contributes a short vignette titled “My Teacher Is a Lizard.” And “The Ultimate Red Planet Earth Editorial” appears pseudonymously, under the name of American writer Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914).
Despite its inexpensive production via photoduplication, Red Planet Earth also features interesting cover art and design. The final two issues feature a cover image that illustrates Strete’s irreverent sense of humor and political bent: a photograph by Roger Malloch of the non-Native sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin’s A Signal of Peace, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, with a shopping cart dangling from the American Indian rider’s spear and the zine’s price of 50 cents affixed to its pedestal.
The sixth issue of Red Planet Earth can be seen in our current exhibition, Native Pop!, on-view March 20 through July 19, 2025.
About the Author
Will Hansen is Roger and Julie Baskes Vice President for Collections and Library Services and Curator of Americana at the Newberry, and Co-Curator of the Native Pop! exhibition.