The editors of Thrilling wonder Stories must have really been cooking with gas in the months running up to October 1948, because they had quite a line of authorial talent. One of their authors was John D. MacDonald (1916-1986). MacDonald would go on to become one of the most successful and distinguished writers of detective fiction of all time, but in 1948 has was struggling to make it in the pulps. One of the stories he sold was “That Mess Last Year,” which might be described as a witty and literate version of The Amazing Colossal Man. Out-of-control government science blows a man up to many times normal size, and it’s bad. Virgil Finlay contributed the story illustration.

This issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories is available to read and download at the Internet Archive.