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SCIENTIFICTION New Series #42 SCIENTIFICTION A publication of FIRST FANDOM, the Dinosaurs of Science Fiction New Series #42, 4th Quarter 2014 IN THIS ISSUE ORIGINAL MEMBER SPOTLIGHT P. 1: First Fandom Awards, 2015 John L. Coker III and Jon D. Swartz P. 2: Original Member Spotlight are collaborating on a new series for P. 6: Necrology and Birthdays our newsletter about some of the P. 7: Marcon 49 – A Con Report original members of First Fandom P. 9: Recommended Reading who are still active today. For their P. 11: In Other STF News inaugural effort, they present a look P. 14: First Fandom Photo Gallery at the life and times of David A. Kyle. FIRST FANDOM AWARDS FOR 2015 NECROLOGY Nominations are now being accepted We sadly acknowledge the recent + First Fandom Hall of Fame Award passing of some friends: Kirby + Posthumous Hall of Fame Award Macauley, Roy Scarfo, George + Sam Moskowitz Archive Award Slusser, Edward Summer, Herbert Yellin. They will all be remembered. I have recently been in contact with a number of our original members, and BIRTHDAYS many of them have expressed an The list of January–March birthdays interest in acknowledging deserving in this issue is based on information fans who were never inducted into originally compiled by Andy Porter. the Hall of Fame during their lifetime. OUR NEWSLETTER: PDF VS. PAPER When sending your nominations for While not all of our members are this year’s awards, please give extra able to receive digital copies of consideration to identifying worthy SCIENTIFICTION via e-mail, there candidates for the First Fandom are still several dozen who can do Posthumous Hall of Fame Award. so. It would greatly help reduce our We will also continue to present the printing and postage expenses. Sam Moskowitz Archive Award to Please send us your email address recognize enthusiasts who have soon, in order to make that happen. amassed large collections and done CONTRIBUTIONS something significant with them. We are seeking letters, news items, Nominations should be sent prior to convention reports, photos, articles, February 15th for the 2015 First book reviews and more to publish in Fandom Awards via email to forthcoming issues of our newsletter! [email protected] or U.S. Mail to John Coker at 4813 Lighthouse Hope everyone had a happy holiday Road, Orlando, FL - 32808. Thanks! season! Be safe and stay in touch… - John L. Coker III SCIENTIFICTION New Series #42, page 2 ORIGINAL MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: the magazines of Hugo Gernsback. DAVID A. KYLE The first one that he read was a (By John L. Coker III & Jon D. Swartz) second-hand copy of the very first issue of Science Wonder Stories. David A. Kyle was born on February 14, 1919 in upstate New York. As a In 1934, Dave began enthusiastically child, his principal source of reading writing letters to the magazines and was The Book of Knowledge, a corresponding with big name fans collection of twenty volumes. Dave such as Forry Ackerman and Bob enjoyed the adventures of Tom Swift Madle. That same year, he founded and the Hardy Boys. He was thrilled the Legion of Science Fiction by the imaginative stories of Roy Improvement. In 1935, he took the Rockwood, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Wonder Stories SF test and earned H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. a Bachelor of Science Fiction. He soon discovered a more popular In 1936, Dave published the first form of fiction that came about in comics fanzine, The Fantasy World American Boy magazine, in the (three issues). He saw the film sophisticated stories written by Carl based on H.G. Wells’ The Shape of H. Claudy and Thomas Burgess. As Things to Come. After graduating a boy growing up in Monticello, NY, from Monticello High School, he Dave had a playhouse that he moved to New York City and began converted to a little lending library. making friendships with other fans. He would rent out books for a nickel He attended a meeting of the a week, using the proceeds to buy International Scientific Association, another book to add to the collection. where he met Don Wollheim, Fred Pohl, Dick Wilson, John Michel, Robert W. Lowndes, Cyril Kornbluth. Kyle was a co-founder of Science Fiction League Chapter 5 in his His family lived a hundred miles from hometown. He went to the offices of New York City, and occasionally he Wonder Stories and met Hugo and his mother would take the train Gernsback and Frank R. Paul. Dave into the city. In New York, they was a charter member of the would go to the theater to see a Fantasy Amateur Press Association show. One of the shows that had and founder of the Phantasy Legion the biggest impact on him was and the Fantasy Guild. In October Dracula, with