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Home , Gnome Press, Journey to Infinity, Mack Reynolds, Martin Greenberg, Marvel Science Stories, Startling Stories

NEWS LETTER Christmas” Book Issue 17 Book Reviews Magazine Checklist Full page or CONVENTIONS IN MAY AND SEPTEMBER ij. Convention —u photos JS The 1951 science-fiction convention has I95O been scheduled for the Labor Day week-end, December September 1-2-5, in New Orleans. Harry B. 10^ copy Moore, spokesman for the New Orleans Science Society, states that a part of the program will be given over to a ’’practical Dianetics session—straight from the should ­ News in Reverse: er as we have found it to be and as we have been able to make it work.” STAR SCIENCE FICTION NOT TO APPEAR

The Society has already begun work on the Of the two remaining science fiction coming event, utilizing their own file of magazines scheduled for appearance this win ­ 2000 names plus the file turned over by the ter (Donald Wollheim's fantasy number and Portland, Oregon group. Although no guest ' semi-slick job), only the Woll- of honor, or major speakers have been lined- heim publication is left in the running. up this early, several authors residing in of Gnome Press states that the south are being contacted and the possi ­ his proposed STAR Science Fiction has been bility is high that Top Man will be a Dixie cancelled. product. A tentative program has been out­ lined, with E.E. Smith monitoring an open ­ The magazine, according to the would-be house discussion panel, E.E. Evans speaking editors, was slanted well off the familiar on the history of the fan movement, plus path of s-f periodicals. Primarily, it was Jack Speer, Daniel McPhail and Stan Mullen aimed at female readers and to capture the participating in other events. womens' audience the first issue was to use only fiction written by the ladies in the Membership in the convention society is field: Shiras, Merril, MacLean, etc. Book $1. (Moore: 2705 Camp St., New Orleans 15) was intended as a 55s^ monthly, digest size. Money is used to pay advance expenses, while The covers were to be patterned in the New membership entitles you to convention news Yorker style — sophisticated humor. As for bulletins, official program book, and admit ­ instance, a dog in a spacesuit, mournfully tance into the hall. eyeing a lamp post.

The Wollheim fantasy project was noted Overseas, science-fiction will see its here last summer but immediately denied in first universal gathering when the European New York. However, it is expected soon. International Convention meets on May 12-15- llj, 1951> probably at Bloomsbury, London. A two-day warm-up by local fans proceeds the WORLDS BEYOND — 5 issues and Kaput: convention proper, at the White Horse Inn (London), long a hangout for science fans. 's new Hillman magazine which appeared dated December, is to last but two Ted Carnell, editor of NEW WORLDS and more issues. The company ran a spot-check many pre-war fan publications, is chairman. on newsstand sales shortly after the initial His committee include Walter Gillings, edi ­ issue appeared, and decided it wasn't sell­ tor of SCIENCE-FANTASY, Ken Chapman, Audrey ing. WORLDS BEYOND will have a January and Lovett, Vincent Clarke, John Newman, Frank February issue, with nothing beyond that un­ Cooper and Leslie Flood. This group plus less sales make an unexpected leap. others in London are meeting May 10th at the White Horse to complete convention plans. The magazine was one of the better pay ­ In addition to the usual convention program, ing markets, averaging more than three cents the committee plans either a riverboat out ­ a word on short stories, under their policy ing or a tour of the britigh Festival. (Ted of flat hundred dollar payments. Knight Carnell: 17 Burwash Road, Plumstead, SE-18 , aimed the periodical's appeal away from the London, England.) usual science-fiction formulas.

the leading newspaper of the science fiction world 2

old race of lost people on the other. The island is inhabited by satrys and the inevi­ table pretty French girl.

