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Fantasite, v. 2, issue 6, whole no. 12, February 1944

Page 4

4...........................................................................THE FANTASITE

                                         C'EST LA GUERRE

SHORTLY AFTER the entrance of the U.S. into the war a pessimistic viewpoint in regard to the future of fandom became apparent as fans began to realize that mankind was in for a big struggle, and that said struggle was going to have a very noticeable effect on fans, individually and collectively. This outlook, while never expressed with a great degree of volubility, was obvious in the trends of thought presented in various fan publications, in discussions, and in correspondence. It was a most natural and inevitable attitude, for many active fans were being drafted with increasing regularity, the induction of mos fans was ever imminent, and publishing activity, ever the mainstay of the fan world, was markedly on the decrease.
A lot of the younger enthusiasts were just emerging from a stage of orientation and were getting into the swing of activity, beginning to glance ahead a bit, formulating plans for active participation, and learning to derive some concrete pleasure from the complicated, strange, and intriguing hobby that is Fandom. The personal structures that these individuals were building up around the field because shaky as it began to appear that fandom might very likely undergo a neat-fatal period of dissolution. Also, about this time, a number of the stable, mature, old-guard fans were withdrawing for varied causes from activity, either settling back comfortably to watch for a while, or permanently casting adrift from science-fiction hobbying.
Certainly a most vital factor behind this somewhat saturnine atmosphere was the loss of a comparitively large number of veteran science-fiction authors who were either grabbed by the army or employed in time-consuming defense jobs. But the most important blow was forseen in the deprivation of the science-fiction pulps themselves.
The only irreparable loss, in the long-run, was in the actual demise of a number of professional magazines, forced to discontinue publication primarily because of the paper shortage. Remaining science-fiction editors have somewhat restored their losses by recruiting capable new authors from the ranks of fandom, and have successfully schooled and encouraged other newcomers to replace the absentee adepts. Thus, while our pulp fantasy fiction has decreased sharply in quantity, it has not suffered greatly, if at all, in quality, and there has been an opportunity for the entrance of new-blood.
In active fan circles the initial effect from the severe depletion in number of enthusiasts acquainted with the field is now swiftly being diminished by the introduction of many new fantasy followers in unprecedented numbers. It is true that many of these new, young fans are a mite to eager, and insist upon indulging in activities and publishing ventures which offer little or no support to a sorely-needed maturity in the amateur fantasy field; but some will mature quickly with the assistance of the older veterans and will at least help to uphold an active structure for returning fans after the war.
And now, fans who are interersted enough to do so, may look forward to a glowing future-fandom with maniforld possibilities for real advancement, growth of maturity, and in addition ot many doubly-enjoyable hours of hobbying, perhaps even a few occasions for professional ventures springing directly from science fiction. It's extremely comforting for an addicted scientifictionist to think in such a manner, at least.   PRB.

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4...........................................................................THE FANTASITE C'EST LA GUERRE SHORTLY AFTER the entrance of the U.S. into the war a pessimistic viewpoint in regard to the future of fandom became apparent as fans began to realize that mankind was in for a big struggle, and that said struggle was going to have a very noticeable effect on fans, individually and collectively. This outlook, while never expressed with a great degree of volubility, was obvious in the trends of thought presented in various fan publications, in discussions, and in correspondence. It was a most natural and inevitable attitude, for many active fans were being drafted with increasing regularity, the induction of mos fans was ever imminent, and publishing activity, ever the mainstay of the fan world, was markedly on the decrease. A lot of the younger enthusiasts were just emerging from a stage of orientation and were getting into the swing of activity, beginning to glance ahead a bit, formulating plans for active participation, and learning to derive some concrete pleasure from the complicated, strange, and intriguing hobby that is Fandom. The personal structures that these individuals were building up around the field because shaky as it began to appear that fandom might very likely undergo a neat-fatal period of dissolution. Also, about this time, a number of the stable, mature, old-guard fans were withdrawing for varied causes from activity, either settling back comfortably to watch for a while, or permanently casting adrift from science-fiction hobbying. Certainly a most vital factor behind this somewhat saturnine atmosphere was the loss of a comparitively large number of veteran science-fiction authors who were either grabbed by the army or employed in time-consuming defense jobs. But the most important blow was forseen in the deprivation of the science-fiction pulps themselves. The only irreparable loss, in the long-run, was in the actual demise of a number of professional magazines, forced to discontinue publication primarily because of the paper shortage. Remaining science-fiction editors have somewhat restored their losses by recruiting capable new authors from the ranks of fandom, and have successfully schooled and encouraged other newcomers to replace the absentee adepts. Thus, while our pulp fantasy fiction has decreased sharply in quantity, it has not suffered greatly, if at all, in quality, and there has been an opportunity for the entrance of new-blood. In active fan circles the initial effect from the severe depletion in number of enthusiasts acquainted with the field is now swiftly being diminished by the introduction of many new fantasy followers in unprecedented numbers. It is true that many of these new, young fans are a mite to eager, and insist upon indulging in activities and publishing ventures which offer little or no support to a sorely-needed maturity in the amateur fantasy field; but some will mature quickly with the assistance of the older veterans and will at least help to uphold an active structure for returning fans after the war. And now, fans who are interersted enough to do so, may look forward to a glowing future-fandom with maniforld possibilities for real advancement, growth of maturity, and in addition ot many doubly-enjoyable hours of hobbying, perhaps even a few occasions for professional ventures springing directly from science fiction. It's extremely comforting for an addicted scientifictionist to think in such a manner, at least. PRB.