FA NI TASY REVIE VV Vol. If. No. 10 SIXPENCE AUG.-SEP.'48 DEYELOPMENT The pla,n to tnvite famtasy fa,ns to assist in financing a new publishing company to taJre over .New Tgorlds, is now being referred to writers and otJrers who may partici- pato in tlre renture. The story of fantasy-fiction's development in this oGuntry is one of mag:azines that have failed eventually if not soon after their launching, or that have not materialised at all. Always such projects have been stalled by hesitant publishers, adverse conditions or, now, the frustrations of the paper shortage. Yet thqse who refuse to accept these repeated setbacks as any more ttran temporary have found a widespread interest among Britain's fantasy followers in the prcposal for continuing New WorlEric Frank Russell'e "Sinister Barrier." lIere the British writer, who is alm a prominent supporter of the Fortean attitude, claims that the man who pa.ckeil four books with marvels science cannot a"dequately explain deserves to rank as a giant, of fantasy. During the last twenty years we have fantasy, each according to his own seen the passing of some doughty especial virtues, to such an extent that ngures in pulp magazirj.e fanta-sy. Some, much of what we read today might be like Ernst, packed up and left for lusher termed an end-product. Much, but not flelds. Some, like Hilliard, faded out all. There are other forces operating, mysteriously and efiectively. Some, such as those of young and uninhibited like Weinbaum, were taken before their publishers, unusually competent time, scintillating all too briefly and editors, new, brash and individualistic leaving us a memory full of vain re- writers. But the formative forces of grets. the giants can still be felt The names of many no longer with Which of the bygone names exerted us to-day are the names of giants. Mer- the most potent efieet upoir modern ritt, Lovecraft, Kline-the list now fantasy is a question any band of old- seems appallingly long-were of calibre time fans could debaLe until the crack big enough to get by without benefit of of doom; for the respective sfatures of pulps. lhat they did pour their talents great penmen are measured not in into magazines, and that magazines inches of lineal marking but in years eagerly featured them, was lucky for of reader-€steem. To each reader his those who, like myself, thirsted for fan- own measure, to each his own colossus. tasy when too young to afford expen- It wouid ill-become any of us to deny sive books. another his personal yaxdstick with Those departed great ones shaped which to estimate the worth of this" ttrat or bhe other author, Iiving or dead. If this appears to contradict lurid com- ments of mine made many years ago, FANTASY REVIEW accept that I am now cured, or half- A Journal for Readers, Writers and cured, or on the way to tecovery. Collectors of Imaginative Fiction By my yardstick-which I have no BI-MONTHLY: SIXPtrNCE reason to suppose is more or less accur- Editorial, Advertising ate that anyone else's-the late and Pub- Charles Fort was enough of a titan to lishing Ofrce: 115 Wanstead Park pulp Road. Ilford. Essex. influence fantasy as much as any other wliter, and possibly Subscription rates: In Great more than Britain and Dominions (excepl most. Perhaps the most amazing fea- Canada) 3/6 per year. Single cop- ture of his influence is the way in which ies, 7d., post free. In Canada and it has been put across. He w-as no wel- U.S.A., 75c. per year. Single copies, come Lovecraftian visitor, given the 15c., post free. best chair, eniertaining wonderfully Vol. 2, No. 10 Aug.-Sep.'48 night after night; no Weinbaumian stlanger-in-town dazzling spectacularly Editor: Walter GiUings. before leaving for keeps. He walked in Associate Editors: John Carnell. the front door and walked out the back, J. Michael Rosenblum, D. R. Smith, quietly, craftily, and was some Arthur F. Hillman, Fred C. Brown, it time Nigel Lindsay, Frank Edward Ar- before it was noticed that the house- nold, J. O. Newman. A. Vincent hold silver had vanished; There has CIarke. been much counting of spoons ever A m er i c a n Correspondents: since. David Kishi (New York), !'olrest I have a hazy recollection of when, J. Ackerman (Hollylvood), Sam in a moment something-or-other Moskowitz (Newark, N.J.), Joseph of B. Baker (Chicago). which has never been explained, Astounding Stories serialised Fort's BEVIEW 3 "Lor"i At that time my wits must been located in my tail end, for I read it with little inlerest, and to the present day my sharpest memory concerning jt is of a letter to Astounding from a reader yclept "Zero" who sensed Fort as a foul smell made manifest at Holy Communion. I don't recall that I re- sented Zero's yardstick. Mv indifier- ence was not Fort's fault: he iought me out when I was spending too little time in study. But, a couple of years later, Fort hit home in wtrat I used for a mind. "Lol" reappeared in book form. I read it again, decided that Astounding had cast an unnoticed pearl before me. How many others reached a similar conclusion is something I'll never know. That some did is evident by the fact that in the world of pulp fantasy Fort is more alive to-day than when "Lo!" flrst came out. Here I am disregarding Fort's phil- osophy of determined scepticism a.nd his ethic of temporary acceptance, look- ing at him only as one of the fantasy- forces discernible to-day. Fort was the writer who never turned out a DulD story in any accepted sense. Ilis'solb Photo : Pincus Horn performance, "Lo !" was a masterfullv -CIIARLES HOy FOR,T, called by his written piece of scienrif,c heresy which follori/ers- "tlre man caused many who tiberated minas,; fans-and vet causes Iived _qnd died (aged b?r. in T'he Broni, many-to view him as The Bronx Jeer. New York. Starting out as a naturalist, Since then no writer has copied his 9.e t99I( to writing novels and ended up stark literary style, or at least imitated (rn nls own words) ..an ultra-scientific it successfully. No writer has become realist." For 26 years he kepb notes and his stooge cuttings-40.000 of them-on earth- in the sense that other gugkes, giants have been offered the sincerest -tidal waves, comets, meteorites; form falls of frogs, stones and red rafur; strange of flattery. Indeed, the bias he footprints. poltergeists, and ali thin-Ea has given to fantasy seems due to one spooky and fanlastic for which. accordirig ,aptitude which, by my yardstick, towers to him, there was no explan'ation thaT hugely above the parallel aptibudes of could be relied upon. He had his own contemloraries; he had a mind of such theories for such phenomena. which he presented in "The Book of th6 Damned" astounding imaginative scope and fer- (19.19)- tility that he could think up ptots "New Lands,' ('2S), ',Lot" (.Bi) and "Wild Talents" ('A2); these have faster than the average author- can been assembled in an omnibus, ,,The spit. p99ks_of Charles Fort', (Holt, New yor[: John W. Campbell, reviewiag that fat lal),. In '31., Tifiany Thayer, Ben Hecht, omnibus "The Books of Charles Fort," Booth Tarkington and orhers founded thti commented that it contained probably Fortean. Soclety to preserve his notes, not less one good plot per pagd. wrclen the scope of Fortean inquirv and than - ,,enlielitened IIe was pretty we[ right, at that! The foster its viewpoint of great pity is scepticism"; also, as defined later, ,,to re- that Fort himself never move the halo from the exploited. them pulpishly, thus regal- head of Science." ing Members include science flction wrlteri R. us with a stream of yarns that De Witt Miller, Nelson Boncl: its maea- q]qgyld have hit the heights every time. zine, Doubte has been paradins ,.pat-tid With what awful powei could hii titer_ data" and printing Fort's notei (dbting ary style have put them over. Consider back to 1800), since l93?