Strictly science is 's HUMANOIDS — the humanoid robots who come to THE HOUSE THAT STOOD STILL by A.E. van Vogt earth to save Man from himself. An old man (Greenberg Publisher, New York, 1?5°» $2.50) and a child try to stop them, while they In turn are trying to stop war, the meanwhile This volume is a puzzle that calls for taking over the universe in the process. It more than the usual review space. And this poses the problem of a free, if uncertain is van Vogt in the familiar pattern: immor­ life or a safe and sane one under the thumb tality, mind-reading, and space ships. The of the robots. title refers to a great marble mansion on a WORLD OF NULL-A is the tang­ hill overlooking the Pacific, a mansion that led skein mentioned in the first review. In bestows immortality on those who dwell with­ this, van Vogt creates a superbeing who has in it because the walls are radioactive. The more lives than one, who tackles the ruling townspeople think the house is a hundred or clique strangling the earth; and who in turn sb years old; the immortals know it to be is not sure of his own identity. In his over a thousand. But no one, including the various lives he fights on Earth and Venus immortals, know its exact age or who built to save himself and his world. it. Had van Vogt developed that theme, and that alone, I think the book would have been Prize package for this reviewer is Henry the better. Kuttner's FURY. It appeared in magazine But in good old Null-A fashion form under the penname of Lawrence O'Donnell van Vogt proceeds to confuse everyone by and is the story of the undersea Keeps on adding too many unrelated ingredients: two Venus. The rulers are immortal, their sub­ senseless murders, a robot, a spaceship, a jects ordinary humans, and the plot unfolds .pair of new elements, a threatened atomic the tale of one human who fought them until attack on the USA, and electrified idols. he too discovered himself an immortal. I was forced to read the book twice because it was difficult to understand everything on All in all, Conklin is to be congratulat­ just one reading— and after the second trip ed on four worthwhile titles. -BT I still say he left several loose ends dang­ ling. SEVEN SCIENCE The rather cold-fish of a hero meets FICTION NOVELS one of the immortals and falls in love, the OF H.G. WELLS meanwhile attempting to ferret out the sec­ (Dover Publi­ ret of the house and their immortality. Not cations, 1780 developed at all is the real meat of the Broadway, New story: how the 50 or 60 immortals from all York, NY. 1950 corners of the world came there, discovered $ 5.95) the house, and made themselves inconspicuous for a thousand years. Instead, the plot re­ Back in print volves around the hero’s prying and their again is this ineffectual attempts to sidetrack him. The seven - decker heroine —an immortal the hero loves, wants volume, over a children but the occupants of the house have 1000 pages, in sternly forbidden them. Yet, the vague end­ which is published the unabridges text of HG ing finds the hero now an Immortal, and the Wells' outstanding s-f novels: The First Men two of them planning children. Unexplained in the Moon, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The is his sudden immortality, and the possibil­ War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, In The ity of her reproducing, after living in the Days of the Comet, The Food of the Gods, and radioactive house for hundreds of years. In The Time Machine. spite of this criticism, try the book, for it makes fascinating reading. -BT Two of these stories have been filmed, one created havoc when broadcast by Orson THE ISLAND OF CAPTAIN SPARROW by S. Fowler Welles, and the last is a classic read by Wright. THE HUMANOIDS by Jack Williamson. thousands who don't know the meaning of s-f. THE WORLD OF NULL-A by A.E. van Vogt. FURY It was Wells, not a pulp author, who first by . (All published by Grosset invented the atomic bomb; radio, television, 4 Dunlap, New York , 195°, at $1 each.) planes, tanks and other modern developments first came from his pen fifty years ago. These four volumes constitute the begin­ These novels embrace interplanetary flight, ning of Grosset's "Science Fiction Classics" time travel, invisibility, evolution, arti­ library; three have new jackets while that ficial foods which produce giant children, for HUMANOIDS is a carryover. transmutation, invasion, etc. -BT is the editor. SPARROW is more of a fantasy continued on page 7 — in that it chronicles the adventures of a shipwrecked man on an uncharted island, an This publication does not sell island where dwell the descendents of a pir­ books, nor take orders for the ate crew on one hand, and a tiny, strange I titles reviewed. 3

FLESH, will be published by this WHAT'S NEWS spring. This is not one of the Jules de Grandon stories, but a snappy fantasy. Also Robert Peterson (1308 south Vine, Denver, coming from Prime: The BLIND SPOT by Austin Colo.) has published, at $1, an index to the Hall and Homer Eon Flint. weird and fantasy magazines issued between 1923 and 19U-8- Magazines included are: Fan­ Anthony Boucher's new detective anthol­ tastic Adventures, , Oriental ogy, FOUR AND TWENTY BLOODHOUNDS has been Stories, Unknown and Unknown Worlds, Strange published by Simon & Schuster, and already Tales, Unusual Stories, Witch's Tales. republished by Unicorn Mystery Book Club.

