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Scientifictionist, v. 2, issue 1, November 1946-January 1947

Page 15

ered society there is room for neither petty politicians nor stumblebum statesmanship.

It's too bad Cameron didn't illustrate with concrete examples his opinion that Technocracy was "nothing but bureaucratic dictatorship". Technocracy has been called names before: "Communistic" (as is currently fashionable) by the pro-fascists and "fascistic" by the parlor pinks and their fellow-travelers, so Cameron can choose his bedfellows.

We might answer this accusation by asking if the captain of an ocean liner, who is not elected by his passengers but chosen for his ability, is exercising bureaucratic dictatorship in the operation of the vessel under his command? Is the Chief Engineer of a hydro-electric installation, who is not elected by the consumers of the water and power flowing from his plant, but selected on the basis of ability, also exercising bureaucratic dictatorship in the operation of his equipment in his charge? If so, then Technocracy, to the same extent and in the same degree, is bureaucratic dictatorship. An unbiased investigation, however, will term it social engineering -- and Technocracy Inc. invites investigation by all patriotic North Americans.

Those others of a more ostrich-like complex should be reminded that Herbert Spencer once said, in effect, that "There is an attitude on the part of man that acts to keep him in eternal ignorance, and that attitude is condemnation prior to investigation." Russ Hodgkins, 774 Caliburn Drive, Los Angeles 2, California.

Stanley's Reviews Best

As for #6; I like the format of the cover very much, having approved of this idea when Comet used the same set-up a few years ago. I hope you continue this cover style. The cover pic is nicely done, if somewhat unimaginative. Nine out of ten "spacescapes" have a ringed planet in them somewhere, and this particular view is one of the most common. The greenraying globe is reminiscent of the Martian spaceships in the Buck Rogers strip of some 15 years ago.

Gerry de la Ree's review of AGHARTI makes me sorry I overlooked that novel, although Gerry isn't too specific about the reasons that the story is so outstanding. The mere fact that it is well written, while a recommendation, doesn't make it a classic, for as Norman Stanley says in this very issue, "A work of s-f cannot be judged adequately by the ordinary criteria of literary style alone." The theme of AGHARTI, as far as can be seen from this review, is certainly not new to stf, nor even to general literature, and from what is told of the plot, I can see little of novelty in that direction. However, I can't comment accurately till I read AGHARTI itself. Incidentally, I wonder what Amz readers thought of that novel? If they disliked it, that alone might seem a guarantee of the novel's true worth. Gerry's paragraph referring to WORLD OF A seems a bit off the point, and while I've read only the first installment of Van Vogt's yarn, I think it is stronger in many ways than SLAN. Here, again, I can't comment further till I read it all.

AMONG THE CLASSICS stands out as the best thing in the issue. This guy Stanley has ideas, and he can express them like a pro-critic. Best thing about this item is the comparison of THE CHAMBER OF LIFE to PYGMALION'S SPECTACLES. It is very interesting to me that Norman believes that a first-person treatment of a plot renders the reader's viewpoint a subjective one. While it can be argued that the reader usually identifies himself with the hero, whether or not the story is told in first-person, it has long been my theory, too, that a first-person narrative seems more personal than the other kind. Many times I have thought, "I wish Heinlein would write a first-person story" (I don't think he has, as yet, done so), for while he has given us many living instances of future civilizations -- particularly in BEYOND THIS HORIZON -- seldom have these carefully depicted worlds of tomorrow seemed "lived in". It's hard to imagine yourself living in a Heinlein civilization, even though the story you're reading describes the doings of an ordinary (sic) businessman of the day. Heinlein's characters are always too busy filling out a line or two of his

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ered society there is room for neither petty politicians nor stumblebum statesmanship. It's too bad Cameron didn't illustrate with concrete examples his opinion that Technocracy was "nothing but bureaucratic dictatorship". Technocracy has been called names before: "Communistic" (as is currently fashionable) by the pro-fascists and "fascistic" by the parlor pinks and their fellow-travelers, so Cameron can choose his bedfellows. We might answer this accusation by asking if the captain of an ocean liner, who is not elected by his passengers but chosen for his ability, is exercising bureaucratic dictatorship in the operation of the vessel under his command? Is the Chief Engineer of a hydro-electric installation, who is not elected by the consumers of the water and power flowing from his plant, but selected on the basis of ability, also exercising bureaucratic dictatorship in the operation of his equipment in his charge? If so, then Technocracy, to the same extent and in the same degree, is bureaucratic dictatorship. An unbiased investigation, however, will term it social engineering -- and Technocracy Inc. invites investigation by all patriotic North Americans. Those others of a more ostrich-like complex should be reminded that Herbert Spencer once said, in effect, that "There is an attitude on the part of man that acts to keep him in eternal ignorance, and that attitude is condemnation prior to investigation." Russ Hodgkins, 774 Caliburn Drive, Los Angeles 2, California. Stanley's Reviews Best As for #6; I like the format of the cover very much, having approved of this idea when Comet used the same set-up a few years ago. I hope you continue this cover style. The cover pic is nicely done, if somewhat unimaginative. Nine out of ten "spacescapes" have a ringed planet in them somewhere, and this particular view is one of the most common. The greenraying globe is reminiscent of the Martian spaceships in the Buck Rogers strip of some 15 years ago. Gerry de la Ree's review of AGHARTI makes me sorry I overlooked that novel, although Gerry isn't too specific about the reasons that the story is so outstanding. The mere fact that it is well written, while a recommendation, doesn't make it a classic, for as Norman Stanley says in this very issue, "A work of s-f cannot be judged adequately by the ordinary criteria of literary style alone." The theme of AGHARTI, as far as can be seen from this review, is certainly not new to stf, nor even to general literature, and from what is told of the plot, I can see little of novelty in that direction. However, I can't comment accurately till I read AGHARTI itself. Incidentally, I wonder what Amz readers thought of that novel? If they disliked it, that alone might seem a guarantee of the novel's true worth. Gerry's paragraph referring to WORLD OF A seems a bit off the point, and while I've read only the first installment of Van Vogt's yarn, I think it is stronger in many ways than SLAN. Here, again, I can't comment further till I read it all. AMONG THE CLASSICS stands out as the best thing in the issue. This guy Stanley has ideas, and he can express them like a pro-critic. Best thing about this item is the comparison of THE CHAMBER OF LIFE to PYGMALION'S SPECTACLES. It is very interesting to me that Norman believes that a first-person treatment of a plot renders the reader's viewpoint a subjective one. While it can be argued that the reader usually identifies himself with the hero, whether or not the story is told in first-person, it has long been my theory, too, that a first-person narrative seems more personal than the other kind. Many times I have thought, "I wish Heinlein would write a first-person story" (I don't think he has, as yet, done so), for while he has given us many living instances of future civilizations -- particularly in BEYOND THIS HORIZON -- seldom have these carefully depicted worlds of tomorrow seemed "lived in". It's hard to imagine yourself living in a Heinlein civilization, even though the story you're reading describes the doings of an ordinary (sic) businessman of the day. Heinlein's characters are always too busy filling out a line or two of his page 15