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New Fandom, v. 1, issue 6, 1939
Page 12
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WELCOME ADDRESS (For "The First World Science Fiction Convention in N.Y., N.Y.) by SAM MOSKOWITZ (Chairman of the convention) Ladies and Gentlemen: Fellow science fiction lovers, and friends In the name of "New Fandom" and the spirit of science-fiction, I extend my heartiest welcome to you, on the occasion of this, the First World Science Fictlon Convention. You know, it's really a soul-inspiring sight, to a lover of science-fiction to stand up here on this platform and gaze down at an assembly of 200 or more kindred souls. Five years ago, I might have said that such an assembly was impossible (in fact a few; of my eminent colleagues were reading my thoughts back to me only a few hours ago). But now, one glance assure's me that the event is a success! The World Science Fictlon Convention, probably the greatest gathering science-flction has ever known, is at this moment, recording it's name indelibly In the record of history. There are fantasy enthusiasts here from every part of the oountry. California, Texas, Indiana, Washington, New York, New Jersey, New England, and even Canada, And we really have, In every sense, a representative body. We have virtually every American science-fiction and fantasy editor, most of the fantasy authors of note, the famous "inner circle" of fans, a fine group of•science-fiction readers, and a welcome assembly of friends whom we shall try to convert. The science-flction reader Is really a curious specimen. He is a type characteristic to science fiction and science fictlon alone.No other brand of literature knows his counterpart. Where, and in what type of fictlon have you a group of readers, so enthusiastic, so interested, that they will travel thousands of miles to attend a gathering of this sort? What other brand of fiction has even, in the wildest Imaginings dreamed of having a Western Story convention, a Detective Story convention, a Love Story convention? It just isn't donel Why science-fiction? That's hard to answer. It seems that there is something that shines through the mess of pulp printed, hack written, mass produced science-fiction that brands it as "different,* that gives forth an atmosphere typically its own, and as habit producing as the strongest drug. Whatever it may be, we may live happy in the thought that there are a few hundred thousand "nuts" in the world, in every way just like us. This convention is held at an opportune moment. Science-fiction is ascending in public favor. Where once a magazine of that type peeked lonely and forlorn from some nook of the newsstands, they now dot the horizon as cheerfully as any other group of magazines. It is now when science-fiction is on the up-grade, while it is still accellerating [sic] that we must define its future policies and define when
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WELCOME ADDRESS (For "The First World Science Fiction Convention in N.Y., N.Y.) by SAM MOSKOWITZ (Chairman of the convention) Ladies and Gentlemen: Fellow science fiction lovers, and friends In the name of "New Fandom" and the spirit of science-fiction, I extend my heartiest welcome to you, on the occasion of this, the First World Science Fictlon Convention. You know, it's really a soul-inspiring sight, to a lover of science-fiction to stand up here on this platform and gaze down at an assembly of 200 or more kindred souls. Five years ago, I might have said that such an assembly was impossible (in fact a few; of my eminent colleagues were reading my thoughts back to me only a few hours ago). But now, one glance assure's me that the event is a success! The World Science Fictlon Convention, probably the greatest gathering science-flction has ever known, is at this moment, recording it's name indelibly In the record of history. There are fantasy enthusiasts here from every part of the oountry. California, Texas, Indiana, Washington, New York, New Jersey, New England, and even Canada, And we really have, In every sense, a representative body. We have virtually every American science-fiction and fantasy editor, most of the fantasy authors of note, the famous "inner circle" of fans, a fine group of•science-fiction readers, and a welcome assembly of friends whom we shall try to convert. The science-flction reader Is really a curious specimen. He is a type characteristic to science fiction and science fictlon alone.No other brand of literature knows his counterpart. Where, and in what type of fictlon have you a group of readers, so enthusiastic, so interested, that they will travel thousands of miles to attend a gathering of this sort? What other brand of fiction has even, in the wildest Imaginings dreamed of having a Western Story convention, a Detective Story convention, a Love Story convention? It just isn't donel Why science-fiction? That's hard to answer. It seems that there is something that shines through the mess of pulp printed, hack written, mass produced science-fiction that brands it as "different,* that gives forth an atmosphere typically its own, and as habit producing as the strongest drug. Whatever it may be, we may live happy in the thought that there are a few hundred thousand "nuts" in the world, in every way just like us. This convention is held at an opportune moment. Science-fiction is ascending in public favor. Where once a magazine of that type peeked lonely and forlorn from some nook of the newsstands, they now dot the horizon as cheerfully as any other group of magazines. It is now when science-fiction is on the up-grade, while it is still accellerating [sic] that we must define its future policies and define when
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