DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Scientifictionist, v. 2, issue 1, November 1946-January 1947

Transcribe
Translate

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

Page 16

"History of the Future" to be bothered living normal lives. No doubt this feeling on the part of the reader could be extirpated if Heinlein's main character told the story. Things somehow seem more commonplace if they happen to you. ("Nothing ever happens to me", we always say.) How did I get on this subject?

One more minor point -- or two points, perhaps -- on AMONG THE CLASSICS. Stanley might have mentioned that, while Ray Cummings used the antithesis of Wertenbaker's plot in MAN FROM THE ATOM for his Golden Atom yarns, he did use the "journey to the macro-universe" idea in BEYOND THE STARS (and elsewhere, I guess.) But, of course, as Stanley points out, the combination of size-change, "eternal cycle" and branched time-line plots as used in THE MAN FROM THE ATOM is probably unique. The other point I want to mention: AMONG THE CLASSICS should definitely have been completed in one issue. I'd like to see this as a regular feature, but when Stanley gets started on a subject let him finish it. How about it?

Coslet's I.C. isn't up to standard (or perhaps he was above standard last ish) but nevertheless he comes in second only to Norman Stanley and AMONG THE CLASSICS. His review of illustrated architecture, futuristic and otherworldly, is complete enough, within its limits, but it isn't as introspective as it should have been. Some comments were needed as to the "liveability" of these dwellings of tomorrow, as well as something about the sort of materials needed to build such stupendous, many-leveled cities. (Do we have any metal today that's strong enough to erect such cities, if we wished?) Most of these airy cities sound very inviting, but personally I wouldn't care to live in the dome-like structures such as are usually features of such communities. Give me a Nissen (I mean "quonset") hut -- for they have end-walls, at least, where you can hang your picture of your wife, sweetheart, or Rita Hayworth! Coswal's article also should have included a summarization of the styles and types of architecture most popular with fantasy artists in Amz.

I WUZ ROBBED! by Rupert Evans (and relation to EEE?) didn't surprise me. Such a reaction is natural. Very few stories, especially magazine stories, stay "young". If you aren't a member of the audience for which a story is written -- the ones who buy the mag when it first comes out -- you are apt to think you were "robbed" when you read it. Techniques and writing styles evolve and the readers evolve, too. This isn't such a slow process , either; there are many young fans around who can't see anything in SLAN -- and that came out only six years ago. (P.S. I wonder if there are still copies left of "Skylark"?)

A WORD ABOUT THE PROS is good -- to use Thomassen's own adjective, but not up to Kent Bone's edition of last time. There isn't much life to it, and no color. The author isn't so set in his ideas and prejudices that he makes interesting reading just because you violently disagree with him. On the other hand, he is fair enough in his criticisms, although he isn't penetrating enough...also, if O'Donnell (author of VINTAGE SEASON) is a scodnim for Padgett -- as Thomassen seems to indicate -- and Padgett is a scodnim for Kuttner, why was the story by-lined in Stfist's review as "by Padgett". Why not come right out and give O'Donnell-Kuttner credit, and not Padgett-Kuttner? (If you get what I mean!!)

Jumping to your editorial, for the moment, we find your very candid admission that the letters this ish are "comparatively flat". Returning now to FOR 'EM AND AGIN 'EM, we find you are more or less correct. If you referred particularly to my letter, I agree with you; I didn't comment extensively because I thought the next issue was almost due, and that #5 was old stuff...the other missives are interesting, if not controversial. Dale Washburn's remarks on pulp fantasy should be read are those which are tacitly endorsed by every fan who reads any mags in the field at all. No one expects great literature in the pulps, but I do think we get stories therein which, unless they were written by a well-known author, would never be printed elsewhere, even if they were great literature. The concepts and ideas we meet in an average issue of ASF (or TWS, or Amz) would never be accepted by a general mag. "Fantastic" stories are taboo in most of the better (sic!) periodicals, and most of the

page 16

Saving...

"History of the Future" to be bothered living normal lives. No doubt this feeling on the part of the reader could be extirpated if Heinlein's main character told the story. Things somehow seem more commonplace if they happen to you. ("Nothing ever happens to me", we always say.) How did I get on this subject? One more minor point -- or two points, perhaps -- on AMONG THE CLASSICS. Stanley might have mentioned that, while Ray Cummings used the antithesis of Wertenbaker's plot in MAN FROM THE ATOM for his Golden Atom yarns, he did use the "journey to the macro-universe" idea in BEYOND THE STARS (and elsewhere, I guess.) But, of course, as Stanley points out, the combination of size-change, "eternal cycle" and branched time-line plots as used in THE MAN FROM THE ATOM is probably unique. The other point I want to mention: AMONG THE CLASSICS should definitely have been completed in one issue. I'd like to see this as a regular feature, but when Stanley gets started on a subject let him finish it. How about it? Coslet's I.C. isn't up to standard (or perhaps he was above standard last ish) but nevertheless he comes in second only to Norman Stanley and AMONG THE CLASSICS. His review of illustrated architecture, futuristic and otherworldly, is complete enough, within its limits, but it isn't as introspective as it should have been. Some comments were needed as to the "liveability" of these dwellings of tomorrow, as well as something about the sort of materials needed to build such stupendous, many-leveled cities. (Do we have any metal today that's strong enough to erect such cities, if we wished?) Most of these airy cities sound very inviting, but personally I wouldn't care to live in the dome-like structures such as are usually features of such communities. Give me a Nissen (I mean "quonset") hut -- for they have end-walls, at least, where you can hang your picture of your wife, sweetheart, or Rita Hayworth! Coswal's article also should have included a summarization of the styles and types of architecture most popular with fantasy artists in Amz. I WUZ ROBBED! by Rupert Evans (and relation to EEE?) didn't surprise me. Such a reaction is natural. Very few stories, especially magazine stories, stay "young". If you aren't a member of the audience for which a story is written -- the ones who buy the mag when it first comes out -- you are apt to think you were "robbed" when you read it. Techniques and writing styles evolve and the readers evolve, too. This isn't such a slow process , either; there are many young fans around who can't see anything in SLAN -- and that came out only six years ago. (P.S. I wonder if there are still copies left of "Skylark"?) A WORD ABOUT THE PROS is good -- to use Thomassen's own adjective, but not up to Kent Bone's edition of last time. There isn't much life to it, and no color. The author isn't so set in his ideas and prejudices that he makes interesting reading just because you violently disagree with him. On the other hand, he is fair enough in his criticisms, although he isn't penetrating enough...also, if O'Donnell (author of VINTAGE SEASON) is a scodnim for Padgett -- as Thomassen seems to indicate -- and Padgett is a scodnim for Kuttner, why was the story by-lined in Stfist's review as "by Padgett". Why not come right out and give O'Donnell-Kuttner credit, and not Padgett-Kuttner? (If you get what I mean!!) Jumping to your editorial, for the moment, we find your very candid admission that the letters this ish are "comparatively flat". Returning now to FOR 'EM AND AGIN 'EM, we find you are more or less correct. If you referred particularly to my letter, I agree with you; I didn't comment extensively because I thought the next issue was almost due, and that #5 was old stuff...the other missives are interesting, if not controversial. Dale Washburn's remarks on pulp fantasy should be read are those which are tacitly endorsed by every fan who reads any mags in the field at all. No one expects great literature in the pulps, but I do think we get stories therein which, unless they were written by a well-known author, would never be printed elsewhere, even if they were great literature. The concepts and ideas we meet in an average issue of ASF (or TWS, or Amz) would never be accepted by a general mag. "Fantastic" stories are taboo in most of the better (sic!) periodicals, and most of the page 16