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Scientifiction New Series #37

Scientifiction A publication of FIRST FANDOM, the Dinosaurs of

New Series #37 , 3rd quarter 2013 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Greetings, everyone! First Fandom website. The new look From the reports I received on the will feature photographs, articles, , everyone seemed to have interviews and a history of our a great weekend, spending time with awards. Please send your ideas and friends, enjoying programming and any contributions directly to me. hearing the announcement of First Change of Address for the Cokers Fandom’s Awards. David A. Kyle My wife Linda and I are nearly spent a lot of time greeting fans at finished moving into our new home! the First Fandom exhibit table. Please reach us 4813 Lighthouse Next year, the Worldcon will be held Road, Orlando, FL 32808. Our new in London. They will be celebrating telephone number is (407) 532-7555. three quarters of a century since the New Contact Information first Worldcon was held in 1939. Mike Glyer Remembering 1507-1/2 South Sixth Avenue During the past several months, Arcadia, CA 91006 and Tel: (626) 305-1004 both passed away. These dear men [email protected] were giants in our field, and they will We Need Your E-Mail Address be missed. Please see their obituary notices on pages 8-10 in this issue. We are asking all members who are still receiving paper copies of the FAPA newsletter to please provide me with I prepared a long contribution for the an e-mail address, so that they can latest mailing of the enjoy the expanded, full-color Amateur Press Association. “Stories versions of SCIENTIFICTION. It will from the First Fandom Archives (Vol. also help us lower our quarterly II)” feature interesting articles with variable printing and mailing costs. photographs and illustrations, based Closing on interviews that I have done with First Fans Murphy Anderson, Robert Finally, after a long, hot summer, the A. Madle, Jack Robins, Julius weather is beginning to turn cooler. I Schwartz and Wilson “Bob” Tucker. hope that everyone has a wonderful Halloween and autumn season, and First Fandom Website I look forward to hearing from you! During the next few months, Keith W. Stokes and I will be updating the John L. Coker III

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CONVENTION REPORTS LoneStarCon. They will contact us very soon as the event grows closer. LONESTARCON3 (By Keith Stokes) Another person who visited was Kim Williams of Marcon, who said that Linda and I flew to San Antonio on they loved having First Fandom Thursday so we could be there that members at their convention a few evening for a small private reception years back and may invite First in honor of Guest of Honor and First Fandom to Columbus in 2015 for the Fandom member, James Gunn. It 50th anniversary convention, was good seeing Jim honored and providing memberships and rooms catching up with many friends for original members who attend. among his former students and She said that she will be contacting colleagues. Nearly half of the John Coker about extending an panels which I attended during the invitation to the membership. convention were devoted to Jim and his impact on our field. There were two contested site selection races this year. Three This was only my third convention cities competed for the chance to this year and I split my time between host the 73rd World Science Fiction photographing the convention for the Convention in 2015 and two cities MidAmerican Fan Photo Archive and competed for the North American staffing the First Fandom table in the Science Fiction Convention in 2014. exhibit hall. The convention NASFiC will be Detcon 1 to be held assigned us a table with a wonderful in Detroit, and the WorldCon will be location on a corner where everyone Sasquan, to be held in Spokane. traveling to the Dealers Room, Bid Tables, or autograph sessions During the weekend, I had a chance passed right by and said hello. to talk to many Associate Members of First Fandom, but David A. Kyle John Coker sent along a new First and Earl M. Korshak were the only Fandom banner and several posters original members who I saw. I with information about First Fandom believe Bob Madle was also there. for the display at our table. David A. Kyle (accompanied by daughter David and Earl were the first Kerry and son Arthur C. Kyle) presenters before the Hugo Awards alternated spending time at the table Ceremony on Sunday night. David with me so that it was staffed for was there to present the Big Heart several hours every day. Many Award (Tom Veal was the recipient), people who have been active in but he was proceeded by Earl's fandom for decades stopped to chat. announcement that Sam Basham, Earl Kemp, Lester Mayer and One of the visitors to our table said Norman F. Stanley were inducted that they will be in charge of into the First Fandom Hall of Fame; programing for Detcon I, and that Thaddeus E. Dikty and Raymond A. they want to have more First Palmer were added posthumously to Fandom related programing at the the First Fandom Hall of Fame; and NASFiC than there was at Howard Frank was the recipient of the Archive Award. SCIENTIFICTION New Series #37, page 3

