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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 6, Spring 1945
Page 116
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116 FANTASY COMMENTATOR amusing to note that nearly every time the pyramids have been measured a slightly different set of dimensions has been obtained! This, naturally, hampers the believers not in the least; they convert the lengths of the various sides into whatever is their favorite system of units, and then read off the dates of history. Nevertheless, these crack-pots constitute a large potential buying-power for magazines, and the majority apparently believe in the Lemuria-Mu-Atlantis mythology. Consequently, Palmer must be congratulated on being clever enough to capitalize upon this fact in order to increase his magazines' circulation. An editor need not necessarily believe in his own hoaxes, of course, and such belief or non-belief has little to do with the hoaxes' success. Locke's moon hoax and the Atlantic-crossing hoax were very successful, as a matter of fact, until the true facts were revealed. Here, however, success should be permanent for there is no need of the truth ever coming to light. To capture these readers it is only necessary to publish issues of Amazing Stories containing stories which propitiate these crack-pots' views in fictional guise. And with Richard S. Shaver's "I Remember Lemuria" Palmer has instituted this very trend. Of course, to make this stick, it will be necessary for both editor and author to maintain---if tongue-in-cheekly---that they are publishing nothing but the truth. But they need not do so long: literally thousands of readers will write in to editor Palmer vouching with personal testimony for the truth of the hoax---because they already believed it, and are too contemptuous, lazy or psychopathic to verify the true position of scientific knowledge in our civilization. A religion is upheld by faith, not by evidence. Therefore, I predict the followers of fantasy will witness the successful operation of one the biggest hoaxes ever attempted in the field of science-fiction! Let us consider the first climax in this series of hoax-supporting stories---for that is what it will be---, analyzing its fallacies from a scientific viewpoint. Opinions are not noted, of course. Therefore if our fictional hero uses a "ray-gun" I shall accept it, since at present we have nothing of the sort with which to compare it; but if hydrogen is said to have two valence electronics (implying a nuclear charge of plus two) that is an error which can be easily disproved. False or outmoded hypotheses are also noted. So, buy a copy of the March, 1945 Amazing Stories, and let us go briefly through "I Remember Lemuria." In my abbreviated system of reference the first number refers to the page of the magazine, the second to the column on that page, and the letter following to the position in the column of the context cited (T is top, M, middle, B, bottom). An example: "32-2-M" would indicate the middle of the second column on page 32... The story's title: Lemuria is utilized here and in Palmer's early "blurbs," but this is transformed to Mu in the body of the tale. This is clever, as Lemuria was the hypothetical name given to a continent that might have existed in the Indian Ocean in prehistoric times. It originated about seventy years ago when scientists postulated its existence to explain the origin of the various races as evolved from the early prototype, the lemur. But as knowledge advanced, this theory was quickly thrown into the discard. Though now forgotten by scientists Lemuria has been kept in usage by the crack-pots. Mu, of course, is in the main Churchward's creation; this work has not been able to stand up in the light of modern discoveries. The editorial build-up: Aside from its greater-than-average volume, this needs little comment, as it is the usual and expected pattern. I might mention, however, that Palmer remarks (6-2-T) that science recognizes racial memory. I would be very interested just what reputable scientists he refers to. The plain fact is that the theory has been rejected completely by all except those in realms of astrology and similar fallacious pseudo-scientific groups.
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116 FANTASY COMMENTATOR amusing to note that nearly every time the pyramids have been measured a slightly different set of dimensions has been obtained! This, naturally, hampers the believers not in the least; they convert the lengths of the various sides into whatever is their favorite system of units, and then read off the dates of history. Nevertheless, these crack-pots constitute a large potential buying-power for magazines, and the majority apparently believe in the Lemuria-Mu-Atlantis mythology. Consequently, Palmer must be congratulated on being clever enough to capitalize upon this fact in order to increase his magazines' circulation. An editor need not necessarily believe in his own hoaxes, of course, and such belief or non-belief has little to do with the hoaxes' success. Locke's moon hoax and the Atlantic-crossing hoax were very successful, as a matter of fact, until the true facts were revealed. Here, however, success should be permanent for there is no need of the truth ever coming to light. To capture these readers it is only necessary to publish issues of Amazing Stories containing stories which propitiate these crack-pots' views in fictional guise. And with Richard S. Shaver's "I Remember Lemuria" Palmer has instituted this very trend. Of course, to make this stick, it will be necessary for both editor and author to maintain---if tongue-in-cheekly---that they are publishing nothing but the truth. But they need not do so long: literally thousands of readers will write in to editor Palmer vouching with personal testimony for the truth of the hoax---because they already believed it, and are too contemptuous, lazy or psychopathic to verify the true position of scientific knowledge in our civilization. A religion is upheld by faith, not by evidence. Therefore, I predict the followers of fantasy will witness the successful operation of one the biggest hoaxes ever attempted in the field of science-fiction! Let us consider the first climax in this series of hoax-supporting stories---for that is what it will be---, analyzing its fallacies from a scientific viewpoint. Opinions are not noted, of course. Therefore if our fictional hero uses a "ray-gun" I shall accept it, since at present we have nothing of the sort with which to compare it; but if hydrogen is said to have two valence electronics (implying a nuclear charge of plus two) that is an error which can be easily disproved. False or outmoded hypotheses are also noted. So, buy a copy of the March, 1945 Amazing Stories, and let us go briefly through "I Remember Lemuria." In my abbreviated system of reference the first number refers to the page of the magazine, the second to the column on that page, and the letter following to the position in the column of the context cited (T is top, M, middle, B, bottom). An example: "32-2-M" would indicate the middle of the second column on page 32... The story's title: Lemuria is utilized here and in Palmer's early "blurbs," but this is transformed to Mu in the body of the tale. This is clever, as Lemuria was the hypothetical name given to a continent that might have existed in the Indian Ocean in prehistoric times. It originated about seventy years ago when scientists postulated its existence to explain the origin of the various races as evolved from the early prototype, the lemur. But as knowledge advanced, this theory was quickly thrown into the discard. Though now forgotten by scientists Lemuria has been kept in usage by the crack-pots. Mu, of course, is in the main Churchward's creation; this work has not been able to stand up in the light of modern discoveries. The editorial build-up: Aside from its greater-than-average volume, this needs little comment, as it is the usual and expected pattern. I might mention, however, that Palmer remarks (6-2-T) that science recognizes racial memory. I would be very interested just what reputable scientists he refers to. The plain fact is that the theory has been rejected completely by all except those in realms of astrology and similar fallacious pseudo-scientific groups.
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