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Southern Star, v. 1, issue 4, December 1941

Page 6

Denvention Daze     SOUTHERN STAR     Page 6

was told in the papers, and therefore, where could one obtain facts upon which to think scientifically concerning current events. This was quite important, Heinlein admitted. The majority of what was printed in the papers was pure bolony, he agreed. To have any opinion at all concerning things that happen you have to go out and see it for yourself. Join a political club, not necessarily to take part or even to agree in their work, but just to look on and meet people by means of whom you can meet the people on the real inside and find out how they work and what goes on in their heads. At first glance that appears to be a horribly incomplete answer. What about things that happen abroad? The answer being that not even the greatest people know the truth about what happens abroad. It remains for the individual to dig into the community happenings, and there are plenty.
     The next slip of paper picked up was a difficult question to word and was stated quite confusingly. Heinlein showed a lovely sense of perception by immediately grasping the meaning. The question started with the proposition that future fiction is based upon extrapolation from present day knowledge. The question asked why authors couldn't go farther and make an extrapolation from the first extrapolation. Heinlein's answer was simply that it was too difficult. Some authors, like Stapleton, could make a stab at it, but for an ordinary mortal it was just too much of a job.
     The last question asked whether a person was justified in being a conscientious objector if he had as a logical basis to the proposition that all of these civilizations were but transient things when considered in the light of thousands of years, and that therefore none of it was worth fighting for. The reply was that any point of view was quite proper as long as the individual felt that way. Personally, Heinlein did not feel that way. He felt that what we had over here was quite worth fighting for -- if on the basis of civil liberties alone. He stressed that most people took civil liberties for granted, but just let them be deprived of them for a while and they would know whether they were worth fighting for.
     In looking back I notice that Heinlein was extremely cautious in what he said. He stated clearly that he thought what we had was worth fighting for. But never in any circumstances did he give an opinion concerning the manner in which the government was working things. He said that the government was paying him to be a soldier and that was what his job was. Heinlein, you know, is a retired naval officer, and is likely to be called back into service. Naturally, it would be out of line for him to express publicly an unauthorized opinion.
     So that took care of the first afternoon. Everyone then dashed wildly away to eat dinner and get ready for the party that evening.
     Yes. The party. If you people ever want to get a shock you ought to try coming to a convention, opening the program book, and finding that you are to be master of ceremonies at a party that night. That's the way it happened to me. And if I say so myself, the party was a success. Not due to any undue efforts on my part. It simply happened that when everybody got tired admiring the costumes and we were waiting for Wiggins and Heinlein and some others to come in, and things began to bog down, there was Lowndes ready to fill in with one of his imitatable stories. And when Lowndes had finished there was Kornbluth. And after C. B., Walt with stories and imitations. So there was no end of fun, and it was all spontaneous and unprepared and carried on entirely by the fans themselves.
     The costumes were really good this time. No doubt most of you will see pictures of them for enough were taken to satisfy the most ardent

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Denvention Daze SOUTHERN STAR Page 6 was told in the papers, and therefore, where could one obtain facts upon which to think scientifically concerning current events. This was quite important, Heinlein admitted. The majority of what was printed in the papers was pure bolony, he agreed. To have any opinion at all concerning things that happen you have to go out and see it for yourself. Join a political club, not necessarily to take part or even to agree in their work, but just to look on and meet people by means of whom you can meet the people on the real inside and find out how they work and what goes on in their heads. At first glance that appears to be a horribly incomplete answer. What about things that happen abroad? The answer being that not even the greatest people know the truth about what happens abroad. It remains for the individual to dig into the community happenings, and there are plenty. The next slip of paper picked up was a difficult question to word and was stated quite confusingly. Heinlein showed a lovely sense of perception by immediately grasping the meaning. The question started with the proposition that future fiction is based upon extrapolation from present day knowledge. The question asked why authors couldn't go farther and make an extrapolation from the first extrapolation. Heinlein's answer was simply that it was too difficult. Some authors, like Stapleton, could make a stab at it, but for an ordinary mortal it was just too much of a job. The last question asked whether a person was justified in being a conscientious objector if he had as a logical basis to the proposition that all of these civilizations were but transient things when considered in the light of thousands of years, and that therefore none of it was worth fighting for. The reply was that any point of view was quite proper as long as the individual felt that way. Personally, Heinlein did not feel that way. He felt that what we had over here was quite worth fighting for -- if on the basis of civil liberties alone. He stressed that most people took civil liberties for granted, but just let them be deprived of them for a while and they would know whether they were worth fighting for. In looking back I notice that Heinlein was extremely cautious in what he said. He stated clearly that he thought what we had was worth fighting for. But never in any circumstances did he give an opinion concerning the manner in which the government was working things. He said that the government was paying him to be a soldier and that was what his job was. Heinlein, you know, is a retired naval officer, and is likely to be called back into service. Naturally, it would be out of line for him to express publicly an unauthorized opinion. So that took care of the first afternoon. Everyone then dashed wildly away to eat dinner and get ready for the party that evening. Yes. The party. If you people ever want to get a shock you ought to try coming to a convention, opening the program book, and finding that you are to be master of ceremonies at a party that night. That's the way it happened to me. And if I say so myself, the party was a success. Not due to any undue efforts on my part. It simply happened that when everybody got tired admiring the costumes and we were waiting for Wiggins and Heinlein and some others to come in, and things began to bog down, there was Lowndes ready to fill in with one of his imitatable stories. And when Lowndes had finished there was Kornbluth. And after C. B., Walt with stories and imitations. So there was no end of fun, and it was all spontaneous and unprepared and carried on entirely by the fans themselves. The costumes were really good this time. No doubt most of you will see pictures of them for enough were taken to satisfy the most ardent