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SCIENTIFICTION New Series #39

SCIENTIFICTION A publication of FIRST FANDOM, the Dinosaurs of

New Series #39, 1st Quarter 2014 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE of the Western Pulps, the Maltese Falcon, Black Mask Detective Pulps, Greetings, STF enthusiasts! Virgil Finlay and Hannes Bok. The Spring is nearly here and that means show emphasizes pulp magazines, it’s time again to vote for the First paperbacks, original artwork, movie Fandom Awards. Please send your memorabilia, old time radio and completed ballot to John L. Coker, III science fiction. For information, visit (4813 Lighthouse Road, Orlando, FL www.windycitypulpandpaper.com. 32808) or to [email protected] Seventy-Five Years Ago by no later than April 15th. Thanks to those who submitted nominations. Do you recognize the two Futurians portrayed in this double-exposure Names of the award recipients will photograph made by Jack Robins? be announced at the World Science Fiction Convention in London. World Science Fiction Convention Will you be attending the upcoming Worldcon in London (August 14-18)? If you are going, please send me an email message or a letter so that I can let you know about our plans. (More Info: http://www.loncon3.org.) Remembering As the members of our organization keep getting older, it is with sadness that we note the recent passing of L-R: Fred Pohl and Dick Wilson some dear people in our field: Neal New York World’s Fair (1939) Barrett, Jr., Franklin M. Dietz, Jr., Vic (Photograph by Jack Robins) Ghidalia, Martin Greenberg, Graham We Need Your E-Mail Address Stone and Rosemary Wolfe. See If you are still receiving paper copies the obituary notices on pages 3-5. of our newsletter, please consider Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention providing an e-mail address, so that The 2014 Windy City Pulp and Paper you can enjoy the expanded, full- Convention will be held April 25-27 color version of SCIENTIFICTION. at the Westin Lombard Yorktown I hope everyone is doing well and I Center, just outside of . look forward to hearing from you, They will celebrate the anniversaries John L. Coker III

SCIENTIFICTION New Series #39, page 2

Welcome, New Associate Members! the scholarship and the reading Recently, two long-time fans became public. Among the list of authors associate members of First Fandom. that he has published are , , Arthur C. Jack Lange (aka John Norman) was Clarke, , Gene nominated by President Emeritus Wolfe, , , Robert A. Madle and seconded by William Tenn, Roger Zelazny and East Coast V.P. David A. Kyle. Stanley G. Weinbaum. Dave is the “Jack is a professional philosopher, proprietor of The Fine Books teaching in the areas of the Company. He resides in Michigan philosophy of history, epistemology, and is a member of the Antiquarian and innovational conceptualization. Booksellers’ Association of America.” He received his Ph.D. from Princeton Recommended Reading List University. Jack is a veteran of the (By John L. Coker III) Korean War, and has worked as a The Alluring Art of Margaret radio announcer and writer for Brundage – Queen of Pulp Pin-Up Art KOLN, Lincoln, NE, a film writer for the University of Nebraska, and a Written by Stephen D. Korshak with story analyst for Warner Brothers J. David Spurlock (and featuring a Motion Pictures, Inc. in Burbank, CA. foreword by Rowena), this beautiful Jack was technical editor and special nearly-200 page hardcover book has materials writer for Rocketdyne, been issued by Vanguard Publishing specializing in the production of in association with Shasta-Phoenix rocket engines. He is a member of (May, 2013). The regular hardcover the American Polar Society, the edition lists for $39.95, ISBN 1- American Philosophical Association, 934331-49-X. This detailed survey and the Science Fiction Writers of should be required reading and America. Under the pseudonym belongs in the collection of every “John Norman” the author has serious student of Weird Tales. published a number of books, among The book features reproductions of which are the Gorean books.” all of Brundage’s covers for Weird David Aronovitz was nominated by tales as well as many previously Robert A. Madle and seconded by unpublished illustrations. With this National V.P. Erle M. Korshak. superbly-rendered title, author Steve Korshak has surpassed his several “Dave has been a full-time seller of other fine books about early science rare books for thirty-five years, and fiction illustrators, including detailed during that time has amassed a huge accounts of J. Allen St. John and collection of books, correspondence Frank R. Paul. Contributing author and manuscripts from the nineteenth David Spurlock (widely-known as an century to the present day. During editor, artist and historian) has the past thirty years Aronovitz has written numerous other volumes, published eighteen books, all but including books that consider the three being the authors’ first work of Basil Gogos and Frank appearance in print with virtually Frazetta. For more information, every one being hitherto unknown to please visit www.shasta-phoenix.net. SCIENTIFICTION New Series #39, page 3

