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Fantascience Digest, v. 2, issue 5, July-September, 1939

Page 13

Page 13                       FANTASCIENCE DIGEST

can prove themselves most indispensable in performing valuable work for science fiction. because in the event of the failure of all pro magazines, the amateur science fiction field will become THE field. S-F may for the first time be entrusted entirely into the hands of its readers. And it will be fans and their fan magazines who will have to struggle to keep the fire of science fiction burning.

The fan magazines of those dark times to come will not be able to gather circulation from the correspondence columns of professional magazines. There may be none. Sources of new fans will be hampered, of not cut off. The fan world may find that it will have to survive within itself. Fan publications may prove the only source of new fiction, the only supply of science fiction steadily available. It will be upon the shoulders of the fans to keep that supply open.

 The science fiction organizations will find themselves cut off from each other save for the fan magazines. In which case it will be vital for those magazines that survive to dedicate themselves to service. They must be prepared to keep up regular publication and news and correspondence channels supplied no matter what the odds. Such reliability will inevitably fall upon the shoulders of the oldest and staunchest fans. Only those who have been active for the field for years and can be relied upon not to lost interest or away from the task can be relied upon to keep science fiction going. The fan magazines of the future will be the science fiction magazines of the future. If we want science fiction, we shall have to learn to rely on ourselves and on our interest as amateurs, and not get into the habit of depending upon the support of those whose primary interest is profit-making. For these will be the first to abandon science fiction if the going proves difficult.

Of course these predictions are grim and dark. It may be just barely possible that they will prove to be unduly pessimistic. However in this day and age the future of any project is doubtful. But it is wise to bear in mind that in the last analysis science fiction depends upon those whose interest in it is not commercial. If there are enough of those, the commercialists will see to it that they are supplied with their reading.  But if events interfere to prevent these commercial elements from operating, the science fiction readers will have to go to bat for themselves. Fan magazines may find a heavy burden thrust on their shoulders. They should be prepared to carry it.

"ARGOSY: 1938"
By KENNETH MACKLEY

Having waited most patiently for the past eight months for someone more capable of the task than I to review the stories in ARGOSY for the year of 1938; and finding no one undertaking the task, it falls my lot to record for posterity a few words about each fantastic story contained in this magazine's pages. To conserve space, throughout this article I am omitting dates of issues. I take it for granted that most of those who read this will have available a copy of Bob Tucker's YEARBOOK, which lists the date or dates of each story. The logical division of the stories is into two classifications, therefore:

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Page 13 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST can prove themselves most indispensable in performing valuable work for science fiction. because in the event of the failure of all pro magazines, the amateur science fiction field will become THE field. S-F may for the first time be entrusted entirely into the hands of its readers. And it will be fans and their fan magazines who will have to struggle to keep the fire of science fiction burning. The fan magazines of those dark times to come will not be able to gather circulation from the correspondence columns of professional magazines. There may be none. Sources of new fans will be hampered, of not cut off. The fan world may find that it will have to survive within itself. Fan publications may prove the only source of new fiction, the only supply of science fiction steadily available. It will be upon the shoulders of the fans to keep that supply open. The science fiction organizations will find themselves cut off from each other save for the fan magazines. In which case it will be vital for those magazines that survive to dedicate themselves to service. They must be prepared to keep up regular publication and news and correspondence channels supplied no matter what the odds. Such reliability will inevitably fall upon the shoulders of the oldest and staunchest fans. Only those who have been active for the field for years and can be relied upon not to lost interest or away from the task can be relied upon to keep science fiction going. The fan magazines of the future will be the science fiction magazines of the future. If we want science fiction, we shall have to learn to rely on ourselves and on our interest as amateurs, and not get into the habit of depending upon the support of those whose primary interest is profit-making. For these will be the first to abandon science fiction if the going proves difficult. Of course these predictions are grim and dark. It may be just barely possible that they will prove to be unduly pessimistic. However in this day and age the future of any project is doubtful. But it is wise to bear in mind that in the last analysis science fiction depends upon those whose interest in it is not commercial. If there are enough of those, the commercialists will see to it that they are supplied with their reading. But if events interfere to prevent these commercial elements from operating, the science fiction readers will have to go to bat for themselves. Fan magazines may find a heavy burden thrust on their shoulders. They should be prepared to carry it. "ARGOSY: 1938" By KENNETH MACKLEY Having waited most patiently for the past eight months for someone more capable of the task than I to review the stories in ARGOSY for the year of 1938; and finding no one undertaking the task, it falls my lot to record for posterity a few words about each fantastic story contained in this magazine's pages. To conserve space, throughout this article I am omitting dates of issues. I take it for granted that most of those who read this will have available a copy of Bob Tucker's YEARBOOK, which lists the date or dates of each story. The logical division of the stories is into two classifications, therefore: