Transcribe
Translate
Voice of the Imagination, whole no. 25, October 1942
Page 4
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
VOICE OF THE And that's why I swore of the word 'fact'. Is it a fact that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor? Not just like that. Certain movements of matter in space took place, and 'the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor' is a very great symbolization and compression and summation of the observed phenomena. 'The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor' is not a fact. " It's a very good point that Heinlein has made in defense of science fiction, asserting its superiority over even the very best historical fiction in one respect; but of course inferiority in other respects may outweigh this. " We are warned against arguing with people who obviously do not use the scientific method. But I have never encountered anyone, who didn't come in the recognized category of insanity, who was incapable of having his opinions on some points altered by rational argument, properly presented; the rules of reason, the simple ones, are just too inescapable not to be forced upon everyone, even someone who claims to put something else--the authority of the Pope for example--above all his reasoning. Maybe my experience hasn't been wide enough to encounter apparently sane people that this isn't true of, if they do exist. " Heinlein is in deep water when he tries to get us to abandon reasoning based on the class concept because it has in particular applications led to such abuses as anti-Semitism. He says we should never prejudge a thing just because it is a member of a class we've already had experience with; that we should wait and form an opinion on it on its own manifested merits. But to follow this strictly would leave us hopelessly at sea; we'd have no right not to fondle a striped kitty in Albermarle, Virginia, just because unpleasant consequences had followed fondling striped kitties on Pipe Creek, Oklahoma. Some other way must be found to meet abuses of class reasoning than to throw the whole thing out the window. " I guess that's all I had to say about The Discovery of the Future. Heinlein did a swell job of saying a lot of things heretofore unsaid, and contributed a deal of new thought-matter in the bargain. " A few words about the Damn Thin. I'm sorry that this is being discontinued, not because it's a good mag, but because now I can't make use of that Monstrous Petition I circulated among fans, requesting the distintinuance of Scientifictionurserymes. The Denvention write-up at least covers angles hitherto little described, and the attitude of opposition to a super-organization in fandom is interesting. [[handwritten]]Louie Berg[[end handwriting]]ler breaks into Vom from Newport, Ark. "I just happened to get ahold of a copy of your very 'xlnt' mag VOM. I think it is very interesting in places, but: some of the boys seem insane. " For instance the drivel about one honorable Mr. Tucker, whose announcements appear throughout the pub. A friend of mine in Tennesee tells me a guy in Iowa started the drivel about 'leaving fandom' and 'joining fandom'. Huh? " The reason I am writing you is that I'd like to introduce myself as a fan. Shore, I read the literature called science fiction. " Your mag 'VOM' seems to be where fans are heard, so I done thought you all would give me a chance."
Saving...
prev
next
VOICE OF THE And that's why I swore of the word 'fact'. Is it a fact that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor? Not just like that. Certain movements of matter in space took place, and 'the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor' is a very great symbolization and compression and summation of the observed phenomena. 'The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor' is not a fact. " It's a very good point that Heinlein has made in defense of science fiction, asserting its superiority over even the very best historical fiction in one respect; but of course inferiority in other respects may outweigh this. " We are warned against arguing with people who obviously do not use the scientific method. But I have never encountered anyone, who didn't come in the recognized category of insanity, who was incapable of having his opinions on some points altered by rational argument, properly presented; the rules of reason, the simple ones, are just too inescapable not to be forced upon everyone, even someone who claims to put something else--the authority of the Pope for example--above all his reasoning. Maybe my experience hasn't been wide enough to encounter apparently sane people that this isn't true of, if they do exist. " Heinlein is in deep water when he tries to get us to abandon reasoning based on the class concept because it has in particular applications led to such abuses as anti-Semitism. He says we should never prejudge a thing just because it is a member of a class we've already had experience with; that we should wait and form an opinion on it on its own manifested merits. But to follow this strictly would leave us hopelessly at sea; we'd have no right not to fondle a striped kitty in Albermarle, Virginia, just because unpleasant consequences had followed fondling striped kitties on Pipe Creek, Oklahoma. Some other way must be found to meet abuses of class reasoning than to throw the whole thing out the window. " I guess that's all I had to say about The Discovery of the Future. Heinlein did a swell job of saying a lot of things heretofore unsaid, and contributed a deal of new thought-matter in the bargain. " A few words about the Damn Thin. I'm sorry that this is being discontinued, not because it's a good mag, but because now I can't make use of that Monstrous Petition I circulated among fans, requesting the distintinuance of Scientifictionurserymes. The Denvention write-up at least covers angles hitherto little described, and the attitude of opposition to a super-organization in fandom is interesting. [[handwritten]]Louie Berg[[end handwriting]]ler breaks into Vom from Newport, Ark. "I just happened to get ahold of a copy of your very 'xlnt' mag VOM. I think it is very interesting in places, but: some of the boys seem insane. " For instance the drivel about one honorable Mr. Tucker, whose announcements appear throughout the pub. A friend of mine in Tennesee tells me a guy in Iowa started the drivel about 'leaving fandom' and 'joining fandom'. Huh? " The reason I am writing you is that I'd like to introduce myself as a fan. Shore, I read the literature called science fiction. " Your mag 'VOM' seems to be where fans are heard, so I done thought you all would give me a chance."
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
