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The Science Fiction Fan, v. 4, issue 8, whole no. 44, March 1940
Page 4
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4 . . . . . . . . . . . FAN must have its roots in realism or understandable phenomena, but that is quite a superfluous restriction. No one, no matter how imaginative, can conjure up images that have not their roots in some known human experience or observation no matter how unreal the variation may appear to be. And it is here that the great opportunity lies. Variation, even in the imitative, or realistic writing is virtually limitless: in imaginative fiction, which does not and must not bow to the restrictions laid upon realism, (as to themes or character developments - whether those characters be material, quasi-material, human, unhuman, or whatnot) increases the realm of possibilities to a truly remarkable state. The one difference between the juvenile and the adult fare, in weird fiction, then, is that in the adult fare, there must be a realism of reaction and development; that is, the reactions of the human characters must be psychologically sound and logical, even though the psychology of these humans be inverted, perverted, disordered of what-have-you. In the juvenile sound pyschology is disregarded and we flit hither thither without rhyme or reason of any variety and no one cares. As knowledge increases, the experience of man in the alleged real world advances, then the field of variation mounts almost incredibly. The reader invariably outguesses the author? All chance for a striking ending is destroyed? Not necessarily. Though, I will admit, that this does rise up as a grave problem to both the reader and professional writer. But, even so, the ending is not everything. Many times a masterpiece of weirdness can be (and is) attained even though the reader knows what the ending must and shall be. As long as one sticks to established fields, yes, the gamut is soon run... but that is strictly the
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4 . . . . . . . . . . . FAN must have its roots in realism or understandable phenomena, but that is quite a superfluous restriction. No one, no matter how imaginative, can conjure up images that have not their roots in some known human experience or observation no matter how unreal the variation may appear to be. And it is here that the great opportunity lies. Variation, even in the imitative, or realistic writing is virtually limitless: in imaginative fiction, which does not and must not bow to the restrictions laid upon realism, (as to themes or character developments - whether those characters be material, quasi-material, human, unhuman, or whatnot) increases the realm of possibilities to a truly remarkable state. The one difference between the juvenile and the adult fare, in weird fiction, then, is that in the adult fare, there must be a realism of reaction and development; that is, the reactions of the human characters must be psychologically sound and logical, even though the psychology of these humans be inverted, perverted, disordered of what-have-you. In the juvenile sound pyschology is disregarded and we flit hither thither without rhyme or reason of any variety and no one cares. As knowledge increases, the experience of man in the alleged real world advances, then the field of variation mounts almost incredibly. The reader invariably outguesses the author? All chance for a striking ending is destroyed? Not necessarily. Though, I will admit, that this does rise up as a grave problem to both the reader and professional writer. But, even so, the ending is not everything. Many times a masterpiece of weirdness can be (and is) attained even though the reader knows what the ending must and shall be. As long as one sticks to established fields, yes, the gamut is soon run... but that is strictly the
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