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Voice of the Imagination, whole no. 25, October 1942

Inside front verso

VOICE OF THE

Samuel D. Russell casts a critical eye over #23 from the vicinity of 3236 Clinton Ave, Mpls/Minn: "I am enclosing fifty cents for five more issues of VoM, in the wistful hope that it will begin to mature into a forum for intelligent discussion instead of remaining a mere gossip-mart(yr). In each issue there*always a few letters well worthy of being published, that have some real meat in them, but most, alas! are but trivia. Can it be that the fans mistake your own light and airy banter, which is the chief charm of the mag, for an invitation to write nonsense? Or are they just too dumb and lazy to want to use their brains when they can get their letters printed even when they write twaddle? At any rate it is strange that there should be only three main subjects of discussion in VoM at the present time: nudes, Tigrina, and how to work for a better world. The first two have been pretty well exhausted by how now. (!) Most fans seem to be of the obviously sensible opinion that although nudes have little or nothing to do with fantasy and thus should not be plastered throughout fanzines in great numbers, they are enjoyable when well drawn, but that those emanating from LA have not been worth wasting space on. And it is fairly obvious that Tigrina knows little about Satanism and professes to embrace devil-worship merely as a psychological compensation for a disagreeable religious upbringing, although her attitude arouses an irrational sympathetic interest in one who is interested in demonology, as I am. I found Henry Kuttner's letter the most interesting in the mag, and the most tantalizing, for he tells just enough about 'true Satanism' to arouse my interest without satisfying it. I had never heard of the philosophy of Satanism as he describes it, and I wish he had given some references that would supply further information. One good book on demonology is Satanism and Witchcraft by Jules Michelet (New York: Walden Publications, 1939, $3.00), which discusses the true nature and causes of devil-worship in the Middle Ages, but that is not the sort of Satanism that Kuttner is talking about. The subject of how fans can work to bring about the sort of world they read about in stf is one that can take a lot of discussion--much more, in fact, that I can summon up energy to attempt in the sweltering temperatures that prevail at the moment. I can only urge Widner et al to read, if they have not already done so, the sociological books of H. G. Wells, particularly The Shape of Things to Come, The Fate of Man, The New World Order, The Common Sense of War and Peace, and The Rights of Man (the latter two are Penguin Books @ 25[[cent symbol]]), for some good ideas on the subject."
TIGRINA pend a defense to the description of "perverted", once upon a time, which we present here "posthumously". (Note to late-comers: This seudonamed fantasy fanne, Handimaiden to Lucifer & composer of the blasfemous "Hymn to Satan", did not die but became a victim of Dyktawo in a matter making it impossible to continue corresponding via her nom-de-Vom.) "I am not perverted! Supposing the world were suddenly changed, and everyone were like me, in enjoying an occassional torture scene, etc., and that you would shrink in horror form them. Then, according to popular belief, you would be considered perverted. Not that you should crave them (as I do) by any means, but I am surprised that such things are actually repulsive to some of you. I am surprised, since you are fantasy fans, that you do not derive a certain enjoyment from torture scenes. 'It isn't nice to inflict pain on people',,,that sounds so conventional,,,'it isn't nice' to swear, or to read pulp magazines, or not attend church, or tell lies, but we all do these things at one time or another in our lives. I know that my interest in the Black Arts is, to a certain extent, a rebellion from the exceedingly 'straight and narrow path that I have sometimes been forced to tread. But it seems that merely because some of us do not react to different situations in the exact manner that the majority of the people do, we are 'perverted' and 'queer'."

Genie[[?]] Evans (Coo,gee!) of 130 Brook St, Coogee, NSW, Australia, debuts in Amerifandom with some sidelines on Aussi-fans: "I knew nothing at all about 'Weird Tales' or science fiction until I met David, & now I am beginning to know all about stencils, format, wordage, double spasing, script, & rejection slips. " To me, of course, all this sort of business is something new after spending most of my time in idle travel. Naturally I am intrigued with the trials of fan publications. I often listen to the arguments of Australian fan editors, when they get together at our apartment. " Sometimes the fans get into very interesting discussions when visiting us, & the subjects discussed sometimes make my hair stand on end (Tweenie!) & a shiver to run up my spine. " When I first met the Australian fans they were mere boys; now most of them are soldiers--grown big & strong. When I first met Vol Molesworth he was a fair-haired delicate looking boy,who talked about rocket ships & Ackerman. Now Vol is a young man who works on a newspaper as a reporter & talks about Poe, Beirce, Huxley Fort & Molesworth. Ron Levy, when I first saw him was a polite well mannered little boy who might be on holidaye from an English public school. Today he clomps his way into the apartment, throws himself into the nearest chair & sprawls out his legs displaying his size 10 shoes. (We urge U to forget that last remark. It is strictly anti-actifan propaganda!) Eric Russell, being a tall gaunt sort of fellow, always seems to find it necessary to sort of unfold himself when he gets up from a chair. And that darling husband of mine The David R. Evans goes around with a glazed look in his eyes & claims that he is the reincarnation of Leonardo Da Vinci, Edgar Allan Poe & is in direct telepathic contact with Robert Bloch. He also maintains that every time he gets an idea for a good story, Robert Bloch steals it from his mind, types it out & sells it to Weird Tales."
J'rv'HAGGARD sez: "Dear Ack: Army's gain, and I hope not science fiction's loss. O well, you've always done your rarin' and tearin' in public, now you can buck private!" 

