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The Science Fiction Fan 48 FAN 3 I Olc-n F. Wiggins EDITOR P9 J. Searles ASSOCIATE EDITOR Donald A Wollheim CONTRIBUTING EDITOR H„ S9 Kirby CONTRIBUTING EDITOR James M. Rogers ART EDITOR -x- -x- -x -x -x -x- -x -x x -x- -x -x -x -x- « -» -x- -):• -x- -x- « -x- Fan is published by Olon F« biggins*, 3214 Champa street, Denver, Colorado. 4f # »x- *:«■ <«■ -» * -x- -x- -x- * -» # -» * -x- -X’ -X- -x -x -x- « « JULK 1940 One year subscriptions only ^l»00 in cash- money order, or 14/ stamps. 1 . 12, 1940 Whole N . 48 ' -x -x- -x- -x x- * -x -x -x -x- -X -X’ -x -» -x -x -x •» -x # « «• -.; -j -» ■» ■&*•».« ■»■& •»-«...•» « -x- «• •£ # * o ■ We appreciate the advertisements of our Cover drawing by James II. -Rogers. distinguished, professional contemporariesa Cover engraving by Roy Va Hunt Their magazines are readable^ entertaining and thought provoking^ They add to the pleasure “if- <{• ii- -ft- -55- -X -X ■&■ "X -X- •& -X -X -X '<e •X "X -X -<i 'X X -X *X- X and dignity of Science Fiction, one of the ■ PW ■ World’s progressive mov©mentsa On the occasion Advert! sernent 4 of our Fourth Anniversary w© salute them end Th© Kiehelist Movement 5 wish them many years of continued success« Advertisement 33 Future Science Fiction- (The advertisements appear in ths order Fanfarad® 38 In which they were received)a Fan Phobia 40 Advertisement 43 Polling a Boner ' 43 # & •tS’ ’aS’ “af1 ’*£ ’aS’ ’lb4’ Fandom’s Future ■ 47 Cass No. 402 51 Going Backwards. 58 Advertisement «- a x -x- -x- -» -x- & -& ■» -x -x -x * -x- -X * * *x -X , FAX THE SCIENCE FICTION FAN OR ITS F 0 U R T H A N N I V E R S A FROJg THE FOUR GREATEST SCI^NTIFICTION MAGAZINES "Miehelisra is not a party or a club* It is a stat© of mind at which many have arrived ana ’■ore will arrive”» •» '=• 'Gollheim, THRILLING WONDER S T 0 R I E 8 The story of the Michelist movement is the STARTLING STORIES ■ ,oory of an attitude® As with all attitudes it segan as a vague., evanescent thing, flickering, CAPTAIN FUTURE . ;nd at times, seemingly dying to an. ©sabew M at length it attained real consciousness end grw STRANGE STQRI E S from a suspicion to a realisation* With realisa­ tion the Michelist movement tn American f-wcfem Featuring Yow? began in earnest# Favorite Authors at their Best But the Story of the Mehelist movement in Published .American fandom must properly begin, with the firut STANDARD M A G A Z I N E S suspicions, continue with th® flickering and move through doubts and blunders until it has at length 28 West- 48th Street New Yorks U,Y, become a steady flame* It is not the story of a PUBLISHERS OF ”THE THRILLING GROUP” group from the very first fully conscious and sw. ”.f themselves; it is the story of a small section f fandom who knew they wanted something, who Paid. Advert Jmew they had a goal. Through constant striving 6 ........ , * . .M Random, thus long did it remain the accepted they came to know bit by bit what theywanted and theory. It must be remembered that from th© where they were going. very first science-fiction and science-fiction fandom was supposedly imbued with a purpose, one As "with, all attitud^ which'are common to outlined by the editor of the original science- many people, "ichelism did not strike every fail, fiction magazinet Kot all readers, or all fans nor did it occur to all .those fans who are now entirely agreed with this theory that science™ Mchelists at the same time.' The .fan who is also fiction existed for the purpose of educating a >-rn chelist is an individual possessed, ox a ^ar­ .Pleasantly via sugar-coated scientific propaganda■ ticular type of sensitivity and intellect. It is srisncs-flc^on, and that the purpose of fandom not to be implied.tha^ the nqn-Fichelisb can not vas to make 'scientists and technicians out of its be sensitive or intellectual: many non-KichexxSu most advanced members• But those wno dissented fans are. both. were in a distinct minority and, &s a rule, tuey aid. quietly leave fandom and never return,. And what is this I'ichelist attitude? It is others would leave in. a hail of invective and the conviction that- (1) Science-fiction fans, by vituperation levelled at science-fiction and fan- the .-very nature of their outlook as visionaries - ■ horn but without exception, they bolted rather and speculators, are most vitally concerned wivn than make a phited effort to change fandom. what is happening in the world of Reality, .a, _ That realizing this fact, the fan desires to raaite Concurrently, the quality of science-fiction his- or her contribution in th© world of re> xity was high enough so that those who were not Inter­ toward'human.progress and. against reaction, ested in a purpose other- than the pleasure of That while the range of progressive action xs fading the magazines and seeing their letters almost limitless, and freedom of ~ne „ndly_dual In the readers5 columns were quite satisfied.. conscience is the rule, no fan can possibly oe a I Mchelist who in any way approves or conuonwa any I Outside of science-fiction magazines, world credo philosophy, or government, which takes an Su-hlentt??? position. That which attacks conditions, and the situation in our own country, suddenly took a change. Instead of the new science also attacks science-fiction. 