Robert Heinlein's THE MAN WHO SOW THE A new "Perma-Book" anthology of science­ MOON, originally published by Shasta, will fiction is coming, edited by Groff Conklin. be reprinted in February at 25/ by Signet Books. The reprint will carry four of the L. Sprague deCamp has placed three orig­ original six stories in the volume. inal books: Prime Press will publish : THE ATLANTIS THEME IN HISTORY, Martin Alger (118 north Center, Royal SCIENCE AND LITERATURE (non-fiction), and a Oak, Mich.) is selling sets of photos taken novel, THE GLORY THAT WAS. Coming from New at the Portland, Oregon convention. The l|0 York's Doubleday is ROYAL JELLY, which LSdeC pictures sell for $2, describes as a love story. Meanwhile, FPCI in Los Angeles will publish one of his early Jack Williamson's original novel, THE Unknown novels, THE UNDESIRED PRINCESS. MAKER, will be published by Simon & Schuster this spring. Also from the same publisher, Raymond F. Jones' THE TOYMAKER, a coll­ TIME QUARRY by Clifford Slmak. As a serial, ection of his stories featuring the Imaglno this ran in the first 3 issues of Galaxy. toys, plus several other shorts, has also been scheduled by FPCI. William Austin (5317 west 67th, Seattle 7, Wash.) will publish in January a 3-way The Gargoyle cross-index of all 1950 magazine science­ Press (1526 east fiction. Probable price, 75/* Austin also 23rd st, Brook­ is seeking Information on 1950 fanzines and lyn NY) has pub­ asks if anyone contemplates publishing an lished a small index or check-list of the amateur journals. brochure, "Th e Meanwhile, in Washington DC, Bob Pavlat Ghoul and the and William Evans are attempting to continue Seraph" by Clark and bring up to date the Swisher Check-List Ashton Smith, at of years ago, covering all the fanzines evr 35/. Autograph­ published. Assistance requested. (Pavlat: ed copies are 6001 l|.3rd ave, Hyattsville, Maryland.) available. Martin Greenberg's George 0, Smith has not gone overseas, will be the next anthology from Gnome Press, as he himself prematurely reported here last due in Janury. The volume is a companion issue. Still working/writing in Philly. piece to his MEN AGAINST THE STARS, and will —by the selection of proper stories— trace Robert Spencer Carr's BEYOND INFINITY the history of Man through 3 million years. will be the first new-year novel from Fan­ Also coming from Gnome within the next few tasy Press. This volume contains L;. novel­ months: 's I, ROBOT, and Will ettes totalling 100,000 words, two of which Stewart's (Jack Williamson) SEETEE SHIP . are new and two reprints from the Saturday Gnome Press have moved their offices to 80 Evening Post. Following this volume comes east 11th st, 3* E.E. Smith's GRAY LENSMAN, and John Taino’s SEEDS OF LIFE. All titles at $3. Funk & Wagnails advise that a new word has been added to the dictionary: atomshik, Walter Coslet's STEFCARD (Box 6, Helena, Moscow's name for a fanatical advocate of Montana), a weekly postcard of news, will atomic warfare. publish semi-weekly as soon as subscriptions permit. Twenty issues for 50/* Writers John and Dorothy DeCourcy have moved from Oregon to Taos, New . And Donald Wollheim has another anthology- meanwhile in Taos, has taken scheduled for next month: SCIENCE FICTION to raising goats. FOR THE MILLIONS. From Fell, at $2.95.

