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Acolyte, v. 1, issue 4, Summer 1943
Page 18
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the races of other-planetarians represented, according to the artistic demands of each separate case, as in every stage of development--sometimes high, sometimes low, and sometimes inpicturesquely middling. Royal and religious pageantry should not be conventionally overemphasized; indeed, it is not all likely that more than a fraction of the exotic races would have lit upon the especial folk-customs of royalty and religion. It must be remembered that non-human beings would be wholly apart from human motives and perspectives. But the real nucleus of the story ought to be something far removed from the specific aspect and customs of any hypothetical outside race--ought, indeed, to be nothing less than the [[underline]]simple sensation of wonder at being off the earth[[end underline]]. Interest had better be sustained by accounts of bizarre and un-terrestrial natural conditions, rather than through any artificially dramatic actions of the characters, either human or exotic. Adventures may well be introduced, but they should be properly subordinated to realism--made inevitable outgrowths of the conditions instead of synthetic thrills concocted for their own sake. The climax and ending must be managed very carefully to avoid extravagance or artificiality. It is preferable, in the interest of convincingness, to represent the fact of the voyage as remaining hidden from the public--or to have the voyage a prehistoric affair, forgotten by mankind and with its discovery remaining a secret. The idea of any general revelation implying a widespread change in human thought, history, or orientation tends to contradict surrounding events and clash with actual future probabilities to radically to give the reader a sense of naturalness. It is far more potent not to make the truth of the story dependent on any condition visibly contradicting what we know--for the reader may pleasantly toy with the notion that [[underline]]perhaps[[end underline]] these marvels [[underline]]may[[end underline]] have happened after all! Meanwhile the deluge of inept interplanetary tosh continues. Whether a qualitative upturn will ever occur on anything like a large scale, this commentator cannot venture to prophesy; but at any rate, he has had his say regarding what he deems the main aspects of the problem. There are without doubt great possibilities in the serious exploitation of the astronomical tale, as a few semi-classics like [[underline]]War of the Worlds[[end underline]], [[underline]]The Lat and First Men[[end underline]], [[underline]]Station X[[end underline]], [[underline]]The Red Brain[[end underline]], and Clark Ashton Smith's best work prove. But the pioneers must be prepared to labour without financial return, professional recognition, or the encouragement of a reading majority whose taste has been seriously harmed by the rubbish it has devoured. Fortunately sincere artistic creation is its own incentive and reward, so that despite all obstacles we need not despair of the future of a fresh literary form whose present lack of development leaves all the more room for brilliant and fruitful experimentation. [[underline]]PSEUDONYMS OF H. P. LOVECRAFT[[end underline]] by R. E. Barlow -oOo- Lovecraft gave me this partial list of his pseudonyms about 1934. Most of these were used exclusively in the amateur journals of the UAPA and NAPA, and many were used only once. This list may enable the industrious to track down items in the Fossil Library of Amateur Journalism, Benjamin Franklin Memorial, Philadelphia--where his own collection reposes. (Isent it there after his death, in fulfilment of his instructions.) H. Littlewit, Edward Softly, H. Paget-Lowe, Lawrence Appleton, John J. Jones, Archibald xxx (surname forgotten by HPL), Lewis Theobald Jr., Ward Phillips (from hoWARD PHILLIPS lovecraft). --18--
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the races of other-planetarians represented, according to the artistic demands of each separate case, as in every stage of development--sometimes high, sometimes low, and sometimes inpicturesquely middling. Royal and religious pageantry should not be conventionally overemphasized; indeed, it is not all likely that more than a fraction of the exotic races would have lit upon the especial folk-customs of royalty and religion. It must be remembered that non-human beings would be wholly apart from human motives and perspectives. But the real nucleus of the story ought to be something far removed from the specific aspect and customs of any hypothetical outside race--ought, indeed, to be nothing less than the [[underline]]simple sensation of wonder at being off the earth[[end underline]]. Interest had better be sustained by accounts of bizarre and un-terrestrial natural conditions, rather than through any artificially dramatic actions of the characters, either human or exotic. Adventures may well be introduced, but they should be properly subordinated to realism--made inevitable outgrowths of the conditions instead of synthetic thrills concocted for their own sake. The climax and ending must be managed very carefully to avoid extravagance or artificiality. It is preferable, in the interest of convincingness, to represent the fact of the voyage as remaining hidden from the public--or to have the voyage a prehistoric affair, forgotten by mankind and with its discovery remaining a secret. The idea of any general revelation implying a widespread change in human thought, history, or orientation tends to contradict surrounding events and clash with actual future probabilities to radically to give the reader a sense of naturalness. It is far more potent not to make the truth of the story dependent on any condition visibly contradicting what we know--for the reader may pleasantly toy with the notion that [[underline]]perhaps[[end underline]] these marvels [[underline]]may[[end underline]] have happened after all! Meanwhile the deluge of inept interplanetary tosh continues. Whether a qualitative upturn will ever occur on anything like a large scale, this commentator cannot venture to prophesy; but at any rate, he has had his say regarding what he deems the main aspects of the problem. There are without doubt great possibilities in the serious exploitation of the astronomical tale, as a few semi-classics like [[underline]]War of the Worlds[[end underline]], [[underline]]The Lat and First Men[[end underline]], [[underline]]Station X[[end underline]], [[underline]]The Red Brain[[end underline]], and Clark Ashton Smith's best work prove. But the pioneers must be prepared to labour without financial return, professional recognition, or the encouragement of a reading majority whose taste has been seriously harmed by the rubbish it has devoured. Fortunately sincere artistic creation is its own incentive and reward, so that despite all obstacles we need not despair of the future of a fresh literary form whose present lack of development leaves all the more room for brilliant and fruitful experimentation. [[underline]]PSEUDONYMS OF H. P. LOVECRAFT[[end underline]] by R. E. Barlow -oOo- Lovecraft gave me this partial list of his pseudonyms about 1934. Most of these were used exclusively in the amateur journals of the UAPA and NAPA, and many were used only once. This list may enable the industrious to track down items in the Fossil Library of Amateur Journalism, Benjamin Franklin Memorial, Philadelphia--where his own collection reposes. (Isent it there after his death, in fulfilment of his instructions.) H. Littlewit, Edward Softly, H. Paget-Lowe, Lawrence Appleton, John J. Jones, Archibald xxx (surname forgotten by HPL), Lewis Theobald Jr., Ward Phillips (from hoWARD PHILLIPS lovecraft). --18--
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