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Fantasy Digest, v. 1, issue 6, August-September 1939
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cry of "double-crosser" and for a short interval Corwin Stickney became one of the most misunderstood men in fandom. It was at this time that I made Stickney's acquantance and gradually weedled his side of the story out of him. Then I became a campaigner for what I considered the right. Smoothing over former aberrations, defending Stickney on many points. I could easily understand that Stickney, a newcomer, was becoming more and more deeply embittered at the fan world. Gradually, I nursed him out of that mood. I encouraged him to give up his hermit-like fan existence and enter the light of regular fan activities. I convinced him to the point where he began to change his famous "Amateur Correspondent" back toward the fan viewpoint, began to reinstate fan mag reviews and cut out the loathed stamp department. It took me nine months to show him that the fans were no longer against him and would welcome his active participation in fandom. Well, he tried, half heartedly, I muss confess, but still and all he did try. He wrote a few stories for this magazine, an article or two for that one, a regular column and a few stories for my own "Helios", but it was useless. Stickney had finally emerged from his shell, but too late. No longer printed "Fan", the "Critic" and others being published. In their places were purplish, hoktographed monsters, Holios, Cosmic Tales, Collector, Fan, and many others. The viewpoint had changed. Fans were their own source of information. Professional discussion was it's lowest ebb. Stickney could not fully comprehend it. He saw also that a few fans who had once condemned him were prominent among these peculiar fan mags. It was easier to let go than it was to hold on. He let go. I do not doubt that today he is still an occassional reader of science fiction. But science fiction fandom will never see him again, nor will they again view the fellow who rocketed upward and plummetted downward faster than any of them, Willis Conover, Jr. Two significant reminders that "they never come back." I've viewed also the puzzled attempts of Jim Blish and Bill Miller to reinstate themselves in a fan world that had forgotten them for only a few month. A few months in which the era did a complete about-face, and everything important one month was of no consequence the next. Two young fans who couldn't understand changes could be so lightning, so complete in character. Bill Miller was an idealist, Jim Blish professionally mannered. Misfits in the short space of two months. Still clear in my mind are my own attempts to guide Milton Latzer back to activity and dead failure on the brink of success. It was at that point where I realized "they never come back", forgot about the old-timers, and built up the new blood. I say there never has been, there never will be, a fan who was great enough, a fan who was beloved enough, that he would be searched out and coaxed by the entire fan group to come of his voluntary retirement. I've watched too many of them try to come back. They found the road too steep, the path filled with thorns. New fans didn't enlighten the ignorant. They had thought they could step right back into their position of prominence. To have their entry announced with a blaring of trumpets and the rolling of drums. To have headlines in every fan magazine announcing: FORREST V. TUCKER "TOP" FAN OF TWO YEARS AGO MAKES COMEBACK! and probably continuing lines such as this: The fan world rejoices that F.V. Tucker has finally made his re-entry in the field. We are happy to have so great a fan once more in our midst, and we can not too sincerely express our appreciation, other than, a paean of thanks for gifting the fan world with your return. "No, no, my friends, that never has happened, that never will happen. What you may expect, outside of a simple acknowledgement [is?] to pick up a fan magazine and find some
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cry of "double-crosser" and for a short interval Corwin Stickney became one of the most misunderstood men in fandom. It was at this time that I made Stickney's acquantance and gradually weedled his side of the story out of him. Then I became a campaigner for what I considered the right. Smoothing over former aberrations, defending Stickney on many points. I could easily understand that Stickney, a newcomer, was becoming more and more deeply embittered at the fan world. Gradually, I nursed him out of that mood. I encouraged him to give up his hermit-like fan existence and enter the light of regular fan activities. I convinced him to the point where he began to change his famous "Amateur Correspondent" back toward the fan viewpoint, began to reinstate fan mag reviews and cut out the loathed stamp department. It took me nine months to show him that the fans were no longer against him and would welcome his active participation in fandom. Well, he tried, half heartedly, I muss confess, but still and all he did try. He wrote a few stories for this magazine, an article or two for that one, a regular column and a few stories for my own "Helios", but it was useless. Stickney had finally emerged from his shell, but too late. No longer printed "Fan", the "Critic" and others being published. In their places were purplish, hoktographed monsters, Holios, Cosmic Tales, Collector, Fan, and many others. The viewpoint had changed. Fans were their own source of information. Professional discussion was it's lowest ebb. Stickney could not fully comprehend it. He saw also that a few fans who had once condemned him were prominent among these peculiar fan mags. It was easier to let go than it was to hold on. He let go. I do not doubt that today he is still an occassional reader of science fiction. But science fiction fandom will never see him again, nor will they again view the fellow who rocketed upward and plummetted downward faster than any of them, Willis Conover, Jr. Two significant reminders that "they never come back." I've viewed also the puzzled attempts of Jim Blish and Bill Miller to reinstate themselves in a fan world that had forgotten them for only a few month. A few months in which the era did a complete about-face, and everything important one month was of no consequence the next. Two young fans who couldn't understand changes could be so lightning, so complete in character. Bill Miller was an idealist, Jim Blish professionally mannered. Misfits in the short space of two months. Still clear in my mind are my own attempts to guide Milton Latzer back to activity and dead failure on the brink of success. It was at that point where I realized "they never come back", forgot about the old-timers, and built up the new blood. I say there never has been, there never will be, a fan who was great enough, a fan who was beloved enough, that he would be searched out and coaxed by the entire fan group to come of his voluntary retirement. I've watched too many of them try to come back. They found the road too steep, the path filled with thorns. New fans didn't enlighten the ignorant. They had thought they could step right back into their position of prominence. To have their entry announced with a blaring of trumpets and the rolling of drums. To have headlines in every fan magazine announcing: FORREST V. TUCKER "TOP" FAN OF TWO YEARS AGO MAKES COMEBACK! and probably continuing lines such as this: The fan world rejoices that F.V. Tucker has finally made his re-entry in the field. We are happy to have so great a fan once more in our midst, and we can not too sincerely express our appreciation, other than, a paean of thanks for gifting the fan world with your return. "No, no, my friends, that never has happened, that never will happen. What you may expect, outside of a simple acknowledgement [is?] to pick up a fan magazine and find some
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