Transcribe
Translate
Scientifictionist, v. 2, issue 2, whole no. 8, March-April 1947
Page 15
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
ary stature at least to be taken seriously by book reviewers and literary critics; Harold M. Sherman's principle achievement, so far as I know, has been the production of innumerable volumes of juvenile sports stories. Their novels reflect their respective backgrounds. "Agharti" has already been sufficiently discussed for the nonce; Hauser is not going to push Wells, Stapledon, and Huxley off the map overnight, but even his casual pulp writing establishes him near the top among the lesser science fiction writers, and by strictly literary standards probably above any other writer for the pulps during recent times. "The Green Man" and Harold M. Sherman I'll herewith dispose of. "The Green Man" is marked by ludicrous, elephantine efforts at whimsy and never succeeds in deciding whether to be fiction or outright farce. It violates one of the most basic rules of fiction-writing, one that is likely to be referred to in lists of the 'ten commonest blunders of amateur writers' in any writers' magazine -- in the end it all turns out to be a dream. For those who like dreams, Burbee publishes better ones. The kindest thing that can be said of "The Green Man" is that it is grotesquely funny if you have the sort of sense of humor that finds amusement in gross ineptitude. R. I. P. Kennedy's piece is interesting. I'm not persuaded that the naive idealism of the characteristic s-f reader (particularly the very young one) is altogether healthy and desirable, but it seems to be fairly normal in this culture during adolescence. It does lead to some distressingly rude awakenings in some cases, and too often foreshadows attitudes in maturity either of defeatist pessimism or of blind escapist refusal to recognize facts. Look around at any fan group to see what I mean. C. Burton Stevenson, 521 E. Monroe, Phoenix, Arizona. "TITANS' BATTLE" (cont'd from page 5) Now the question comes up of what his reason was for slandering Technocracy. Obviously, in view of Hauser's ignorance, stupidity and fascist leanings Technocracy gets associated with some very bad company in his story. This is done by using the transfer and name calling devices of propaganda. (See the Sept.-Oct. 1944 Great Lakes Technocrat for an explanation of these propaganda devices.) Technocracy is mentioned about twenty times throughout the story. It is pictured as a dictatorship of the 'elite', the old families, the big property holders. If this story were thoroughly analyzed instead of being read only once we think a good case could be made for a law suit. All official Technocracy literature states social objectives diametrically opposed to the type of tyranny that Hauser pictures. Anyone who has ever read any of our literature would at once note this fact. Intentionally or not this story is fascist propaganda against Technocracy. Hauser is guilty of lying, misrepresenting and slandering Technocracy. However, it seems to us that any real science fiction fan will dismiss the whole story as one of very low grade. Anyway, we think that Technocracy will survive Hauser's lies and low grade imaginings. This is the kind of story that puts science fiction in bad odor. We imagine the body of H.G. Wells would turn over in his English grave if he could hear about this. He and Verne and other masters of science fiction did not write fascist propaganda. They told a series of stories of science in the service of humanity. THE WORLD OF 1990 (cont'd from page 4) ourd Richter...was not likely to have his mind encumbered by any superstition of the existence of a personal deity." Atheists in the audience, however, are doomed weakness, but quiet strength, in the long patience of God." #Review er's note: Rosebud is not an expression employed by author Fowler, but by a fouler author by the nomdeplume of Wilson (Chinese Doll) Tucker, believed to have been an actual character, destroyed when the Balinese atombombed Bloomington, Illinois, in 1969. page 15
Saving...
prev
next
ary stature at least to be taken seriously by book reviewers and literary critics; Harold M. Sherman's principle achievement, so far as I know, has been the production of innumerable volumes of juvenile sports stories. Their novels reflect their respective backgrounds. "Agharti" has already been sufficiently discussed for the nonce; Hauser is not going to push Wells, Stapledon, and Huxley off the map overnight, but even his casual pulp writing establishes him near the top among the lesser science fiction writers, and by strictly literary standards probably above any other writer for the pulps during recent times. "The Green Man" and Harold M. Sherman I'll herewith dispose of. "The Green Man" is marked by ludicrous, elephantine efforts at whimsy and never succeeds in deciding whether to be fiction or outright farce. It violates one of the most basic rules of fiction-writing, one that is likely to be referred to in lists of the 'ten commonest blunders of amateur writers' in any writers' magazine -- in the end it all turns out to be a dream. For those who like dreams, Burbee publishes better ones. The kindest thing that can be said of "The Green Man" is that it is grotesquely funny if you have the sort of sense of humor that finds amusement in gross ineptitude. R. I. P. Kennedy's piece is interesting. I'm not persuaded that the naive idealism of the characteristic s-f reader (particularly the very young one) is altogether healthy and desirable, but it seems to be fairly normal in this culture during adolescence. It does lead to some distressingly rude awakenings in some cases, and too often foreshadows attitudes in maturity either of defeatist pessimism or of blind escapist refusal to recognize facts. Look around at any fan group to see what I mean. C. Burton Stevenson, 521 E. Monroe, Phoenix, Arizona. "TITANS' BATTLE" (cont'd from page 5) Now the question comes up of what his reason was for slandering Technocracy. Obviously, in view of Hauser's ignorance, stupidity and fascist leanings Technocracy gets associated with some very bad company in his story. This is done by using the transfer and name calling devices of propaganda. (See the Sept.-Oct. 1944 Great Lakes Technocrat for an explanation of these propaganda devices.) Technocracy is mentioned about twenty times throughout the story. It is pictured as a dictatorship of the 'elite', the old families, the big property holders. If this story were thoroughly analyzed instead of being read only once we think a good case could be made for a law suit. All official Technocracy literature states social objectives diametrically opposed to the type of tyranny that Hauser pictures. Anyone who has ever read any of our literature would at once note this fact. Intentionally or not this story is fascist propaganda against Technocracy. Hauser is guilty of lying, misrepresenting and slandering Technocracy. However, it seems to us that any real science fiction fan will dismiss the whole story as one of very low grade. Anyway, we think that Technocracy will survive Hauser's lies and low grade imaginings. This is the kind of story that puts science fiction in bad odor. We imagine the body of H.G. Wells would turn over in his English grave if he could hear about this. He and Verne and other masters of science fiction did not write fascist propaganda. They told a series of stories of science in the service of humanity. THE WORLD OF 1990 (cont'd from page 4) ourd Richter...was not likely to have his mind encumbered by any superstition of the existence of a personal deity." Atheists in the audience, however, are doomed weakness, but quiet strength, in the long patience of God." #Review er's note: Rosebud is not an expression employed by author Fowler, but by a fouler author by the nomdeplume of Wilson (Chinese Doll) Tucker, believed to have been an actual character, destroyed when the Balinese atombombed Bloomington, Illinois, in 1969. page 15
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
