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Ad Astra, v. 1, issue 5, January 1940

Page 4

Page 4            AD ASTRA

glad to see a story by John J. Oltimer. We haven't heard from him in years,and his "the Blasted Rockets" was welcome. The best story in the issue was "Thoughts Can't Die" by Richard Newguy.Newguy's a real find. His plot isn't new, but he's worked it up in a way that really puts it over. Next best was......Finally, "The Blasted Rockets"was all right too!
Some fade away quietly; some flicker in and out a while, and are finally dropped. And some, change with the years, developing as rapidly as the magazines, and stay on top, of course. But how many can you name that have stayed on top for five years? Seven years? Ten years?
Science fiction is now beginning, it seems to me, the last phase of rapid change. There should be a new stability-----but that stability of authors can come only when all the top men have reached a level of genuine literary value comparable with that of the general  magazine field. When science fiction presents material worded as carefully, plotted as powerfully, and characterized as accurately as the b[[illegible]] in any field, then, and only then, can a true stability be maintained. Science fiction presents basically different plots----but it has,and never had, any excuse for presenting those ideas and plots in poorly constructed and poorly written stories. A good idea presented badly means simply that what might have made a great story int he hands of a good writer has been wasted for all time, for never again can that idea be both new and powerfully presented.
Like any pioneers, the early writers staked out vast tracks of the virgin field, and used ideas, profligately,wasted the resources with criminally faulty methods of utilization.
Today, truly competent writers are developing those ideas exposed, but never really used, into stories far stronger than was the early material. In early science fiction, to expose the idea was enough; today, some use must be made of it.
Nowhere in the field is that more forcefully illustrated than in the screwy-animal story. Time after time, stories had appeared in which the heroes went to a strange planet,and the author then conducted them through the local zoo, though he called it the local jungle, displaying one weird animal after another, winding up with the hero whose feet were tired and a reader who had lost all interest in the author's tour de force of animal-thinking up.
The complete failure of science fiction to make proper use of its possibilities is beautifully demonstrated by the astonished joy aroused by Weinbaum's stories. Weinbaum usually thought up only one or two strange animals----but he positively staggered science fiction by its unique and unheard of idea of [[underline]]using[[end underline]] them as characters!
This issue of AD ASTRA is dedicated to ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION. Properly ,I think,the question arises as to just what ASTOUNDING is dedicated to. The foregoing may, I think, indicate the answer. ASTOUNDING is dedicated to the proposition that all men may be created free, but they are [[underline]]not[[end underline]] created equal. Some are good writers, and some merely have ideas. Some can expose an idea-- and some can make of it a story-- that is worth remembering. We want only the latter type.
ASTOUNDING is dedicated to the idea that, in rapid rejection of the authhors who do not improve--- with the field, science fiction... fans know what they're doing. We will accept only [[underline]]stories[[end underline]]....which are well written, well plotted and [[underline]]use[[end underline]] their basic idea.
And we will continue to have a high author turnover till the quality of science fiction is [[underline]]all[[end underline]] up to the level of the best in other fields. Some of it [[underline]]is[[end underline]] in the last few months. All of it [[underline]]will[[end underline]] be.

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Page 4 AD ASTRA glad to see a story by John J. Oltimer. We haven't heard from him in years,and his "the Blasted Rockets" was welcome. The best story in the issue was "Thoughts Can't Die" by Richard Newguy.Newguy's a real find. His plot isn't new, but he's worked it up in a way that really puts it over. Next best was......Finally, "The Blasted Rockets"was all right too! Some fade away quietly; some flicker in and out a while, and are finally dropped. And some, change with the years, developing as rapidly as the magazines, and stay on top, of course. But how many can you name that have stayed on top for five years? Seven years? Ten years? Science fiction is now beginning, it seems to me, the last phase of rapid change. There should be a new stability-----but that stability of authors can come only when all the top men have reached a level of genuine literary value comparable with that of the general magazine field. When science fiction presents material worded as carefully, plotted as powerfully, and characterized as accurately as the b[[illegible]] in any field, then, and only then, can a true stability be maintained. Science fiction presents basically different plots----but it has,and never had, any excuse for presenting those ideas and plots in poorly constructed and poorly written stories. A good idea presented badly means simply that what might have made a great story int he hands of a good writer has been wasted for all time, for never again can that idea be both new and powerfully presented. Like any pioneers, the early writers staked out vast tracks of the virgin field, and used ideas, profligately,wasted the resources with criminally faulty methods of utilization. Today, truly competent writers are developing those ideas exposed, but never really used, into stories far stronger than was the early material. In early science fiction, to expose the idea was enough; today, some use must be made of it. Nowhere in the field is that more forcefully illustrated than in the screwy-animal story. Time after time, stories had appeared in which the heroes went to a strange planet,and the author then conducted them through the local zoo, though he called it the local jungle, displaying one weird animal after another, winding up with the hero whose feet were tired and a reader who had lost all interest in the author's tour de force of animal-thinking up. The complete failure of science fiction to make proper use of its possibilities is beautifully demonstrated by the astonished joy aroused by Weinbaum's stories. Weinbaum usually thought up only one or two strange animals----but he positively staggered science fiction by its unique and unheard of idea of [[underline]]using[[end underline]] them as characters! This issue of AD ASTRA is dedicated to ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION. Properly ,I think,the question arises as to just what ASTOUNDING is dedicated to. The foregoing may, I think, indicate the answer. ASTOUNDING is dedicated to the proposition that all men may be created free, but they are [[underline]]not[[end underline]] created equal. Some are good writers, and some merely have ideas. Some can expose an idea-- and some can make of it a story-- that is worth remembering. We want only the latter type. ASTOUNDING is dedicated to the idea that, in rapid rejection of the authhors who do not improve--- with the field, science fiction... fans know what they're doing. We will accept only [[underline]]stories[[end underline]]....which are well written, well plotted and [[underline]]use[[end underline]] their basic idea. And we will continue to have a high author turnover till the quality of science fiction is [[underline]]all[[end underline]] up to the level of the best in other fields. Some of it [[underline]]is[[end underline]] in the last few months. All of it [[underline]]will[[end underline]] be.