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Southern Star, v. 1, issue 1, 1941

Page 8

From The Star Port                                  Page 8
           
        SOUTHERN STAR

   Stunned by this queer coincidence they decide to give the beast his life -- and at that very moment he wheels and disappears from their sight with a snort of defiance -- or satisfaction. Immediately thereafter they find the mine they have been seeking. If they had found it ten minutes before, they would have died within it, because an avalanche has just sealed the entrance with tons of rock. Within the mine they would have died in darkness of sure starvation. Williams had kept his word, had been reincarnated as a bull elk, and had reappeared to give aid in a time of unsuspected emergency. 

   Or had he? The long arm of coincidence may be elastic, of course...!

   Lew Martin, of Denver, Colorado, asked me about two years ago if MARVEL TALES  was discontinued before the two serials THE TITIAN, by P. Schuyler Miller and THE NEBULA OF DEATH  by George Allan England, were concluded. I've never answered him yet. Can anybody within eyesight provide this information to us?

   Gugliemo Marconi, the Italian Inventor, never ceased to believe that someday a machine would be invented which would capture and broadcast all the sounds ever made. He contented that sound was electrical in character and of such physical consistency as to be solid and permanent -- although unheard after initial emission, the waves continued to circle the world and be inherently of the world. 

   So far the machine hasn't been invented, but imagine its possibilities. School-children would actually hear the famous speeches of history. History, in fact, would have to be rewritten, because the thundering, hateful sounds of war would be tuned in and compared with the lilting voices of peace, and mankind would unhesitatingly make the proper choice then. The murmuring echo of contentment would be vastly more appealing from a loud speaker than a tornado of tempestuous speech, sabre rattling, and an ultimate cacaphony of destroying ordinance. 

   And while on the distasteful subject of war, let me remark that the blitzkrieg has practically annihilated already the consumption of science-fiction in once merry England. I received on September 14 a a letter from Richard G. Medhurst, 126 Finborough Rd., West Brompton London, SW-10,  England (the reason for the full address will soon present itself to the properly sympathetic) -- I received from him, I say, a letter which had been dated 7th April, 1940. A lapse of over five months had occurred between posting and receipt of the missive. Of course a part of this lapse might have been due to a delay in forwarding, for the letter had been addressed to me in care of FANTASCIENCE DIGEST. 

   Anyway, Medhurst wrote a very interesting letter -- and also a very revealing letter. As I read it I could only wonder if the situation was so bad away back in April, what must it be like now that bombs rain daily from the hate-filled skies and all ordinary means of communication and transportation are disrupted beyond the point of service. May I, in part, quote his letter:
          Dear Mr. Fischer:
          A voice from out of the
          murky depths of our
          crumbling civilisation,
          which you have brought
          upon yourself by your
          article in Jan.-Feb.
          Fantascience Digest. 

          Quite agree about
          Collectors. We ARE 
          nice chaps, aren't we?

Saving...

From The Star Port Page 8 SOUTHERN STAR Stunned by this queer coincidence they decide to give the beast his life -- and at that very moment he wheels and disappears from their sight with a snort of defiance -- or satisfaction. Immediately thereafter they find the mine they have been seeking. If they had found it ten minutes before, they would have died within it, because an avalanche has just sealed the entrance with tons of rock. Within the mine they would have died in darkness of sure starvation. Williams had kept his word, had been reincarnated as a bull elk, and had reappeared to give aid in a time of unsuspected emergency. Or had he? The long arm of coincidence may be elastic, of course...! Lew Martin, of Denver, Colorado, asked me about two years ago if MARVEL TALES was discontinued before the two serials THE TITIAN, by P. Schuyler Miller and THE NEBULA OF DEATH by George Allan England, were concluded. I've never answered him yet. Can anybody within eyesight provide this information to us? Gugliemo Marconi, the Italian Inventor, never ceased to believe that someday a machine would be invented which would capture and broadcast all the sounds ever made. He contented that sound was electrical in character and of such physical consistency as to be solid and permanent -- although unheard after initial emission, the waves continued to circle the world and be inherently of the world. So far the machine hasn't been invented, but imagine its possibilities. School-children would actually hear the famous speeches of history. History, in fact, would have to be rewritten, because the thundering, hateful sounds of war would be tuned in and compared with the lilting voices of peace, and mankind would unhesitatingly make the proper choice then. The murmuring echo of contentment would be vastly more appealing from a loud speaker than a tornado of tempestuous speech, sabre rattling, and an ultimate cacaphony of destroying ordinance. And while on the distasteful subject of war, let me remark that the blitzkrieg has practically annihilated already the consumption of science-fiction in once merry England. I received on September 14 a a letter from Richard G. Medhurst, 126 Finborough Rd., West Brompton London, SW-10, England (the reason for the full address will soon present itself to the properly sympathetic) -- I received from him, I say, a letter which had been dated 7th April, 1940. A lapse of over five months had occurred between posting and receipt of the missive. Of course a part of this lapse might have been due to a delay in forwarding, for the letter had been addressed to me in care of FANTASCIENCE DIGEST. Anyway, Medhurst wrote a very interesting letter -- and also a very revealing letter. As I read it I could only wonder if the situation was so bad away back in April, what must it be like now that bombs rain daily from the hate-filled skies and all ordinary means of communication and transportation are disrupted beyond the point of service. May I, in part, quote his letter: Dear Mr. Fischer: A voice from out of the murky depths of our crumbling civilisation, which you have brought upon yourself by your article in Jan.-Feb. Fantascience Digest. Quite agree about Collectors. We ARE nice chaps, aren't we?