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Acolyte, v. 4, issue 1, whole no. 13, Winter 1946
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THE DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION OF FANTASY by Jack Speer and Samuel D. Russell -oOo- (Simultaneosly and independently, Messrs. Speer and Russell began the compiling of a decimal classification for fantasy. Each has published tentative versions of his system at least twice for the limited audience of the Fantasy Amateus Press Association whose members have given a considerable amount of constructive criticism. Now that each system has envolved independently for nearly three yars, I thought that they might make interesting comparisons if run side by side. hope that the readers of The Acolyte will feel free to send in constructive criticisms to the end that eventually one of these systems of classification (or a new one based on them) may come into general use among collectors and students of fantasy. --FTL) ----oOo---- GENERAL INTRODUCTION, by Jack Speer -oOo- R. LANEY has asked me to write an introduction for decimal classification in general. I have seen only the 1943 version of Mr. Russell's system, and none of these remarks are intended to be prejudicial. The first and last things to consider about decimal classifications are the uses to which they will be put. Decimal systems are used by libraries, government departments, and other organizations that need to handle a wide range of subject matter and quickly find what they're looking for. The advantages which have led to this wide-spread adoption of arrangement by numbers, instead of words, are several. Brevity of the tag is one. Another is that in a well-constructed system, nearly related subjects will be found near each other, rather than scattered about as in an alphabetically arranged file, so that is what one seeks is not under one heading, the heading it is under is presented to the attention. Decimal numbers naturally lend themselves to sub-divisions os subjects, the necessity and despair of alphabetically arranged systems. And there is a minimum of overlapping between designations widely separeted. Finally, the use of arbitrary symbols is often sedirable for the very fact that they avoid the confusing associations of familiar words. In consequence of these features, decimal classifications mean that, within the limits of individual variations in judgement, the exact classifications that a story will have applied to it can be predicted, something impossible when word-designations are used, as an examination of the old yearbooks of s-f or the files of the American Food Mission would convince you. More specifically, decimal classification may be found useful in bibliographies, indexes to magazines, reviews, advertisements, and the like. An incidental benefit from the publication of a classification is that, with the subject matter of tansay mapped out in an orderly manner, comprehensive studies of the field are facilitated. For example, an article could easily be written on the instances in which science fiction and pure fantasy arrive at parallel effects (malignant entities and e.t. 's; crystal balls and time-wraps; possession and compulsion) by different means. -- 3 --
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THE DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION OF FANTASY by Jack Speer and Samuel D. Russell -oOo- (Simultaneosly and independently, Messrs. Speer and Russell began the compiling of a decimal classification for fantasy. Each has published tentative versions of his system at least twice for the limited audience of the Fantasy Amateus Press Association whose members have given a considerable amount of constructive criticism. Now that each system has envolved independently for nearly three yars, I thought that they might make interesting comparisons if run side by side. hope that the readers of The Acolyte will feel free to send in constructive criticisms to the end that eventually one of these systems of classification (or a new one based on them) may come into general use among collectors and students of fantasy. --FTL) ----oOo---- GENERAL INTRODUCTION, by Jack Speer -oOo- R. LANEY has asked me to write an introduction for decimal classification in general. I have seen only the 1943 version of Mr. Russell's system, and none of these remarks are intended to be prejudicial. The first and last things to consider about decimal classifications are the uses to which they will be put. Decimal systems are used by libraries, government departments, and other organizations that need to handle a wide range of subject matter and quickly find what they're looking for. The advantages which have led to this wide-spread adoption of arrangement by numbers, instead of words, are several. Brevity of the tag is one. Another is that in a well-constructed system, nearly related subjects will be found near each other, rather than scattered about as in an alphabetically arranged file, so that is what one seeks is not under one heading, the heading it is under is presented to the attention. Decimal numbers naturally lend themselves to sub-divisions os subjects, the necessity and despair of alphabetically arranged systems. And there is a minimum of overlapping between designations widely separeted. Finally, the use of arbitrary symbols is often sedirable for the very fact that they avoid the confusing associations of familiar words. In consequence of these features, decimal classifications mean that, within the limits of individual variations in judgement, the exact classifications that a story will have applied to it can be predicted, something impossible when word-designations are used, as an examination of the old yearbooks of s-f or the files of the American Food Mission would convince you. More specifically, decimal classification may be found useful in bibliographies, indexes to magazines, reviews, advertisements, and the like. An incidental benefit from the publication of a classification is that, with the subject matter of tansay mapped out in an orderly manner, comprehensive studies of the field are facilitated. For example, an article could easily be written on the instances in which science fiction and pure fantasy arrive at parallel effects (malignant entities and e.t. 's; crystal balls and time-wraps; possession and compulsion) by different means. -- 3 --
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