The term 'pulp magazines' or 'pulp fiction' refered to the cheap wood pulp paper upon which they were printed. This was in comparison to those printed on better quality paper and often had 'polished' or 'sealed' surfaces which were often refered to as 'glossies'.
The sometimes considered derogatory term 'pulp' often belied the contents of the covers as it is here that many extremely fine titles could be found and many well-known writers 'cut their teeth' - in all genres not just science fiction or fantasy!