-rather, by th6 the following sarnple from ..Lo!,'-a Forteans'own calendar, the year ? F.S. *Astoqlrding _ Stories, Apr.-Nov. ,94. -uo[oilr'remarne presented it as ,,the picture of Naples after an eruption of natural inheritance for a thoushtful Vesuvius: audience," considering his readers- .'the "The people of Naples Broped in ttre one group ln America whlch can digest streets, each in a hellish geometrv of it." his own, each seeing in a circle, a-few 4 FANTASY yards in diameter, and hearing, in one dominant roar, no minor sounds more than a few yards awaY. Streams of THE BOOKS OF refugees were stumbling into the streets of Naples. People groped in circles, CHARLES FORT into which were thrust hands, holding Containing the full text of The up images, or clutching loot. FYag- Book of the Damneil, New Lands' menLs of sounds in the one dominant Io! and Wild Talents. With intro- roar-geometricity in bewilderment-or duction by Tifiany Thayer, and circles in a fog, and something complete glossa.ry. 1125 friglltening dominant, and everything else crippled. pages. The flitting of feet, shoulders, band- Obtainable only from the British aged heads-cries to the saints-pro- distributors, King, Littlewood & fanity of somebody who didn't give a I{ins. Ltd.. 8. Sicilian Avenue, corps€, Sour'hamptoir Row. London, at 27 /6 damn for Vesuvius-legs of a posL free, cash with order. carried by invisibles-prayers to God, and jokers screeching false alarms that Orders are dealt uith in rotation lava was coming. and are subject to slight deloy ilue to "A blast from the volcano cleared imbort restrictions. away smoke and fog. High on Vesuvius zigzag streak flre. It was a -a of only to glance at any part of his books stream of lava that looked flxed in the to see further, as yet unwritten stories sky. With ceaseless thunder, it shone practically staring one in the face. For tik; lightning-a bolt that was pinned bxample, looking at random: "WiId to a mountain. TaIenLs';-"wittr the advantages of "Glares that were followed by dark- practical witchcraft would come crimi- ness-in an avalanche of bounding nal enormities." Someone will turn rocks and stumbling people, no fugi- that into "The Sorcery Shop" in, say, tive knew one Passing bulk from 1950 Weird Tales. Or fhis from "Lo!"- another, crashing rocks arld screaming "Emissions of arms, the bubbling of women going by in silence, in the one faces, at crevices-fire and smoke and a dominant roar of the volcano. When it lava of naked beings. Out from a was dark, there were showers of flre, crater, discharges of bare bodies boiled and then in the glares, down came dark into fantastic formations." The seed of falls of burning cinders. In brilliant an atomic disaster story, or one about illuminations. black rains burned the the sudden birth of silicoids. running peasants. Give me the sting and there'd be run- "New Lands" that some kinds of such an ink of b€ings from outer space can adapt to ning . . ." conditions,.which may be like the It is some consolation, though not a our have striven bottom of a sea, and have been se€n' complete one, that others have been supposed to be psychic to use the pIoK which I'ort gave away but -threephenomena." That one covers about like a drunk on the spree. Ttre satis- weirds, three fantastics and faction is qualifled by the fact that maybe a couple of science flction some attempts have been far from com- cosmically- petent and some downright undesirable stoiies, including a long point literary lunacy. On we're-marine-creatures yarn. "The even to the of Book of the Damned"-"My own im- the other hand, enough of I'ort has pression some external force been done, by those who know how, to is that yarns has marked, with symbols, rocks of this have put some very flne into the away." When, from pulps. I am thinking especially of Gold earth, from far But Luci- where, how and why we are so marked, and de Camp's scary "None is a story. fer," Willia,mson's able "Darker Than giant You Think," Kuttner's well-done "Tlre How long the shadow a casts! I'airy Chessmen" and O'Donnell's mas- See what I mean? terlv "Children's Hour." Truly, I wish I h;d written all of those, had I been lmportant to Subscribers able. If a subscription blank is enclosed' Fort marches on, the giant behind your half a hundred narratives, with plenty you should rrenew subscription more to come. These days I get leery immediately. Note the new adalress of his plots and am more and more in- to which it should be senf,: clined to leave them alone, fearing FANTASY REVIEW duplication of ideas-but sooner or 115 Wanstead Park Road, later someone will do tJrem. one has Ilford, Essex REVIEW Wa,lter Gillings' FANTASIA Fantasy philosopher olaf stapledon to open British rnterpianetary socieiy's new Iecture programme in October, discussing ethical and religious problems of space explora.tion, possibilities ol other-world life, solonisation of planets, telepathic com- munication , . . I'ixst-night hubbub at Aldwych T'heatre for tlon. William Douglas Home's "Ambassador Extraordinary," in which rarza.n-Iike Martian visits Earth, averts atomic war by threatening annihilation of this mad planet, returns to Mars by rocket . . Satevepct featured novelette by Michael Fessier, ',T'lre Fascinating Stranger," aII about X-ray-eyed visitor fmm planet Philistia whose terrestrial misadventures cause interplanetary complications New Astound.ing contributor Erik Fennel ln Blue Book Magazlne with "Doughnut Jockey," tale of flight to Mars to prevent pneumonia epidemic . . Clue, ne.w U.S. myst€ry mag., ran special supplemenb on science fiction, Anthony Boucher editing, August Derleth book reviewing . . . British author Peter Philtips' second Astormding piece, "Manna," aceepted . . . prof. A. M. Low, discussing "Questions of tlxe I"uture" in Practica.l Mecha,nics series. forecast dawn of space.flight era twenty years hence . .. Foffest J (no fuu-stop) Ackerman, "sclentifan No. l, 3l-year-old Holtywood wrlter & auttror's agent," interviewed by T9rlter's Markels & tWethods on his invention of teleseopic language, "Ackermanese": "Here's a Weinbaumanuscript, a Merribtale, a Bradburyarn and a Bu$oughstory. Great imaglnaratives, all of ,em . . . Just got an airmailetter by transAtlanticlipper. An Australifan wants me to contact a Canadifan about an interplanetaryarn for a prozine" . , . Los Angeles fans gave A. E, van Vogt a birthday pariy, presented him with set of s-f mags. containing his own stories . . . Shasta Publishers held open house at new Chicago ofnces, entertained authors E. E. Smith, Ftitz Leiber Jr., Oliver Saari, Norman L. Knight, over 100 fans; also staged first fantasy publistring exhibit at American Booksellers' Convention in Chicago . . . Tales by 30-odd star writers, including Weinbaum, Merritt, Campbell, failed to appear as scheduled in "A Tteasury of Science Fictlon" (reviewed last !ssue), according to Sam Moskowitz in Famscient. Says Sam: "Grofi Oonktin has betrayed the caus€ of science flction and lost faith wittr himself" . . . News Review ran page on "The Philosophy of Fort," reproducing cover of Doubt, Magazine of the Frortean Society-"a haven for lost causes which . . . might become extinct." Topical p€g for write-up was "conflict" between London & Liverpool members over Social Credif; "but there is little chance of a Fortean schi,sm. Members ln general are far too busy investigating sup€rnormal. . . phenomena to devote much Ume to internal politics" Australian Erte Cox's "Out of the Silence" classlc available in new edition (Ilobertson, Melbourne: 10/6). "The Missing Angel,', by same author, is new humorous faJrtasy in aimost-but not quite-Unknoqrn style . . . Extracts from Verne, Conan Doyle, kof. Low & Harry llarper in "Flights into the ltrture" (Thames: 1/6) . . . Manly (Wade) Wellman's mystery novel, "Find My Killer,'r published here by Sampson Low . . . "Atlantis," fantasy film staning Marla Montez, released: German museum-piece, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,'f televised , . . WiIIiam F. Temple's "A Date to Remember" coming up in Thrilling: Tvondor . . Laurence Manning's "The Man rtrho Awoke" series from pre.Thrilling Wonder to see book publication . . . "Fantasy is Here to Stay," by Shasta's T. E. Dikty, in Antiquarla^n Bookma"4 explained to U.S. booksellers why lovecraft's "The Outsider & Others," published by Arkham House at $5.00 in '39, now fetches ten times that; first edition Smith's "T'he Skylark of Spa.ce" (Hadley: f46), de Camp's "Lest Darkness FaIl" (Holt:'41), $10.00 in each case. Book scout Dikty cautioned dealers to brush up on the 6eld before "fans, armed with bibliographies, beCin raiding their stocks" National Fantasy Fan Federation ran referendum on change of name. Suggested alternatives: American Fantasy Society, National Fantasy Association . . , Sixth World S-F Con- vention-the "Torcon"-held in Tloronto July 3-5. Canadian Science Fiction Associa- tion now being organised . . . Fa.nomena. devoted whole issue to David H. Keller, M.D., who drew on 50 years'experience to advise tyro authors: "The disease (with me) has b€come chronic. Again and again I have promised myself I will write no more; always I have returned to the typewriter as an addict to his cocaine . . . . Reallsing tJre incurability of the disease, ther€ is only one word of advice I can give: Don't starb writing!" -.-ir'^FiiY,..r..d. FA NTASY THOMAS SHERIDAII continues THE STORY OF 'ASTOUNDING' Implementing his policy of steering Harry Walton and the late Malcolm the eight-years-old Astounding Stories Jameson were among other newcomers into more thoughtful channels, new rvho began to exert an increasing influ- editor John W. Campbell Jr., ben ye€rs ence in the moulding of the new ago, boldly challenged the assumption Astounding, whose aspect inside and that science flction's appeal was prim- out became more maturely attractive arily juvenile. Announcing his inten- in spite of the crudities of artist Jack tions il the British fantasy review, Binder (brother of the Eando writing Scientifction (Jan.,'38), he asserted team) contrasting with the work of that "even tJre youngest readers of our Wesso, Brown, Schneeman, Orban and magazine a.re mentally older than has the rest. Yet the "thoughtful" material been believed." By the end of the fi.fth did not oufweigh the gusty space- year of Street and Smifh proprietor- opera of GaIIun, Wellman, Burks, Cum- ship, through such features as "The mings and others of the old, vigorous Analytical Laboratory" and "Brass school; and though Fearn suffered Tacks and Science Discussions." he eclipse under all tb_ree names (the had established that over 30 per cent. third: Polton Cross), tJre super-science of them vr'ere practising technicians- of Schachner persisted, as in his "Past, chemists, physicists, astronomers, Present and Future" series. So did the mechanical and electrical engineers, naiveties of Van Lorne, until the "Blue- radio men-and bhat all were "technic- men of Yrano" (Jan., '39) received such ally inclined." The drastic change of an "outstanding shellacking" that title to Astounding Science-Fiction Campbell had to apologise to hjs out- ("Stories," argued CampbelI, "carried raged readers. no message that was intelligible; the Taking stock after his first year, he new tible explains to the unfamiliar . . . decided, however, that the improvement what our material is") seemed perfectly they readily recognised was "cyclic and justified. self-perpetuatinC." By '39, with 160pp., In the evolutionary plan he had con- "book-jackst', illustrations and a trun- ceived for the magazine, important fac- cated British Reprint Edition, the tors were the use of "astronomical" magazine was maintaining a reader-in- covers showing accurate-a.s-possible terest unparalleled in science fiction close-ups of other planets, an in- history; and as much for its intelligent crease in science articles, and the pre- articles (by Wilty Ley, de Camp and sentation of "mutant" stories, so-called R. S. Richardson, particularly) as for by virtue of a radicaily new basic con- its well-writben, soundly-constructed cept-really an extension of ex-editor stories. The arrival of A. E. van Vogt, Tremaine's "thought variant" idea. The Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and same term, as indicating a new line of Theodore Sturgeon, in qulck succession, development, was applied to changes heralded another phase in which these in cover design, even in the layout of and other new urriters attained eoual the contents page. But such mutant status with stalwalts like Williamson tales as Williamson's "The Legion of and "Skylark" Smith, whose ',One Time" (May-July, '38) were all too rare, Against the Legion" (April-June, '39) and a "nova" designation was invented and "Grey Lensman" (Oct., '39-Jan., to label those which, while outstanding '40), respectively, were typical of a style were not entirely original in plot. First of material soon to be outmoded; of these "nov€" was Horace L. Gold's though Smith's infrequent epics were 1'A Matter of Form" (Dec., '38). in stiU to be given great play much later, which the identities of dog and man and Williamson had by no means ex- '$'ere exchanged by brain sulgery. hausted himself. Nor, at that time, The trend which led to the launch- had Harl Vincent, whose come-back re- ing of Unknown Worlds also showed it- vealed a surprising versatility for one self in L. Ron Hubbard's story of the so steeped in earlier traditions. Evil Eye, "The Tramp" (Sep.-Nov.), But a new race of giants had mu- Sprague de Camp's "Ttre Merman" tated, and proceeded to make their (Dec.) and his series concerning mark on the medium as represented by Johnny Black, the superbear. Lester Astounding. Until then, as in its com- del Rey, F?ederick Arnold l(ummer, petitor magazines, the main appeal of REVIEW 7 preparation of his plots, he used the pen-name Anson MacDonald for many other pieces which did not f.t into this scheme but were equallv well-executed. e.g., "Soiution Unsatisfactory" (May, '41) and "By His Bootstraps" (Oct., '41), each of which was featured ln the same issue as s, Heinlein story and joined it in leading the popularity poll. As fel- low-contributor P. Schuyler Miller, no mean hand himself, expressed it in "Brass Tacks,', Heinlein was ,.clearly an unbeatable.', Hardly less popular and even more proliflc, later, rras Canadian-bonr van Vogt, whose capacity for plot-complica- tion coupled with uruestricted imagina- tive gonception enabled him to enlarge on the sensational success of ,,Slanl', (Sep.-Dec., '40) with a series of shorts, novelettes and serials wtrich lasted throughout the wa,r years and are still appearing.