In late 1940, Wollheim noticed a new magazine titled "Stirring Detective and Western Stories" on the newsstands. He wrote to the publishers, Albing Publications, to see if they were interested in adding a science fiction title to their list, and he was invited to meet them. They did not have capital, however, and only guaranteed him a salary if the magazines were successful. He approached some of his fellow Futurians for free stories (some published under pseudonyms to protect their reputations with paying editors). It resulted in Wollheim's editing two of the earliest periodicals devoted to science fiction, the "Cosmic Stories" and "Stirring Science Stories" magazines starting in February 1941. After the magazines were cancelled later in 1941, Wollheim was able to find another publisher, Manhattan Fiction Publications, and a fourth issue of "Stirring" appeared, dated March 1942. Wartime constraints prevented ongoing publication, and there were no more issues of either title.