DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Scientifictionist, v. 1, issue 6, August-October 1946

Transcribe
Translate

Scientifictionist, v. 1, issue 6, August-October 1946

Page 7

SCIENTIFICATION IDEA CORNER
by Walter Coslet

   In past discussions, we have dealt strictly with the fictionally portrayed ideas of stf authors. For variety, this time we are going to look into the artistic side and see how the illustrators handle the authors' ideas, or what ideas they themselves have. Our subject for investigation is "architectural ideas", futuristic and unusual. The more prosaic designs will not concern us here, outside of unusual effects.
   In the March 1930 Amazing (page 1131) Leo Morey gives us his idea of what G. Peyton Wertenbaker means by a dimensionally "distorted caricature" of Paris, as occurs in the story, THE SHIP THAT TURNED ASIDE. The architecture here, is not so important, the dimensional distortion giving an unusual effect.
   To go back a bit farther, we find another and even more ordinary city in Frank R. Paul's illustration for Walter Keteley's THE EYE OF THE VULTURE (page 739 November 28 Amazing). Here, again, it is the effect, for the city is overhead and inverted.
   Wesso attempts to depict the Dasorian super power plant of E.E. Smith's SKYLARK THREE on page 540, of the Sept. 30 Amazing -- Wesso, in cae you are one of the few who don't know, is really Hans Waldemar Wessolowki. Little is shown however, besides floats with arms extending inside through slots.
   The October 30 Amz is rather unusual in that it has several pix which fit our subject. Wesso's SKYLARK THREE effort on page 607 shows a city made almost entirely of domed buildings -- some even with domes on domes.
   And Morey (p. 601) imagines a city of very highly elevated roads and tall angular buildings for Ed Hamilton's THE MAN WHO SAW THE FUTURE.
   In the same issue, Paul returns with one of the first attempts to picture a city enclosed in a transparent dome. This is for L. Taylor Handsen's THE PRINCE OF LIARS and is on page 583. On page 594, however, Paul gives us a closer view of the city whose buildings seem to resemble. Greek architecture, going in for columns the way they do.
    For P. Schuyler Miller's story in the May 31 Amz THROUGH THE VIBRATIONS, Paul presents a "magnificent" city whose most unusual feature seems to be that a multitude of the buildings are topped by glowing crystal spheres. (page 102)
   In the same issue, Morey gives us a background of cylindrical buildings in his illustration for L.A. Eshback's A VOICE FROM THE ETHER.
   More tall buildings and elevated roads make up most of Morey's illustration for David H. Keller's THE METAL DOOM on page 105 of the May 32 Amz, and the same author's UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN (July 33 Amz, p. 299). Little imagination, tho, thing different. On p. 74 of the Feb. 34 Amazing, we are shown the Nevian half-submerged city whose buildings are flat-topped hexagonal towers, exactly alike in size, shape, color and material.
   Rather unusual is the effect given by the round buildings which narrow at the top, on page 79 of the July 34 Amazing. The story is George Scheer Jr.'s BEAM TRANSMISSION, and the artist was Morey.
   A spaceship entering an entrance bubble above a domed city is Morey's pic for the Sept. 34 installment of Neil R. Jones' THE MOON PIRATES in Amz. The city below features some space ship hangars on the roofs of its tall buildings, but the highest thing in the city seems to be an elevated highway built across the roofs.
   The cover of the June 35 Amz illustrates more tall buildings with flat "landing field" roofs. It's a Morey illo for Richard Tooker's MOON OF ARCTURUS.
   Indeed unusual are the houses or huts that Morey illustrates for the Jameson yarn, ON THE PLANET FRAGMENT by Neil R. Jones (Oct. 37 Amz.) They almost remind one of loaves of bead with cheese-holes scattered over them.
   Under the Ziff-Davis aegis, we find the Jan. 39 Amz. has a couple items
                   page 7

Saving...

SCIENTIFICATION IDEA CORNER by Walter Coslet In past discussions, we have dealt strictly with the fictionally portrayed ideas of stf authors. For variety, this time we are going to look into the artistic side and see how the illustrators handle the authors' ideas, or what ideas they themselves have. Our subject for investigation is "architectural ideas", futuristic and unusual. The more prosaic designs will not concern us here, outside of unusual effects. In the March 1930 Amazing (page 1131) Leo Morey gives us his idea of what G. Peyton Wertenbaker means by a dimensionally "distorted caricature" of Paris, as occurs in the story, THE SHIP THAT TURNED ASIDE. The architecture here, is not so important, the dimensional distortion giving an unusual effect. To go back a bit farther, we find another and even more ordinary city in Frank R. Paul's illustration for Walter Keteley's THE EYE OF THE VULTURE (page 739 November 28 Amazing). Here, again, it is the effect, for the city is overhead and inverted. Wesso attempts to depict the Dasorian super power plant of E.E. Smith's SKYLARK THREE on page 540, of the Sept. 30 Amazing -- Wesso, in cae you are one of the few who don't know, is really Hans Waldemar Wessolowki. Little is shown however, besides floats with arms extending inside through slots. The October 30 Amz is rather unusual in that it has several pix which fit our subject. Wesso's SKYLARK THREE effort on page 607 shows a city made almost entirely of domed buildings -- some even with domes on domes. And Morey (p. 601) imagines a city of very highly elevated roads and tall angular buildings for Ed Hamilton's THE MAN WHO SAW THE FUTURE. In the same issue, Paul returns with one of the first attempts to picture a city enclosed in a transparent dome. This is for L. Taylor Handsen's THE PRINCE OF LIARS and is on page 583. On page 594, however, Paul gives us a closer view of the city whose buildings seem to resemble. Greek architecture, going in for columns the way they do. For P. Schuyler Miller's story in the May 31 Amz THROUGH THE VIBRATIONS, Paul presents a "magnificent" city whose most unusual feature seems to be that a multitude of the buildings are topped by glowing crystal spheres. (page 102) In the same issue, Morey gives us a background of cylindrical buildings in his illustration for L.A. Eshback's A VOICE FROM THE ETHER. More tall buildings and elevated roads make up most of Morey's illustration for David H. Keller's THE METAL DOOM on page 105 of the May 32 Amz, and the same author's UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN (July 33 Amz, p. 299). Little imagination, tho, thing different. On p. 74 of the Feb. 34 Amazing, we are shown the Nevian half-submerged city whose buildings are flat-topped hexagonal towers, exactly alike in size, shape, color and material. Rather unusual is the effect given by the round buildings which narrow at the top, on page 79 of the July 34 Amazing. The story is George Scheer Jr.'s BEAM TRANSMISSION, and the artist was Morey. A spaceship entering an entrance bubble above a domed city is Morey's pic for the Sept. 34 installment of Neil R. Jones' THE MOON PIRATES in Amz. The city below features some space ship hangars on the roofs of its tall buildings, but the highest thing in the city seems to be an elevated highway built across the roofs. The cover of the June 35 Amz illustrates more tall buildings with flat "landing field" roofs. It's a Morey illo for Richard Tooker's MOON OF ARCTURUS. Indeed unusual are the houses or huts that Morey illustrates for the Jameson yarn, ON THE PLANET FRAGMENT by Neil R. Jones (Oct. 37 Amz.) They almost remind one of loaves of bead with cheese-holes scattered over them. Under the Ziff-Davis aegis, we find the Jan. 39 Amz. has a couple items page 7