+ One reader's r€action, after revelling in the fi.rst Astounding serial to win d'nova" status, was that ..the feilow (has) a mind of a brilliance that ASTOUNDING ln Heinlein's heyday: has not been directed at the fleld of the May '41 issue, featuring his science flction since the halcyon era of "Universe" and "Solution Unsatisfac- Weinbaum-Smith-Campbell-Williamson tory," by Anson MacDonald-also and the zenith of imaginative writing." Heinlein. Yet perhaps a better writer than either the stories had been the scientiflc wld- van Vogt or Heinlein was little-pub- getry; its efiect on the characters and licised del Rey, whose "The Stars Look the general background of the story Down" (Aug., '40) was to prove one of had been treated, for the most part, the most memorable stories of a year .superflcially. Now, there was more con- which brought from Editor Campbell cern for psychological and sociological the cry that science was outpacing implications, and the realisafion that science flction-"we aren't fantastic truman nature and society are them- enough." His '38 assertion that the dis- selves fascinatingly complex produced coverer of atomic power was alive on a far superior type of story. earth right then had turned out. Like Hubbard, whose "Final Black- ttranks to U-235, quite accurate extra- out" (April-June, '40) attempted to pre- polation. dict the course of the European war, The year 1941 was, however, Hein- I{einlein especially brought to science lein-MacDonald's year, productive of fiction a refreshing touch of realism- two serials and seven more of his which, in respect of atomic research, stories including nova-ed "Universe" was to prove prophetic indeed. His (May). Only Asimov's "Nightfall" unique flair for developing the socio- (Sep.) distinguished itself comparably logical angle, without diminishing amid the run-of-the-mi11 material of imaginative or genuine scientific inter- de Camp, Sturgeon, Bond, Miller, est, made him acknowledged leader of Schachner and other old faithfuls. In the new school of wliters efiecting this the middle of Smith's "Second Stage revolution. With such stories as "lf Lensman" (Nov.-Feb.), the next year This Goes On" (Feb.-Mar., '40) and brought a change in the format of the "The Roads Must RoU!" (June, '40), he magazine, which adopt€d the larger began to build a whole structure of page-size of Unknown Worlds, with "future history," extending over two bigger print and more white space-rn centuries, against whose technical-cum- spite of America's entry into the war sociological background these and later which by that time had put paid to tales were laid.* Assisted by his wife, Britain's Tales of Wonder. The Feb., with a degree in psychology, in the '42 Astoundang was the hundredth con- *See "Brass Tacks," Astouniling May fSee "Creator of the Slan," Fantasy '41. Review Oct.-Nov. '4?. 8 FANTASY secutive monthly issue: "a record," re- marked the editor, "in the somewhat fluid flelct of science fiction." With Things to Come in covers by Hubert Rogers, who had long since replaced Blown and shared the FANTASY REVIEW interiors with Ca,rtier, Iiramer, Kolliker and Orban, its get-up supported fan- Forrest J. Ackerman dom's view that the idea was to edge visits both Astounding and Unknown out of EDGAR RICE BUR,R,OUGHS the pulp class into the semi-slicks. Thornas Shericlan tells pressing problem A mole for CamP- STORY OF'WONDER' bell was to develop new writers to take TIIE the place of those mainstays called to active duty. By the end of '42, in which their intrinsic merits, kept it al'trays both were still well to the fore, Hein- esoterically appealing and intellectu- lein and Hubbard dropped out, claimed ally amusing. by the Navy; de Ca,rnp's lengthy Nor wele iitera.ry considerations en- articles dwindled, and Asimov's "Foun- tirely abandoned. The next two or dation" series came to a sudden stop. three years brought forth such little Of the top-liners, only van Vogt in- masterpieces as O'Donnell's "The Chil- creased his output. But there was no dren's Hour" (Mar., '44), Moore's "No lack of fresh blood. While William- Woman Born" (Dec., '44), and Stur- son doubled as Will Stewart, HaI geon's "The Chromium Helmet" (June, Clement, Cleve Cartmill and F,aymond '46), beside the peculiar ingenuities of F. Jones all helped to fllI the gap. De- Sturgeon's "Killdozer" (Nov., '44), A. tective story writer Anthony Boucher Bertram Chandler's "Giantkiller" (Oct., and talented FYitz Leiber Jr., already '45) and Jones' "The Toymaker" (Sep., established in Unknown' needed no '46), the thought-compelling complexi- urging. George O. Smith entered the ties of Leiber's "Destiny Times Three" lists with his "Venus Equilateral" (March-April, '45), van Vogt's "World series, rvhile old-timer Murray Lein- of Null-A" (Aug.-Oct., '45), and Pad- ster came back; and Henry Kuttner gett's "The Fairy Chessmen" (Jan.- and wife C. L. Moore combined as Feb., '46). The same period produced Lewis Padgett and Lawrence O'Donnell Clifford D. Simak's popular "City" to form the nucleus of the small but series, Padgetf's "Baldies," and the re- oroductive roster of contributors who newed "Foundation" tales of Asimov. Lept Astounding evolving along lines of Even the new style heavy-science of' increasing technician-apperal through ceorge O. Smith and his other-self, the years rvhich ushered in the Atomic Wesley Long, and the equally hard-to- Age. digest pieces of E. Mayne Hull, other- Come Nov., '43, paper shortage had lyise Mrs. van Vogt, had their attrac- whittled the magazine down through tions for a readership which preferred its original size to pocket format, which to ignore the blatant hackwork and nevertheless enhanced its virtues Shaverian imbecilities of other maga- among those whose sensibilities had zines. Though the resurrection of hitherto preventcd them poring over it Arthur Leo Zagat with "Slaves of the on their travels. New cover artist Wil- Lamp" (Aug.-Sept., '46) could not be liam Timmins functioned, whiie inside allowed to pass without a murmur of' illustrations shrank and became more disapproval. stylised in a way that irked many Now, with the magazine approaching: readers; they had little of the atmo- its twentieth year of publication, there sphere to which dyed-in-the-wool fans is much speculation as to how Editor were accustomed. But the small size Campbeil may contrive to lift it out of" permitted the inclusion of a rotogravure the rut into which, in the last year or section devoted to the photo-illustrated so, it has indubitably drifted. The" articles of Ley and Richardson, which atomic-war-mutants cycle has, appar- to its enlarged audience were one of ently, ended; the return of Flubbard,. Astounding's best features. lueanwhile, Williamson and Russell, unlike thab of vsith a few exceptions Lieber's "Lensman" Smith, has been treartily "Gather, Darkness!" (May-July)- and applauded. But bhe feeling is that. Moore's "Judgment Night" (Atg.-Sep., another mutation, productive of an en- '43), notably-the literary standard de- tirely fresh approach by a new group of teriorated; yet the ideas it presented writers who may regenerate the old, is and the "slant" of its stories, whatever long overdue. REVIEW Booh Reviews From Wells to Bradbury STRANGE PORTS OF CALL: 20 Masterpieces of Science Fiction, selected by August Derleth. Pellegrird, New York, $3.?5. Reviewed by ,J. M. Walsh Ftank Belknap Long and Theodore When I opened "Strange Ports of Sturgeon are su-fficient guarantee of Catl" and found "The Crystal Egg" that. Next to Wells', the oldest selec- on tion is George Allan England's "The among its contents, I feared that (Science re-reading its old enchantment would Thing from Outside" and In- vanish. For lhat reason alone, I dealt uentlon, April, '23), with which I made with the stories seriatim, playing no my flrst acquaintance, and wtrich left favourites. But when I came in due something in my mind ttrat projected course to the Wells story, most of the itself far beyond the ending the author old magic was still there; more, it had contrived. seemed to fit naturally into its pla,ce. That is another test of value I like to Subconsciously, perhaps, I used it as a apply. There are stories which end yardstick by which to measure the with the last word; which are flnal, inerits of the rest of Mr. Derleth's complete and altogether satisfactory in .selections, and in the result neither this respect. But ttrere are others Wells' nor any of the other master- which do