Transcribe
Translate
Fantascience Digest, v. 2, issue 1, Novermber-December 1938
Page 12
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
Page 12 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST Ferguson, Jr.'s astoundingly well done artistry, were few and far between. Then there was the FANTASY FAN, which, after eighteen fruitless months, worked up a pitiable circulation of sixty. Notwithstanding its numerous well-printed pages, the hidden muskiness of the weird and fantastic that haunted ever word of every one of its pages. Pages that proudly presented original works of professional authors as fine as most appearing in any professional magazines. Dozens of masterful hitherto unpublished works of H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, August W. Derleth, and many other celebrities. Eighteen crammed issues of that and other intensely interesting material. Result-- sixty subscribers. Perhaps I have gone too far afield for the newer fans who have never experienced anything quite as painstakingly elaborate as these old timers. For their sake I shall drop down to times closer to the present, and what do we find? For the most part, a definite drop in standard. The writing is not as good, in many places it is actually poor. Artistry among the fans has become a colorful, less purposeful, and infinitely poorer subject. In place of the printed magazines of the past era, we find hectographed sheets, bearing along under pitful [sic] odds, negligible circulation, and appreciation. However, they have not lost their atmosphere. It is still there, even in some of the tiniest hectographed sheets and bulletins it rears as the only redeeming feature. COSMIC TALES, with all its faults, has built up a surprisingly high quota of "atmosphere". Compared with such preceding attempts as MARVEL TALES, FANCIFUL TALES, etc., it is nothing. But its inherent charm remains as great or greater, than those aforementioned publications. The SCIENCE FICTION FAN, surrounded by a group of remaining true-blue fans, presents dimly the ghost of the old FANTASY MAGAZINE, flickering bravely regardless of its humbler hectographed garb. The SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTOR even under Dollens "possesses that something," even though the contents were usually of little worth. The Collector, under its new editorship, has increased that quality so that it glimmers hopefully from each of the interesting pages. And there are other present-day fan magazines that have captured some sort of "atmosphere". Possibly not as pronounced as the ers [sic] mentioned, but are certainly not to be disregarded. The SCIENCE FICTION CRITIC, for example, has some of that illusive quality, but it is not quite at penetrating as some of the other magazines. Perhaps extreme conservatism has something to do with this. Then there are some of the English publications that attempt, intentionally, or unintentionally, to have the trace of "different" about them. They, however, are so decidedly lacking in interest that atmosphere can do them little good. Then there are a few magazines which seem to possess no individuality of their own. They are just another attempt in a numerous cluster. Usually, they don't last, and if they do, are not remembered with any degree of clarity. Perhaps a good definition of them would be; "a magazine without a personality." How to create "atmosphere"? That's a sticker. Like personality, it is not created. It just is. Quality and quantity of the product have nothing to do with it. Morris Dollens' early issues of the SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTOR possessed atmosphere, and yet there was not a scrap of worthwhile information contained in them. As to recognizing "atmosphere" when it is present; that is a somewhat simpler task. The symptoms are usually a desire to obtain a copy of the magazine before it has appeared. To glance through its pages though you know there may be little to interest you when you do receive it. ----------
Saving...
prev
next
Page 12 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST Ferguson, Jr.'s astoundingly well done artistry, were few and far between. Then there was the FANTASY FAN, which, after eighteen fruitless months, worked up a pitiable circulation of sixty. Notwithstanding its numerous well-printed pages, the hidden muskiness of the weird and fantastic that haunted ever word of every one of its pages. Pages that proudly presented original works of professional authors as fine as most appearing in any professional magazines. Dozens of masterful hitherto unpublished works of H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, August W. Derleth, and many other celebrities. Eighteen crammed issues of that and other intensely interesting material. Result-- sixty subscribers. Perhaps I have gone too far afield for the newer fans who have never experienced anything quite as painstakingly elaborate as these old timers. For their sake I shall drop down to times closer to the present, and what do we find? For the most part, a definite drop in standard. The writing is not as good, in many places it is actually poor. Artistry among the fans has become a colorful, less purposeful, and infinitely poorer subject. In place of the printed magazines of the past era, we find hectographed sheets, bearing along under pitful [sic] odds, negligible circulation, and appreciation. However, they have not lost their atmosphere. It is still there, even in some of the tiniest hectographed sheets and bulletins it rears as the only redeeming feature. COSMIC TALES, with all its faults, has built up a surprisingly high quota of "atmosphere". Compared with such preceding attempts as MARVEL TALES, FANCIFUL TALES, etc., it is nothing. But its inherent charm remains as great or greater, than those aforementioned publications. The SCIENCE FICTION FAN, surrounded by a group of remaining true-blue fans, presents dimly the ghost of the old FANTASY MAGAZINE, flickering bravely regardless of its humbler hectographed garb. The SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTOR even under Dollens "possesses that something," even though the contents were usually of little worth. The Collector, under its new editorship, has increased that quality so that it glimmers hopefully from each of the interesting pages. And there are other present-day fan magazines that have captured some sort of "atmosphere". Possibly not as pronounced as the ers [sic] mentioned, but are certainly not to be disregarded. The SCIENCE FICTION CRITIC, for example, has some of that illusive quality, but it is not quite at penetrating as some of the other magazines. Perhaps extreme conservatism has something to do with this. Then there are some of the English publications that attempt, intentionally, or unintentionally, to have the trace of "different" about them. They, however, are so decidedly lacking in interest that atmosphere can do them little good. Then there are a few magazines which seem to possess no individuality of their own. They are just another attempt in a numerous cluster. Usually, they don't last, and if they do, are not remembered with any degree of clarity. Perhaps a good definition of them would be; "a magazine without a personality." How to create "atmosphere"? That's a sticker. Like personality, it is not created. It just is. Quality and quantity of the product have nothing to do with it. Morris Dollens' early issues of the SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTOR possessed atmosphere, and yet there was not a scrap of worthwhile information contained in them. As to recognizing "atmosphere" when it is present; that is a somewhat simpler task. The symptoms are usually a desire to obtain a copy of the magazine before it has appeared. To glance through its pages though you know there may be little to interest you when you do receive it. ----------
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
