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

Page 16

Page 16     AD ASTRA

"WHAT FAN MAGAZINES?"
by
**Robert W. Lowndes

The time has come when the simple term "fan magazine" can no longer describe aptly the general outlay of amateur publications issued by active lovers of imaginative fiction. Mainly, this is because there are now several distinct types of amateur publications issued by these "fans" and that the original concept of the "fan mag" has greatly changed.
What was the concept? It was, roughly,an aid to the professional magazines. The original "fan mag", not counting those organs of pioneer science correspondence societies which dealt mostly with experimental and scientific articles, dealt in biographical sketches of stf. writers,editors,artists, etc., occassional stories, by these writers,"service departments" where oldtime "Argosy" etc stf was listed, forecasts on current policies, lineups,and acceptances of the various writers and general chatter about authors and in reference to their better-known stories. There were, as well, semi-scientific articles. These original fan magazines were entirely dependent upon and subordinate to professional magazines. They were real scientifiction magazines.
When, however, the situation in professional magazines became such that their quality was greatly reduced and they were irregular in appearance, this function of the amateur fan publication, began to wither away. It did not completely die, but it did gradually begin to be replaced. And , while fiction by imaginative fiction enthusiasts appeared to a greater extent, the accent gradually fell upon organizations of these fans. Thus, we had the 2nd type of magazine[[?]], one which was primarily an aid to some particular fan-organization. It did, very naturally, cater to the professional publications, but was not dependent upon them. Whereever the professionals failed them, there was ample material in the organization and activities of the enthusiasts themselves. These magazines were real "fan" magazines.
A subsidiary of this general type was the magazine issued by a single fan, independent of any particular organization. These consisted of fan-chatter, controversies, personalities, service departments, discussions of the professional magazines. But these amateur publications were by no means dependent either upon the professions magazines, nor upon any particular fan organization.
The last type to appear was, the amateur publication, in the FAPA, mostly, issued by an enthusiast of pseudo-scientific and or weird-fantastic fiction which ignored the professional magazine entirely and fan-organizations...as well. It was really an independent magazine, good, bad, or indiferent depending upon the editor's capabilities both in the technical field and in obtaining material.
There were, and are, publications which combine to a certain extent all these main features. But, the most interesting thing is this: there is not today one single fan mag that is dependent upon the continued existence of professional stf and/or fantasy magazines, and very few which are dependent upon any particular fan-organization. Thus, the original "fan magazine" is a thing of the past.
As this writer sees it, there are in existence now three general types of these amateur publications (these types somewhat similar, but not equal to, the original fan magazines). And, of course, there are the in-betweens, those things which analysts find so deucedly annoying and wish that

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Page 16 AD ASTRA "WHAT FAN MAGAZINES?" by **Robert W. Lowndes The time has come when the simple term "fan magazine" can no longer describe aptly the general outlay of amateur publications issued by active lovers of imaginative fiction. Mainly, this is because there are now several distinct types of amateur publications issued by these "fans" and that the original concept of the "fan mag" has greatly changed. What was the concept? It was, roughly,an aid to the professional magazines. The original "fan mag", not counting those organs of pioneer science correspondence societies which dealt mostly with experimental and scientific articles, dealt in biographical sketches of stf. writers,editors,artists, etc., occassional stories, by these writers,"service departments" where oldtime "Argosy" etc stf was listed, forecasts on current policies, lineups,and acceptances of the various writers and general chatter about authors and in reference to their better-known stories. There were, as well, semi-scientific articles. These original fan magazines were entirely dependent upon and subordinate to professional magazines. They were real scientifiction magazines. When, however, the situation in professional magazines became such that their quality was greatly reduced and they were irregular in appearance, this function of the amateur fan publication, began to wither away. It did not completely die, but it did gradually begin to be replaced. And , while fiction by imaginative fiction enthusiasts appeared to a greater extent, the accent gradually fell upon organizations of these fans. Thus, we had the 2nd type of magazine[[?]], one which was primarily an aid to some particular fan-organization. It did, very naturally, cater to the professional publications, but was not dependent upon them. Whereever the professionals failed them, there was ample material in the organization and activities of the enthusiasts themselves. These magazines were real "fan" magazines. A subsidiary of this general type was the magazine issued by a single fan, independent of any particular organization. These consisted of fan-chatter, controversies, personalities, service departments, discussions of the professional magazines. But these amateur publications were by no means dependent either upon the professions magazines, nor upon any particular fan organization. The last type to appear was, the amateur publication, in the FAPA, mostly, issued by an enthusiast of pseudo-scientific and or weird-fantastic fiction which ignored the professional magazine entirely and fan-organizations...as well. It was really an independent magazine, good, bad, or indiferent depending upon the editor's capabilities both in the technical field and in obtaining material. There were, and are, publications which combine to a certain extent all these main features. But, the most interesting thing is this: there is not today one single fan mag that is dependent upon the continued existence of professional stf and/or fantasy magazines, and very few which are dependent upon any particular fan-organization. Thus, the original "fan magazine" is a thing of the past. As this writer sees it, there are in existence now three general types of these amateur publications (these types somewhat similar, but not equal to, the original fan magazines). And, of course, there are the in-betweens, those things which analysts find so deucedly annoying and wish that