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Sun Spots, v. 2, issue 3, June 14, 1940
Page 5
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June 14, 1940. [Price 5¢] SUN-SPOTS THE WAY I SEE IT. by R. P[L?]otkin. The way I see it, S-F is definitely on the upgrade. Fans whose sole aim in it is to read the magazines, both fan and pro, is being replaced by the fan who has a genuine interest in the goings on of the various S-F organizations and who really knows what it is all about. I have received letters from fans, stating opinions on this or that mag., criticising artists and authors and in general interesting themselves in S-F as a hobby which demands all their spare time. The consensus of their ideas has been completed, and it stands roughly like this: The most popular magazine is quite definitely Astounding Science Fiction. In my humble opinion, this mag. is absolutely punk. The makeup, while undeniably being neat, is too sombre. It gives you the creeps to look at one of the covers done in a drab green or brown, with barely any relief. However, that is the opinion of the fans, and so it stands--Astounding is top magazine. Next I will deal with artists. Paul wins in the field of artists by such a margin as to impress anyone--except me. Again, I think that Krupa is far and away the best, both in the use of color, selection of subjects and composition. I think that Paul is voted the best because he is seen so much more than any of the others. Fantastic Adventures ran back covers by him for several months, and each cover depicted life on a planet. These pictures were good, I grant you, but give Krupa the chance to do the same thing and I have every confidence that he will do just as well, if not better. Last[l]y I will discuss authors. These are in profusion both good, bad and indifferent. Such men as Lovecraft, Weinbaum, Smith and others of the Gernsback days still hold first ranking with most people. But not with me. Oh no! I think that Eando Binder is better than all the aforementioned put together, and here is why. In the days of Gernsback publications it was common practice to read a book, and then mold a science fiction story around its plot. In the early days this was all right, but as years rolled by, fans began to get tired of reading these skilfull copies. It was ripe for a new author, the one who could improve and still turn out a good story. Originality is the keynote of this school of writers, the modern ones, and I think you will agree that it is a lot harder to sit down and write an entirely new story even in such a versatile field as science fiction, than to read a novel and then make a S.F. story out of it. True, they did occasionally write something original, Weinbaum in particular, but in spite of the ballyhoo made about Weinbaum and his contemporaries, I still honstly and fairly believe that Eando Binder, with Adam Link as a notable success, is far and away better than all of them. Here is my opinion of science fiction as it stands today. My favorite mag. is Amazing Stories, and the reason is because of its surprising consistency. I have yet to read one bad story, see one bad illustration, one dull department or one really poor cover painting. I have but one complaint. I'd like to see it clipped. My favorite artist, as mentioned before, Is Julian S. Krupa. He is the best painter in several fields, let alone S-F, and he deserves top ranking. And last, but not by any means least, my favorite author is--yes, Eando Binder. However before I close, I wish to point out that while the older writers were guilty of copying, Binder has done it, also very skillfully, in "Five Steps to Tomorrow", in the latest issue of Startling Stories. Well, I guess that's all the space I'm allowed, so I'll leave you with the phrase that "you should read my opinions and comment on them freely to me by means of correspondence". I know that these opinions cannot and will not please everyone, and my only hope is that they are carefully looked over by you and weighed on an equal basis with your own.......... Thank you. R.P. Page 5
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June 14, 1940. [Price 5¢] SUN-SPOTS THE WAY I SEE IT. by R. P[L?]otkin. The way I see it, S-F is definitely on the upgrade. Fans whose sole aim in it is to read the magazines, both fan and pro, is being replaced by the fan who has a genuine interest in the goings on of the various S-F organizations and who really knows what it is all about. I have received letters from fans, stating opinions on this or that mag., criticising artists and authors and in general interesting themselves in S-F as a hobby which demands all their spare time. The consensus of their ideas has been completed, and it stands roughly like this: The most popular magazine is quite definitely Astounding Science Fiction. In my humble opinion, this mag. is absolutely punk. The makeup, while undeniably being neat, is too sombre. It gives you the creeps to look at one of the covers done in a drab green or brown, with barely any relief. However, that is the opinion of the fans, and so it stands--Astounding is top magazine. Next I will deal with artists. Paul wins in the field of artists by such a margin as to impress anyone--except me. Again, I think that Krupa is far and away the best, both in the use of color, selection of subjects and composition. I think that Paul is voted the best because he is seen so much more than any of the others. Fantastic Adventures ran back covers by him for several months, and each cover depicted life on a planet. These pictures were good, I grant you, but give Krupa the chance to do the same thing and I have every confidence that he will do just as well, if not better. Last[l]y I will discuss authors. These are in profusion both good, bad and indifferent. Such men as Lovecraft, Weinbaum, Smith and others of the Gernsback days still hold first ranking with most people. But not with me. Oh no! I think that Eando Binder is better than all the aforementioned put together, and here is why. In the days of Gernsback publications it was common practice to read a book, and then mold a science fiction story around its plot. In the early days this was all right, but as years rolled by, fans began to get tired of reading these skilfull copies. It was ripe for a new author, the one who could improve and still turn out a good story. Originality is the keynote of this school of writers, the modern ones, and I think you will agree that it is a lot harder to sit down and write an entirely new story even in such a versatile field as science fiction, than to read a novel and then make a S.F. story out of it. True, they did occasionally write something original, Weinbaum in particular, but in spite of the ballyhoo made about Weinbaum and his contemporaries, I still honstly and fairly believe that Eando Binder, with Adam Link as a notable success, is far and away better than all of them. Here is my opinion of science fiction as it stands today. My favorite mag. is Amazing Stories, and the reason is because of its surprising consistency. I have yet to read one bad story, see one bad illustration, one dull department or one really poor cover painting. I have but one complaint. I'd like to see it clipped. My favorite artist, as mentioned before, Is Julian S. Krupa. He is the best painter in several fields, let alone S-F, and he deserves top ranking. And last, but not by any means least, my favorite author is--yes, Eando Binder. However before I close, I wish to point out that while the older writers were guilty of copying, Binder has done it, also very skillfully, in "Five Steps to Tomorrow", in the latest issue of Startling Stories. Well, I guess that's all the space I'm allowed, so I'll leave you with the phrase that "you should read my opinions and comment on them freely to me by means of correspondence". I know that these opinions cannot and will not please everyone, and my only hope is that they are carefully looked over by you and weighed on an equal basis with your own.......... Thank you. R.P. Page 5
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