Transcribe
Translate
Acolyte, v. 3, issue 1, whole no. 9, Winter 1945
Page 29
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
There are some swell yarns being written for money these days. But the same boys who turn them out also bat out the god-awfullest crud that ever cascaded out of a Corona. And the old gag about no man being able to serve two master is pretty accurate. True, HPL made a business of revision, etc...but his own writing was never regarded by him in that light. HPL used to send his original mss. to me, and to Dereleth, Smith, Price, and the other boys, and ask quite candidly: did we think this yarn was good enough to submit? G. G. Glopp, with stories in 15 magazines this month, including 5 cover yarns, would have ripped his mss. off to his agent so fast... But why belabour the obvious? Few will dispute that Clark Ashton Smith is probably the greatest living serious fantasy writer. I don't think it's any coincidence that CAS is also one of the few fantasy writers whose work is a labor of love. CAS has never changed his style for new magazines, new editors, new rates. CAS doesn't wait for "market tips". Neither did Lovecraft. Understand, I am not saying you can't write a good "commercial" story. But I do say that if you write "commercially", every story will not be good--in fact, every third or fourth story will hardly rate more than fair--and only about once in every ten tales can the average author expect to turn out a yarn worthy of appearance in print alongside the work of conscientious creators of fantasy. I know. I've done my share of hacking. I know lots of the boys who also do their share...and I know that many of them have genuine ability and an aptitude which, if properly developed, might blossom out into an individual style. I'm not blaming the boys, any more than I would blame myself. We don't own any ivory towers in which to hide from mundane responsibilities...and I suppose that HPL and CAS might have bowed to convention had they assumed the burden of family life and obligations. A large share of the blame (if any) rests squarely on the shoulders of the editors and readers alike...editors who haven't the guts to insist on paying good rates (they know that their publishers are giving 5[[cent symbol]] a word to detective story writers while limiting their fantasy authors to 1[[cent symbol]] or 1 1/2[[cent symbol]])...editors who have pet "slants" and accept stories that conform to their "ideas about fantasy" (which are suspiciously concrete rules for a supposedly ethereal field). Readers are guilty only of poor taste...though I think a renascence of interest on their part in the genuine fantasy would not be impossible. Well, I'm rambling and know it. But to me, it has always been patent that HPL's genius lay in his personality--that his style and subject matter alike were always secondary manifestations of his modus vivendi--and to me, the secret of good fantasy lies not in the study of Lovecraft's literary methodology, but in a sincere consideration of his personal philosophy and ethics. When more writers live the kind of life that Lovecraft did, then more great fantasies will be written. ---oo0oo--- Lack of space crowds a number of highly interesting letters out of this month's Fantasy Forum. We have to hold over for the next issue letters by T. O. Mabbott, Mick McComas, Stuart Boland, Fritz Leiber, Mike Fern, and a number of others. We hope that this necessary curtailment will not impair the flow of usable letters; lack of time compells us to limit this magazine rigidly to 30 pages. If we have sufficient material, we shall set aside six pages of next issue for the Forum, which has always been one of our more popular features? Won't you send us your letter? ---FTL/SDR -- 29 --
Saving...
prev
next
There are some swell yarns being written for money these days. But the same boys who turn them out also bat out the god-awfullest crud that ever cascaded out of a Corona. And the old gag about no man being able to serve two master is pretty accurate. True, HPL made a business of revision, etc...but his own writing was never regarded by him in that light. HPL used to send his original mss. to me, and to Dereleth, Smith, Price, and the other boys, and ask quite candidly: did we think this yarn was good enough to submit? G. G. Glopp, with stories in 15 magazines this month, including 5 cover yarns, would have ripped his mss. off to his agent so fast... But why belabour the obvious? Few will dispute that Clark Ashton Smith is probably the greatest living serious fantasy writer. I don't think it's any coincidence that CAS is also one of the few fantasy writers whose work is a labor of love. CAS has never changed his style for new magazines, new editors, new rates. CAS doesn't wait for "market tips". Neither did Lovecraft. Understand, I am not saying you can't write a good "commercial" story. But I do say that if you write "commercially", every story will not be good--in fact, every third or fourth story will hardly rate more than fair--and only about once in every ten tales can the average author expect to turn out a yarn worthy of appearance in print alongside the work of conscientious creators of fantasy. I know. I've done my share of hacking. I know lots of the boys who also do their share...and I know that many of them have genuine ability and an aptitude which, if properly developed, might blossom out into an individual style. I'm not blaming the boys, any more than I would blame myself. We don't own any ivory towers in which to hide from mundane responsibilities...and I suppose that HPL and CAS might have bowed to convention had they assumed the burden of family life and obligations. A large share of the blame (if any) rests squarely on the shoulders of the editors and readers alike...editors who haven't the guts to insist on paying good rates (they know that their publishers are giving 5[[cent symbol]] a word to detective story writers while limiting their fantasy authors to 1[[cent symbol]] or 1 1/2[[cent symbol]])...editors who have pet "slants" and accept stories that conform to their "ideas about fantasy" (which are suspiciously concrete rules for a supposedly ethereal field). Readers are guilty only of poor taste...though I think a renascence of interest on their part in the genuine fantasy would not be impossible. Well, I'm rambling and know it. But to me, it has always been patent that HPL's genius lay in his personality--that his style and subject matter alike were always secondary manifestations of his modus vivendi--and to me, the secret of good fantasy lies not in the study of Lovecraft's literary methodology, but in a sincere consideration of his personal philosophy and ethics. When more writers live the kind of life that Lovecraft did, then more great fantasies will be written. ---oo0oo--- Lack of space crowds a number of highly interesting letters out of this month's Fantasy Forum. We have to hold over for the next issue letters by T. O. Mabbott, Mick McComas, Stuart Boland, Fritz Leiber, Mike Fern, and a number of others. We hope that this necessary curtailment will not impair the flow of usable letters; lack of time compells us to limit this magazine rigidly to 30 pages. If we have sufficient material, we shall set aside six pages of next issue for the Forum, which has always been one of our more popular features? Won't you send us your letter? ---FTL/SDR -- 29 --
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
