Transcribe
Translate
Spaceways, v. 4, issue 1, whole no. 24, December 1941
22
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
22 SPACEWAYS THE READERS ALWAYS WRITE that "scientific fiction", as fiction, is not scientific. It is fiction about science (was originally, anyhow), so the noun form of modifier, with its larger possible scope, is needed. " On the whole, tho there are many exceptions both ways, a couplet of words which as a couplet have a distinct meaning of their own, like a single word, and frequently not reminding the listener of the meaning of the component parts, will have the modifier in the noun form. One philologist I read saw no essential difference between words like "teaspoon" and "moonshine" and phrases like "wire staple" and "grease gun". In German, and frequently in English, such words are combined into one, as "Volkwagen" and "toothpaste". In the Romance languages, they may insist on expressing the preposition and come out with an abomination like "machin a ecrire", or they may get real bold and put the modifier first and join them with a hyphen, as "Haute-Marie". Their distinction in meaning when the adjective is placed before the noun (and not joinedwith a hyphen) is similar to my differentiation above between the meaning of a modifier in noun and in adjectival form, for example, "Un pobre hombre" and "Un hombre pobre". " As the meaning of science fiction is extended to include all sorts of things having little relation to organized science--political fantasy, for example--and as stf becomes harder and harder to define in terms of extrapolations from presentday science, and it will have less and less relation to the separate meanings of "science" and "fiction". Obviously, then, it falls in the class of terms discussed in the preceding paragraf, and tying it down with an adjectival form like "scientific" can only lead to greater difficulties in the future. " I dare you to print this. D. B. Thompson, 1903 Polk St., Alexandria, Louisiana comments: I couldn't tell whether RWL.'s cover was meant for a take-off, or was intended to be taken "straight". I think it is not to be taken straight, though. Widner's opening paragraph is worth 10+, but he doesn't seem to hold up, all the way through. Of course, he couldn't be expected to, even if the S of W did. I'm not at all sure that Beling's plan would help the pros; but it should help newcomers to fan activities. I doubt if the pros would back it, on the grounds that loaning out magazines would discourage sales. Farsaci is better, this time; still of little interest to me. Powers' article touches a point on which I have spent considerable thought. To tell the truth, I doubt if straight scientific fiction, except a few isolated examples which have a considerable immediate appeal, would make a hit with the general run of movie-goers. Certainly, though, I agree that the particular types of fantastic fiction being used on the screen does nothing to put our favorite reading matter in a favorable light. A few more pictures comparable to "Lost Horizon' would help a lot, especially if a little more futuristic science could be added to them, in gradually increasing amounts. " I thoroughly enjoyed "An Oyster's Query". The verse-form, the alliteration, and the bits of humorous internal rhyme tickled my fancy, as well as the contents of the poem. I also liked Corinne E's. contribution. The poetry this issue is above average. " "Beacon Light", though, is the big dish in this issue. Some of the ideas concerning Astounding expressed int he article so closely resemble some statements made by "Doc" at the Denvention, that I'm almost certain that he must be S F Cynic. I'll go along with him a very little way, and say that some of the stories in ASF have been below standard; but many of those he lambasts, I found very good. Whether S F Cynic is Lowndes or not, he seems to have adopted Lowndes' oft-expressed criterion for judging a story; namely, that it must present a certain type of "hopeful" future. Just what the type of future is, I haven't yet been able to discover, and doubt if "Doc" can describe it very adequately; but I think I have a vague notion of it. If my notion is right, I believe I prefer the types of futures described in ASF as being more likely, and, perhaps, more desirable, than the type "Doc" yearns for. " The description of Denver, as being on a "turntable, with the Shirley Savoy at the hub", is perfect. I have lived in Denver, some fifteen years before, and thought I knew my way around fairly well; but the location of the S-S- is such as to confuse anyone. As a matter of fact, one of the Denver natives, conducting the Galactic
Saving...
prev
next
22 SPACEWAYS THE READERS ALWAYS WRITE that "scientific fiction", as fiction, is not scientific. It is fiction about science (was originally, anyhow), so the noun form of modifier, with its larger possible scope, is needed. " On the whole, tho there are many exceptions both ways, a couplet of words which as a couplet have a distinct meaning of their own, like a single word, and frequently not reminding the listener of the meaning of the component parts, will have the modifier in the noun form. One philologist I read saw no essential difference between words like "teaspoon" and "moonshine" and phrases like "wire staple" and "grease gun". In German, and frequently in English, such words are combined into one, as "Volkwagen" and "toothpaste". In the Romance languages, they may insist on expressing the preposition and come out with an abomination like "machin a ecrire", or they may get real bold and put the modifier first and join them with a hyphen, as "Haute-Marie". Their distinction in meaning when the adjective is placed before the noun (and not joinedwith a hyphen) is similar to my differentiation above between the meaning of a modifier in noun and in adjectival form, for example, "Un pobre hombre" and "Un hombre pobre". " As the meaning of science fiction is extended to include all sorts of things having little relation to organized science--political fantasy, for example--and as stf becomes harder and harder to define in terms of extrapolations from presentday science, and it will have less and less relation to the separate meanings of "science" and "fiction". Obviously, then, it falls in the class of terms discussed in the preceding paragraf, and tying it down with an adjectival form like "scientific" can only lead to greater difficulties in the future. " I dare you to print this. D. B. Thompson, 1903 Polk St., Alexandria, Louisiana comments: I couldn't tell whether RWL.'s cover was meant for a take-off, or was intended to be taken "straight". I think it is not to be taken straight, though. Widner's opening paragraph is worth 10+, but he doesn't seem to hold up, all the way through. Of course, he couldn't be expected to, even if the S of W did. I'm not at all sure that Beling's plan would help the pros; but it should help newcomers to fan activities. I doubt if the pros would back it, on the grounds that loaning out magazines would discourage sales. Farsaci is better, this time; still of little interest to me. Powers' article touches a point on which I have spent considerable thought. To tell the truth, I doubt if straight scientific fiction, except a few isolated examples which have a considerable immediate appeal, would make a hit with the general run of movie-goers. Certainly, though, I agree that the particular types of fantastic fiction being used on the screen does nothing to put our favorite reading matter in a favorable light. A few more pictures comparable to "Lost Horizon' would help a lot, especially if a little more futuristic science could be added to them, in gradually increasing amounts. " I thoroughly enjoyed "An Oyster's Query". The verse-form, the alliteration, and the bits of humorous internal rhyme tickled my fancy, as well as the contents of the poem. I also liked Corinne E's. contribution. The poetry this issue is above average. " "Beacon Light", though, is the big dish in this issue. Some of the ideas concerning Astounding expressed int he article so closely resemble some statements made by "Doc" at the Denvention, that I'm almost certain that he must be S F Cynic. I'll go along with him a very little way, and say that some of the stories in ASF have been below standard; but many of those he lambasts, I found very good. Whether S F Cynic is Lowndes or not, he seems to have adopted Lowndes' oft-expressed criterion for judging a story; namely, that it must present a certain type of "hopeful" future. Just what the type of future is, I haven't yet been able to discover, and doubt if "Doc" can describe it very adequately; but I think I have a vague notion of it. If my notion is right, I believe I prefer the types of futures described in ASF as being more likely, and, perhaps, more desirable, than the type "Doc" yearns for. " The description of Denver, as being on a "turntable, with the Shirley Savoy at the hub", is perfect. I have lived in Denver, some fifteen years before, and thought I knew my way around fairly well; but the location of the S-S- is such as to confuse anyone. As a matter of fact, one of the Denver natives, conducting the Galactic
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