(4SJ’s) Famous Monsters #272 OBITUARIES (March/April 2014) Neal Barrett, Jr. This issue features a 30-page tribute to and a 40-page “Author Neal Barrett, Jr. (b.1929) brief history of sci-fi literature. If you died on January 12. Barrett began look closely, a likeness of Forry can publishing science fiction in 1960 be seen on the cover in ’s with “To Tell the Truth” in Galaxy. time machine. ISBN 7447025970, it He continued to publish short fiction is available for $9.99 at many local throughout his career, but most of newsstands. For more information: his work was at the novel length, www.famousmonstersoffilmland.com with early works such as Kelwin or The Leaves of Time giving way to Review #4 (Fall 2013) more complexly created worlds and narratives in the late 1970s with his Published once a year by Centipede Aldair sequence and Through Press (2565 Teller Court, Lakewood, Darkest America. In addition to his Colorado, 80214), this issue is edited science fiction, Barrett published a by scholar S.T. Joshi and features a lot of work for hire, including volumes wraparound color masterpiece by in the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift Bob Eggleton. The contents include series, often under pseudonyms and an elaborate selection of essays, house names. Barrett was named fiction, poetry, interviews and Author Emeritus by SFWA in 2009.” excellent interior illustrations. Here in these pages the reader can feast (From SF Site News, January 14, 2014) on material about H.P. Lovecraft, H.S. Whitehead, William Hope Vic Ghidalia (1926-2013) Hodgeson, Rod Serling, Algernon “U.S. television publicist who edited Blackwood, Forrest J Ackerman, Ray and co-edited genre anthologies Bradbury, Weird Tales, E.C. Comics’ from The Little Monsters (1969 with Jack Davis and much more. Among Roger Elwood) to Feast of the contributing editors are Stefan (1977 solo), died on May 28, 2013, Dziemianowicz and Joseph Wrzos. aged 87.” The cover price for this nearly-300 page trade paperback book is $35 (Reprinted from Ansible 319, Feb. 2014) but it is on sale for only $25. ISBN 978-1-61347-062-6. For information, Graham Stone (1926-2013) visit www.centipedepress.com. “Australian SF fan, bibliographer and publisher whose reference works We Will Destroy Your Planet – An began with An Index to the Alien’s Guide to Conquering Earth Australian SF Magazines, Part One Written by David McIntee and (1955) and continued to the 2010 illustrated by Miguel Coimbra and revision of his monumental published by Osprey Adventures Australian SF Bibliography, 1848- (2013). Trade paperback edition 1999 (2004), died on 16 November. $14.95, ISBN 978-1-78200-602-2. He was 87.” www.ospreyadventuresbooks.com (Reprinted from Ansible 317, Dec. 2013) SCIENTIFICTION New Series #39, page 4

Rosemary Wolfe (1931-2013) Journey’s End (Written by Franklin M. Dietz, Jr.) “'s wife of many years and a cheering presence at Over the high mountains of Arkned numerous conventions, died on Across the valleys with rivers of tar December 14, 2013 after a long Sped a ship, red and rusted illness; she was 82.” A veteran of the spaceways far. (Reprinted from Ansible 318, Jan. 2014) Her crew of ten, worn and weary Franklin M. Dietz, Jr. Valiantly struggling to stay aloft Strange lot they were, dull and dreary. Praying to the Almighty, as they did so oft.