The Editors Lunch Club, of New York, de­ Magazine artists Calle, Miller, Stone, voted one of their late October meetings to and writer Arthur J. Burks have gone back science fiction. Among the speakers were into the armed services. Groff Conklin, Fred Pohl, Martin Greenberg (of Gnome Press), Walter I. Bradbury (from Oliver Saari and Virginia Mae Haas were Doubleday), and Orrin Keepnews (for Simon & married in November. Now living in Chicago. Schuster). Several publishers present. The Washington D.C. fan club will hold An original Seabury Quinn novel, ALIEN another eastern conference this spring. 4

Clarke. Summer (#5): "Sword of Xota," a new 1950 MAGAZINE CHECKLIST one by , and "Durna Range” by Neil R. Jones. Fall (#10: "The House That These are the magazines published during Stood Still" by A.E. van Vogt, and a second the year. The figure in parenthesis is the novel not yet selected. Also purchased but number of issues each published bearing the not yet scheduled is "The Green Men of Grey- 1950 date. pec" by Festus Pragnell.

(Compiled by Sam Moskowitz) This magazine's policy is two books in each issue, with the second story being cut (12) to about 50,000 words to fit the space. Amazing Stories Quarterly (10 A. Merritt's Magazine of Fantasy (10 Astounding Science Fiction (12) CHECKLIST OF BRITISH POCKETBOOKS Avon Fantasy Reader (?) Famous Fantastic Mysteries (5) The following list of 195° pocketbooks , (12) compiled by Stephen Takacs and Ken Slater , Fantastic Adventures Quarterly (10 is belived to be complete. In this check - Fantastic Novels (6) list, the pen name "Vargo Statten" belongs Fantastic Story Quarterly (5) to John Russell Fearn, while "Astron del (2) Martia" is believed also to be his. Fantasy Fiction (1) title changed to: Fantasy Stories (1) Annihilation (Statten) Future Combined with Science Fiction A Princess of Mars (Burroughs) Stories (10 Beast From Beyond, The (Wellman) (5) Carson of Venus (Burroughs) Galaxy Science Fiction Novel (2) Earth Invasion, The (Denis Hughes) Imagination (2) Human Bat, The (E.R. Home Gall) Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Micro Men, The (Statten) The (10 Monsters of Juntonheim, The (Hamilton) (1) Murder by Telecopter (Hughes) Other Worlds (7) Operation Venus (Fearn) Out of This World Adventures (2) Tarzan & The City of Gold (Burroughs) (10 at The Earth's Core " (6) & The Forbidden City " (6) The Invincible " Thrilling (6) & The Leopard Men " Two Complete Science-Adventure Books (1) & The Lion Man " Weird Tales (6) Lord of the Jungle " Wonder Stories Annual (1) & The Lost Empire " Worlds Beyond (1) Quest " Triumphant " Magazine News Tharkol, Lord of the Unknown (Hamilton) Two Thousand Years On (Statten) Several of the Popular Publication string Trembling World, The (del Martia) of magazines, including Famous Fantastic Whispering Gorilla, The (David V. Reed) Mysteries, have changed size and format. The Worlds at War (anthology) (F.G. Rayer) new job is slightly larger than digest size, has no inside Illustrations, and carries a Any of these titles may be purchased In semi-slick tone. Priced at 25/. this country from either Stephen Takacs, I4.5 Fourth ave, New York City 5, or Phil Rasch, Another Popular title, A. Merritt's Maga­ 567 Erskine Drive, Pacific Palisades, Cal. zine of Fantasy, has been discontinued. The The cost is 1/6, about 5^/« October 1950 issue was the final one.