something more, whictr make pieces sufiered by comparison with one you feel that the story has not so much another. To me, tlrerefore, this seems ended as come to a stop-temporarily. the best anfhology tre has edited to This is no reflection on the author; on date. the contraly, one feels that what he has set down is merely episode How much of the arrangement is an in is .the lives of the characters, that some- schematic I could not be sure, but it where beyond those printed pages book with an their significant that the opens lives go on, and that there are. more allegory of creation and ends with two chapters of their adventures which stories on the destruction of Earth. should be recorded. Three stories The allegory is Nelson Bond's "The which excited in me this Tvist-like Cunning of the Beast," one of his Blue yearning for more are P. Schuyler Book tales which are in very different Miller's "Forgotten," A. E. van Vogt's style from those of his noted "Lobblies." "I'ar Centaurus," and Bradbury's Philip Wylie's "Blunder," from "Picnic." There may be others, but Gollier's, and Ray Bradbury's Planet these left an impression on my mind piece, "The Million-Year Picnic," to- perhaps as strong as Wells' story did gether sound the death-knell of this in my youth. bau. In between these are stories, all newlv anthologised and coming from "The Green Hills of Earth," one of severi different magazines, which give Robert A. Heinlein's Satevepost tales, what the editor describes &5 "s minia- has a freshness of approach which cap- ture history of mankind and a glimpse tivated me, Ieaving me wondering if of his future in terms of science flc- science fiction had at last found some- tion." He also intends them to supple- one to do for the spaceways what Kip- ment earlier collections to present "a ling did in prose and verse for steam. well-rounded picture of the science At least, America's Publlsher's Weekly flction of our own time." is of the opinion that these stories in the Post have added a new group of In such a gathering, one must inevil readers to the ranks of science flction's 'ablv meet a few old friends, but the fans. For the benefit of those who. like majority should be as new to You as myself, missed the omnibus volume in they were to me. Though some stories which it appeared some years ago,* I are better than others, there is none should also mention that this collec- which falls below a high general stan- tion includes H. P. Lovecraft's "At the dard, and a few are outstanding. Cer- Mountains of Madness"; over 100 pages tainly, there is not one that wiU not bear of it, a complete novel in itself. re-reading. The names of such authors Possibly symptomatic the as David H. Keller, Donald a,nd Howard it is of 'Wandrei, Dunsany, F?itz Leiber Jr., *"The OuLsider & Others,'r by H. P. Henry KutLner, Clark Ashton Smith, Lovecraft: Arkham House, '39. 10 FANTASY state of the world to-day, but I fancy supermen or alien monsters and the I detect in most of the stories of the reader-interest is in genuine human be- future we have here an underlying sug- haviour rather than the scientific gim- gestion that man is inclined to play mick. In putting "man first and fore- with forces which threaten to get out most-man in his reaction to otJrer of hand, and that both statesman and dimensions, other laws, other science, scientist lack the imaginative vision to other worlds," tro may therefore, if un- see beyond a certain point the possible intentionally, have emphasised his consequences of their uncontrolled weakness as weII as his curiosity and actions and inventions. Mr. Derleth, intentionally, have emphasised man's horvever, has been primarily concerned has added a very flne voiume to the with presenting stories of literary now quite extensive shelf of collected value. in which there are no stock science nction. The End is Not Yet FINAL BLACKOUT, by L. Ron World WaI II, I'irst Phase, ig+t+S," Hubbard. Hadley, Providence, R.I. the author defends his work as the $3.00. product of a young man's idealism. But Reviewed by ,fohn K. Aiken it does not need his defence. That he appears in his Preface to retreat from The opportunity to describe a science his idealism, to abandon his extremer fiction novel as moving or sincere opinions and assert calmingly that, occurs but rarely; not because there is anyway. it can't trappen now, is per- anything basically insincere about haps regrettable. The idealism that in- science flction, but because lts basis is spired the story was good, the opinions usually so purely intellectual that the sound-and who says it can't possibly question of sincerity does not arise. This happen? But the extent to which, in grim and not yet falsifled prophecy. of his recantation, Mr. Hubbard keeps his the outcome of World War II, which tongue within his cheek, we leave to caused something of a furore when it the reader. appeared in Astounding Science'Fiction early in '40, is in many respecfs untrar For this is a book that must be read, ditional: it is both sincere in its philo' especially by those who were not read- sophical anaiysis of the crisis of civil- ing Astounding in '40. It is a book that isation and, in its climax, deeply mov- one should be glad to own, and one ing. It is written, too, at a level of ought to be anxious to lend. That th€ craftsmanship which Mr. Hubbard has tast, at least, is not true, is the fault of not since approached, except perhaps the publishers. They, with their breth- in "Fear" (Unknown, July, '40); and ren, are doing a considerable service to this is not particularly to decry his fantasy Iiterature by presenting in later work. Though he is himself in- more permanent form the cream of the clined to doubt the verdict of those en- magazine fiction of the last decade, but thusiastic Astounding readers who it is high time they realised that their voted it "one of the ten greatest stories public is composed largely of adults ever published." It is, he insists, "iust with some pretensions to taste; people a storY." to whom an illustration-even a good one-in a novel is a surprise, a super- It is the story, told with tnuches of fluity. And the illustrations in this rardonic humour against a back- good; incredibly, ground of devastation, of the far- book are.not they are sighted, enigmatic Lieutenant, appallingly bad. strange mixture of ruthlessness and^ Even glanting the suggestion that altruism, ieading his Pathetic but the majority of fanlasy readers trave ferocious band against the last of the not passed the age at which pictures reactionaries and incompetents; the add appeal to fiction, there is no ex- story of the Odyssey and martyrdom at cuse for the kind of "arfwork" with Arnerican hands of an Englishman- which this volume is all too liberally rrhich was not only exbravagantlY bedecked. In atl the recent sPate of praised but attacked as political propa- hardFantasy Press, Reading, Pa. somewhat regular pattern, The flrst is $3.00. the end of Atlantis in an atomic war. Ileviewed by D. R. Smith The second dates from the faU of Rome, where the Eddorian takes the The third of Dr. Smith's cosmlcal form of Nero; Ole Mass of Muscle (as epics to see book publication i5 the a corlespondent of Astounding felici- story which, following its serialisation tousiy nicknames the Smith hero) is a in Amazing in '34, encouraged him to gladiator, and an Arisian is present, write the famous series which culmin- too, heavily disguised as Petronius ated recently with "Children of the Arbiter. Next comes a 1918 episode, Lens" (Astounding, Nov. '4? -I'eb. '48). rvith the same Kinnison a chemical It is actually the flrst of the "Lensmen" engineer in an ordnance plant; and for tales, of which ths second, confusingly tlre flrst time in all