DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Fantascience Digest, v. 2, issue 3, March-April 1939

Transcribe
Translate

Fantascience Digest, v. 2, issue 3, March-April 1939

Page 14

Page 14     FANTASCIENCE DIGEST

THOSE WERE THE DAYS!
By Fred W. Fischer

Science fiction magazines are hitting the newsstands with the regularity of a prize fighter punching a similarly helpless bag. Some are good and some are so bad they almost emit a singularly putrid odor. Some will live through the coming years and enjoy prosperity; others will thrive for a time on the known avidity of scientifiction fans -- who are prone to gulp down all fantastic literary pills, no matter how bitter -- and then die a sudden and natural death as reader appreciation, rather than discoverer's jubilation, tilt the scales against them.

It is hoped that this influx -- this wave of fantasy, will wash upon the shores of Futurism some few nwe authors to rank with Weinbaum, Merritt, England, or Keller/. But it is more natural to believe that an unreasoning, ravening demand for storiesto fill these magazines, will more assuredly work the present group of writers to death, and perhaps convert them into desperate hacks attempting only to sell off all that musty collection of manuscript which had been rejected so many times that the individual stories have almost developed a homing instinct.

But since we have appromximately ten magazines on the American market which specialize in off-the-trail-fiction, and some even in horrendous poetry, comic strip-page, and so-called fact articles, let's hope the writers make the best of their new opportunities, instead of the worst. Let's hope they realize that this deluge of science fiction magazines must be definitely inspired by a DEMAND for it, and that back of this obvious demand is a gadual awakening of the general public -- rather than a comparitively select few -- to the profound truth that fantasy has definitely GOT SOMETHING! And, providing the authors understand this basic argument, let them further realize that by developing worth-while literary products while the demand prevails they may even immortalize themselves int he writing field.

Which reminds me, paradoxically enough, of the good old days. I used the word paradoxically advisedly, because "way back when"-- why, there weren't enough odd stories published to fill even a 300 page book in a year's time.

Scientifiction was then something queer, something sensational. Magazines printed occasional stories of this type while the editors hid in private sanctums with crossed-fingers, dreading reader-reaction. And authors submitted the stories timidly and with many apologies, fearing that as soon as their manuscripts were read they might themselves be summarily confined in the most convenient booby-hatches.

The old All-Story shyly called them "different" stories. Adventure Magazine admitted they were "off-the-trail" stories. Other magazines neither named them nor admitted them, but turned dignified noses skyward and gently squirted the flit about to make sure no such vulgar and preposterous disease germs invaded THEIR premises.

Those old-time fantasy writers had courage. They knew they

Saving...

Page 14 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST THOSE WERE THE DAYS! By Fred W. Fischer Science fiction magazines are hitting the newsstands with the regularity of a prize fighter punching a similarly helpless bag. Some are good and some are so bad they almost emit a singularly putrid odor. Some will live through the coming years and enjoy prosperity; others will thrive for a time on the known avidity of scientifiction fans -- who are prone to gulp down all fantastic literary pills, no matter how bitter -- and then die a sudden and natural death as reader appreciation, rather than discoverer's jubilation, tilt the scales against them. It is hoped that this influx -- this wave of fantasy, will wash upon the shores of Futurism some few nwe authors to rank with Weinbaum, Merritt, England, or Keller/. But it is more natural to believe that an unreasoning, ravening demand for storiesto fill these magazines, will more assuredly work the present group of writers to death, and perhaps convert them into desperate hacks attempting only to sell off all that musty collection of manuscript which had been rejected so many times that the individual stories have almost developed a homing instinct. But since we have appromximately ten magazines on the American market which specialize in off-the-trail-fiction, and some even in horrendous poetry, comic strip-page, and so-called fact articles, let's hope the writers make the best of their new opportunities, instead of the worst. Let's hope they realize that this deluge of science fiction magazines must be definitely inspired by a DEMAND for it, and that back of this obvious demand is a gadual awakening of the general public -- rather than a comparitively select few -- to the profound truth that fantasy has definitely GOT SOMETHING! And, providing the authors understand this basic argument, let them further realize that by developing worth-while literary products while the demand prevails they may even immortalize themselves int he writing field. Which reminds me, paradoxically enough, of the good old days. I used the word paradoxically advisedly, because "way back when"-- why, there weren't enough odd stories published to fill even a 300 page book in a year's time. Scientifiction was then something queer, something sensational. Magazines printed occasional stories of this type while the editors hid in private sanctums with crossed-fingers, dreading reader-reaction. And authors submitted the stories timidly and with many apologies, fearing that as soon as their manuscripts were read they might themselves be summarily confined in the most convenient booby-hatches. The old All-Story shyly called them "different" stories. Adventure Magazine admitted they were "off-the-trail" stories. Other magazines neither named them nor admitted them, but turned dignified noses skyward and gently squirted the flit about to make sure no such vulgar and preposterous disease germs invaded THEIR premises. Those old-time fantasy writers had courage. They knew they