(The following has been reliably report­ DEPT. OF CORRECTION: ed, but not directly confirmed:) Ray Palmer We stated last issue has sold his newest magazine, Imagination, that Mack Reynolds had ghost-written Harry to the Greenleaf Publishing Co. of Chicago. Moore's speech at Portland, winning for him William Lawrence Hamling, until recently an and New Orleans the 1951 convention bld. We editor on the Ziff-Davis staff, is said to now owe Moore an apology, freely given. He be the Greenleaf Publishing Co. states that Reynolds did not write the paper but merely polished it, after completion. Donald Wollhelm's new fantasy magazine, We bow deeply, three times, to the south. due immediately, is titled 10 Story Fantasy. Priced at 25/, and probably a bi-monthly. LATE ADDITIONAL MAGAZINE NEWS: Two Complete Science - Adventure Books, the 25/ quarterly, has announced this line­ Robert 0. Erisman, editor of the newly up for coming issues: revived Marvel Science Stories, will revive Spring (#2): "The his other pre-war magazine, Dynamic Science Star Kings" by , and a new Stories in January. These publications are novel, "Seeker of the Sphinx" by Arthur C. said to be paying up to 5/ a word for fic. s Science-Fantasy Society, my first such con­ ference there since 1939> and the change in the intervening eleven years was startling. Eleven years ago the fans in attendance were there for purely personal reasons — tooting their own horns and the horns of whatever The eye glances backward: movement they happened to be pushing at the time. They revolved about themselves and The year was a pistol in many respects. the outside world was strictly outside. In The first worthwhile science fiction film 1950 it was nearly the opposite. was screened, DESTINATION MOON, based on a book by popular writer Robert Heinlein. And Willy Ley opened the program, speaking jumping on that bandwagon, Hollywood studios on "Dragons in Amber," a book he's publish­ snatched up fantasy stories by the score-- ing within a month or two. His talk was a scheduled for filming are Balmer and Wylie's resume of that book's first and last chap­ "When Worlds Collide", Campbell's "Who Goes ters. Next followed a round-table discuss­ There?", Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the ion of the year's crop of s-f books, with Sea" and "The Mysterious Island", Bates' L. Sprague de Camp, James Williams, Milton "Farewell to the Master", Ehrlich's "The Big Rothman and myself expounding the good and Eye**, Latchford's "Prof. Hagge's Private the bad. After an intermission, the high Planet", and the following titles of which spot of the afternoon was Irving Heyne, a the author is unknown here: "The Lost Con­ math teacher and long-time reader, who snoke tinent", "Prehistoric Women", "Flight To on "A Worm's Eye-view of Science Fiction." Mars", and a remake of oldtimer "Berkeley His thesis, based on personal experiences, Square" under the new name, "Beyond Time and were the foolish plots, foolish happenings, Space". Several fans and clubs assisted in and foolish characterizations in s-f yarns. advertising and promoting Heinlein's MOON. The average reader —the worm-— is forced to put up with an awful lot of trash, some of An old Saturday-matinee serial or two it appearing in otherwise good stories and was hastily re-edited and thrown upon the written by the better known authors. His screens as interplanetary adventures; and a example were two characters, hero & villain, space epic entitled ROCKETSHIP XM made the who dueled to the death with mathematical rounds to delight the kiddies and confuse equations, hurling them at each other. The the oldsters —- the ship landed on Mars in afternoon ended with the inevitable auction. the midst of a thunderstorm. The army's Wac Corporal was the movie star of the year. All that was a long way from 1939 and what fans Magazine publishing fared better but with thought of then. May I equally astonishing results. The first pulp suggest you attend next went on sale containing a "built-in comic year's conference i f section" for those- who like pretty pictures you 're in the vicinity. with their science fiction. A new one went on sale which for the first time in a decade ****** offered serious competition to the old lead­ er ----- while the leader itself wallowed in a I don't read all the magazines, can't series of parallel ruts and its editor em­ find the time and positively do not have the braced a "nev; science," taking the magazine inclination to wade through the bilge, but I along to the dismay of many readers. do usually run down the contents page when a new issue appears on the stands. Only a few Many new titles appeared, old ones were days ago in Future Combined with Science dusted off, one folded before it was born, Stories (a useless, jawbreaking title]), the and another quit after just three issues. name of Richard S. Shaver met my eye. Tell On the other hand, book publishers had a me, has this been going on long? Still bn field day and for the first time a science magazines: sometime in the near future fiction novel (one classified as such) hit a in some magazine will be a story by Frank book club. One lucky writer sold his novel Robinson, an Indiana fan newly-turned-wrlter to a book publisher, a book club, a pocket­ who has recently made several good sales. book house, and a Hollywood studio. Another Last summer I read the typescript of "Fare­ sold his to a book club and a magazine after well, Columbus", and now I learn some editor the original book publication. A dozen big has bought it. I'd like to recommend it. New York houses put titles into the field while the smaller fantasy houses continued - Bob Tucker to pour them out, good, indifferent, and bad -- far too many bad. Science fiction was definitely the thing, a trend most fans had dreamed of since 19JO, and it all started because of the bazooka, the jet, and the A- Bomb. We now lack only time-travel. Bfantasy advertiser ® ® '1745 Kenneth Road ||| ****** S Glendale 1, California In November I attended the annual s-f conference sponsored by the Philadelphia SHOP TALK Now Science Fiction’s In a boom year which brought out many new magazines, which made new names on the contents page as well as remaking old ones, Famous Books only $1 which pushed several well-known names to the front, we think is 195°*s top.

