Genre fiction is often considered as a second-class form of literature, if literature at all.
This stigma was particularly strong in Italy, where a cultural tradition dating from the late 19th century – and probably influenced by catholic culture – considered science and technology, as well as imaginative fiction, as unworthy of serious consideration.
In this realist desert, few authors and publishers flourished.

Here’s a collection of classic covers and illustrations from that heroic age, courtesy of the Acheron Books Pinterest boards.

Enjoy!