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Southern Star, v. 1, issue 1, 1941

Page 4

            - - - The - - - 
Round Robin... Southern Fans
             Sound Off

   The idea behind this department was this: some Southern fan would start things by asking a question, making a statement or giving his opinion on some controversial matter. Then one of the editors would take the question, statement, or opinion, and send it out to five different fans requesting their reactions. The fans would send back cards with their answers, the best one would be chosen, added to the first and sent out again to the same five. The idea was Mr. Fischer's, adopted from a similar experiment in Reader's Digest for the SOUTHERN STAR. Only it didn't work out that way. Gilbert -- the dope -- who was handling the department for the first issue, delayed starting the department so long that he found it necessary to send out cards to only one fan each time in order to speed things up. Just to make things worse, the mag hit thirty pages when it was dummied, and since only 22 pages had been planned for, there was only one page left for this department. Which explains the very sketchy way in which the following subject has been treated. For the 2nd issue we hope to have things conducted in the way originally intended. Keep a sharp lookout, y'all down heah in de good ole South. You're liable to be in on this next time!

Mr. Fischer, will you do the honors?

FWF: Do you believe that life on other planets, if such life exists, has developed on a line parallel with that on Earth? That is, are the life forms similar to those on this planet, or has evolution gone off on a tangent and produced life which to us would seem monstrous -- different? 

Art Sehnert: Mr. Fischer has asked a question that could, and probally will, take thousands of words to answer. To me, it seems that life on other planets would be parallel to Earth life for this reason: assuming that life was created by a supreme intelligence, then obviously life would have been patterned on the best possible structure. Thus if life on earth was created after the best form possible, it is absurd to think that life created by a supreme intelligence would vary from this pattern, irregardless of place, time or any other condition. 

Joe Gilbert: Phew! Move your feet, will you, Fred? I wanta slide under the table. Nice brain work, Art. Mr. Hanson? 

EBH: My preference is for bigger and greener bug-eyed monsters. Paul has imbued me very convincingly with his recent conceptions. Millions of miles must make radical differences in the forms life will take. Look what changes a few hundred miles make in the appearance and characteristics of Terra's man. F'instance -- I'm an awful lot lazier than you Fischer, Joe. And have you seen our tropical bathing beauties       
         The sun. The sun. 

JG: De Camp wrote an article called "Design For Life" which would, I'm sure, help greatly to clear up this question. But I never read it. Gad, I'm certainly a big help, ain't I -- pardon me -- ain't I not? It must be genius. Art, what do you say to Mr. Hanson's contention that proximity to, or distance from old Sol, would determine whether or not the "queer legged beasties" would look like something out of a surrealist's nightmare or remotely human? 

AS: Am forced to agree with Hanson's contention for obvious reason that life as we know it can't live without sun -- and going back to my original statement: life would quite necessarily be after the same pattern. 

JG: Which would seem to lead us back to where we started, and down to the bottom of this stencil. Somebody wake McQueen up.

WBM: After creasing the forehead, pulling the ear, scratching the nose and shifting feet, I arrive  at the profound conclusion that everything cancels out, leaving  the same capital 0 that framed the picture at the start. No toes stubbed, no friendships broken, no lives lost.          Some robin!     'Sta bueno!

Saving...

- - - The - - - Round Robin... Southern Fans Sound Off The idea behind this department was this: some Southern fan would start things by asking a question, making a statement or giving his opinion on some controversial matter. Then one of the editors would take the question, statement, or opinion, and send it out to five different fans requesting their reactions. The fans would send back cards with their answers, the best one would be chosen, added to the first and sent out again to the same five. The idea was Mr. Fischer's, adopted from a similar experiment in Reader's Digest for the SOUTHERN STAR. Only it didn't work out that way. Gilbert -- the dope -- who was handling the department for the first issue, delayed starting the department so long that he found it necessary to send out cards to only one fan each time in order to speed things up. Just to make things worse, the mag hit thirty pages when it was dummied, and since only 22 pages had been planned for, there was only one page left for this department. Which explains the very sketchy way in which the following subject has been treated. For the 2nd issue we hope to have things conducted in the way originally intended. Keep a sharp lookout, y'all down heah in de good ole South. You're liable to be in on this next time! Mr. Fischer, will you do the honors? FWF: Do you believe that life on other planets, if such life exists, has developed on a line parallel with that on Earth? That is, are the life forms similar to those on this planet, or has evolution gone off on a tangent and produced life which to us would seem monstrous -- different? Art Sehnert: Mr. Fischer has asked a question that could, and probally will, take thousands of words to answer. To me, it seems that life on other planets would be parallel to Earth life for this reason: assuming that life was created by a supreme intelligence, then obviously life would have been patterned on the best possible structure. Thus if life on earth was created after the best form possible, it is absurd to think that life created by a supreme intelligence would vary from this pattern, irregardless of place, time or any other condition. Joe Gilbert: Phew! Move your feet, will you, Fred? I wanta slide under the table. Nice brain work, Art. Mr. Hanson? EBH: My preference is for bigger and greener bug-eyed monsters. Paul has imbued me very convincingly with his recent conceptions. Millions of miles must make radical differences in the forms life will take. Look what changes a few hundred miles make in the appearance and characteristics of Terra's man. F'instance -- I'm an awful lot lazier than you Fischer, Joe. And have you seen our tropical bathing beauties The sun. The sun. JG: De Camp wrote an article called "Design For Life" which would, I'm sure, help greatly to clear up this question. But I never read it. Gad, I'm certainly a big help, ain't I -- pardon me -- ain't I not? It must be genius. Art, what do you say to Mr. Hanson's contention that proximity to, or distance from old Sol, would determine whether or not the "queer legged beasties" would look like something out of a surrealist's nightmare or remotely human? AS: Am forced to agree with Hanson's contention for obvious reason that life as we know it can't live without sun -- and going back to my original statement: life would quite necessarily be after the same pattern. JG: Which would seem to lead us back to where we started, and down to the bottom of this stencil. Somebody wake McQueen up. WBM: After creasing the forehead, pulling the ear, scratching the nose and shifting feet, I arrive at the profound conclusion that everything cancels out, leaving the same capital 0 that framed the picture at the start. No toes stubbed, no friendships broken, no lives lost. Some robin! 'Sta bueno!