Strange lot they were, or so it seemed Old men who had their life well spent For they were spacehounds, those men who leaned to freedom, For such space travel meant.

For fifty years they’d travelled far But ne’r a stop along the route Frank Dietz and Base Station Luna Headed for one distant star (Photograph by Ben Jason) Yonkor, the star of life and youth.

“In 1956, with David A. Kyle, Frank And now at last they’ve reached the Dietz was one of the founding planet members (and indeed a President) Ahead the space port and the city of the Lunarians. In 1958, he and Wherein there is the element George Nims Raybin filed a lawsuit Which gives to men immortality. against Dave Kyle over funds from the 1956 NYCon. Over the years, he published the fanzines Luna, Luna Robert A. “Bob” Hoffman Monthly, and Science, , and RAH Hoffman was born November Science Fiction. He served on the 25, 1920 and passed away on con committee for Lunacon from February 25, 2013. He was a long- 1957 through to 1971. In 2007 he time resident of Los Angeles, and an was Lunacon Fan GoH. At the 1957 influential member of the LASFiS. Worldcon (London) he was inducted “As R.A. Hoffman, his article "The into Britain's Knights of St. Fantony Arcana of Arkham-Auburn” on his along with Walt Willis, Bob visit with Clark Ashton Smith Silverberg, Terry Jeeves, Bobbie appeared in The Acolyte (Vol. 2. No. Wild, Eric Bentcliffe, Ken Slater, Bob 2., Spring 1944). He contributed a Madle, and Ellis Mills.” letter to editor Donald Sidney-Fryer, (Reprinted from the Science Fact & which was printed in the Smith Science Fiction Concatenation) bibliography Emperor of Dreams SCIENTIFICTION New Series #39, page 5

(Donald M. Grant, 1978). The Black Martin Greenberg Book of Clark Ashton Smith was published by Arkham House in 1979 (June 29, 1918 – October 20, 2013) which Hoffman and Sidney-Fryer “U.S. publisher and anthologist, not "deciphered from CAS’s notes" and to be confused with Martin H Hoffman co-edited (with Steve Greenberg, who was no relation. In Behrends and Sidney-Fryer) Strange 1948 he cofounded with David A : The Uncollected Fiction Kyle and others , one and Essays of Clark Ashton Smith of the small but important early (Greenwood Press, 1989).” publishers of Genre SF in hardcover (Contributed by Christopher M. O’Brien) format. Greenberg edited seven anthologies for Gnome, of which Coming Attractions (anth 1957) consisted of sf-related nonfiction articles. The others were Men Against the Stars (anth 1950; cut vt 9 Stories from Men Against the Stars 1963), Travelers of Space (anth 1951), with sixteen illustrations by , (anth 1951), Five Science Fiction Novels (anth 1952; with two stories omitted, cut vt The Crucible of Power 1953), The Robot and the Man (anth 1953) and All About the Future (anth 1955).

Most are loosely thematic. In 2000 he was inducted into the First R.A. “Bob” Hoffman as Frankenstein’s Monster, with actress Cay Forester (“The Fandom Hall of Fame.” Girl You’d Most Like to be Marooned on (By – Reprinted from the the Moon with”) - Pacificon, 1946 Encyclopedia of Science Fiction) (Photograph by Milton A. Rothman) (From the Collection of Len J. Moffatt)

L-R: Clark Ashton Smith. Francis T. Laney, R.A. “Bob” Hoffman (Auburn, CA) L-R: Martin Greenberg, David A. Kyle (From the Collection of Robert A. Madle) (From the Collection of David A. Kyle) SCIENTIFICTION New Series #39, page 6

STF Quiz: “The first World SF Con” NASFiC (Detcon1) #1- At the first worldcon, who took a “The North American Science Fiction group of young fans to the offices of Convention will be held July 17-20, The American Weekly where they 2014 at the Renaissance Center met A. Merritt, and then to the offices Marriott in Detroit, Michigan. Guests of Weird Tales, where they met the of Honor include Steven Barnes editor, Farnsworth Wright? (Author) and John Picacio (Artist). #2 - Who were some of the people Roger Sims and Fred Prophet are who bought full page supporting ads the Con Chairs Emeritus. NASFiCs for ten dollars each in the Souvenir are held in years when the worldcon Journal of the first worldcon? is held outside of the United States.” For information, www.detcon1.org. #3 - At the first worldcon, who made the first announcement anywhere in the world about the publication of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Outsider? #4 - What was the final score of the softball game that was played on the last day of the convention?

