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Fanfile, issue 1, February 1942
Page 14
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FANFILE Page 14 Card from James Oglesby, under date of Sept. 5: "I received...SUNTRAILS...liked it very much. I particularly liked the Early Fan Letter department. I never read any of the letters that you published since at that time I was more interested in blocks and toys, then science fiction." And then a four-page letter from Art Widner Jr., dated September 7, 1941. Sorry we have to cut it some here: ...after reading several fanzines, good, bad, and indifferent, big names, first issues, and all the rest, I came to the bottom of the pile, noted a more or less in conspicuous little rag, and thought I would soon swim through it and go swimming. I didn't. It's name was Sun Trails and contained a variety of material that was at least thot-provoking, if not exactly agreeable to my palate, which is more than I can say for most of the others. Hrrmmmf. I assume that all unsigned material is by the editor. (Right you are.) If so, I have a nice assortment of ossified remains to pick with you, ranging from the little toe of an eohippus to a brontosaurus shin... There's no denying that fanzinery provides a good outlet for a number of neurotic introverts, but I don't think Mr. Smith meant himself to be taken quite so literally. Whatever fnz need censoring will be ably taken care of by the Us postal authorities. And the knowledge these "profane" publishers have of such regulations is sufficient to deter them in the first place. If they can get through the mails, what right has anyone to say what they should and should not contain beyond his personal preferences as a reader? (It should not be a matter of barely squeezing by the postal authorities. Besides, they don't check a lot of stuff like FMZ. If they did, we wager that a lot of fmz would be barred from the mails.) You intimate that certain fanzines should be prohibited from publishing certain types of material. If you don't like it and they won't listen to your opinion as a reader--very well, that's that. You withdraw your support. You cancel your subscription or refuse to trade your mags. Beyond that there's not much you can or should do about it... (If I am a fan--a member of fandom, no matter how loosely organized--and the acts of a few members reflect unfavorably on fandom as a whole, do they not also reflect unfavorably on me as a member?) The statement that fandom is on trial before a critical public is rather debatable. Certainly we would like to make a good impression on such outsiders as may appear interested, but we are also far from the point where we need to walk the straight and narrow in fear and trembling lest we incur the disfavor of some hypothetical ogre called "the general public." (and yet, EEEvans and others scream that we should introduce stf to thousands of new readers. If this does not bring us before the general public, what would you call it?) ...Stfans - Race of the Future? This theme is increasingly evident in fazines from day to day, and to dismiss summarily such a moot question with a wave of the hand and a hodge-podge of half-baked reasoning, is a discredit to the magazine and to yourself. In the first place, nothing can be determined on this point without taking an exhaustive survey of the mental and physical characteristics of practically the whole fan field. Understand, I have no definite opinion on whether fans are anything more than homo sapiens or not. It is impossible to have a fair opinion since no research of any sort has yet been attempted. I think there is possibilities that certain fans are "superhuman" or rather shall we say, "mutants." I also have doubt that their "mutant" characteristics have anything to do with being fans. Very likely these "mutants" would gravitate toward the kindred spirits (but not necessarily kindred beings) in the fan field. (We doubt very much that a superhuman being would waste time on fandom, after a look at their antics--except perhaps as camoflage for some particular activity. A "mutant" would be more likely to draw together with his fellows in some quiet place where they could study and work for the New Day.)
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FANFILE Page 14 Card from James Oglesby, under date of Sept. 5: "I received...SUNTRAILS...liked it very much. I particularly liked the Early Fan Letter department. I never read any of the letters that you published since at that time I was more interested in blocks and toys, then science fiction." And then a four-page letter from Art Widner Jr., dated September 7, 1941. Sorry we have to cut it some here: ...after reading several fanzines, good, bad, and indifferent, big names, first issues, and all the rest, I came to the bottom of the pile, noted a more or less in conspicuous little rag, and thought I would soon swim through it and go swimming. I didn't. It's name was Sun Trails and contained a variety of material that was at least thot-provoking, if not exactly agreeable to my palate, which is more than I can say for most of the others. Hrrmmmf. I assume that all unsigned material is by the editor. (Right you are.) If so, I have a nice assortment of ossified remains to pick with you, ranging from the little toe of an eohippus to a brontosaurus shin... There's no denying that fanzinery provides a good outlet for a number of neurotic introverts, but I don't think Mr. Smith meant himself to be taken quite so literally. Whatever fnz need censoring will be ably taken care of by the Us postal authorities. And the knowledge these "profane" publishers have of such regulations is sufficient to deter them in the first place. If they can get through the mails, what right has anyone to say what they should and should not contain beyond his personal preferences as a reader? (It should not be a matter of barely squeezing by the postal authorities. Besides, they don't check a lot of stuff like FMZ. If they did, we wager that a lot of fmz would be barred from the mails.) You intimate that certain fanzines should be prohibited from publishing certain types of material. If you don't like it and they won't listen to your opinion as a reader--very well, that's that. You withdraw your support. You cancel your subscription or refuse to trade your mags. Beyond that there's not much you can or should do about it... (If I am a fan--a member of fandom, no matter how loosely organized--and the acts of a few members reflect unfavorably on fandom as a whole, do they not also reflect unfavorably on me as a member?) The statement that fandom is on trial before a critical public is rather debatable. Certainly we would like to make a good impression on such outsiders as may appear interested, but we are also far from the point where we need to walk the straight and narrow in fear and trembling lest we incur the disfavor of some hypothetical ogre called "the general public." (and yet, EEEvans and others scream that we should introduce stf to thousands of new readers. If this does not bring us before the general public, what would you call it?) ...Stfans - Race of the Future? This theme is increasingly evident in fazines from day to day, and to dismiss summarily such a moot question with a wave of the hand and a hodge-podge of half-baked reasoning, is a discredit to the magazine and to yourself. In the first place, nothing can be determined on this point without taking an exhaustive survey of the mental and physical characteristics of practically the whole fan field. Understand, I have no definite opinion on whether fans are anything more than homo sapiens or not. It is impossible to have a fair opinion since no research of any sort has yet been attempted. I think there is possibilities that certain fans are "superhuman" or rather shall we say, "mutants." I also have doubt that their "mutant" characteristics have anything to do with being fans. Very likely these "mutants" would gravitate toward the kindred spirits (but not necessarily kindred beings) in the fan field. (We doubt very much that a superhuman being would waste time on fandom, after a look at their antics--except perhaps as camoflage for some particular activity. A "mutant" would be more likely to draw together with his fellows in some quiet place where they could study and work for the New Day.)
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