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Spaceways, v. 3, issue 4, May 1941
Page 7
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SPACEWAYS 7 L'APRES-MIDI D'UN FAN somewhat behind, and has his pro indices complete only up until last spring. However, he would no doubt be right there with bells on, had he not become involved in the fascinating intricacies of rocket math and radio in 1940. And in spite of the disconcerting Hydra-like fanmags (three new ones sprouting up for every one that flops), he is right up to date in filing them. Bob fondly imagines he will get caught up on the promags sometime. I have great respect for his industry and capacity for work, but when I gazed at his shelf of un-indexed mags which came out in 1940, I indeed think it will be "sometime". Or more aply, "some time"! Not only have these amazing files complete tabs on all stf stories from 1926 to 1940, but they have all been rated (Doc's personal preference, of course) according to a unique color-scheme. The ratings range from zero which is putrid to 4 which denotes a once-in-a-year classic. Zero is represented by black; 1--pink--punk; 2--green--average; 3--blue--good; 4--gold--classic. And that isn't all. The indefatigable and ingenious Swisher sneaks in a third dimension in which the colors are placed in certain positions in the file from left to right, classifying the stories into types--interplanetary, time-travel, etc. On inquiry about the purpose of the "type" classification, Bob replied, "It looks pretty," which impressed yhos as much as the entire files. Here was a guy not content with the most complete and exhaustive set of files in fandom but he made them pretty too! "Besides," he added, "it's handy to refer to in writing my time-travel article." "Article" is another of those Swisherian masterpieces of under-statement. "A complete treatise on the possibilities and impossibilities of time-travel" would be more nearly correct. Approximately a thousand pages filled with Bob's odd semi-printing script which crams practically as much wordage on a page as a typewriter, this amazing collection of data has exhaustive information on every type of time-travel ever used in a stf story and some besides, plus intriguing speculation, proofs, and counter-proofs by Swisher himself. He is attempting to prove that time-travel is possible, and is only one paradox removed from his goal. Getting back on the main line again, a few figures may be interesting. According to his methods of rating mentioned a while back--here's the way he decided his favorite authors for a certain poll--dividing the number of stories or installments into the total number of points given at the time of reading, the following averages stack up: EESmith: 3.91; JWCampbell:3.68; Campbell-Stuart: 3. 61; Stuart: 3.45; Meritt: 3.31; Taine: 3.26; Weinbaum: 3.10. He has also applied this method to the total stories published in each year from 1926 to 1939. The best year, in his opinion, was 1927 with an average of 2.14. The worst, strange to say, was 1926, with 1.67. The average continued from 1.90 to 2.00 until 1933 when it took a sharp drop to 1.73. It has been rising steadily since, but RDS thinks it will take another deep drop due to the influx of dozens of new mags with low-grade stories. Swisher cares very little for fantasy, except Unknown, and that mainly because it is a Campbell magazine, and Campbell is a personal friend of his. However, he does like Lovecraft, so weird fans can forgive him the rest of it. Checking up on the fan index, yhos found that Wollheim and Ackerman had filled up some three and a half cards each with references to their writings. This is no mean accomplishment as approximately fifty refs are on a card. For instance, this article will get the following small notation on my card: SpIII4. Classifications are noted even here, with the notations being underlined in colored pencil. Green--scientific; red--humor; yellow--story; black--nuts. The last is not exactly an expression of contempt, but rather an attempt to classify those pieces so completely wacky that they fall into a class by themselves. Also every letter written to a promag has been noted. Close on the heels of DAW and 4e comes Jack Speer, just starting his fourth card. We think Juffus may actual- (concluded on page 11)
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SPACEWAYS 7 L'APRES-MIDI D'UN FAN somewhat behind, and has his pro indices complete only up until last spring. However, he would no doubt be right there with bells on, had he not become involved in the fascinating intricacies of rocket math and radio in 1940. And in spite of the disconcerting Hydra-like fanmags (three new ones sprouting up for every one that flops), he is right up to date in filing them. Bob fondly imagines he will get caught up on the promags sometime. I have great respect for his industry and capacity for work, but when I gazed at his shelf of un-indexed mags which came out in 1940, I indeed think it will be "sometime". Or more aply, "some time"! Not only have these amazing files complete tabs on all stf stories from 1926 to 1940, but they have all been rated (Doc's personal preference, of course) according to a unique color-scheme. The ratings range from zero which is putrid to 4 which denotes a once-in-a-year classic. Zero is represented by black; 1--pink--punk; 2--green--average; 3--blue--good; 4--gold--classic. And that isn't all. The indefatigable and ingenious Swisher sneaks in a third dimension in which the colors are placed in certain positions in the file from left to right, classifying the stories into types--interplanetary, time-travel, etc. On inquiry about the purpose of the "type" classification, Bob replied, "It looks pretty," which impressed yhos as much as the entire files. Here was a guy not content with the most complete and exhaustive set of files in fandom but he made them pretty too! "Besides," he added, "it's handy to refer to in writing my time-travel article." "Article" is another of those Swisherian masterpieces of under-statement. "A complete treatise on the possibilities and impossibilities of time-travel" would be more nearly correct. Approximately a thousand pages filled with Bob's odd semi-printing script which crams practically as much wordage on a page as a typewriter, this amazing collection of data has exhaustive information on every type of time-travel ever used in a stf story and some besides, plus intriguing speculation, proofs, and counter-proofs by Swisher himself. He is attempting to prove that time-travel is possible, and is only one paradox removed from his goal. Getting back on the main line again, a few figures may be interesting. According to his methods of rating mentioned a while back--here's the way he decided his favorite authors for a certain poll--dividing the number of stories or installments into the total number of points given at the time of reading, the following averages stack up: EESmith: 3.91; JWCampbell:3.68; Campbell-Stuart: 3. 61; Stuart: 3.45; Meritt: 3.31; Taine: 3.26; Weinbaum: 3.10. He has also applied this method to the total stories published in each year from 1926 to 1939. The best year, in his opinion, was 1927 with an average of 2.14. The worst, strange to say, was 1926, with 1.67. The average continued from 1.90 to 2.00 until 1933 when it took a sharp drop to 1.73. It has been rising steadily since, but RDS thinks it will take another deep drop due to the influx of dozens of new mags with low-grade stories. Swisher cares very little for fantasy, except Unknown, and that mainly because it is a Campbell magazine, and Campbell is a personal friend of his. However, he does like Lovecraft, so weird fans can forgive him the rest of it. Checking up on the fan index, yhos found that Wollheim and Ackerman had filled up some three and a half cards each with references to their writings. This is no mean accomplishment as approximately fifty refs are on a card. For instance, this article will get the following small notation on my card: SpIII4. Classifications are noted even here, with the notations being underlined in colored pencil. Green--scientific; red--humor; yellow--story; black--nuts. The last is not exactly an expression of contempt, but rather an attempt to classify those pieces so completely wacky that they fall into a class by themselves. Also every letter written to a promag has been noted. Close on the heels of DAW and 4e comes Jack Speer, just starting his fourth card. We think Juffus may actual- (concluded on page 11)
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