his writings Dr. titled "First Lensman," has never ap- Smith ca^n here, we suppose, claim to peared in any magazine and has still to be drawing on firsLhand experience be published by Fantasy Press.t To and is perhaps grinding a private axe. bring it into line with the subsequeni Finally, another Kinnison meets }ris stories. some 30,000 words of narrafive end in the atomic Armageddon the preliminary to the original "Triplanet- author forecasts as due some time ary" have been added, and interjec- this century, a.nd we are up to "Tli- tions made to tie it up with the under- planetary." lying theme of the series. This is the tale of a three-cornered That theme. of course, is the famlliar free-for'-all between the Americans, struggle between good and evil as representing the three-world union represented by the Arisian and Ed- from which the tiUe derives; the for- dorian super-beings, respectively. The midable pirate Roger, Who is the Ed- basic Eddorian sin is pride, manifested dorian in disguise once more (the as a lust fol absolute power over all Arisians having built civilisation up ottrer beings, and all manner of means again while he was looking the other except those that are vttuous are em- way), and the Nevians, invaders from ployed to satisfy that lust. Their own another solar system in search of iron internal afiairs resolve into a dictator- and not very particular how they get ship-which is eternal, since they it. The hero's name is Costigan this themselves are immortal-but their time; and he succeeds in being cap- search for new worlds to conquer is re- tured, first by Rogel and then by the stricted by their natal continuum. Nevians, fogettrelwith The Girl and a Finding, afLer a few million years of (ours) rather necessary chaperone. Ttrere is searching, another in which two much struggling on a cosmic scale, ter- galaxies are passing ttuough each minating in the elimination of Roger other and creating numberless planets, and a truce between Nevians and Tri- they migrate to this happy hunting planeiarians. The background plot of ground. Fortunately, the Arisians, as the series is advanced considerablv in full of virtue as the Eddorians are of the process, since the Arisians hav-e to vice, are here already; and they, recog- keep interfering to restrain the Ed- nising that the enemy is too strong to dorian powers and thereby betray the be exterminated by ordinary Arisian carefully preserved secret of their exis- powers, prepare a few million years' tence to their foes. underground movement to build up their resources. The story of the But it is not the most successful of growth of civilisation i:s depicted, as a Smith's epics. The vast battles with result, as a series of Arisian-sponsored super'-weapons are here for sure; sg is appreciations punctuated by contrary the profusion of interesting forms of movements on the part of the Eddorian extra-terrestrial life, and Omom's responsible for making an Earth fi.t tooth-and-claw brawling. So, too, we for Eddorians to rule. must admit, is Dr. Smith's vexing foible of verbally underlining and re-empha- Dr. Smith presents us with glimpses sising the obvious nobility of Omom's of crucial moments in the cycles of soul. What is really lacking is a plot i(See "Galactic Roamer": Fantasy to tie all the shenanigans together; it Review, Apr.-May '48, is merely a slice of history, if very tur- REVIEW 13 bulent history, without any apparent unity of purpose. The Arisian interven- tions detract considerably from the tension of the tight spots; one feels The Surnrnerts that these perfect planners have every- thing under control, and the absence Best Titles of any possibility of failure leaves us undelighted at their success. It is even Now available: dfficult to feel any admiration for the Earthly inventors, knowing that dis- TRIPLANETARY guised Arisians are among the back- room boys putting ideas into their By E. E. Smith, Ph.D. 16/6 heads. Readers of long standing acclaim this "Doc" Smith's flnest story to date. You']l Then, there is room for more detailed need it if you are to follow the "Lens- criticism of the gadgets used by the men" series through to its conclusion. warriors, particularly since tlrey seem little if at all inferior to the much later widgets of the Galactic Patrol. Still, WORLD OF NULL.A better written than "The Skylark of By A. E. van Vogt" 1416 Space," wider in scope than "Space- hounds of I.P.C.", it is an essential pre- One of the most thought-provoking tales of the present decade. It has to be lude to the rest of the "Lensmen" read more than once to be fullv appre- series presenting much inside informa- ciated. tion on the Arisian-Eddorian conflict, and no Smith fan can afford to be without it. As a production, it is a per- THE BLAGK FLAME previous fect match with the Smith 16/8 volume Mr. Eshbach has given us.f By Stamley G. Weinbaum. Including his "Da,wn of Flame," this f"Spacehounds of I.P.C.," reviewed two-story voiume is a fltting tribute to a Jun.-Jul. '47 issue. writer whose fame was fast spreading when he died.

Down Among the A TREASURY OF Dead Men SGIENOE FICTION A modern anthology of 30 stories com- DEATH OF A WORLD, by J. Jefierson piled from the best science-fantasy of the Farjeon. Collins, London, 8/6. past eight years. L7 l6 Reviewed by Thomas Sheridan since Mr. Farjeon's previous work OUT OF THE UNKNOWN has been mostly in the mysterious tra- By A. E. van Vogt anel E. M. Hull. 14/6 (does anyone know iJ dition his "Mys- A collection of three flne fantasies by tery orr the Moon" is airyihing like it each author, in their weird and wacky soundsr), it is natural that this essay moods. in';o science flction should be labelled a mysLery by the publishers, who also make use of such adjectives as "amaz- SPECIAL ing," "astounding" and "thought-pro- voking" in connection with it, as OUT OF THE SILENGE chough to intrigue such as we. But the By Erle Cox lll- element mystery makes hardly of it Fhom Australia comes this revival of a satisfactory, particularly for us, since classic science flction novel. First edirions it is oniy when the author gets down are a rare collector's itern. to tne science-fantasy that he leaves us mystifled, and he fails either to astound or provoke much thought ex- . cept as to rftat he really intends. E, J. CARNELL The story opens promisingly with an r7 BUN,WASH R,OAD, PLUMSTEAD, account of expeditions made by inter- planetary explorers to Earth, which has LONDON, S.E. 18 been denuded of iife by some universal catastrophe. It is, in fact, "a stupend- t4 FANTASY ous waste-heap, viewed in a succession of scenes of hideous and inexplicable chaos," and "enclosed in a chaotic cir- cumference of indeterminate and WE RECOMMEND changing boundaries." We susp€ct there were blurb-writers aboard. fn Print a,nd Available: In spite of the smell, a fourth expedl tion iands, and so discovers the diary THE CHECKLIST OF of one Jotrn Smith which forms the substance of the book. Mr. Smith is a FANTASTIC IITERATURE Very Ordinary Man who sets off for a hike in the Welsh mountaias and gives Etliteat by Everett F. Bleiler us an account of it in detail which be- The indisp€nsable-science-flction, bibliography listing cornes painful in spite of the other- all known fantasy and rvorldly footnotes and commentaries. weird books in the English language ! guide We are scarcely more interesLed wfren Every fantasy reader needs this to the under- tbouiands of fantastic titles; every col- he is forced to descend into lector must have tlris book to increase hls ground colony where many chosen fantasy collection. Indexed by tiUe and specimens of the race have repaired in authof; preface and introduction; total expectation of World War III. The in- of 4?5' iages. Attractive