DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | New Fandom, v. 1, issue 6, 1939

Transcribe
Translate

New Fandom, v. 1, issue 6, 1939

Page 16

16  NEW FANDOM

that."   Of course we have no quarrel with that kind of an individual but it would be rather interesting to find out by what mental process
he arrives at the conclusion that it's smart to be stupid.
The Science~Fiction Fan is alive to every new  development in every branch of Science by hungrily reading everything printed about it. You cannot easily fool him on any subject, I am sure no Fan was fooled when they pulled the Martian Invasion stunt over the Radio.
     To say that by reading Science-Fiction you become a believer in all sorts of Supernatural things is like saying that by frequenting the movies you are bound to become a criminal or what have you.
     Once in a while we also find eminent Scientists throwing cold water on our enthusiasm, for instance Dr. Robert A. Millikan the other day said we should stop dreaming about Atomic Power and Solar Power. Well, as much as we love the doctor as one of our foremost scientlsts of the day, but because he cannot see its realization or get tired of research, is no reason for us to give up hope that some Sclentist of the future might not attack the problem and ride it. What seems utterly impossible to-day may be commonplace tomorrow. I need not cite just such examples as you know them possibly better than I do.
     But I do want to illustrate just what I mean. Just suppose for a moment that any of you could by some machine method return, say only about 200 years and visit one of the great miniature Portrait
Painters, and watch them work. You would naturally ask him how many of these exquisite portraits he can turn out a day, .You would be told
that 4 or 5 is the absolute limit, proving [sic] the light is right, etc.
     Now if you should tell one of these speed masters that you, without being an artist, could produce a portrait, guaranteed likeness in every way, and not only of one person, but two, three, or a
whole group of people in l/25th part of a session, you would no doubt not only be laughed at, but very likely be hustled off to the 10th
Century Insane asylum.
     The Master would tell you that to pick up his brush would take longer than that, and he is quite right, the only way he could imagine of producing a portrait was the way he knew how. You can readily imagine his amazement if you showed him a photograph and he would tell you -- "Yes, but that is not painted" -- Of course not, but it's a portrait and more accurate than any portrait painter could paint, and so it is with most discoveries and invention, it's the results that count.
     The Science Fiction Fan's ideal is Dr. Arthur H, Campton, who see all kinds of forces in nature with exciting and thrilling possibilities, which are waiting for discovery and exploration.
      Science Fiction is the spirit of youth, ever ready to plunge into the unknown for new adventures.
     Impossible? That word has absurdly limited meaning for youth and Science Fiction.  Just try to convince a Fan that life on other worlds is impossible and you'd find yourself under a cataract of "Shy's" [sic].
     Science-Fiction is growing up. More and more people are becoming Science conscious by seeing scientific marvels in their daily lives and they can no longer ignore or scoff.
     It gives me a lot of satisfaction and pride to be identified with the development of this thrilling and informative kind of reading.
     During the past 20 years, which marks the beginning of Scien-

Saving...

16 NEW FANDOM that." Of course we have no quarrel with that kind of an individual but it would be rather interesting to find out by what mental process he arrives at the conclusion that it's smart to be stupid. The Science~Fiction Fan is alive to every new development in every branch of Science by hungrily reading everything printed about it. You cannot easily fool him on any subject, I am sure no Fan was fooled when they pulled the Martian Invasion stunt over the Radio. To say that by reading Science-Fiction you become a believer in all sorts of Supernatural things is like saying that by frequenting the movies you are bound to become a criminal or what have you. Once in a while we also find eminent Scientists throwing cold water on our enthusiasm, for instance Dr. Robert A. Millikan the other day said we should stop dreaming about Atomic Power and Solar Power. Well, as much as we love the doctor as one of our foremost scientlsts of the day, but because he cannot see its realization or get tired of research, is no reason for us to give up hope that some Sclentist of the future might not attack the problem and ride it. What seems utterly impossible to-day may be commonplace tomorrow. I need not cite just such examples as you know them possibly better than I do. But I do want to illustrate just what I mean. Just suppose for a moment that any of you could by some machine method return, say only about 200 years and visit one of the great miniature Portrait Painters, and watch them work. You would naturally ask him how many of these exquisite portraits he can turn out a day, .You would be told that 4 or 5 is the absolute limit, proving [sic] the light is right, etc. Now if you should tell one of these speed masters that you, without being an artist, could produce a portrait, guaranteed likeness in every way, and not only of one person, but two, three, or a whole group of people in l/25th part of a session, you would no doubt not only be laughed at, but very likely be hustled off to the 10th Century Insane asylum. The Master would tell you that to pick up his brush would take longer than that, and he is quite right, the only way he could imagine of producing a portrait was the way he knew how. You can readily imagine his amazement if you showed him a photograph and he would tell you -- "Yes, but that is not painted" -- Of course not, but it's a portrait and more accurate than any portrait painter could paint, and so it is with most discoveries and invention, it's the results that count. The Science Fiction Fan's ideal is Dr. Arthur H, Campton, who see all kinds of forces in nature with exciting and thrilling possibilities, which are waiting for discovery and exploration. Science Fiction is the spirit of youth, ever ready to plunge into the unknown for new adventures. Impossible? That word has absurdly limited meaning for youth and Science Fiction. Just try to convince a Fan that life on other worlds is impossible and you'd find yourself under a cataract of "Shy's" [sic]. Science-Fiction is growing up. More and more people are becoming Science conscious by seeing scientific marvels in their daily lives and they can no longer ignore or scoff. It gives me a lot of satisfaction and pride to be identified with the development of this thrilling and informative kind of reading. During the past 20 years, which marks the beginning of Scien-