DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Fantascience Digest, v. 3, issue 1, whole no. 12, January-February 1940

Transcribe
Translate

Fantascience Digest, v. 3, issue 1, whole no. 12, January-February 1940

Page 12

Page 12                      FANTASCIENCE DIGEST

ists. can become reality.

   Fascism wants to oust all objectors--not so Esperantism. Nazism wants to concentrate all those not in favor--not so Esperantism. Communism wants to butcher its enemis--not so Esperantism. Esperantism is nothing but an indirect effort for peace through comprehension betweens peoples of different tongues, nations, and political systems--by means of a simple, auxiliary language, Esperanto. 

   Esperanto-land is a world without censorship, where there is no language barrier--where brotherly love is a reality because people can understand their neighbors beyond the national boundary. There is no lack of understanding where there is Esperanto. There is no hatred where there is understanding. There is no war where there is no hatred. Figure it out for yourself. The only true and lasting peace can come through understanding. The only real understanding can come through a second tongue for all--Esperanto; simple, complete, beautiful!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

             UNCROWNED MASTERS
               By SAM MOSKOWITZ 
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
   Science fiction is full of authors--authors in every sense of the word--men who have written pieces which fans fondly call "classics" of science fiction--of fantasy, but their names are seldom referred to when no one discusses the masters of science fiction. A. Merritt, Edward E. Smith, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Murray Leinster, Homer Eon Flint, Georhe Allan England, John W. Campbell, Jr. (Don A. Stuart). These and many others fans will freelyconfess are entirley worthy of the title of "master" of science fiction. And I do not aim to blast any such claim.

   But still, there have been stories written which are classics, but the fans never rave over them. Stories, some of which overshadowed the best that Merritt, Smith, Weinbaum, etc., have been able to produce. Yet the authors who created them are not termed "great", not called "masters", in fact, they are barely referred to at all. They simply blend with the mass of fantasy producers; good, bad, and indifferent.

   Why is this? What quality have the so-called "masters" that their contemporaries did not possess? What is it that has raised their works, or if not their works, at least their names above those of men who are, in many cases, equal in craftsmanship to most of those above-mentioned?

   As I see it, this is the answer. Or I should say selection of answers. First, the acknowledged masters might have caused a sensation with his first story. Their first story was of such amazing excellence that one could no more ignore them than he could ignore a red light if he were driving a car. This is certainly truthful in the case of Stanley G. Weinbaum ("A Martian Odyssey" and Edward E. Smith ("The Skylark of Space"), and a great many others.

   Secondly, the author may have popular appeal. His style of writing suited the largest possible percentage of the science fiction reading audience. Weinbaum, Campbell, etc,, are certainly in this

Saving...

Page 12 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST ists. can become reality. Fascism wants to oust all objectors--not so Esperantism. Nazism wants to concentrate all those not in favor--not so Esperantism. Communism wants to butcher its enemis--not so Esperantism. Esperantism is nothing but an indirect effort for peace through comprehension betweens peoples of different tongues, nations, and political systems--by means of a simple, auxiliary language, Esperanto. Esperanto-land is a world without censorship, where there is no language barrier--where brotherly love is a reality because people can understand their neighbors beyond the national boundary. There is no lack of understanding where there is Esperanto. There is no hatred where there is understanding. There is no war where there is no hatred. Figure it out for yourself. The only true and lasting peace can come through understanding. The only real understanding can come through a second tongue for all--Esperanto; simple, complete, beautiful! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" UNCROWNED MASTERS By SAM MOSKOWITZ """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Science fiction is full of authors--authors in every sense of the word--men who have written pieces which fans fondly call "classics" of science fiction--of fantasy, but their names are seldom referred to when no one discusses the masters of science fiction. A. Merritt, Edward E. Smith, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Murray Leinster, Homer Eon Flint, Georhe Allan England, John W. Campbell, Jr. (Don A. Stuart). These and many others fans will freelyconfess are entirley worthy of the title of "master" of science fiction. And I do not aim to blast any such claim. But still, there have been stories written which are classics, but the fans never rave over them. Stories, some of which overshadowed the best that Merritt, Smith, Weinbaum, etc., have been able to produce. Yet the authors who created them are not termed "great", not called "masters", in fact, they are barely referred to at all. They simply blend with the mass of fantasy producers; good, bad, and indifferent. Why is this? What quality have the so-called "masters" that their contemporaries did not possess? What is it that has raised their works, or if not their works, at least their names above those of men who are, in many cases, equal in craftsmanship to most of those above-mentioned? As I see it, this is the answer. Or I should say selection of answers. First, the acknowledged masters might have caused a sensation with his first story. Their first story was of such amazing excellence that one could no more ignore them than he could ignore a red light if he were driving a car. This is certainly truthful in the case of Stanley G. Weinbaum ("A Martian Odyssey" and Edward E. Smith ("The Skylark of Space"), and a great many others. Secondly, the author may have popular appeal. His style of writing suited the largest possible percentage of the science fiction reading audience. Weinbaum, Campbell, etc,, are certainly in this