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Fantasite, v. 1, issue 3, April 1941
Page 23
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THE FANTASITE...23 OLIVER SAARI as seen by Squanchfoot the MFS mascot Ollie first set foot in the USA in 1927, at the tender age of nine, having crossed the pond from Finland---at which time he knew nothing of science fiction, the English language or burlesque shows. And it didn't take him so very long to adjust his tastes for all three. He first crossed paths with science fiction in 1929, succumbing finally to the lure of Paul's old Wonder covers. Thus began an endless series of detailed letters to the reader columns, spreading the Saari name throughout fandom as one of s-f's more discriminating readers. If you have the earlier Wonders and Amazings at hand you'll find within a number of them some of Saari's notable observations. In Minneapolis in 1936 Saarism began to spread, soon to encompass the directorship of the short-lived Minneapolis SFL, and possession of the title, "The World's Most Perfectly Developed S-F Fan". Indeed, science fiction couldn't interfere with Saari's athletics, all of which made him the new Atlas. Being lazy, Saari hated writing -- because it was work. But his mania for science fiction spurred him to knock out several yarns which eventually saw print. "Stellar Exodus", "Two Sane Men", and "The Time Bender" came through in the Tremaine Astounding. "Around Infinity" was printed in Captain Future after being bought for TWS. "Sigma Lyra Passes", after a merry jaunt to England, ended Fred Pohl's hands and appeared in Super Science Stories, soon to be followed by "Secret of the Crypt", and "Under the Sand Seas". "Life Jewel" is in the current Science Fiction Quarterly, and yet to appear is "The Door" in Astounding. About Ollie himself -- he dislikes: Technical errors in s-f, Errol Flynn, hot fudge sundaes, baseball, people who borrow mags from his collection, and the three K's, Kummer, Kuttner and Kruse. But he likes a lot of things too Hamburgers, Deep Purple, John W. Campbell, swimming, loafing, Heinlein, Cole Porter, du Maurier's Rebecca, Ernest Hemingway, malted milks, Strauss and Lana Turner. He has a complete collection of the three major s-f mags, plus all the latest pulp offsprings and countless fan mags---probably the only collection of its kind in the middle west. At least it's a pretty admirable heap of imaginative fiction. In his spare time Saari moves with ease through an M.E. course at the U. of M. He doesn't study -- hell just tell you that Mechanical Engineering is common knowledge. So, when he has spare time from his usual spare time, he writes stories, works equations for members Benson and Wagner, browses in musty book stores, eats hamburgers, reads the dictionary and tries to disprove Einstein or Millikan. And he'd like to have you know that his name is pronounced "Sir-ri", as in bar, where, incidentally, you might find him at times. ---Squanchfoot READ STARLIGHT PUBLICATIONS DAWN THE FANTASITE STELLAR TALES SHANGRI*LA
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THE FANTASITE...23 OLIVER SAARI as seen by Squanchfoot the MFS mascot Ollie first set foot in the USA in 1927, at the tender age of nine, having crossed the pond from Finland---at which time he knew nothing of science fiction, the English language or burlesque shows. And it didn't take him so very long to adjust his tastes for all three. He first crossed paths with science fiction in 1929, succumbing finally to the lure of Paul's old Wonder covers. Thus began an endless series of detailed letters to the reader columns, spreading the Saari name throughout fandom as one of s-f's more discriminating readers. If you have the earlier Wonders and Amazings at hand you'll find within a number of them some of Saari's notable observations. In Minneapolis in 1936 Saarism began to spread, soon to encompass the directorship of the short-lived Minneapolis SFL, and possession of the title, "The World's Most Perfectly Developed S-F Fan". Indeed, science fiction couldn't interfere with Saari's athletics, all of which made him the new Atlas. Being lazy, Saari hated writing -- because it was work. But his mania for science fiction spurred him to knock out several yarns which eventually saw print. "Stellar Exodus", "Two Sane Men", and "The Time Bender" came through in the Tremaine Astounding. "Around Infinity" was printed in Captain Future after being bought for TWS. "Sigma Lyra Passes", after a merry jaunt to England, ended Fred Pohl's hands and appeared in Super Science Stories, soon to be followed by "Secret of the Crypt", and "Under the Sand Seas". "Life Jewel" is in the current Science Fiction Quarterly, and yet to appear is "The Door" in Astounding. About Ollie himself -- he dislikes: Technical errors in s-f, Errol Flynn, hot fudge sundaes, baseball, people who borrow mags from his collection, and the three K's, Kummer, Kuttner and Kruse. But he likes a lot of things too Hamburgers, Deep Purple, John W. Campbell, swimming, loafing, Heinlein, Cole Porter, du Maurier's Rebecca, Ernest Hemingway, malted milks, Strauss and Lana Turner. He has a complete collection of the three major s-f mags, plus all the latest pulp offsprings and countless fan mags---probably the only collection of its kind in the middle west. At least it's a pretty admirable heap of imaginative fiction. In his spare time Saari moves with ease through an M.E. course at the U. of M. He doesn't study -- hell just tell you that Mechanical Engineering is common knowledge. So, when he has spare time from his usual spare time, he writes stories, works equations for members Benson and Wagner, browses in musty book stores, eats hamburgers, reads the dictionary and tries to disprove Einstein or Millikan. And he'd like to have you know that his name is pronounced "Sir-ri", as in bar, where, incidentally, you might find him at times. ---Squanchfoot READ STARLIGHT PUBLICATIONS DAWN THE FANTASITE STELLAR TALES SHANGRI*LA
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