Despite long periods of time being atlatl-thrown spear could penetrate given to things like the designer of their armor. this year's Hugo Award base and the The Nasca geoglyph in South previously presented Seiun Awards, America is not an airfield but part of no time was available to explain a bird. anything about the First Fandom Awards, why the recipients were To understand the Serpent Mound honored or to allow them or their (in Southwestern ) requires that representatives to acknowledge the we first understand the culture that awards. We were told that Earl had built it. Unfortunately, we don’t been allotted just forty-five seconds understand their culture, but the to announce all of the recipients. Mound itself was well within the capabilities of the Indians who lived Over 400 photographs from the there at the time. convention have been posted at http://www.midamericon.org/photoar Cartography and World Building chive/lonestarcon3/ I had volunteered to be on a panel KEITH STOKES on world building. Usually this topic covers things like the chemistry and CONTEXT physics of alien worlds, and I enjoy (By Joe Martino) these panels. However, this panel turned out to be on cartography This is a regional convention held (mapping), and I was the panel annually in Columbus, OH. It’s moderator. Fortunately there were a strictly a readercon. No media, no couple of amateur cartographers on gaming, heavy emphasis on reading the panel. All I had to do was ask and writing. Here are several panels. them questions. The panel went well. Ancient Astronauts Maps are functional artifacts. They Carl Sagan once stated that it was are intended to be used for a specific possible that Earth may have been purpose. A road map differs from a visited by aliens, and artifacts may nautical chart, because each has a still exist. Such evidence would look specific purpose. like: Maps provide a framework for a • Artifacts out of place story. Things happen in specific places, with certain distances apart, • Recognizable artifacts beyond with specific topography, conditions, the capabilities of contemporary humans and resources. Not every reader needs a map, but the writer may. • Artifacts found in a disputable One of the panelists mentioned a context. mapping program intended for Archeologists have traced Hernando gamers but usable by authors, DeSoto’s path through the American Campaign Cartographer, available Southwest by abandoned chain mail, from http://profantasy.com. I intend after the Spaniards realized that an to get a copy.

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How I Wrote My Novel This book has received high praise This was an interesting panel by a from people in the industry, such as first-time novelist, who described and . The how he’d gone about selling his ISBN is 978-0-312-64380-5. It is novel. After striking out on his list of available in hardcover ($27.99 from top-10 agents, he sent it to a small St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2013). press, which bought it. If there was FILMFAX – The Magazine of any take-away message, it was that Unusual Film, Television and persistence pays off. Retro Pop Culture (Summer 2013, Issue 134). Joe Martino This issue contains a profusely RECOMMENDED READING LIST illustrated 12-page interview with the (By John L. Coker, III) late special effects genius (and long- SUPER BOYS: THE AMAZING time member of First Fandom) Ray ADVENTURES OF JERRY SIEGEL Harryhausen. There is also an AND – THE important ten-page article about the CREATORS OF lost Spider Scene from King Kong (Written by Brad Ricca) (1933) with mentions of and . The author spent a decade looking These two pieces would make the through libraries, archives issue desirable, but there is also and private collections as he lovingly other material that is interesting assembled a bittersweet history of reading, such as the story of the the creators of Superman. A lot of premier of the motion picture the story is told in third-person using DRACULA (1931) and Christopher the words of Siegel and Shuster, as M. O’Brien’s solid interview with carefully footnoted by the book’s artist Carmine Infantino author. The book features dozens of previously unpublished photographs Available at most newsstands for and rare illustrations which add $9.95, or online at www.filmfax.com. considerably to the narrative. FIRST FANDOM AWARDS Even though the character Hall of Fame Superman is usually thought of in association with comic books, fans of • Sam Basham science fiction’s history will find • Earl Kemp plenty of material that is of interest. • Lester Mayer • Norman F. Stanley The author gives a lot of attention to Siegel and Shuster’s SCIENCE Posthumous Hall of Fame FICTION, the rare that they • Thaddeus E. Dikty published in the early-1930s. A • Raymond A. Palmer number of big-name fans such as Forrest J Ackerman, , Sam Moskowitz Archive Award and Sam Moskowitz • Howard Frank are mentioned throughout the story. SCIENTIFICTION New Series #37, page 5

