DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Scientifictionist, v. 1, issue 1, September 1945

Transcribe
Translate

Scientifictionist, v. 1, issue 1, September 1945

Page 13

AMONG THE CLASSICS
by Norman Stanley
Armageddon -- 2419 A.D., novelette, by Phillip Francis Nowlan
These, his first two published sciencetificiton tales, are, in your reviewers estimation, the best works of the late Phil Nowlan. As the creator of the popular "Buck Rogers", he devoted most o his writing to this cartoon character and as a consequence, was not a prolific writer of serious scientifiction. Had he not turned to the cartoon field, scientifiction would no doubt have been richer by many more classic tales. Though one cannot deplore his "Buck Rogers", which has done more than anything else to popularize stf, it is regrettable in view of Nowlan's return, shortly before his death, to the written medium that he could not have been spared to have given us more of his excellent work.
"Armageddon -- 2419" and it ssequel are often thought of as being "about Buck Rogers". This is not strictly true. the 25th-century world and the characters of the early Buck Rogers cartoons were juvenlizations of the original stories and characters, nothing more. The Anthony Rogers (Nowhere is he called "Buck") of these two tales is definitely an adult character. Rogers tells his own story in the first person, giving a reminescent account of his awakening in the 25th century after 492 years of suspended animation, and of his part in the secdnd American Struggle for Independance. Though it is a story replete with action, there is much more to it than blood and thunder. He digresses from the narrative to give his impressions of the 25th century as seen from his 20th-century viewpoint, interspersed with occasional bits of his own philosophy. The result is both an adventure-packed story and a marvelously detailed picture of the 25th-century America under the Hans, Mongolin conquerors whose cities have dominated the continent for 300 years. Producing all their needs synthetically, the Han cities (their names ar einteresting) are independant of the surrounding country which has grown to forest. Withtin the forests lurk the 25th-century Americans, descendants of the few survivors of the 22nd-century invasion. Hidden by clever camouflage, their civilization is once again rising. At the time of Rogers' entry the Americans are still but loosely organized into numerous "gangs". American science, however, has reached an advanced stage, exceeding that which enabled the Hans to ovverrun America. It has developed guns which project small rocket-propelled shells containing violently destructive explosives; "inertron", an element whose property of negative weight is used in "jumpers" -- weight counteracting belts which make possible vast leaps and jumps; and marvelously efficient communication equipment. The Hans, however, still maintain their sway with substantially the same type of weapons which were used to subjugate the Americans centuries before. Secure in their cities, they have become effets and soft and have made little progress scientifically. Their huge aircraft, which are supported by "repeller rays" and armed with "disintegrator rays", sally forth but infrequently for raids on the Americans, the extent of whose civilization the Hans do not suspect. Rather novel is the manner in which the Hans ships are held aloft by their repeller rays, and especially so is the manner in which Rogers takes advantage of it to bring the ships down.
Rogers, a veteran of the first World War, is familiar with organized military tactics which the Americans have forgotten during centuries of guerilla warfare. He introduces the use of rocket guns as artillery for laying down barrages of the explosive shells. How he comes to be "Boss" of the "Wyoming Gang" and directs the Americans' first major battle to wipe out a regenade gang and bring open defiance to the Hans is well told.

Saving...

AMONG THE CLASSICS by Norman Stanley Armageddon -- 2419 A.D., novelette, by Phillip Francis Nowlan These, his first two published sciencetificiton tales, are, in your reviewers estimation, the best works of the late Phil Nowlan. As the creator of the popular "Buck Rogers", he devoted most o his writing to this cartoon character and as a consequence, was not a prolific writer of serious scientifiction. Had he not turned to the cartoon field, scientifiction would no doubt have been richer by many more classic tales. Though one cannot deplore his "Buck Rogers", which has done more than anything else to popularize stf, it is regrettable in view of Nowlan's return, shortly before his death, to the written medium that he could not have been spared to have given us more of his excellent work. "Armageddon -- 2419" and it ssequel are often thought of as being "about Buck Rogers". This is not strictly true. the 25th-century world and the characters of the early Buck Rogers cartoons were juvenlizations of the original stories and characters, nothing more. The Anthony Rogers (Nowhere is he called "Buck") of these two tales is definitely an adult character. Rogers tells his own story in the first person, giving a reminescent account of his awakening in the 25th century after 492 years of suspended animation, and of his part in the secdnd American Struggle for Independance. Though it is a story replete with action, there is much more to it than blood and thunder. He digresses from the narrative to give his impressions of the 25th century as seen from his 20th-century viewpoint, interspersed with occasional bits of his own philosophy. The result is both an adventure-packed story and a marvelously detailed picture of the 25th-century America under the Hans, Mongolin conquerors whose cities have dominated the continent for 300 years. Producing all their needs synthetically, the Han cities (their names ar einteresting) are independant of the surrounding country which has grown to forest. Withtin the forests lurk the 25th-century Americans, descendants of the few survivors of the 22nd-century invasion. Hidden by clever camouflage, their civilization is once again rising. At the time of Rogers' entry the Americans are still but loosely organized into numerous "gangs". American science, however, has reached an advanced stage, exceeding that which enabled the Hans to ovverrun America. It has developed guns which project small rocket-propelled shells containing violently destructive explosives; "inertron", an element whose property of negative weight is used in "jumpers" -- weight counteracting belts which make possible vast leaps and jumps; and marvelously efficient communication equipment. The Hans, however, still maintain their sway with substantially the same type of weapons which were used to subjugate the Americans centuries before. Secure in their cities, they have become effets and soft and have made little progress scientifically. Their huge aircraft, which are supported by "repeller rays" and armed with "disintegrator rays", sally forth but infrequently for raids on the Americans, the extent of whose civilization the Hans do not suspect. Rather novel is the manner in which the Hans ships are held aloft by their repeller rays, and especially so is the manner in which Rogers takes advantage of it to bring the ships down. Rogers, a veteran of the first World War, is familiar with organized military tactics which the Americans have forgotten during centuries of guerilla warfare. He introduces the use of rocket guns as artillery for laying down barrages of the explosive shells. How he comes to be "Boss" of the "Wyoming Gang" and directs the Americans' first major battle to wipe out a regenade gang and bring open defiance to the Hans is well told.