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New Fandom, v. 2, issue 1, April 1940
Page 6
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Page Six NEW FANDOM Science-Fiction". The only thing that saved Amazing Stories was the publication of a few good stories now and then. E.E. Smith's and John W. Campbell's stories, in your author's humble opinion, saved Amazing Stories from passing away. With the change to small size a very slow improvement set in. To the readers, the old Amazing had published real science-fiction --- and a lot of it was uninteresting. Thus in the years before its collapse and sale to Ziff-Davis, the stories contained no new or startling ideas. Amazing's forte then was the series stories, like the Professor Jameson series. These attracted much more attention than the novels or shorts. Then Amazing Stories ceased with the March, 1938 issue, and the fans were gratified to hear that it would be revived by the Ziff-Davis Publishing Company of Chicago. Raymond A. Palmer was named editor. Palmer was a real fan, collector, and author; everyone expected great things from Amazing. Everyone was disappointed. June 1938 saw the first issue under the new banner. In spite of the fact (judging from the ballyhoo) that Amazing Stories has been a financial success, the fans have disliked it. The new group realized that heretofore they had been catering to a small select audience, and with an eye to a vaster circulation, made up their magazine to appeal more generally. The readers' department consists of new readers who like the mag for the same reason they like western stories. Emotional appeal . . . Thus Amazing started a pulp rush similar to the western story pulp rush of a few years ago. The stories have, from the standpoint of the fan, been very poor, many were love stories embellished with ray guns and rocket ships on strange planets. That went over big with the pulp fiction audience, always clamoring for something new. Amazing Stories has improved since the first issue, and a few good stories have appeared in it. Binder's "I, Robot" is one of these. Many fans have clamored for the return of the Jameson series, but they have been ignored. Amazing Stories will probably continue for a long time, despite the fact that the fans class it very low in the scale and read it last, if it at all. Only one Annual to the old Amazing was ever published --- for 1927. It consisted mostly of reprints. Several quarterlies were put our, and some of the best science-fiction of the times came out in them. During this period, Amazing Stories was at its zenith. Real science-fiction had been developed. The new companion magazine, "Fantastic Adventures", has become a scientale mag, and many of its stories are not well-written. Due to its large size and attractive makeup, it seems to be well on its way to success. Its great weakness lies in its "sweet" endings, which mirror mid-Victorian ideals. The new Amazing got over that to a certain extent. Up to July, 1939, Fantastic Adventures has not published an outstanding story, but the fans have hopes for the future. It is possible that the wide use of English authors has slowed Amazing Stories up considerably. The English writers do not always catch the American viewpoint, and are generally poor --- this does not go for Wells, who was an internationalist, anyway. The chief assets of the two Ziff-Davis mags are the eye-catching covers, which interest the customer and sell the magazine. Their departments are poor, and their make-up on the whole mediocre. If Palmer keeps the present policy, the old fans will leave him altogether, to be replaced by a greater number
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Page Six NEW FANDOM Science-Fiction". The only thing that saved Amazing Stories was the publication of a few good stories now and then. E.E. Smith's and John W. Campbell's stories, in your author's humble opinion, saved Amazing Stories from passing away. With the change to small size a very slow improvement set in. To the readers, the old Amazing had published real science-fiction --- and a lot of it was uninteresting. Thus in the years before its collapse and sale to Ziff-Davis, the stories contained no new or startling ideas. Amazing's forte then was the series stories, like the Professor Jameson series. These attracted much more attention than the novels or shorts. Then Amazing Stories ceased with the March, 1938 issue, and the fans were gratified to hear that it would be revived by the Ziff-Davis Publishing Company of Chicago. Raymond A. Palmer was named editor. Palmer was a real fan, collector, and author; everyone expected great things from Amazing. Everyone was disappointed. June 1938 saw the first issue under the new banner. In spite of the fact (judging from the ballyhoo) that Amazing Stories has been a financial success, the fans have disliked it. The new group realized that heretofore they had been catering to a small select audience, and with an eye to a vaster circulation, made up their magazine to appeal more generally. The readers' department consists of new readers who like the mag for the same reason they like western stories. Emotional appeal . . . Thus Amazing started a pulp rush similar to the western story pulp rush of a few years ago. The stories have, from the standpoint of the fan, been very poor, many were love stories embellished with ray guns and rocket ships on strange planets. That went over big with the pulp fiction audience, always clamoring for something new. Amazing Stories has improved since the first issue, and a few good stories have appeared in it. Binder's "I, Robot" is one of these. Many fans have clamored for the return of the Jameson series, but they have been ignored. Amazing Stories will probably continue for a long time, despite the fact that the fans class it very low in the scale and read it last, if it at all. Only one Annual to the old Amazing was ever published --- for 1927. It consisted mostly of reprints. Several quarterlies were put our, and some of the best science-fiction of the times came out in them. During this period, Amazing Stories was at its zenith. Real science-fiction had been developed. The new companion magazine, "Fantastic Adventures", has become a scientale mag, and many of its stories are not well-written. Due to its large size and attractive makeup, it seems to be well on its way to success. Its great weakness lies in its "sweet" endings, which mirror mid-Victorian ideals. The new Amazing got over that to a certain extent. Up to July, 1939, Fantastic Adventures has not published an outstanding story, but the fans have hopes for the future. It is possible that the wide use of English authors has slowed Amazing Stories up considerably. The English writers do not always catch the American viewpoint, and are generally poor --- this does not go for Wells, who was an internationalist, anyway. The chief assets of the two Ziff-Davis mags are the eye-catching covers, which interest the customer and sell the magazine. Their departments are poor, and their make-up on the whole mediocre. If Palmer keeps the present policy, the old fans will leave him altogether, to be replaced by a greater number
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