Award Recipients Photo Gallery From Julian May 25 September 2013 On behalf of my late husband, T.E. Dikty, I thank you and First Fandom for your 2013 Posthumous Hall of Fame Award. I myself belong to “First-and-One- Half” Fandom, having entered the field in 1947. I regret that you won’t be seeing me at any SF conventions any more, although I recall my th experience as chairman of the 10 (Earl Kemp holding the cover painting by Robert World Science Fiction Convention Johnson of DESTINY, Vol. 1 # IX, Winter 1954) with some bemusement. Perhaps you will eventually see some of my SF books transmogrified to film or TV: they have been optioned. My novels also live on as ebooks. From Sam Basham I was introduced to fandom by Bob Tucker and while in the Navy during WWII was stationed at the River Rouge plant in Dearborn. While there in Radio Tech school I spent many wonderful weekends at Slan Shack. After the War was over, I

went to the first Midwestcon and Raymond A. Palmer (Photograph by Ben Jason) stayed a regular for many years. I met many great people, including Don and Margaret Ford, Charlie Tanner, Lou Tabaco, Howard DeVore and on and on. The fundamental pleasure I got from fandom was the many great friends I made over the years. I should mention Slan Shack people Al and Abby Lou Ashly, Thelma Morgan, Walt Leibscher, Ed Counts and many others. Also, I attended PulpCon which is now replaced by L-R: Howard and Jane Frank, Forrest J Ackerman World SF Convention (San Antonio, 1997) Pulpfest run by Jack Cullers and it is held here in Columbus, OH. Sadly, Rusty Hevelin is no longer with us. SCIENTIFICTION New Series #37, page 6

I wrote some articles for , happening. And the mentors found but only a very few. My most me, the ones I didn’t force myself ambitious fan project was a detailed upon at any rate. I remember being bibliography of Bob Tucker's writings pushy and obnoxious and intruding with much help by Bob, Howard without invitation into the faces of my DeVore and Bob Madle. It was designated heroes. It is a miracle published in "Books Are Everything," they survived my presence, much a fan publication for paperback less, for reasons I’ve never collectors by book dealer R.C. comprehended, actually working to Holland. As a result of this item I make me much more than I ever became a friend with Phil was, tenuously hanging onto false Stephensen-Payne, a British realities with fragile, gossamer bibliographer and SF expert. threads stretching way beyond I received the award on September eternity. 16 and it is hanging in my study. It A list of who they were and what looks quite elegant there. I expect they did for (never to) me would read Bob Madle and David Kyle had like science fiction’s all-time Who’s something to do with this. I want to Who but I would be negligent if I did express my thanks to First Fandom. not give credit to some of them, From Earl Kemp especially now as they resurface from the past and make their ADRIFT IN SPACE presence known to me once again. I have always lived in a fantasy (And apologies to those masses my world. I know this to be true because poor memory neglects here.) there is no way the reality could have I’ve already mentioned papa Hugo, actually happened. I grew up in a but his sons Sam Moskowitz and Ed strange, foreign place where people Wood (not the movie nut even neither read nor wrote, and spoke a though he, too, was personally bizarre form of English that was involved in making me me), were difficult even for them to understand. also there. The dearly beloved Alone, I found myself surrounded by and his twin brother fantasy. Pulp magazines saved Bob Tucker. The ever lovely Bea whatever there was of me for the Mahaffey and her crotchety boss, future. I walked the yellow brick road nut-fringe Ray Palmer. Margaret with Toto and swung, with , Brundage. My gaggle of supporters on ’s vines. I knew what the from the University of Chicago Shadow knew and, with John Carter, Science Fiction Club who pushed me kicked the red sands of Mars off our way beyond my capabilities for a flipflops (before Arthur Clark got solid decade. The boys of Advent there), and papa Hugo gave me a and the Diktys of Shasta. The future target out there somewhere Midwest Nomad fans like Doc Barrett lost in space. and the adorable Leigh Brackett, and my brother Howard DeVore and my In the early 1950s I began to feel my sister Martha Beck, Nick and Noreen feet touch ground for the first time, or Falasca, Honey Wood, Roger at least to recognize that might be Graham. Dirce Archer, , SCIENTIFICTION New Series #37, page 7

