As the editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (F&SF;) for 25 years, Edward L. Ferman published consistently high-quality fiction and non-fiction, and along the way nurtured the early careers of many world class science fiction, fantasy and horror authors. Ferman exhibited a steady hand running a magazine and a keen eye for first-rate stories. Under his guidance, F&SF; thrived through the magazine industry's ups and downs, becoming one of the longest-running genre publications. Ferman published the early work of many distinguished authors including Dean Koontz, James Tiptree, Jr., John Varley, Lucius Shepard and Karen Fowler. Among many notable works, he published Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron," and he serialized the first volume of Stephen King's The Dark Tower and Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz. During Ferman's tenure, F&SF; carried 399 consecutive science articles by Isaac Asimov, film columns by Harlan Ellison and cartoons by Gahan Wilson. Some the best artists in the genre and beyond, such as Ed Emshwiller and Chesley Bonestell, painted covers for the magazine. F&SF; won the Best Magazine Hugo Award four years running (1969-1972), and Ferman himself won three Hugos for Best Editor (1981-1983) and a World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement. 

Ferman also launched several magazines: a revival of Venture, which included a science fiction novel in each issue; New Age-themed Inner Space; and the short-lived P.S., devoted to popular culture. He was a prolific anthologist, publishing numerous "Best of" F&SF; anthologies, as well as original anthologies co-edited with Barry N. Malzberg.