Fantasy Review Would Long Since Have Given up the Struggle
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FA NI TASY REV It VV Vol. III. No. 15 ONE SHILLING SUMMER'49 EXTENSION In discussing the disproportionate production costs which hamper any publishing venture catering for a limited circle of readers, Mr. August Derleth, editor and publisher of The Arkham Sampler, announces the imminent suspension oI that valuable periodical. Which prompts us to point out that, had it been launched as a proflt-making proposition, Fantasy Review would long since have given up the struggle. Only the continued support of its advertisers-which made it possible in the flrst place-has enabled ii to survive and' encouraged by the tangible entirusiasm of its comparatively small number of subscribers, develop into somet'hing more substantial than it was in its first two years of life. The letters we have published since its enlargement give evidence of the desire of its readers for more frequent publication; and we wish we were in a position to respond to this demand. Instead of which, due to production difficulties which we are powerless to resolve at present. $e have to announce that it becomes necessary for us to issue Fa.ntasy Review a,t quarterly intervals, as a temporary measure. OnIy thus can we contrive to maintain both the standard of contents and regularlty of appearance which have made its reputation, and at the same time embark on the further development which is essential to its progress in other respects. At first sight, this might seem a retrogressive step. But although subscribers must now wait longer for each lssue' they wi]I soon be aware of the improvements which the less frequent publishing schedule will permit us to introduce as from the next (Autumn, '49) issue, which will see a modiflcation in the title of this journal the better to convey the greater seope of its a$icles and features. With the subsequent issue, we intend to add still more pages to the magaiine, without an}' alterdtion in the price or the subscription rate, except insofar as this will now be based on publication of four issues a year, the period of exisiing subscriptions being extended accordingly. You will help to ensure the restitution of the bi-monthly schedule, which we shali resume at the earliest opportunity' if you can persuade a friend of the value of placing a subscription at the reduced rate, immediately. For as soon *u rr" assured of the'maximum circulation we can expect "" it is all the time increasing, if slowly-we can -andestablish Fantasy Review on a basis sound enough to ensure its fuiure unequivocally. THE EDIMR 2 FANTASY THE " IONCON " TABOO OR NOT TABOO ? A Bad Day for Magazine Editors It was the warmest Easter ever of fantasy, had been cooked uP bY the known. The famous shadow of St. CommiLtee especiaUy to provide - an Paui's might have been a sanctuary opportunity for visitiig fans to air their from the fierce sun which beat down on o€t Deeves. This much Chairman St. Martins Ie Grand, had it not been watter Giliings admitted, hardly ex- as good as deserted. The windows of nectins that the mover of the resolu- the upper room of "The Raglan," usual fion, story-writer William F. Temple, haunt of busy City men, were open to would flre most of his broadside at admit a slight breeze. But the atmos- him. phere was sti[ heated: some seventy He also had to take the blame when fans lvere assembled for the "Loncon," the motion was attacked, by those both first Convention of the new British for and against it, as semantically mis- Science-Fantasy Society, and were leading as van Vogt's "World of earnestly discussing a vexatious topic NuII-A," and when he tried to clarifY editorial policies of their favour- its grandiose phrases, was further as- -theite magazines. sailed for exceeding his prerogative by The scathing comments directed at interpreting the issue he confessed to science flction editors in general, and having broached in intentionally loose one or two in particular, were not en- terms. But at least two-thirds of the tirely serious in intent, however. The assembly flnally gathered sufficient resolution before the conference, con- drift of the resolution to vote on it, demning adherence to rigid policies as with the resuit that almost three times detrimental to the proper development as many showed their disapproval of editorial taboos as were prepared to accept what editors were pleased to give them in accordance with their parti- FANTASY REYIEW cular policies. As Guest of Honour, author TemPle A Journal fof Readers, Writers and took full advantage of the privilege to Coliectors of Imaginative Fiction indulge in some typically plain speak- QUABTERLY: ONESHILLING ing laced rvith the ironic humour he infuses