Bradbury's climb has been slow, and to him, surely disheartning. Fifteen or more years ago he was another one of the fans who hung around the Los Angeles clubhouse, con - tributing bits to their and other fan maga­ zines, publishing four issues of his own. Finally he sold a story to Weird Tales, and then another, branching out to the other FURY by Henry Kuttner pulps where some of his most notable work Fury is a novel of violence. The earth is dead appeared. He began making a name by his own long since, blasted in a self-sustaining chain reaction. Remnants of the human race have peculiar style of writing, and presently settled on Venus. The rulers are Immortals, that name began to appear in the slicks: The genetic mutations who live a thousand years or American Mercury, Colliers, Mademoiselle, m,ore. An important novel that you will enjoy. Harpers, Charm, and of late, Esquire. The latter magazine is now reprinting his yarns which were first published by Planet Stories —— an odd record of some sort. , in 19h-7, brought out a collection of his better fantasy and weird THE WORLD OF A by A. E. Van Vogt tales, DARK CARNIVAL. Some critics thought A tale of the future evolution of the mind of man, a wild and free extrapolation from the shortest story in that volume, a feo today's society—based on emotions and appe­ word brief entitled "Interim1* carried the tites i^rher than on mentality—to an inconceiv­ ably complex and exciting tomorrow, when wallop of a rocket's backfire. His next book man has finally learned how to dominate his was three years in coming, but Doubleday's environment and his own baser instincts. made the wait worth­ while. CHRONICLES presents Bradbury's ideas of mankind's colonization of Mars, and the aftermath. This volume will be reprinted as a pocketbook next year, while in London the IfTSFSLAN” of firm of Hart-Davis will bring out a British edition of the original, under the new title of THE SILVER LOCUSTS. THE ISLAND OF CAPTAIN Meanwhile, Bradbury has made use of 1950: SPARROW by S. Fowler Wright the Ford Television Theater is filming his This enchanting is the tale of story, "To The Future," for nationwide t-v two diametrically opposed types of civilization: one composed of the decadent descendants of broadcast; and another t-v show, Lights Out, a Nineteenth Century pirate crew, the other is preparing a second story, "Forever and the remnants of a tiny, strangely advanced the Earth" for future production. civilization.

Rin van Ronkle (the adapter of Heinlein's DESTINATION MOON) is now adapting a film version of MARTIAN CHRONICLES which will be offered to the studios. And a contract has been signed with a Broadway play producer to write a musical drama based on his short, "Mars is Heaven." THE HUMANOIDS by Jack Williamson His third book, THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, The unexpected solution of this galactic struggle will be published by Doubleday in February; of five or six individuals against hundreds of this volume contains eighteen of his yarns. millions of robots is a strange, frightening and He has a novel in the prepatory stage for gripping story. future publication. And, although nothing definite has yet been decided, two studios are Interested in his work and services.

