DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Scientifun, v. 1, issue 2, April 1942

Transcribe
Translate

Scientifun, v. 1, issue 2, April 1942

Page 2

Scientifun is a "Dixie Press" Publication, and it is published, he said loudly, by Raymond Washington, Jr; Live Oak, Florida.  Trade adds with other fanzines; trade issues with other fanzines. Published when ever the editor can amass enough money.  ADD RATES: Full page, 75¢; half page, 40¢; quarter page, 20¢.Noolong-term subscriptions accepted-send in money only for back issues, present issue and immediate future issue. Address all correspondence to Raymond Washington Jr; Live Oak, Florida.  The next issue is scheduled to appear on or before May 1.

EDITORIAL: Just Between Us
By Raymond Washington, Jr.
All of my carefully laid plans for Scientifun have gone the way of all good carefully laid plans of mice and fans. They failed, to be blunt! And the terrible first issue. . .
The first issue was undoubtedly horrible; no question of that.  The paper was thin and slick; spelling, awful; format was pitiful, and stenciling a dismal flop.  In short, I was much disappointed in it.
I also had trouble with this issue. I was to have a column, "Musings from Muscatine," by Harry Schmarje. Harry sent me the column, wrote an article for Larry Shaw's LEPRECHUAN by the same name. I gave Harris to understand that I wanted the title exclusive with Scientfun. It was finally determined that Harris wrote my column first...the original, that is.  The original was lost, I requested another, and Harris came through with one with totally different material and a Latin name. But it has turned out all right, as Harris has given me all rights to "Musings From Muscatine" as long as it appears in this magazine.  He will make a public statement to that effect in his proposed fanzine, Starlit Fantasy.
More trouble: many weeks ago, a well-meaning person chanced to clean up my room.  It can't compare with Lester Del Ray's,but still, it isn't too far behind. Anyhow, directly or indirectly because of that, 5 pages of material was lost. Material which included a 2-page article, "Why I Joined the DFF", by the editor; 1-page editorial; and a two-page letter section. Also lost was a letter from LeRoy Tackett, a letter so amusing that it was classical.  It was the funniest letter I've ever seen. The loss of it discouraged me so until I decided not to have a letter section at all, for none could live up to the Tackettmissive. But there'll certainly be a letter section in the next and future issues.
Regarding the first issue, "The Pilot of the Soloroids" took first place with an overwhelming number of votes. It was almost unaminously acclaimed as an unforgetable classic; that it should be recorded for posterity. My introduction to the piece ran .. a close second. Bob Tucker had a fit almost over that magnificent story. Only two people disliked it: L. H. Chauvenet, prominent southern fan, and J. Edward Murphy, a New York subscriber.  They were jealous.
Right along about here I'd like to quote a paragraph to you from one of Joseph Gilbert's letters:
"Too often science fiction goes by the premise that physical conflict is the legitimate and best frame for any story. It is not. It is merely the easiest.  A man's mental struggles are the only theme around which literature, as such, can be consistently built.  You don't often find that theme in fantasy, and because I can't find it often enough I write the darn stuff. Silly, isn't it? A rather pitiful way to recapture a thrill, a wonderfully inferior method. But you can recreate something more than characters, a situation that never happened, and emotions that 
(Concluded on page 7)

Saving...

Scientifun is a "Dixie Press" Publication, and it is published, he said loudly, by Raymond Washington, Jr; Live Oak, Florida. Trade adds with other fanzines; trade issues with other fanzines. Published when ever the editor can amass enough money. ADD RATES: Full page, 75¢; half page, 40¢; quarter page, 20¢.Noolong-term subscriptions accepted-send in money only for back issues, present issue and immediate future issue. Address all correspondence to Raymond Washington Jr; Live Oak, Florida. The next issue is scheduled to appear on or before May 1. EDITORIAL: Just Between Us By Raymond Washington, Jr. All of my carefully laid plans for Scientifun have gone the way of all good carefully laid plans of mice and fans. They failed, to be blunt! And the terrible first issue. . . The first issue was undoubtedly horrible; no question of that. The paper was thin and slick; spelling, awful; format was pitiful, and stenciling a dismal flop. In short, I was much disappointed in it. I also had trouble with this issue. I was to have a column, "Musings from Muscatine," by Harry Schmarje. Harry sent me the column, wrote an article for Larry Shaw's LEPRECHUAN by the same name. I gave Harris to understand that I wanted the title exclusive with Scientfun. It was finally determined that Harris wrote my column first...the original, that is. The original was lost, I requested another, and Harris came through with one with totally different material and a Latin name. But it has turned out all right, as Harris has given me all rights to "Musings From Muscatine" as long as it appears in this magazine. He will make a public statement to that effect in his proposed fanzine, Starlit Fantasy. More trouble: many weeks ago, a well-meaning person chanced to clean up my room. It can't compare with Lester Del Ray's,but still, it isn't too far behind. Anyhow, directly or indirectly because of that, 5 pages of material was lost. Material which included a 2-page article, "Why I Joined the DFF", by the editor; 1-page editorial; and a two-page letter section. Also lost was a letter from LeRoy Tackett, a letter so amusing that it was classical. It was the funniest letter I've ever seen. The loss of it discouraged me so until I decided not to have a letter section at all, for none could live up to the Tackettmissive. But there'll certainly be a letter section in the next and future issues. Regarding the first issue, "The Pilot of the Soloroids" took first place with an overwhelming number of votes. It was almost unaminously acclaimed as an unforgetable classic; that it should be recorded for posterity. My introduction to the piece ran .. a close second. Bob Tucker had a fit almost over that magnificent story. Only two people disliked it: L. H. Chauvenet, prominent southern fan, and J. Edward Murphy, a New York subscriber. They were jealous. Right along about here I'd like to quote a paragraph to you from one of Joseph Gilbert's letters: "Too often science fiction goes by the premise that physical conflict is the legitimate and best frame for any story. It is not. It is merely the easiest. A man's mental struggles are the only theme around which literature, as such, can be consistently built. You don't often find that theme in fantasy, and because I can't find it often enough I write the darn stuff. Silly, isn't it? A rather pitiful way to recapture a thrill, a wonderfully inferior method. But you can recreate something more than characters, a situation that never happened, and emotions that (Concluded on page 7)