Did you attend the Convention in 1939? We have at least five members living today who were at the first worldcon: L-R: Roger and Pat Sims, Fred Prophet (Photograph by Ben Jason) • Erle M. Korshak • David A. Kyle Frank Robinson to be a Special Guest • Robert A. Madle at the 49th Nebula Awards Weekend • Jack Robins Author, collector and historian Frank • Art Widner Robinson will be recognized during

the Nebula Awards Weekend for a First Fandom Membership Patches lifetime of contributions to the genres Due to increasing demand from our of science fiction and fantasy. The members, we are working with an event will be held in San Jose, May established company to reproduce a 16-18. www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards. very high quality full color traditional patch. More information next issue.

Answers to the STF Quiz #1 - Forrest J Ackerman #2 - Raymond A. Palmer, A. Merritt and Ralph Milne Farley. #3 - Kenneth Sterling #4 - Queens Cometeers beat the Philadelphia Panthers, 23-11. Frank M. Robinson (Photograph by John L. Coker III) SCIENTIFICTION New Series #39, page 7

We Get Letters FIRST FANDOM Brian Aldiss reports that he’s been President writing a every day. He John L. Coker III - 4813 Lighthouse Road, Orlando, FL 32808 Tel: (407) 532-7555, hopes to be collecting these into a [email protected] book soon. He sent this picture and his best wishes to all of his friends. President Emeritus and Founder Robert A. Madle - 4406 Bestor Drive, Rockville, MD 20853 Tel: (301) 460-4712 National Vice President Erle M. Korshak - Shasta/Phoenix Publishers, 950 South Winter Park Drive, Suite 320, Orlando, FL 32707 East Coast Vice President David A. Kyle - 3099 Maqua Place, Mohegan Lake, NY 10547 West Coast Vice President Art Widner - P.O. Box 5122, Brian Aldiss Gualala, CA 95445 Dr. Elizabeth Anne Hull sent a nice Secretary-Treasurer letter a while back in which she Keith W. Stokes - 14305 West 83rd Place, thanked us for sharing a copy of Lenexa, KS 66215 [email protected] Jack Robins’ play about the EDITORIAL STAFF, SCIENTIFICTION Futurians. She will be including the Editor play in Fred Pohl’s blog, which she Joseph P. Martino - 905 S. Main Avenue, plans to continue for the foreseeable Sidney, OH 45365-3212, [email protected] future. For more information, visit Associate Editor (www.thewaythefutureblogs.com). John L. Coker III Special Features Editor We also heard from Peter Gilbert, Jon D. Swartz - 12115 Missel Thrush Court, the grandson of Charles D. Hornig: Austin, TX 78750-2101 [email protected] “My mother and I are working on a Wikipedia entry for Charles. She’s written an unpublished memoir about him, based upon their conversations. We are also collecting copies of The Fantasy Fan and his other work. I grew up enjoying science fiction. When I was about 12 years old my grandfather was visiting. I told him how much I enjoyed "A Martian Odyssey" by Stanley G. Weinbaum. He patiently let me describe the story SCIENTIFICTION is published quarterly by First then simply said, "Oh yeah, I know Fandom. The name First Fandom, the slogan “The Dinosaurs of Science Fiction,” and the First Fandom that one. I was the first to publish it". logo are all trademarks of First Fandom, and may not At that point in time, no one had told be used without the expressed permission of First Fandom. Copyright © 2013 by First Fandom and the me of his past and I was floored!” individual contributors.