Bradbury, still a citizen of Los Angeles, is thirty years old, married, and with the assistance of his wife is expecting a second child next May. GROSSED & DUNLAP, 1107 BROADWAY, NEW YORK Bob Tucker 7

BOOK REVIEWS A GNOME THERE WAS by (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1950, $2.50)

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE and AFTER WORLDS COLLIDE Here 's a happy collection of Henry Kutt- by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer. (Lippin­ ner's choice yarns which you shouldn !t miss. cott Company, Philadelphia, 1950, $ 2.95) You can have a lot of fun in this book, with a talking cat, hillbillies who have mastered Two complete novels combined in one vol­ the art of flying, a man turned into a gnome ume, originally published in 1952 and 1955, and another who complained of smelling dead this is a bargain for anyone's library. The flies, plus a radio that lit cigarettes and books are well-written, well-plotted, and do washed the dishes. not suffer with age. Probably the best known is Mimsy Were The first is the story of earth when it the Borogoves; in addition to that and the discovers the world is to be smashed by an title story, the volume includes The Twonky, invading planet— no tricks, no happy ending The Cure, Jesting Pilot, Exit the Professor, is pulled from the bag; the collision occurs This is the House, Compliments of the Author but not until, by superhuman effort, a tiny and three other short stories. This is one segment of the population is shot away on a collection that was long overdue J -BT spaceship. The second novel takes it from there, detailing the arrival of this ship on by Clifford D. Simak a new world and the rebuilding of life. -BT (Gnome Press, New York City, 1950, #2.50)

CONAN THE CONQUEROR by Robert E. Howard We looked forward to this (Gnome Press, New York City, 1950, $2.75) one, for it had remained a favorite since a shorter You may remember version appeared eleven from the pages of Weird years ago in Astounding. Tales, a bloodthirsty bar­ Happily, it wears well and barian who lived in the few pulp traces remain. Hyborean Age, relying on his wits and his sword-- Two newsmen, waiting near mostly the latter. This Pluto for an adventurer to is the first volume in a push out into interstellar series of five, dealing conquepop space, stumble across a with Conan and the Age. dark, sealed floating pri­ • nvrriizrorrj son. Opening.it, they find The book opens with uobcri e. how.\Rd a living woman banished there 1000 years ago the resurrection of a high on a trumped-up charge, a woman who had re­ priest, dead some three mained in suspended animation although her thousand years, and there follows the mach­ brain continued alive and active. On her re­ inations of this Lazarus and his henchmen to port that she had become telepathic and that possess nations, gold, and the "Heart of Ah­ she had heard voices talking across space, a riman," a magic jewel. Conan happens to be small group launch themselves into space, one of the kings swept aside; the body of out towards the expanding rim of the univer­ the book is his fight to regain his throne se, seeking the owners of the voices. -BT and the jewel.’ For Weird Tale fans. -MBW New Pocketbooks AFTER 12,000 YEARS by Stanton A. Coblentz (F.P.C.I., Los Angeles, Cal. 1950, $5 ) THE DYING EARTH by . (Hillman Per­ iodicals, New York, 1950, 25s?.) Jack Vance Some novels stand reprinting after long is Henry Kuttner, and this is far-future absence, some do not. This one hangs on the stuff when the sun is going out, complete borderline and the individual reader must with wizards, magic and sex. take it or leave it. The story is fair to­ day, was considered good in 1928, and can be THE BIG EYE by Max Ehrlich (Popular Library, enjoyed if you like the old-timers. New York, 195°> 25/.) An invading planet almost smashes the earth. Reviewed here in Henry Merwin, by means of a survival detail in issue number 1J, October I9I4.9. drug, awakens a hundred and twenty centuries in the future to find a world not unlike our WHAT MAD UNIVERSE by (Bantam own, despite the newer concepts and isms. Books, New York, 1950, 25/.) An hilarious He cannot have the girl he wants because of satire of a universe run by fans. Read it. state regulations, he becomes involved in Reviewed here in Number 1I4, December 19I4.9. the usual wars science fiction authors be­ lieve constantly plague our future, and our FIGHT FOR LIFE by (Crestwood little friends the insects stage a rebell - Publishing Co, New York, 1950, 25/.) Atomic ion. Nothing new, but readable. -BT war opera, the lone scientist saves the U.S. THE GREEN MAN OF GRAYPEC by Festus Pragnell SINISTER BARRIER by (Gal­ (Greenberg-Publisher, New York, 195°, $2.5°) axy Science Fiction Novels, New York, 1950, 25/.) The best novel Unknown ever printed.' A nice dust jacket by . People are property, owned by beings above. 8

