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Thing, whole no. 1, Spring 1946
Page 14
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A: By no means. But I do think this is indisputable: A fantasy story is not justified by any epigrams, humor, descriptions, characterizations, or observations on human nature, which could as easily have been written into a mundane story. P: Why, I'd dispute that. Good foo, man... A: We allow the writer of fantasy much more imaginative license than is usually tolerated in other writers. There must be more reason for taking that license of superscience or the supernatural, than to embody something that could have been written without such license. P: I suppose if fantastic license was justified in a story, you wouldn't object to its also having other virtues? Then what sort of writing would you allow as justifying this imaginative license? A: Oh, such adventures, or observations on human nature, or illustrations of useful ideas, as couldn't be handily provided in a mundane setting. P: Like this?: Showing how the expectation of mortality has affected human conduct-patterns; or depicting the motivations of a man who has gained absolute power over nature and mankind; or guessing at an advanced civilization in which marriages are no exclusive. A: Yes. Also the simple thrill of super-epic stuff; or demonstrating the curvature of space by a spaceship flying out till it comes back to its starting-point. But you see, these are all rather far away from the life-situations of most people, and consequently don't bulk very large in human nature as readers are interested in it. I venture to doubt that a stef story of wide appeal can be written, which primarily is probing into human nature. P: Well, I don't know about that. There's Gather, Darkness-- and Solution Unsatisfactory... Anyway, what if fantasy's strong suit isn't human nature. You just mentioned s-f as illustrating a scientific theory. It can also illustrate many other points-- philosophical, scientific, and I don't know what else, solidifying ideas for which people otherwise wouldn't be able to find a good example. A: Maybe so. I have heard it said, though I do not agree, that every great book must be in considerable measure psychological-- (not, you will note, philosophical or scientific). Certainly probing into human nature is a large part of the function of literature. It seems to me quite possible that stef is by its very nature shut off from much of the psychology which is of the psychology which is of general interest, and therefore doomed a second-rate type of literature. P: The funeral will be held Sunday afternoon. NOTE: The .... Thing welcomes articles on controversial subjects, demanding only that they be well-written, on a subject related to fantasy and interesting. Neither editor has to agree with the views expressed by contributors and, knowing ourselves as we do, we consider the chances that both will agree with any third view exceedingly slim. Contributors therefore run the risk of having one or both editors of The .... Thing kick hell out of him in the issue which contains his piece. --BC
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A: By no means. But I do think this is indisputable: A fantasy story is not justified by any epigrams, humor, descriptions, characterizations, or observations on human nature, which could as easily have been written into a mundane story. P: Why, I'd dispute that. Good foo, man... A: We allow the writer of fantasy much more imaginative license than is usually tolerated in other writers. There must be more reason for taking that license of superscience or the supernatural, than to embody something that could have been written without such license. P: I suppose if fantastic license was justified in a story, you wouldn't object to its also having other virtues? Then what sort of writing would you allow as justifying this imaginative license? A: Oh, such adventures, or observations on human nature, or illustrations of useful ideas, as couldn't be handily provided in a mundane setting. P: Like this?: Showing how the expectation of mortality has affected human conduct-patterns; or depicting the motivations of a man who has gained absolute power over nature and mankind; or guessing at an advanced civilization in which marriages are no exclusive. A: Yes. Also the simple thrill of super-epic stuff; or demonstrating the curvature of space by a spaceship flying out till it comes back to its starting-point. But you see, these are all rather far away from the life-situations of most people, and consequently don't bulk very large in human nature as readers are interested in it. I venture to doubt that a stef story of wide appeal can be written, which primarily is probing into human nature. P: Well, I don't know about that. There's Gather, Darkness-- and Solution Unsatisfactory... Anyway, what if fantasy's strong suit isn't human nature. You just mentioned s-f as illustrating a scientific theory. It can also illustrate many other points-- philosophical, scientific, and I don't know what else, solidifying ideas for which people otherwise wouldn't be able to find a good example. A: Maybe so. I have heard it said, though I do not agree, that every great book must be in considerable measure psychological-- (not, you will note, philosophical or scientific). Certainly probing into human nature is a large part of the function of literature. It seems to me quite possible that stef is by its very nature shut off from much of the psychology which is of the psychology which is of general interest, and therefore doomed a second-rate type of literature. P: The funeral will be held Sunday afternoon. NOTE: The .... Thing welcomes articles on controversial subjects, demanding only that they be well-written, on a subject related to fantasy and interesting. Neither editor has to agree with the views expressed by contributors and, knowing ourselves as we do, we consider the chances that both will agree with any third view exceedingly slim. Contributors therefore run the risk of having one or both editors of The .... Thing kick hell out of him in the issue which contains his piece. --BC
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