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Shangri-LA, issue 4, January-February 1948
Page 7
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The "NYMPH" o' ManiAck By Forrest Ackerman THIS IS THE STORY behind the story of a collaboration in which I was honored to have my name linked some years ago with the lovely and talented Catherine Moore, now the wife of an old friend--sensational Henry Kuttner. As I am composing this article a few hours before midnite, New Year's Eve, I believe it would be apropos to preface it with a quotation from a New Year letter from Catherine which I ran across in searching for the material for the following. 1936: "Dear Forrie: Happy New Year. And by the way, if you heard a new year's horn blowing extra loudly just at midnight, your time, and couldn't locate it--that was me. I blew a special blast for you at about 2:00 a.m. or thereabouts, as nearly as I can remember now--of New Year's morning just as the radio announced that it was at that moment midnight in Los Angeles. I never quite believe things like that--different times, I mean. Of course, know that you lose a day going around the world, and all that--but somehow can't quite believe it anyway. I read a story somewhere once in which someone in New York phoned someone in London, and over the wire 'the late afternoon New York traffic vibrated weirdly in the stillness of the London night'. It seems so impossible, if you see what I mean." Catherind Moore--puzzled by geo-chronological paradoxes! But about NYMPH OF DARKNESS by CLMoore and FJAckerman, whose chief claim to fame was that it was among the titles which vied for third place as best fantasy of the year in a poll taken among the "Auslanders"--the Australian fans, down under. (Also, it was one of the earliest stories illustrated by Hannes Bok, a new artist whom a young man named Ray Bradbury had personally persuaded the late Fransworth Wright to try.) Here is the original outline I sent to Catherine when she was living in Indianapolis and working in a bank vault: THE NYUSA NYMPH--One short and exciting exprience in the adventure-filled life of Northwest Smith...Of a fleeing figure in the nite that bumped into NW at the Venusian waterfront--an unseen form--that of Nyusa, the girl who was born invisible! Further details: The business of the squat creature who came swiftly slinking thru the street, short on the heels of the figure in NW's arms, with the strange lite-tube in its hands flashing from side to side (it would have caused Nyusa to become visible, you know--the lite from the tube)...and of Nyusa, whose abnormally high body-temperature kept her comfortable free from clothing; so that invisible she remained, as born...And from what she fled, and how NW was of service to her, etc.--I will leave to you. 7
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The "NYMPH" o' ManiAck By Forrest Ackerman THIS IS THE STORY behind the story of a collaboration in which I was honored to have my name linked some years ago with the lovely and talented Catherine Moore, now the wife of an old friend--sensational Henry Kuttner. As I am composing this article a few hours before midnite, New Year's Eve, I believe it would be apropos to preface it with a quotation from a New Year letter from Catherine which I ran across in searching for the material for the following. 1936: "Dear Forrie: Happy New Year. And by the way, if you heard a new year's horn blowing extra loudly just at midnight, your time, and couldn't locate it--that was me. I blew a special blast for you at about 2:00 a.m. or thereabouts, as nearly as I can remember now--of New Year's morning just as the radio announced that it was at that moment midnight in Los Angeles. I never quite believe things like that--different times, I mean. Of course, know that you lose a day going around the world, and all that--but somehow can't quite believe it anyway. I read a story somewhere once in which someone in New York phoned someone in London, and over the wire 'the late afternoon New York traffic vibrated weirdly in the stillness of the London night'. It seems so impossible, if you see what I mean." Catherind Moore--puzzled by geo-chronological paradoxes! But about NYMPH OF DARKNESS by CLMoore and FJAckerman, whose chief claim to fame was that it was among the titles which vied for third place as best fantasy of the year in a poll taken among the "Auslanders"--the Australian fans, down under. (Also, it was one of the earliest stories illustrated by Hannes Bok, a new artist whom a young man named Ray Bradbury had personally persuaded the late Fransworth Wright to try.) Here is the original outline I sent to Catherine when she was living in Indianapolis and working in a bank vault: THE NYUSA NYMPH--One short and exciting exprience in the adventure-filled life of Northwest Smith...Of a fleeing figure in the nite that bumped into NW at the Venusian waterfront--an unseen form--that of Nyusa, the girl who was born invisible! Further details: The business of the squat creature who came swiftly slinking thru the street, short on the heels of the figure in NW's arms, with the strange lite-tube in its hands flashing from side to side (it would have caused Nyusa to become visible, you know--the lite from the tube)...and of Nyusa, whose abnormally high body-temperature kept her comfortable free from clothing; so that invisible she remained, as born...And from what she fled, and how NW was of service to her, etc.--I will leave to you. 7
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