PORTLAND CONVENTION PICTURES

LETTERS All photographs on the opposite page ex­ cept that for DESTINATION MOON were taken at Ken Beale (Bronx, N.Y.): "A recommend­ the science fiction convention in Portland, ation was passed at the Norwescon to set Oregon, last Labor Day weekend. The people: •Green Hills of Earth' to music? Where have these guys been? ’Green Hills' was set to (1) Beatrice Mahaffey and friend, (2) music away back and was broadcast on the Don Day, the chairman, (J) Anthony Boucher 'Dimension X' radio show. Music was composed and friends, (!$.) Claude Degler, (5) Theodore and probably also sung by Tom Glazer, well- Sturgeon, (6) Will Sykora, (7) Roger Philips known folksinger. Unfortunately, this ver­ Graham, (8) Howard Browne, (9) Mack Reynolds sion is not available to the public ... The and friend. composer (said that) for $100 he'll record it for us and also give us full rights. The theater photo, taken by Ray Adams, (courtesy of , Chicago) de­ ... Whoever gave you picts the eight-story-high aluminum rocket the dope on the ESFA- erected at the Mayfair Theater, New York; Hydra shindig, and re­ the rocket is not a part of the billboard sultant dispute , was behind it, but stands out over the walk. very, very wrong. Some, but not all of the facts were supplied. May I venture to correct you Now if I'm not mistaken, New York had at on a few items? This is least two delegates, Sykora and Dietz. Wash­ not second-hand info, I ington DC had one, Frank Kerkhof. Philadel­ was there, right in the phia had one, Jean Bogert. Maine had one, thick of it. me. ... I started my traveling from here, flying from Portland, Maine, to New York to Sykora created a Seattle to Portland, Oregon, ticking off as disturbance akin to a I figure it, about 2960 miles on this Z- flea settling on a dog or a butterfly on a shaped course. While out there I talked with flower. In other words, practically none at the gentlefan from Florida, Charles Heisner, all. He and his friends were quiet, orderly I believe, and each of us congratulated the and well-behaved. ... It is true that his other on having come the greatest distance. little brochure, "The Hornet's Nest,” de­ nounced Hydra, ESFA & company in no uncer­ That puts the two New York citizens in tain terms, but he himself was well behaved, second place, Bogert in third, Kerkhof in gentlemanly and orderly. The only distur­ fourth, and Millard of Toronto in a somewhat bance he was openly alleged to have caused poor fifth. Though from what he told me, I was giving out literature while the speeches guess Millard rates 1st place in the amount were going on—something at which Emily Post of trouble he had in making the pilgrimage. no doubt would have looked askance, but no­ I trust that you will immediately publish a thing really brutal. special issue to correct this error .... and thus save all fandom from being plunged into ... Will, in his published writings ad­ ghastly war." vocated boycotting the Hydracon, but his meaning was of course not to give it finan­ < War is averted — we were mistaken.2) cial or other support.' There was nothing wrong in attending, according to him, if you didn’t pay anything. That was why he and a good many others in the New York area went. ... By the way, Sykora was not the only one SCIENCE FICTION who was threatened with the police. (Myself) having assisted in the distribution of said NEWSLETTER propaganda, because of personal feelings to­ Number 18 December, 1950 10/ ward Will rather than a wholehearted support of his views, was asked to leave on the Edited and published six times a year (by) grounds that (I) had been distributing stuff after an announcement was made .... to stop. Bob Tucker, Box 260, Bloomington, Illinois (I) proved that (my actions) were pure as William Rotsler, penman the driven snow and was suffered to remain.” (Advertising rates on request) Norman Stanley (Rockland, Maine): ”Hell hath no fury like a fan cheated of his ego­ Note: beginning with the first 1951 issue, boo.' In your remarks on Norwescon atendance single copy price will be fifteen cents. you said: "Longest-distance runner to Port­ Subscriptions: seven issues for one dollar land was a fan from Florida, next up was one from New York, and one from Toronto. Ohio sent five, Michigan six, Illinois four, New Orleans and New Mexico one each.” Planographed by John s. swift Co., Inc, st. Louis. Chicago, New York, (next column, middle page) 9 ------—------10

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