Sky Miller, Ed Emshwiller, Doc bookcase (and the space to put it) in Lowndes, Hugh Hefner, Frank our small apartment. My collecting Robinson (and Dave Kyle who lets habits moved from a pleasant hobby me sit wherever I want to) and, by no to an enthusiastic passion. As we means least, the irascible William moved from house to house, my Hamling who, alone, propelled me collection expanded until it required orgasmicly into outer space, with a three different libraries to house it all. little help from Frances Yerxa and In recent years, I have been working her son Richard. backwards from the 20th Century into th th And here we are, finally, in 2013, the 18 and 19 Centuries and from and John L. Coker, III (and my books in English to ones into French science fiction son Terry) tells me and Latin languages where some of that I’ve been inducted into the First the earliest S.F. and Fantasy books Fandom Hall of Fame, along with a have been published. host of my best friends and at least a Throughout my career, I have lived few old loves of my lives, coddled at in two worlds. In my professional life, last, snuggled warm in the arms of I have been a professor, an posterity where I never fantasized entrepreneur, the chief executive that I might, finally, reside. Home! officer of three technology From the bottom of my heart I thank companies, the director of First Fandom, Bob Madle, and old information technology in the Chicago icon Erle (no relation) Defense Department’s Advanced Korshak for championing me so Research Projects Agency, and most thoroughly, and welcoming me recently, the dean of one of the top among the people I have always business schools in the country. I loved the most. have written numerous professional articles, received many awards From Howard Frank including election to the National Dear John, Academy of Engineering and served on a number of company Boards of I was very pleased to receive your Directors. I was also awarded the letter regarding the Sam Moskowitz Distinguished Service Medal by the Archive Award. I gladly accept this Secretary of Defense (the Defense honor. I knew Sam and respected Department’s highest civilian honor). him greatly so I am especially pleased to receive the award that In my private life, I have been a bears his name. I am enclosing a dedicated collector of science fiction photo that shows Forry Ackerman, books for 65 years. As a small child, my wife Jane and me. It was taken my father told me stories about John at an earlier LoneStarCon. Carter, Miles Cabot and other s.f. heros. I learned to read early so I I’ve been a book collector for many could read about them. We started years, having taken over from my attending s.f. conventions in the father who was also a science fiction early 1970s and my book collecting and fantasy book collector. When I expanded rapidly. In parallel with our was growing up, the best birthday book collecting, we discovered that present I could get was another we could buy some of the books’ SCIENTIFICTION New Series #37, page 8 original illustrations. Subsequently, collaborated with on my wife Jane and I built a major a number of books, including the collection of original science fiction Undersea Trilogy, the illustration art. We also sponsored a trilogy, and the Cuckoo duology, number of art exhibits. My wife Jane along with standalones Land’s End and I are the authors of two books (1988) and The Singers of Time on the Frank Collection. (1991). He collaborated with Lester Once again, thank you for the award. del Rey on Preferred Risk (1983, as by Edson McCann). OBITUARIES Frederik Pohl “SFWA Grandmaster, author, editor, agent, and fan Frederik Pohl, 93, died September 2, 2013. Frederik George Pohl, Jr. was born November 26, 1919 in New York City. He was one of the earliest SF fans, attending the first SF convention in Philadelphia in 1936, and was one of the founders of the Futurians and the Hydra Club. He attended Tech, but dropped out without graduating. Fred Pohl From 1939-43 he was editor of new (Photograph from the collection of David A. Kyle) magazines Astonishing Stories and Super Science Stories. He A prolific story writer, Pohl’s short sometimes published his own fiction, fiction has been collected in more often in collaboration with fellow than twenty volumes, including Futurians C.M. Kornbluth, Robert W. Alternating Currents (1966), The Lowndes, and , under Best of Frederik Pohl (1975), The assorted house names and Early Pohl (1980), Pohlstars (1984) pseudonyms including James and, most recently Platinum Pohl MacCreigh and S.D. Gottesman. (2005). “The Meeting” (1972), with C.M. Kornbluth, won a Hugo, as did He served in the Italian theaters of solo story “Fermi and Frost” (1985). World War II and afterward became Other notable stories include Nebula a literary agent, representing many Award finalists “Under Two Moons” of America’s top SF writers. In the (1965), “Shaffery Among the ’50s he went back to writing and Immortals” (1973), “Growing Up in editing, producing his first novels in Edge City” (1976), “Mars Masked” collaboration with Cyril Kornbluth, (1979), and “The Greening of Bed- beginning with Stuy” (1985); “” (1966); (1953) and continuing with Search Hugo and Nebula Award finalist “The the Sky (1954), Gladiator-at-Law Gold at Starbow’s End” (1972); and (1955) and (1957). He Hugo finalists “Servant of the SCIENTIFICTION New Series #37, page 9