wrapper by stigator of the project to preserve these Ilannes Bok. privileged but apparently quite unde- $6.00. (32/6). serving souls who are to re-populate the planet is a big financier turned idealist, who has been dead to the world for some time but has contrived to WHO GOES THERE ? establish 30 subterranean sanctuaries without the Devil or his journalistic by rlohn W. Gampbell, rlr. henchmen suspecting a thing. Seven novelettes by the editor of So the story settles down to some- Astoundinc Science-Fiction, wri0ten under underground "Grand the Don A. Stuart pseudonym. Includes thing like an 'Twilight,' 'Night,' 'Dead Knowledge,' and Hotel," with a fllm actress, a ballerina, the classic title story of weird antarctic a murderer, a scientist, and several hor:ror. Wrapper in colour by llannes Bok. ottrer characters who hardly matter $3.00. (16/6). parading in the lounge. The war comes, there is the sound of bombs above, and below, some philosophical argy-bargy Forthconing FantasY Flction: and much scribbling by IvIr. Smith. Then, since it all must end somehow, SLEEP rvhatever has been going on upstairs SLAVES OF (and we remain in ignorance despite by L. Ron Hubbard television screens) results in the "de- materialisation" of certain people who A novel of thrills and high adventure questionable purpose from the pages of Unknown. Tttis is the have served their story of Tiger, pirate and rogue, who lives below and, flnally, of everything and two simultaneous lives---one in tbe pro- everybody. Though what produces this saic here and now, the other in the fabu- very convenient effect is the major Ious world of the Jinn. Wrapper in colour mystery of the piece: Mr. tr'arjeon con- by HaDnes Bok. tents himself by making his scientist $3.00. (16/6). speculate on the inevitable ray, but he does not tell us how it works except in fhe haziest of terms. Even the Visitors SHASTA PUBLISHERS can't be sure about it. 5525 BLACKSTONE AVENUE So we leave Mr. Smith, bereft of his cErcAGo, r1,I,rNors, u.s.a. ballet dancer, his mind getting mu7'zy, but still scribbling frantically in his or diary between his black-outs, await- ing his dissolution into dust. Need we E. ,f. GARNELL add that he took care to save lris diary Sole British liepresenta.tive for ttre Visitors, and for us, by deposit- ing it in a box of indestructible metal? 17 BUR,WASII R,OAD, PLUMSTEAD, And do we detect the hint of a sequel? LONDON, 5.8.18 Perhaps Mr. Farjeon isn't too sure about that. REVIEW 15 Do You Remember Atlantis? the prime press * ALAS, THAT GREAT CITY, by Box 2019, Midrtle City Station, Francis Ashton. Dakers, London, Philadelphia, 3, Pa., 9/6. U.S.A. R,eviewed by Alan Devereux regret to announce the temporary post- It was nice ponement of their Summer pubtisning to be back in Atlantis pro_gramme owing to printing delays, but again. All the old, familiar landmarks wlsh to assure followers oI their fiction were there; the temple roofs still glit- title-s that every effort is being made ro tered with orichalcum, and the white produce their next volume by August. marble stairways stiil reflected the glorious sunlight with which the Forthcoming in ttre following order: gorgeously costumed inhabitants seem always to be favoured. Black magic was, perhaps, not quite so prevalent . WITHOUT SORGERY among them as before; but there were By Theodore Sturgeo,n, 16/6 plenty of weird rites and red-blooded orgies as they awaited the cataclysm A coliection of the nnest work produced caused imminent by this ouktanding writer who has not by the arrival on the yet scene of our present Moon-the two received all the attention he deserves earlier satellites were destroyed, of from the anthologists. course, 50,000 years before in Mr. Ash- ton's previous novel, "The Breaking of LORDS OF GREATION the Seals."t By Eando Binder, 16/6 The present book is, however, in no One of the great fantasy sense a sequel to the other; and is a serlals from it the famous Argosy magazine, by the much more competent work. The popular author-duo. modern characters are more convincine and there is less of the phony Time-- theory stuff we felt bound to criticise NOMAD before; in fact, this time, Mr. Ashton By George O. Smith, 16/6 doesn't worry much about the way his hero and heroine go back in time-thev Being the flrst book presentation of the just go. The Hoerbiger hypothesiS, popular serial in Astounding Nov. '44 to which holds that the Moon was a small Feb. '45, under the pseudonym of Wesley planet whose capture by the Earth Long. caused the submergence of Atlantis, is brcught in again, but it is not given as Also:. much attention as in the flrst book, Titles by Sprague de Camp, Lester del leaving us with ample adventure in the Rey, Charles R. Tanner, Horace L. Gold, good old Rider Haggard tradition. Ross Rocklynne and Nelson Bond are The story opens in the present with under consideration. a naval ex-officer type going ofi in a small yacht with the professor's pretty Now Available: psychic-daughter to keep a rendezvous-and wittr the Atlanteans via AND SOME WE.RE III'MAN_Lester del "universal memory." Arrived in Atian- R,ey 76ta tis, our hero becomes involved in a Dlot THE TORC[I-Jack Bechdolt 13/6 to murder the beautiful Queen, but, seeing her in her nightgown, falls from VENUS EQUILATEBAL ceorge O. grace. His disconsolate girl friend Smith - 16/6 thereupon takes the veil, until he escapes the toils of the lustful eueen and they are able to take a front-seat *Sole British Ilepresentatlve: view of the flnal catastrophe, after which they wake up in mid-Atlantic E. J, GARNELL and return to receive a parenfal bless- 17 BUN,WASII A,OAD, PLI'MSTEAD, ing and a rather inadequate explana- tion of what has happened to them. LONDON, S.E, 18 xlleviewed April-May, '4? lssue. 16 FA NTASY Something Old, Something New THE TRAVELLING GRAVE ANd but it is done so well that all is for- Other Stories, by L. P. Hartley. Ark- given, and the ambiguous title is de- ham House, Sauk City, Wis. $3.00. Iightful. So I put it among bhe trrst Reviewed by Peter Phillips three. inefiable For this seventh of the series of Ark- "Podolo" deals with an ham House books featuring the work of Thing on an island in Venetian British exponenk of the outre and rvaters. What it does to a woman macabre, Mr. Derleth has drawn on whose humanity has demanded that two published volumes, "Night f'ears" she kill a cat to prevent it from starv- and "The I(illing Bottle & Other ing is so indescribable that-well, it Stories," and on some of Mr. Hartley's isn't described. So she, too, is put out manuscripts wtrich now see print for of her misery by a humanely-wielded the first time. Though he is also known oar before the Thing returns to finish as a novelist, he is not a proliflc writer its-er-task. Don't read this one in in this genre; yet, a,mong these dozen bed. tales are at least three which are as- "A Change of Ownership" is the most sured of the attention of anthologists original and possibly the best ol the beyond this generation. pieces; a brilliant study of the mental Most of the others are good reading, vicissitudes of a man who scares him- but from a standard mould. One feels self to death. One tale, "Conrad and that the Living Dead are becoming a the Dragon," is curiously out-of-place: little passd and might be given a rest a rather laboured attempt at the in Limbo, where, for my money, the humorously gruesome fairy story which literary necrophile may chase them. fails to be either gruesome, faery or Admittedly, the already much-antholo- funny. The remaining pieces are, as gised "A Visitor from Down Under" stated, from a mould; but they are brings in a very cold specimen of the well-cast and should well satisfy the tribe, and the plob has seen much wear; addict.

