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Science Fiction Fan, v. 2, issue 8, March 1938
Page 16
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16 FAN THE GAP BY S. Youd It has always been obvious that between American and British fans there is something of a division, a difference of temperament or character that produces a different reaction to stf and its allied interests. Probably the greatest contrast between the American and British fan is the fundamental one of their respective attitudes toward fantasy. Americans, it seems to us, take their favorite literature too much to heart, while among trans-atlantic fans we Britishers have gained a reputation for coldness and lack of enthusiasm. There is much truth in both of these views. The USA is a very young nation and its inhabitants have much of the creative impulse which has largely spent itself in Europe. With this creative urge, there is a tendency to let all interests become subordinate to one kind of super-enthusiasm which stretches out to engulf everything. Britain, on the other hand, has a long history behind it. So long that the equipoise of empire has well established itself and there is much justification for the fears that inevitable decadence has begun to set in. In any case, Englishmen have a stolidity of character and a moral side which forbids any great show of enthusiasm. With a few exceptions, English fans take the common-sense view that fantasy cannot be an integral part of their lives; it is at best a hobby and a diversion. It would be futile to endeavor to judge between the two points of view, for, as I have said, they depend on national character. As to the truth of my assertions, that can be easily be
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16 FAN THE GAP BY S. Youd It has always been obvious that between American and British fans there is something of a division, a difference of temperament or character that produces a different reaction to stf and its allied interests. Probably the greatest contrast between the American and British fan is the fundamental one of their respective attitudes toward fantasy. Americans, it seems to us, take their favorite literature too much to heart, while among trans-atlantic fans we Britishers have gained a reputation for coldness and lack of enthusiasm. There is much truth in both of these views. The USA is a very young nation and its inhabitants have much of the creative impulse which has largely spent itself in Europe. With this creative urge, there is a tendency to let all interests become subordinate to one kind of super-enthusiasm which stretches out to engulf everything. Britain, on the other hand, has a long history behind it. So long that the equipoise of empire has well established itself and there is much justification for the fears that inevitable decadence has begun to set in. In any case, Englishmen have a stolidity of character and a moral side which forbids any great show of enthusiasm. With a few exceptions, English fans take the common-sense view that fantasy cannot be an integral part of their lives; it is at best a hobby and a diversion. It would be futile to endeavor to judge between the two points of view, for, as I have said, they depend on national character. As to the truth of my assertions, that can be easily be
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