People” (1983) and Stopping Richard Matheson at Slowyear (1992). “Richard Matheson, author of many An influential editor, Pohl edited iconic works of sf and horror, died Ballantine’s original anthology series June 23 at age 87. His death came Star Science Fiction in the ’50s. In just three weeks after he announced the ’60s, he edited notable SF his health was not good enough to magazines Galaxy and If, and in the permit him to attend the 2013 WFC ’70s he was executive editor at Ace, where he is a GoH. then SF editor at Bantam. He won Matheson’s famous novel I Am Hugo awards for editing in 1966, Legend was made into three movies 1967, and 1968. – but he wondered in an interview Pohl wrote about his life in memoir why it kept being optioned when no The Way the Future Was (1978). one ever made a movie that actually Other non-fiction includes a followed the book. The films What biography of Roman emperor Dreams May Come, Somewhere in Tiberius (1960), political guide Time and The Shrinking Man also Practical Politics 1972 (1971), Our were based on his stories, Angry Earth: A Ticking Ecological He wrote 14 episodes of The Twilight Time Bomb with Zone, including the classic (1991), and Chasing Science: “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” For Star Science as Spectator Sport (2000). Trek he wrote “The Enemy Within” He also wrote non-SF novels, where a transporter malfunction including A Town Is Drowning divides the Captain into Good Kirk (1955), Presidential Year (1956), and and Evil Kirk. And he adapted his Sorority House (1956, as by Jordan 1971 short story “Duel” into a TV Park), all with C.M. Kornbluth; The movie for young director Steven God of Channel 1 (1956, as by Spielberg. Donald Stacy); Turn the Tigers Loose (1956, with Walter Lasly); and He won World Fantasy Awards for Chernobyl (1987). Richard Matheson: Collected Stories (1990) and his novel Bid Time He was president of SFWA from Return (1976). Matheson received 1974-76. He was named a SFWA an Edgar Award from the Mystery Grand Master in 1992; a living Writers of America for his teleplay for inductee in the SF Hall of Fame in The Night Stalker (1973). 1998; won a Hubbard Award for life achievement in 2000; and received Matheson was the 1958 Worldcon the Eaton Lifetime Achievement guest of honor. He was inducted to Award in 2009. He is survived by his the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in fifth wife, Elizabeth Anne Hull. 2010, and was the recipient of the , Bram Stoker Pohl wrote online extensively about Award, and International Horror his life in SF, politics, and other Guild Award lifetime achievement topics at The Way the Future Blogs.” honors, as well as being named a (Excerpted from LOCUS Online) World Horror Grandmaster. SCIENTIFICTION New Series #37, page 10

He served in the infantry during FIRST FANDOM World War II. In 1949 he earned a President journalism degree from the John L. Coker III, 4813 Lighthouse Road, . He moved to Orlando, FL 32808, Tel: (407) 532-7555, in 1951 and married Ruth [email protected] Ann Woodson the following year. President Emeritus They had four children.” Robert A. Madle, 4406 Bestor Drive, Rockville, MD 20853 (Excerpted from a tribute prepared by John King Tarpinian -- from File 770) East Coast Vice President David A. Kyle, 3099 Maqua Place, MOVIE REVIEW Mohegan Lake, NY 10547

If you haven’t yet seen the movie West Coast Vice President GRAVITY, you must see it. It’s the Arthur L. Widner, Jr., P.O. Box 5122, first movie since DESTINTION Gualala, CA 95445 MOON that really “gets it right” about Vice President at Large weightlessness. The plot isn’t much, Erle M. Korshak, Shasta/Phoenix but the special effects are literally out Publishers, 950 South Winter Park Drive, of this world. Absolutely see it in 3-D, Suite 320, Orlando, FL 32707 and if possible in IMAX 3-D. You Secretary-Treasurer won’t be disappointed. Keith W. Stokes, 14305 West 83rd Place, Lenexa, KS 66215 [email protected] WE GET LETTERS Editorial Staff Mary Lu Lockhart sent me a clipping from a comics page honoring Ray Editor, SCIENTIFICTION Joseph P. Martino, 905 South Main Harryhausen. I’m still awaiting Avenue, Sidney, OH 45365-3212, permission to reprint it. I hope I will [email protected] be able to use it in the next issue. Special Features Editor Please keep those cards and letters Jon D. Swartz, 12115 Missel Thrush Court, coming. Austin, TX 78750-2101 APOLOGIA This issue is late. I had cataract surgery in my right eye at the time I would ordinarily have been putting it together. I was prohibited from reading or using the computer for several days following the surgery. Just sitting in the living room, being unable to do either nearly drove me out of my skull. Vision is still blurry, but now I can read and use the computer, and drive during the daytime (not at night). I’m due for SCIENTIFICTION is published quarterly by First Fandom. The name First Fandom, the slogan “The more eye surgery on the left eye. I Dinosaurs of Science Fiction,” and the First Fandom hope it goes well. logo are all trademarks of First Fandom, and may not be used without the expressed permission of First Fandom. Copyright © 2013 by First Fandom and the Joe Martino individual contributors.