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Shangri-La, July 1941
Page 20
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--------------------------------------------------------------------- PAGE 20 SHANGRI-LA --------------------------------------------------------------------- To still further bring this into line with the general reader, I have taken into consideration the extensive voting of the British Science Fiction Association, which, during 1939, was inaugurated and gained tremendous popularity. Each member voting on the best stories he had read each month and sending them in to myself at London. 1939 then, with 72 complete stories in the year, represented by eleven 4-star stories, gave birth to a particularly fierce headache. Because every one of these eleven were totally different in every respect except in the literary quality, which was excellent. They were: MAIDEN VOYAGE, LIVING FOSSIL, GOSMIC ENGINEERS, ONE AGAINST THE LEGION, CLOAK OF AESIR, SPECIAL FLIGHT, THE MORONS, GREATER THAN GODS, GENERAL SWAMP, LIFE-LINE, and SCULPTORS IN FIFE. Right away I can see two stories in that list some of you will probably condemn --- GENERAL SWAMP and SCULPTORS IN LIFE. I will defend my recordings, naturally. Engelhardt put over his story with the case of Burroughs and in the true Burroughs style. So much so, that if it had had ERB's name underneath the title you would have been fooled completely. West's yarn gained it's place solely upon literary grounds, and actually ranks bottom in my personal choice. From the remaining ten I worked down to three -- de Camp, Heinlein and C. L. Moore's stories, and from there to the latter's GREATER THAN GODS. That yarn nearly rates a 5-star recording, but doesn't quite, because it didn't stand out on its own. It had to be worked out...... Perhaps during 1939 Editor Campbell had much to think about on UNKNOWN -- a fact which, I think, proves itself. Therefore, ASTOUNDING had to take second place in build-up consideration. Proof that he is now popping up the magazine during 1940 is that I have already recorded one 5-star and four 4-star stories during the first three issues of the year! NO! That 5-star doesn't go to Smith, but I will deal with his stories a little later. Meanwhile this 5-star business had better be elucidated a little more to prove that I know just what I am talking about. 'YOU BET BUD' HE'S BEEN DRAFTED BUT HE STILL MEANS BUSINESS WHEN AFTER LE ZOMBIE box260 bloomington, illinois
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--------------------------------------------------------------------- PAGE 20 SHANGRI-LA --------------------------------------------------------------------- To still further bring this into line with the general reader, I have taken into consideration the extensive voting of the British Science Fiction Association, which, during 1939, was inaugurated and gained tremendous popularity. Each member voting on the best stories he had read each month and sending them in to myself at London. 1939 then, with 72 complete stories in the year, represented by eleven 4-star stories, gave birth to a particularly fierce headache. Because every one of these eleven were totally different in every respect except in the literary quality, which was excellent. They were: MAIDEN VOYAGE, LIVING FOSSIL, GOSMIC ENGINEERS, ONE AGAINST THE LEGION, CLOAK OF AESIR, SPECIAL FLIGHT, THE MORONS, GREATER THAN GODS, GENERAL SWAMP, LIFE-LINE, and SCULPTORS IN FIFE. Right away I can see two stories in that list some of you will probably condemn --- GENERAL SWAMP and SCULPTORS IN LIFE. I will defend my recordings, naturally. Engelhardt put over his story with the case of Burroughs and in the true Burroughs style. So much so, that if it had had ERB's name underneath the title you would have been fooled completely. West's yarn gained it's place solely upon literary grounds, and actually ranks bottom in my personal choice. From the remaining ten I worked down to three -- de Camp, Heinlein and C. L. Moore's stories, and from there to the latter's GREATER THAN GODS. That yarn nearly rates a 5-star recording, but doesn't quite, because it didn't stand out on its own. It had to be worked out...... Perhaps during 1939 Editor Campbell had much to think about on UNKNOWN -- a fact which, I think, proves itself. Therefore, ASTOUNDING had to take second place in build-up consideration. Proof that he is now popping up the magazine during 1940 is that I have already recorded one 5-star and four 4-star stories during the first three issues of the year! NO! That 5-star doesn't go to Smith, but I will deal with his stories a little later. Meanwhile this 5-star business had better be elucidated a little more to prove that I know just what I am talking about. 'YOU BET BUD' HE'S BEEN DRAFTED BUT HE STILL MEANS BUSINESS WHEN AFTER LE ZOMBIE box260 bloomington, illinois
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