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Science Fiction Collector, v. 5, issue 1, May 1939
Page 28
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Page Twenty-Eight -- Science Fiction Collector this road when you become tired of straight science fiction is being unreasonable -- whether the avenue is Michelism, science as a vocation, love of the weird side of fantasy, or what have you. Some readers of science fiction will extend their activities into the field of general fan activities, without specializing. Others will begin to write as well as read science fiction. Others, as I have said, will go into weird, scientific research, Communism, or any of several other fields. But to say that any one of these ways is 'not stf' is being unfair to those who desire to follow them as fans. A fan is a rather peculiar creature. The English have led in picking out their characteristics; and, with the understanding that no one person need fill all these requirements; we can say that most fans are Supreme egotists; introverts; tho possibly partially socialized; well above the average in intelligence; veteran readers of stf (LV's poll shows that, somehow, new readers simply do not find their way into fandom immediately); comparatively young; possessing writing abilities slightly better than norm; and so on. As recruiter for the Oklahoma Scientifiction Association, I speedily learned that a person either is or isn't of fan timber; and if he isn't, no amount of high pressuring will make him one. Fans, then, are a distincter group, and there is no need to try to lay down barriers beyond which they shall not. go. We need not fear the destruction of our hobby by allowing them to discuss things seemingly not related to Jules Verne's type of literature; they wouldn't be fans if they didn't see something in it and, if they no longer see anything in it they will automatically eliminate themselves.
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Page Twenty-Eight -- Science Fiction Collector this road when you become tired of straight science fiction is being unreasonable -- whether the avenue is Michelism, science as a vocation, love of the weird side of fantasy, or what have you. Some readers of science fiction will extend their activities into the field of general fan activities, without specializing. Others will begin to write as well as read science fiction. Others, as I have said, will go into weird, scientific research, Communism, or any of several other fields. But to say that any one of these ways is 'not stf' is being unfair to those who desire to follow them as fans. A fan is a rather peculiar creature. The English have led in picking out their characteristics; and, with the understanding that no one person need fill all these requirements; we can say that most fans are Supreme egotists; introverts; tho possibly partially socialized; well above the average in intelligence; veteran readers of stf (LV's poll shows that, somehow, new readers simply do not find their way into fandom immediately); comparatively young; possessing writing abilities slightly better than norm; and so on. As recruiter for the Oklahoma Scientifiction Association, I speedily learned that a person either is or isn't of fan timber; and if he isn't, no amount of high pressuring will make him one. Fans, then, are a distincter group, and there is no need to try to lay down barriers beyond which they shall not. go. We need not fear the destruction of our hobby by allowing them to discuss things seemingly not related to Jules Verne's type of literature; they wouldn't be fans if they didn't see something in it and, if they no longer see anything in it they will automatically eliminate themselves.
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