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The Science Fiction Fan, v. 4, issue 9, whole no. 45, April 1940
Page 4
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4.................................................FAN Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. Gentlemen: 'In "The Sky's No Limit", I regret to say that the author is not as well informed on the fan field aspect of science fiction as he might be. Science fiction fans can be divided, generally, into two types: (1) those fans who adhere to the Jules Verne type of science fiction, that run of story which places its accent on the role that mechanical science will play in shaping the future, and (2) those fans who adhere to the H.G. Wells type: that run of story which accentuates the role of social sciences in making the world of tomorrow. 'Thus we have the Vernians, who think that fans should become scientists in order to justify their position, and help make science fiction come true; and we have the Wellsians, who claim that fans should participate in some form of sociological movement, that their roles so far as science itself goes should be no more than defending scientific progress against those who preach a doing-away with the further march of science. The letter, Wellsian, fans are more or less loosely known as "Michelists". "But they are [underlined] not "old-time Technocrats" as Mr. Westerfield put it. In the first place, Michelism did not begin to assert itself until late 1937; Hugo Gernsback was plugging Technocracy in his magazine in 1933. There are some Technocrats among the Michelists, but they speak only for themselves; the Michelists have never actually organized or accepted, as a whole, any specific philosophy, credo, or scheme of action. Because of a great deal of personal enmity between prominent Michelists and prominent Vernians, both aids have been accused of nearly every crime imaginable. 'Thus, Mr. Westerfield is incorrect when he states: "Heading the Michelists is a New Yorker named Donald A. Wollheim." The Michelists have no leader; Mr. Wollheim has, however, twice been
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4.................................................FAN Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. Gentlemen: 'In "The Sky's No Limit", I regret to say that the author is not as well informed on the fan field aspect of science fiction as he might be. Science fiction fans can be divided, generally, into two types: (1) those fans who adhere to the Jules Verne type of science fiction, that run of story which places its accent on the role that mechanical science will play in shaping the future, and (2) those fans who adhere to the H.G. Wells type: that run of story which accentuates the role of social sciences in making the world of tomorrow. 'Thus we have the Vernians, who think that fans should become scientists in order to justify their position, and help make science fiction come true; and we have the Wellsians, who claim that fans should participate in some form of sociological movement, that their roles so far as science itself goes should be no more than defending scientific progress against those who preach a doing-away with the further march of science. The letter, Wellsian, fans are more or less loosely known as "Michelists". "But they are [underlined] not "old-time Technocrats" as Mr. Westerfield put it. In the first place, Michelism did not begin to assert itself until late 1937; Hugo Gernsback was plugging Technocracy in his magazine in 1933. There are some Technocrats among the Michelists, but they speak only for themselves; the Michelists have never actually organized or accepted, as a whole, any specific philosophy, credo, or scheme of action. Because of a great deal of personal enmity between prominent Michelists and prominent Vernians, both aids have been accused of nearly every crime imaginable. 'Thus, Mr. Westerfield is incorrect when he states: "Heading the Michelists is a New Yorker named Donald A. Wollheim." The Michelists have no leader; Mr. Wollheim has, however, twice been
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