*are

Saving...

VOICE OF THE Samuel D. Russell casts a critical eye over #23 from the vicinity of 3236 Clinton Ave, Mpls/Minn: "I am enclosing fifty cents for five more issues of VoM, in the wistful hope that it will begin to mature into a forum for intelligent discussion instead of remaining a mere gossip-mart(yr). In each issue there*always a few letters well worthy of being published, that have some real meat in them, but most, alas! are but trivia. Can it be that the fans mistake your own light and airy banter, which is the chief charm of the mag, for an invitation to write nonsense? Or are they just too dumb and lazy to want to use their brains when they can get their letters printed even when they write twaddle? At any rate it is strange that there should be only three main subjects of discussion in VoM at the present time: nudes, Tigrina, and how to work for a better world. The first two have been pretty well exhausted by how now. (!) Most fans seem to be of the obviously sensible opinion that although nudes have little or nothing to do with fantasy and thus should not be plastered throughout fanzines in great numbers, they are enjoyable when well drawn, but that those emanating from LA have not been worth wasting space on. And it is fairly obvious that Tigrina knows little about Satanism and professes to embrace devil-worship merely as a psychological compensation for a disagreeable religious upbringing, although her attitude arouses an irrational sympathetic interest in one who is interested in demonology, as I am. I found Henry Kuttner's letter the most interesting in the mag, and the most tantalizing, for he tells just enough about 'true Satanism' to arouse my interest without satisfying it. I had never heard of the philosophy of Satanism as he describes it, and I wish he had given some references that would supply further information. One good book on demonology is Satanism and Witchcraft by Jules Michelet (New York: Walden Publications, 1939, $3.00), which discusses the true nature and causes of devil-worship in the Middle Ages, but that is not the sort of Satanism that Kuttner is talking about. The subject of how fans can work to bring about the sort of world they read about in stf is one that can take a lot of discussion--much more, in fact, that I can summon up energy to attempt in the sweltering temperatures that prevail at the moment. I can only urge Widner et al to read, if they have not already done so, the sociological books of H. G. Wells, particularly The Shape of Things to Come, The Fate of Man, The New World Order, The Common Sense of War and Peace, and The Rights of Man (the latter two are Penguin Books @ 25[[cent symbol]]), for some good ideas on the subject." TIGRINA pend a defense to the description of "perverted", once upon a time, which we present here "posthumously". (Note to late-comers: This seudonamed fantasy fanne, Handimaiden to Lucifer & composer of the blasfemous "Hymn to Satan", did not die but became a victim of Dyktawo in a matter making it impossible to continue corresponding via her nom-de-Vom.) "I am not perverted! Supposing the world were suddenly changed, and everyone were like me, in enjoying an occassional torture scene, etc., and that you would shrink in horror form them. Then, according to popular belief, you would be considered perverted. Not that you should crave them (as I do) by any means, but I am surprised that such things are actually repulsive to some of you. I am surprised, since you are fantasy fans, that you do not derive a certain enjoyment from torture scenes. 'It isn't nice to inflict pain on people',,,that sounds so conventional,,,'it isn't nice' to swear, or to read pulp magazines, or not attend church, or tell lies, but we all do these things at one time or another in our lives. I know that my interest in the Black Arts is, to a certain extent, a rebellion from the exceedingly 'straight and narrow path that I have sometimes been forced to tread. But it seems that merely because some of us do not react to different situations in the exact manner that the majority of the people do, we are 'perverted' and 'queer'." Genie[[?]] Evans (Coo,gee!) of 130 Brook St, Coogee, NSW, Australia, debuts in Amerifandom with some sidelines on Aussi-fans: "I knew nothing at all about 'Weird Tales' or science fiction until I met David, & now I am beginning to know all about stencils, format, wordage, double spasing, script, & rejection slips. " To me, of course, all this sort of business is something new after spending most of my time in idle travel. Naturally I am intrigued with the trials of fan publications. I often listen to the arguments of Australian fan editors, when they get together at our apartment. " Sometimes the fans get into very interesting discussions when visiting us, & the subjects discussed sometimes make my hair stand on end (Tweenie!) & a shiver to run up my spine. " When I first met the Australian fans they were mere boys; now most of them are soldiers--grown big & strong. When I first met Vol Molesworth he was a fair-haired delicate looking boy,who talked about rocket ships & Ackerman. Now Vol is a young man who works on a newspaper as a reporter & talks about Poe, Beirce, Huxley Fort & Molesworth. Ron Levy, when I first saw him was a polite well mannered little boy who might be on holidaye from an English public school. Today he clomps his way into the apartment, throws himself into the nearest chair & sprawls out his legs displaying his size 10 shoes. (We urge U to forget that last remark. It is strictly anti-actifan propaganda!) Eric Russell, being a tall gaunt sort of fellow, always seems to find it necessary to sort of unfold himself when he gets up from a chair. And that darling husband of mine The David R. Evans goes around with a glazed look in his eyes & claims that he is the reincarnation of Leonardo Da Vinci, Edgar Allan Poe & is in direct telepathic contact with Robert Bloch. He also maintains that every time he gets an idea for a good story, Robert Bloch steals it from his mind, types it out & sells it to Weird Tales." J'rv'HAGGARD sez: "Dear Ack: Army's gain, and I hope not science fiction's loss. O well, you've always done your rarin' and tearin' in public, now you can buck private!" *are