'golden era which politicians, scientists, and professionals of all. natures, with the exceptions The .present outline, being the of a few who were looked upon as crackpot alarmism k4nd wW be rather Incomplete and doub^^essxj were predicting, a new era of which the science- inaccurate on: many points. The author welcomes fictionists secretly believed theiaselves the vun- criticism of a constructive nature an.dtrus.ts guard, there ensued a period of crisis and ruin that with all its faults, this work jm unbelievable. rciven the reader a clearer picture of movement In American fandom than ne or she had Overnight, science-fictionists found them­ before,, the reading. selves shifted, from the offensive to the defenisvv From an escape into realities to come, science­ So long as th© Gernsbach. theory of the fiction became merely an escapee Still, the fans purpose of science-fiction fitted the needs of FAH FAN . hoped for justification: soon some prominent At the same time# the quality of science-’ science-fiction fans would, fulfill their destiny /lotion in magazines was going steadily down, and become scientists. They would be scientists agazlnes combined# suspended# or decreased fre­ after the dreams of the fan# not hidebound to the quency of publication. Fan activities rose from past# but free, visionary# fearless scientists letter-writing to fan-magazine publishing and or­ who would discover some new power® who would make ganizing into local or national clubs. science-fiction dreams come true and usher in the new golden era for the world. For awhile, the purpose of keeping science- etion going, of striving to make the professional Thus fans waited and hoped for the day of agazines improve themselves# of organizing clubs their justification. If today they were sneered erved a purpose for stf, And in the raost influ­ at for reading science—fiction# for “’wasting ential organization out. de of the magazine-spoil- - thelx* tire with fan activities# their day would .>red Science Fiction League, the Gernsbach theory soon come® Soon & newly-acclaimed scientist would is still accepted insofar as the setup of the ISA profess his great debt to science-fiction# to the| as concerned. In early 1937, a highly successful escape literature which was really escape into invention was held in New York City. Here antagon­ reality. Oddly enough# few fans dreamed of them-S isms between various fan groups and individuals selves in this positions it was usually "some fanf ■■■are liquidated and to all intents and purposes turned scientist"e andoxn was on a definite upsurge with the ISA bear- ...ng the torch® Slowly passed the years and a few fans became writers# artists# etc. But where were the 1 The resignation of its President proved how scientists? And where was the new golden age? ak the ISA actually was and how false the Gerns- Outside the Science-fiction magazines was despairJ .ok theory# even where it seemed most strong, poverty# and in Europe a new dark age. But at ether wisely or no# the ISA was dissolved and last it was discovered that a few ex-sclencs« andom again found itself drifting in a sea of fiction fans had more or less made the grade. .rcertainties, Thus arose the necessity for a new True, they had not made epochal discoveries# .eory of the purpose of science-fiction. And with BUT IT LAS FELT THAT EITH BETTER TIMES,Buu he necessity came the search. It was not a delib- here was the hour of triumphs science-fiction .--•ate and conscious thing for at no particular time fans had become scientists. Fandom looked forwardI id a group of fans get together end state: it is to lts~hour of justification, hhat resulted was ime we became wise to the falseness of the Gems- unexpected as it was devastating: toste&a of ck theory? from this moment onward we are Mich- declaiming their great debt to science-f-cvxon, 11 st s. Not until after the events were the ■instead of lauding it as a source of inspiration# urposes sought and outlined. without exception they denounced it as an addle- pated waste of time® Those most active in the Nichelist movement r American fandom have been Donald A.Gollheim# In practice the Gernsback theory proved / .rt Lowndes# John B.
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