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Science Fiction Forward, v. 1, issue 1, September 1940

Page 15

SCIENCE FICTION FORWARD Page 15

their verity cannot for a moment be doubted..There is no sane man, capable of viewing the world in the proper perspective, who could sincerely deny them.
     Science has built a truly mighty structure. Thru all attacks it has endured, thus proving the rock upon which is stands. It has led inevitably to convictions both frightening and amazing. The old safety cones of the wishful thinkers have been demolished in fell swoops which rattled civilization to the roots.

     But science, like justice, is blind.

     Wherever the facts lead, science follows. When two tendencies meet at a point, they coalesce and move in a resultant direction. Science has so far been practically goalless. Tendencies have met and shot off on their resultant courses willy-nilly. There have been few attempts to "mate" tendencies in order to arrive at a desired goal.
     This mating of tendencies, and the prediction of what will result from them, comes within the province of science-fiction.
     Most scientists have been too busy whittling chips from the staggering tree of knowledge to care where these facts were leading. Several great theoreticians have arisen, probably the greatest in our own time, Albert Einstein. He mated some facts, and got the relativity theory, but only in science-fiction is it possible to go the whole hog, and reach conclusions far enough ahead to make the path you are following clear-cut and discernible.

     Two questions immediately propose themselves: Is science-fiction capable of the task which should depose upon it? And has science-fiction achieved any measure of success so far?
     The capability of science-fiction is the combined capabilities of the men who compose it. And no one can deny that there are some extremely capable men in science-fiction. H.G.Wells, I.Sprague [illegible], Iarl Vincent, Roger Sherman Hoar, Eric Temple Boll, Dr. E.E.Smith, Dr. Teller, R.D.Swisher, Miles G. Breuer---all these and many more have definite contributions to make to humanity.
     BUT---and it is a huge, insurmountable but---science-fiction has not met with the success that its capabilities suggest, It cannot be denied by us or anyone else that science-fiction has contributed practically nothing to the advancement of science.
     Why this contradiction? Why has science-fiction accomplished so little with the vast resources at its command?
     We believe, and can substantiate our belief almost to the point of hidebound proof, that the answer lies in the perversion of science-fiction with ANTI-SCIENCE. How can science-fiction advance science when it pictures it as a monster menacing humanity with horrible destruction in the form of scientific wars, perverted eugenics, and race suicide?
     That science will benefit humanity is not inevitable. Science itself is neither a force for good, nor a force for evil. Science only affects humanity thru the uses to which it is put. When it is used to make explosives and poison gas, only evil can result. BUT TO BLAME THE BAD EFFECT ON SCIENCE IS AT ONCE SILLY AND DANGEROUS, for instead of getting rid of the perverting forces, you destroy science itself! And science-fiction has been one of the front-line units in this attack on science.
     MAKE SCIENCE A BENEFIT TO HUMANITY. DEMAND THAT SCIENCE-FICTION FORST SCIENCE INSTEAD OF DESTROYING IT. BE A PRO-SCIENTIST!

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SCIENCE FICTION FORWARD Page 15 their verity cannot for a moment be doubted..There is no sane man, capable of viewing the world in the proper perspective, who could sincerely deny them. Science has built a truly mighty structure. Thru all attacks it has endured, thus proving the rock upon which is stands. It has led inevitably to convictions both frightening and amazing. The old safety cones of the wishful thinkers have been demolished in fell swoops which rattled civilization to the roots. But science, like justice, is blind. Wherever the facts lead, science follows. When two tendencies meet at a point, they coalesce and move in a resultant direction. Science has so far been practically goalless. Tendencies have met and shot off on their resultant courses willy-nilly. There have been few attempts to "mate" tendencies in order to arrive at a desired goal. This mating of tendencies, and the prediction of what will result from them, comes within the province of science-fiction. Most scientists have been too busy whittling chips from the staggering tree of knowledge to care where these facts were leading. Several great theoreticians have arisen, probably the greatest in our own time, Albert Einstein. He mated some facts, and got the relativity theory, but only in science-fiction is it possible to go the whole hog, and reach conclusions far enough ahead to make the path you are following clear-cut and discernible. Two questions immediately propose themselves: Is science-fiction capable of the task which should depose upon it? And has science-fiction achieved any measure of success so far? The capability of science-fiction is the combined capabilities of the men who compose it. And no one can deny that there are some extremely capable men in science-fiction. H.G.Wells, I.Sprague [illegible], Iarl Vincent, Roger Sherman Hoar, Eric Temple Boll, Dr. E.E.Smith, Dr. Teller, R.D.Swisher, Miles G. Breuer---all these and many more have definite contributions to make to humanity. BUT---and it is a huge, insurmountable but---science-fiction has not met with the success that its capabilities suggest, It cannot be denied by us or anyone else that science-fiction has contributed practically nothing to the advancement of science. Why this contradiction? Why has science-fiction accomplished so little with the vast resources at its command? We believe, and can substantiate our belief almost to the point of hidebound proof, that the answer lies in the perversion of science-fiction with ANTI-SCIENCE. How can science-fiction advance science when it pictures it as a monster menacing humanity with horrible destruction in the form of scientific wars, perverted eugenics, and race suicide? That science will benefit humanity is not inevitable. Science itself is neither a force for good, nor a force for evil. Science only affects humanity thru the uses to which it is put. When it is used to make explosives and poison gas, only evil can result. BUT TO BLAME THE BAD EFFECT ON SCIENCE IS AT ONCE SILLY AND DANGEROUS, for instead of getting rid of the perverting forces, you destroy science itself! And science-fiction has been one of the front-line units in this attack on science. MAKE SCIENCE A BENEFIT TO HUMANITY. DEMAND THAT SCIENCE-FICTION FORST SCIENCE INSTEAD OF DESTROYING IT. BE A PRO-SCIENTIST!