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Science Fiction Critic, v. 1, issue 6, December 1936

Page 9

9  THE SCIENCE FICTION CRITIC

THE DEAR, DEAD DAYS OF SCIENCE FICTION
by Frederik Pohl

Reminisce with me a moment.
Recall to mind the halcyon days of s-f; the "good old days," when Gernsback had Amazing Stories, when Astounding and Wonder
weren't even thought of.
Remember the time I mean? You do? And don't you regret its passing? I thought you would - sucker!
The "good old days," forsooth!
The days when Russia conquered the U. S. regularly on the third Tuesday of every month, when the tripe purveyed under the guise of
science fiction would be rejected by any magazine today, when the mental age of the average fan was seven instead of the nine and a half
of today.
Granted tl [sic] at today's stories leave much to be desired. Granted that there were many notable stories; The Skylark, The Moon Pool, a host of Wells' tales. Granted even that that was merely an earlier stage of s-f's evolution. But today's stories are, on the average, far better; and the
fact that the stories couldn't help being bad doesn't make them any more readable.
"They were giants in the earth
those days,"and they wrote with the clumsiness of giants. They took great themes, cosmic themes, and
degenerated them to interplanetary war. Of what avail to conceive of a Baron Munchausen brought up to date if he is merely to embark
on a bootless voyage to Mars?
It is said that today's science fiction may conveniently be divided into two classes: mathematical formulae and puddles of gore. But is not that not better than merely one class: pure Bilge?

"Courtesy of A. N. Marquis ..."
If the science fiction fan is looking for diversion, an hour or two spent with a copy of Who's Who in America will provide him with a good many  pleasant surprises. While looking through a copy of
this cyclopedia published some ten years ago I happened upon some
interesting information concerning several individuals now outstanding in science fiction. Three of these I
will now speak about, leaving further research into more recent editions to the readers' initiative.

Thomas O'Conor Sloane, scientific expert, (says this biography) was born in New York, November 24, 1851. He was educated at St. Francis Xavier College and Columbia University, and received the
honorary Degree of Letters at St. Francis Xavier in 1912. He was at one time - 1888-89 - professor of
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9 THE SCIENCE FICTION CRITIC THE DEAR, DEAD DAYS OF SCIENCE FICTION by Frederik Pohl Reminisce with me a moment. Recall to mind the halcyon days of s-f; the "good old days," when Gernsback had Amazing Stories, when Astounding and Wonder weren't even thought of. Remember the time I mean? You do? And don't you regret its passing? I thought you would - sucker! The "good old days," forsooth! The days when Russia conquered the U. S. regularly on the third Tuesday of every month, when the tripe purveyed under the guise of science fiction would be rejected by any magazine today, when the mental age of the average fan was seven instead of the nine and a half of today. Granted tl [sic] at today's stories leave much to be desired. Granted that there were many notable stories; The Skylark, The Moon Pool, a host of Wells' tales. Granted even that that was merely an earlier stage of s-f's evolution. But today's stories are, on the average, far better; and the fact that the stories couldn't help being bad doesn't make them any more readable. "They were giants in the earth those days,"and they wrote with the clumsiness of giants. They took great themes, cosmic themes, and degenerated them to interplanetary war. Of what avail to conceive of a Baron Munchausen brought up to date if he is merely to embark on a bootless voyage to Mars? It is said that today's science fiction may conveniently be divided into two classes: mathematical formulae and puddles of gore. But is not that not better than merely one class: pure Bilge? "Courtesy of A. N. Marquis ..." If the science fiction fan is looking for diversion, an hour or two spent with a copy of Who's Who in America will provide him with a good many pleasant surprises. While looking through a copy of this cyclopedia published some ten years ago I happened upon some interesting information concerning several individuals now outstanding in science fiction. Three of these I will now speak about, leaving further research into more recent editions to the readers' initiative. Thomas O'Conor Sloane, scientific expert, (says this biography) was born in New York, November 24, 1851. He was educated at St. Francis Xavier College and Columbia University, and received the honorary Degree of Letters at St. Francis Xavier in 1912. He was at one time - 1888-89 - professor of (please turn page