Named shared by a groundbreaking magazine launched in April 1926 & a TV anthology series that premiered in September 1985
On the March 7, 2025, episode of Jeopardy!, the Final Jeopardy clue fell under the category “Science Fiction”:
“Name shared by a groundbreaking magazine launched in April 1926 & a TV anthology series that premiered in September 1985.”
Contents
What is Amazing Stories?
The title Amazing Stories has deep roots in science fiction history. The magazine, first published in April 1926, was the creation of Hugo Gernsback, a publisher and editor who played a pivotal role in defining the genre. It was the first magazine dedicated exclusively to science fiction, a term that Gernsback himself helped popularize. Prior to its launch, fantastical and speculative fiction had appeared in general fiction magazines, but Amazing Stories provided a dedicated space for the genre to develop.
The magazine published works by early science fiction pioneers, including H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Over time, it also became a platform for emerging writers, helping to shape the Golden Age of Science Fiction in the 1930s and 1940s. While Amazing Stories experienced multiple changes in ownership and format over the decades, its influence remained significant, and it is widely regarded as a cornerstone of the science fiction literary tradition.
The 1985 TV Anthology Series
Nearly six decades after the magazine’s launch, Amazing Stories made its way to television as an anthology series. Premiering in September 1985, the show was created by Steven Spielberg and aired on NBC for two seasons. The series featured standalone episodes, each telling a different speculative or fantastical tale, much like its print predecessor.
Spielberg, who was at the peak of his filmmaking career during this period, brought his signature storytelling style to the series, attracting major Hollywood talent both in front of and behind the camera. Notable directors such as Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, and Robert Zemeckis contributed episodes, while actors including Kevin Costner, Mark Hamill, and John Lithgow appeared in various roles. Despite winning several Emmy Awards and featuring high production values, the series struggled with ratings and was ultimately canceled in 1987.
The Legacy of Amazing Stories
Both the magazine and television series left a lasting impact on the science fiction genre. The magazine’s role in fostering the careers of legendary authors laid the groundwork for modern science fiction literature. Writers like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert A. Heinlein cited Amazing Stories as an inspiration, and its influence extended to later publications like Astounding Science Fiction and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
The TV series, while short-lived, is remembered for its ambition and for pushing the boundaries of televised speculative fiction. It was an early attempt to bring the kind of storytelling seen in The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits into the high-production-value era of 1980s television. Though it didn’t reach mainstream success, it maintained a cult following and was even revived in 2020 as a streaming series on Apple TV+.
A Connection Across Decades
The answer to this Final Jeopardy question highlights a rare case of a title being influential across different forms of media. While many science fiction works have crossed over from literature to television or film, few have retained the same name and legacy in such a direct way. From Hugo Gernsback’s pioneering vision in 1926 to Steven Spielberg’s cinematic storytelling in 1985 and beyond, Amazing Stories has remained a recognizable and influential name in the world of science fiction.
