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Damn Thing, v. 1, issue 2, December 1940

Page 11

THE DAMN THING     PAGE 11.

which affect a fourth party, called "LAY MEN" in regards to their relation towards the first party "SCIENCE". It is, say the "pro-Scientists," the duty of all "people" who are supporters of "SCIENCE FICTION" (really, this is getting very involved.) to affect the course of "SCIENCE FICTION" so that it will once again be "nice" to "SCIENCE."

Throughout the entire reasoning we find the basic fault of Aristotelian thought: that of setting two or more factors concerning the behavior pattern of the controlled-reflex animals of the globe apart from the rest of the factors and then useing these factors as counter-weights to perform some very tricky academic tight-rope walking. (Or, semantically, juggling and distortion of physical fact and its abstractions.) What we really find is that:

A. SCIENCE, which is, on the actual atomic level inseperable from
B. CIVILISATION, on the atomic level, the same as "science."
C. LAYMEN, "human" animals which are seldom concerned in application of the physical data to constructive purposes.
D. SCIENCE FICTION, a form of litterature. Litterature being a conception of men.

The thing which is worrying Van Houten is that "D," will cause hate on the part of "C," towards "A," This would threaten "B."

Obviously the only change that can be installed to eliminate the "undesirable things that Van Houten objects to, is an actual opperational change. What must be done is to get a manner of coercion against the editors of various science fiction magazines, so that it will cause them monetary loss to continue to publish what they do now. With not more than ten persons interested in the Houten movement, we fail to see how sufficient coercion can be brought to bear against even one editor to stop his publishing of "anti-science" stories. ("Hack" to you.)

And, as to affecting the layman with "anti-science." (And academicly, anti-science is Anarchy) We will wager that the combined readers of all the science fiction magazines on the market do not exceed 500,000. This is less than one half of one percent of the total population of this continent. So, Ray, old chap, I feel that you have become a victim of the wide-spread fear of 5th columnism, and decide to jump when you saw an imaginary ghost in the closet. And, I must confess, I believe that the majority of fans are enjoying a good laugh up their sleeves. It is really very humerous, especially if you don't take science fiction and above all, YOURSELF, seriously.

Of course, in taking time to write this, I am fully aware that I have played into your hands in one respect. I'll bet you never got so much pure free publicity in your whole life in one magazine. You may be assured that there will be no more in the DAMN THING, and, if you should see fit to reply to this personally, I should like a bit more mature rebutal than merely being called a damn fool. I can call the pro-scientists, and probably would like to, a lot of vulgar names, but such exchanges of verbal bombasity arrive at no conclusion.

Next time you have another fear, you must let me hear about it, because I really got a laugh out of this one. I suggest a campaign for the Intellectual Brotherhood of Anti-Silly Fan Movements-ists. This might be initiated by the disbanding of the Pro-Scientists, which would mean less perturbations from three, at least, persons in Joisy. TBYerke.

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THE DAMN THING PAGE 11. which affect a fourth party, called "LAY MEN" in regards to their relation towards the first party "SCIENCE". It is, say the "pro-Scientists," the duty of all "people" who are supporters of "SCIENCE FICTION" (really, this is getting very involved.) to affect the course of "SCIENCE FICTION" so that it will once again be "nice" to "SCIENCE." Throughout the entire reasoning we find the basic fault of Aristotelian thought: that of setting two or more factors concerning the behavior pattern of the controlled-reflex animals of the globe apart from the rest of the factors and then useing these factors as counter-weights to perform some very tricky academic tight-rope walking. (Or, semantically, juggling and distortion of physical fact and its abstractions.) What we really find is that: A. SCIENCE, which is, on the actual atomic level inseperable from B. CIVILISATION, on the atomic level, the same as "science." C. LAYMEN, "human" animals which are seldom concerned in application of the physical data to constructive purposes. D. SCIENCE FICTION, a form of litterature. Litterature being a conception of men. The thing which is worrying Van Houten is that "D," will cause hate on the part of "C," towards "A," This would threaten "B." Obviously the only change that can be installed to eliminate the "undesirable things that Van Houten objects to, is an actual opperational change. What must be done is to get a manner of coercion against the editors of various science fiction magazines, so that it will cause them monetary loss to continue to publish what they do now. With not more than ten persons interested in the Houten movement, we fail to see how sufficient coercion can be brought to bear against even one editor to stop his publishing of "anti-science" stories. ("Hack" to you.) And, as to affecting the layman with "anti-science." (And academicly, anti-science is Anarchy) We will wager that the combined readers of all the science fiction magazines on the market do not exceed 500,000. This is less than one half of one percent of the total population of this continent. So, Ray, old chap, I feel that you have become a victim of the wide-spread fear of 5th columnism, and decide to jump when you saw an imaginary ghost in the closet. And, I must confess, I believe that the majority of fans are enjoying a good laugh up their sleeves. It is really very humerous, especially if you don't take science fiction and above all, YOURSELF, seriously. Of course, in taking time to write this, I am fully aware that I have played into your hands in one respect. I'll bet you never got so much pure free publicity in your whole life in one magazine. You may be assured that there will be no more in the DAMN THING, and, if you should see fit to reply to this personally, I should like a bit more mature rebutal than merely being called a damn fool. I can call the pro-scientists, and probably would like to, a lot of vulgar names, but such exchanges of verbal bombasity arrive at no conclusion. Next time you have another fear, you must let me hear about it, because I really got a laugh out of this one. I suggest a campaign for the Intellectual Brotherhood of Anti-Silly Fan Movements-ists. This might be initiated by the disbanding of the Pro-Scientists, which would mean less perturbations from three, at least, persons in Joisy. TBYerke.