Transcribe
Translate
Sci-Fic Variety, issue 4 and issue 5, December 1941 and March 1942
Page 4
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
(4) HAVE AT YOU, MR. LOWNDES! (A dept. of comment upon what has been said and implied by Doc, in his report on pages 2 and 3, this issue. -B.T.) Long ago when we were a callow youth, nothing thrilled us more than the sight of a stf pulp peeping from among the westerns and sports on the stands. Especially a new title, or a new title-cut on an old mag. Such as the little thrill we got from the new "face" on the current Planet . Alas (with the above exception), those days are gone forever. We've lost the power to be thrilled by such. So we thought, aided and abetted by wise columnists, that we were rapidly becoming a "has been" in stf----a guy who grew up and out of stf. Now there comes a new line of thought, by some new columnists. This new theory says we are the same .. and the magazines are the same ... which is the root of all the trouble. Gilbert says this existing state can be explained by one prime example in one mag: wacky fantasy, wacky fantasy and more wacky fantasy. Perhaps so. AT any rate we have lost the great interest we once held in Amazing, Astounding and Wonder. Quickly hiding the first-named under the nearest bed, let us proceed to the second. We no longer are bugs over this because it is to much "Campbell-opera". It (the mag) either needs a new editor or a new set of slants and policies to bolster our (and probably others') waning interest. As to TWS .. well, we gave up long ago. Only one issue in recent years has so satisfied us that we read it from kiver to kiver. The 10th Anni-issue. They didn't change editors for that issue .. but they did authors to a certain degree. So there may lay the clue. Along comes Doc and Future. Covers such as those for "Pogo Planet" and the current "Alien Vibration" awaken in us the thrill that once was. On the inside we have Cummings as he once was. So we sit up and take notice. Surely you will agree with us that when ancient reprints are used there must be expert editing and cutting.We maintain that with the proper use of shears and pencil an old reprint can be streamlined into the kind of reading material liked today .. and we don't mean wacky fantasy. Considering the style and plotting, we would go so far as to say that they must be edited or risk becoming the counterpart of a Sears catalog in a country shanty. We realize what Doc has to work with and what he must put up with. And we are perfectly content to take the Cummings he dishes out (hurry up with "The Brand New World", Doc!), hoping, always hoping that he seizes the power rightfully given him by the dictionary, and trims those yarns to the 1942 patterns. It can be done. We believe the wordy, dragging pages of "local color" and background could be polished, or killed altogether; the stupid dialog (relative to modern taste) eliminated ..... and, well, pretty soon you have a readable story. Consider Doc's article on pages 2 and 3. Originally it ran almost two & one-half pages of elite type. We edited it to the two pages of pica you now see, and lost nothing of value. Or so we believe. Many a hopeless story has undoubtedly been saved by good editing. In the fanzines many downright stinking articles have been saved by editors who had nerve & the knack of editing. We know, speaking form experience and not boasting. Well, not much boasting. But long before us, smart guys have pointed out that too many fanzine editors are publishers, not editors. In closing, we once again doff our lid to Doc and Future. We think he has the best title, the best artist, and t he best chances. So edit what material you've got to work with and see what happens.
Saving...
prev
next
(4) HAVE AT YOU, MR. LOWNDES! (A dept. of comment upon what has been said and implied by Doc, in his report on pages 2 and 3, this issue. -B.T.) Long ago when we were a callow youth, nothing thrilled us more than the sight of a stf pulp peeping from among the westerns and sports on the stands. Especially a new title, or a new title-cut on an old mag. Such as the little thrill we got from the new "face" on the current Planet . Alas (with the above exception), those days are gone forever. We've lost the power to be thrilled by such. So we thought, aided and abetted by wise columnists, that we were rapidly becoming a "has been" in stf----a guy who grew up and out of stf. Now there comes a new line of thought, by some new columnists. This new theory says we are the same .. and the magazines are the same ... which is the root of all the trouble. Gilbert says this existing state can be explained by one prime example in one mag: wacky fantasy, wacky fantasy and more wacky fantasy. Perhaps so. AT any rate we have lost the great interest we once held in Amazing, Astounding and Wonder. Quickly hiding the first-named under the nearest bed, let us proceed to the second. We no longer are bugs over this because it is to much "Campbell-opera". It (the mag) either needs a new editor or a new set of slants and policies to bolster our (and probably others') waning interest. As to TWS .. well, we gave up long ago. Only one issue in recent years has so satisfied us that we read it from kiver to kiver. The 10th Anni-issue. They didn't change editors for that issue .. but they did authors to a certain degree. So there may lay the clue. Along comes Doc and Future. Covers such as those for "Pogo Planet" and the current "Alien Vibration" awaken in us the thrill that once was. On the inside we have Cummings as he once was. So we sit up and take notice. Surely you will agree with us that when ancient reprints are used there must be expert editing and cutting.We maintain that with the proper use of shears and pencil an old reprint can be streamlined into the kind of reading material liked today .. and we don't mean wacky fantasy. Considering the style and plotting, we would go so far as to say that they must be edited or risk becoming the counterpart of a Sears catalog in a country shanty. We realize what Doc has to work with and what he must put up with. And we are perfectly content to take the Cummings he dishes out (hurry up with "The Brand New World", Doc!), hoping, always hoping that he seizes the power rightfully given him by the dictionary, and trims those yarns to the 1942 patterns. It can be done. We believe the wordy, dragging pages of "local color" and background could be polished, or killed altogether; the stupid dialog (relative to modern taste) eliminated ..... and, well, pretty soon you have a readable story. Consider Doc's article on pages 2 and 3. Originally it ran almost two & one-half pages of elite type. We edited it to the two pages of pica you now see, and lost nothing of value. Or so we believe. Many a hopeless story has undoubtedly been saved by good editing. In the fanzines many downright stinking articles have been saved by editors who had nerve & the knack of editing. We know, speaking form experience and not boasting. Well, not much boasting. But long before us, smart guys have pointed out that too many fanzine editors are publishers, not editors. In closing, we once again doff our lid to Doc and Future. We think he has the best title, the best artist, and t he best chances. So edit what material you've got to work with and see what happens.
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