Bela Lugosi in the lead 1936, Dave attended the very first role. As a teen-ager during the SF convention, when a small group depression, Dave was interested in of fans took the train from New York radio and airplanes, and these things City and met for a day with their indirectly led him in 1933 to discover fellow fans in Philadelphia. SCIENTIFICTION New Series #42, page 3 In February 1937, Kyle attended the In 1947, Kyle began selling his Second Eastern Science Fiction illustrations to magazines edited by Convention, held at Bohemian Hall in Fred Pohl, and writing stories for Astoria, Long Island. Dave also magazines edited by Doc Lowndes. witnessed the Hindenburg as it flew At Fred’s suggestion, they attended over the Flatiron Building in New Philcon. Dave was co-founder, along York on the way to its destruction. with Martin Greenberg, of one of the Later that year, he graduated from early small press specialty book the Commercial Illustration Studios, publishers, Gnome Press. Art Career School, in New York City. In 1938, Dave became a member of the Futurians. He attended the First National SF Convention in Newark, NJ (May, 1938) and went to the University of Alabama through the spring of 1939. In 1939, Dave belonged to the Association for L-R: Marty Greenberg and Dave Kyle Democracy in Science Fiction Fandom. He made numerous visits In those early days, Dave was to the NY World’s Fair, and attended involved in every aspect of the the first World SF Con (July 2-4). business. He created the dust jackets, wrote cover blurbs, and helped to edit manuscripts. They produced some of the finest examples of limited edition SF and fantasy books from that era. He was a co-founder and chairman of the Hydra Club. At the 1949 Worldcon, Dave became the emcee of the first live television broadcast that discussed science fiction. Illustration by Dave Kyle Captain Kyle In 1950, Dave was co-chairman of In 1940, Dave became managing the NY Science Fiction Conference, editor of his family’s newspaper co-founder of Argonaut Books, and business. He arranged for Dirk co-founder of the NY Science Fiction Wylie to join him there as a reporter. Circle. He also established the SF The next year Dave published his book line at Bouregy & Curl, Inc. first SF story, “Golden Nemesis” in Stirring Science Stories. Kyle decided to go back to school, and in 1951, he graduated from After the outbreak of World War Columbia University with a Two, he joined the military, went to Bachelor’s Degree in English and OCS and in 1942 was commissioned Writing. Kyle founded the New York a second lieutenant. Then, in 1946 Science Fiction Council. During this Captain Kyle was discharged and he period, he formed a literary agency returned to the family newspaper. with Fred Pohl and Dirk Wylie. He SCIENTIFICTION New Series #42, page 4 also began selling his sports and 1959, Dave joined First Fandom. detective stories to the pulp Two years later, he became a magazines. member of the Noble and Illustrious Order of St. Fantony. In 1966, Dave and his family visited Arthur C. Clarke in England on the movie set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. In 1968, Kyle was a Nebula Award nominee in the short story category. The following year, a dream came true for many of the long-time science fiction fans with Apollo 11. Dave was in attendance In 1954, Kyle and Sam Moskowitz at Cape Canaveral as a guest of co-chaired Metrocon, New York City. NASA, where he spent time with The following year, Dave was the Arthur C. Clarke and announced the founder and director of the World launch for his family’s radio station. Science Fiction Society, Inc. Along with Dick Wilson, he booked Living in England during the 1970s, passage on the Isle de France and Dave was president of the H.G. sailed to England. In 1956, Dave Wells Society, co-founder of the was the chairman of NyCon II, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Film 14th Worldcon. He arranged for Society, and member of the SFWA Arthur C. Clarke to be guest of honor and the Association of Science and Al Capp to speak at the Fiction Artists. He received the Big banquet. Kyle was a founding Heart Award at the 1973 Worldcon. member and inaugural chairman of the Lunarians. In 1975, Dave Kyle was honorary managing director and vice-chair of the British SF Association. In 1976, he published A Pictorial History of Science Fiction (Hamlyn Books) and Member of St. Fantony Launch of Apollo 11 was Fan Guest of Honor at Novacon Dave said that if London won the bid 6 in Birmingham, England. The for the 1957 Worldcon, he would following year, he published The charter a trans-Atlantic flight for fans Illustrated Book of Science Fiction to attend the convention.

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