into his writings+. Having been Editorial, Advertising and Pub- practicatly into the lime- lishing Oftce: 115 Wanstead Park shanghaied Road, Ilford, Essex. light he had successfully avoided for years, he delivered a withering im- Subscription rates: In Great pre- (except neachment of the editor who had Britain and Dominions work in Tales of Wonder Canada) 4l- per yeat. Single copies Sented his flrst 1/-, post free. In Canada and the and who now sat helpless beside him' U.S.A., $1.00 per year. Single In lauding him by way of introduction, copies, 25c., post free. Chairman GiilinCs had reminded the Yol. 3, No. 15 Summer meeting that bhe rising star Editor '49 Merwin had boosted in Thrilling Ertitor: Walter Gillings. Wonder was no newcomer to science Associate Editor"s: John Carnell, flction, any more than Arthur C. Clarke, J. Michael Rosenblum, D. R,. Smith, patiently Arthur F. Hillman, FYed C. Brown, who also sat beside his old Ftank Edward Arnold, J. O. New- *Especiaily those in fan magazines. In man, A. Vincent Ciarke. Novae Terrae, progenitor of New Worlils, pre.war A me ri c an Correspondents: he lampooned his friends of days (New in a series on "The British Fan in IIis David l(ishi York), Forrest year's J. Ackerman (Hollywood), S a m Natural Haunt." Following last Moskowitz (Newark, N.J.), B o b "Whitcon," he reported on it in a sou- Tucker (Bloomington, I1l.) venir booklet in a way that had every- body in flts. REVIEW 3 stablemate, Temple, prepared to lend balanced view at all. Actualy, their weight to the assault on all editors job should be to pick the best of what who tended to become hidebound. the authors offer, not demand that they Far from expressing undying grati- qrrite this or that kind of story to suit tude to the man who had published their own idea^s of what readers want." his "The Smile of the Sphinx" and Seeking to justify editorial policies, other early stories, ten years before, R.A.F. officer Harry Kaye, who had Temple depicted Gillings as a conser- thrashed out such matters with Temple vative satyr who had declined to accept before in the days of the S.F.A.. con- anything which did not conform with trasted the thoughtful. adulb content of his conception ol what a British public Astounding with the "guff and bilge" unfamiliar with magazine s-f could of Amazing and Planet Stories, while appreciate. Instead of encouraging stressing the necessity of catering for new ideas, he had presented an endiess an audience of regular readers who succession of "mena,ces," in spite of the would keep lhe magazine running what- fact that "The Sphinx," which he had ever the type of stories it featured. experimented with dubiously, had Editors, he considered, might experi- proved quite popular. With the post- ment here and there, but were wise to war Fantasy, he prepared to pursue keep within deflnite bounds if they much the same course, but it had only wished to maintain subscriptions. lasted three issues-and no wonder, Seconding the motion, author Clarke Temple added grimly. admitted the wisdom of a consistent IIe then proceeded to blister the re- editorial policy, so long as it did not vived New Worlds, a copy of which re- become rigid. He declined to dispute posed beneath a vase of dafiodils on the right of an editor to edit, but the table before him. Editor John objected to "tire policy of having a Carnell ("I don't know why he calls policy for policy's sake." If after read- himself John-his real name is Ted") ing a magazine for a year you could not was not present to defend the charge, distinguish one issue from another. it which he had half-anticipated, Ievelled was okrvious that its policy had become by Temple at the sameness of its con- too set. He thought Astounding had tents: he was down with vaccination become so stereotyped that the stories fever following early preparations for left no impression in the mind; whereas his trip to U.S. to attend the World Thrilling Wonder had developed a" Science Fiction Convention. But Tem- much wider fi.eld---€nabling him to sell ple was merciless. All but one of the to Editor Merwin such a storv as stories, he pointed out, was about deep "Against the FaU of Night," after its space or space-ships, and reading be- rejection by Campbell. " Even a good tween the lines, he saw the same thing policy may tum out to be a bad one if happening in the next issue.f Once it iasts too long," he decided. again they were going to be deprived of Supporting Lieutenant Kaye was a really liberal magazine; yet this was R,.A.F. recruit Kerry Gaulder, also an enterprise in which British fandom lately recruited to fandom, who argued was actively interested, and he urged that editors were completely at the them "not tc let him get away with ii." mercy of their authors.