For Studonts of Farntasy Literatlte The Arkhnm Sampler Quarterly 20/- Wr year: 6/- per issue We are pleased to announce that we are able to accept a few more subscriptions to this popular magazine, which is published in a strictly limited edibion. The Summer '48 issue will be available for distribution shortly. The Winter '49 issue will be an all-sciense-flction number, present- ing new stories by A. E. van Vogt, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Grendon, with other contributions by Theodore Sturgeon, Clark Ashton Smith, P. Schuyler Miller, Dr. David H. I(eller, Donald Wandrei, etc. Please note that we cannot guarantee to supply single copies of this issue to non-subscribers.

NOW AVAILABI,E STRANGE PORTS OF GALL THE WEB OF EASTER 20 Masterpieces of Science Fiction ISLAND Edited by August Derleth 251- By Donalil Wandrei 16/6

G. KEN GHAPMAN (British Sales Representative), 23 Farnley Road, South Norwood, London, S.E.25 REV I EW t7 X'red C. Brown writes ABOT]T BOOKS By now my copy of "The Checklist of $6.00 is well worth the investment to Fantastic Literature," the flrst biblio- all who wish to enlarge their collections graphy of fantasy which Shasta Pub- and their knowledge of the fantasy lishers have provided for us, has been medium. As well as providing a double well-thumbed and ear-marked, and index of titles and authors, it supplies found very adequate to replace the other necessary information concerning painfully compiled lists with which we each item such as publisher, year of used to sally forth on our book-hunting publication, number of pages, and expeditions. The need for a comprehen- whether the book has been reprinted sive reference work covering the weird under a different fitle. There are also and science flction fields has been ob- some useful notes on various ma0ters vious for too long; and to me the com- calculated to mislead the most diligent pletion of this seven years' project to searcher, such as mi,thical titles (e.g., index over 5,000 titles within the scope Erle Cox's "out of the Darkness"), and of a handy, portable volume represents a list of critical and historical refer- the greatest advance yet made in the ence works associated 'with the fleld. interests of fantasy and its devotees, just There are some who may quarrel Certainly, its appearance is as im- with Mr. Bleiler's deflnition of certain portant as that of any of the superb tiUes as fantasy, in spite of his careful collections of stories which nov/ repose consideration of this aspect of his task in our libraries, if not in our pockets. and his realisation that "fantasy may In his Preface to the "Checklist," be almost all things to all men." But which was compiled with the help of there are likely to be more complaints fantasy collectors on both sides of the of titles having been left out than of Atlantic, Mr. Melvin Korshak, the any which should not be present; and a Chicago bookseller a,nd publisher, de- surprising number of omissions have scribes some of the difficulties and set- already brought cribicisms from collec- backs they encountered in their task. tors who have found the volume want- Beginning in '40 with discussions be- ing in this respect. For myself, I have tween those three enthusiasts discovered quite a list of items I had Frederick B. Shroyer, T. E. Dikty and considered well known which have been ErIe Korshak, the project was near unaccountalriy overlooked; such, for in- completion when war service became a stance, as Bramah's "The Secret of the more urgent matter for them-and League," Fowler Wright's "Adventure on their return they found that all in the Blue Room," Goodchild's "Mes- their lists and notes had been thrown sage from Mars," Hargrave's "Imita- away as rubbish! But out of this cata- tion Man," and others by Shiel, T. II. strophe grew a new and more ambitious White, and F.. A. M. Webster. But the plan for the present volume, for the editor has also anticipated the short- editing of which the services of expert comings of this flrst concerted attempt researcher Everett F. Bleiler were re- to systematise a liLerature whose higtl cruited. Among other well-known col- ways and by-ways are practically end- lectors who took part in the protracted less, and with the additions now being preparations were Thyril Ladd and made to it every month, the supple- John C. Nitka, of New York; the Cana- mentary volumes he hints at will prob- dian fans Douglas Harding and Norman ably become imperative in due time. V. Lamb, and our own English biblio- philes J. Michael Rosenblum and R. ANOTHER KELLER VOLUME George Medhurst, whose listing of their Old readers of Weird Tales will "enormous" private collections, supple- doubtless remember Dr. David II. mented by much grubbing among the I(eller's serial, "The Solitary Hunters," rareties of the British Museum by Mr, which was voted one of the best stories Medhurst, contributed largely to the of the period when it appeared in '34. usefulness of the volume to fans on It has now been presented in book this side. form together with his novel, "The This truly international efiort has Abyss," which has never been printed finally resulted in a well-bound book of before; the volume is available at $3.C0 over 450 pages, with a handsome jacket from the New Era Publishing Co., PhiL by Hannes Bok, which at its price of adelphia, autographed by Dr. I{.eller. 18 FANTASY NIGEL LINDSAY & KENNETH SLATER giving reviews of curent issues and news of storles to come AMONG THE MAGAZINES British magazines may die for lack Empire of the Necromancers,', and of paper or enforced price-cutting, but other pieces by Sax Rohmer, R.obert -8. the Americans succeed in adding to Howard, Frank B. Long and Lord Dun- bulk and price at the same time. sany. Of special intelest is the flrst Thrilling Wonder for October has 32 piesentation of the only existing frag- more pages than heretofore; Startling ment of A. Merritt's novel, "When OId Stories for November will also run to Gods Wake," which was to be a sequel 180pp., and both mags. go up to 25c. to "The Snake Mother," but never got On the whole, too, they're worth it, beyond the first chapter. This is to be though you wouldn't think so to look published exacUy as is under the at the covers we've been having lately. title. "Aitar of Kukulkan," without anv TVI|S brings back Leigh Brackett attempt to work it up into a complet-e with the lead novelette, "The Moon story. That Vanished," an exoLic piece of mys- Latest (No. 6) issue of the Reader tery and high adventure on Venus; the features Lovecraft's "Beyond the Wall sori of f,ning of which she is a pas.t of Sleep," Merritt's equally famous master. Arthur J. Burks is also to the "The Drone," and one of Hamilton's fore with an unusual tale of time and "Interstellar Patrol" stories from Weird hereditary memory, "Yesterday's Tales of 20 years ago, ,,The Star Doors": while our own William F. Stealers." There are other pieces by Temple comes up rvith "Miracle Town," Thorp McOlusky, Henry S. Whitehead a story of a strange invasion with and Dr. Keller culled from Weird and humorous instead of calamitous results. Strange Tales; "The Metal Man,', with (We congratulate the "extremely giftcd which Jack Williamson made his bow young auttror whose work is just be- in Amazing in '27, is also reprinted, and ginning to make itself felt"-vide "The Joseph E. KeIIeam makes one of his Reader Speaks"-after a whoie decade.) rare appearances with a new story, We found "World-wrecker" Hamil- "FYom the Dark Waters.,' ton's "The Valley of Creation," fea- Almost the whole of Fantastic Ad. twed in July Startling, a readable fan- ventures for August is taken up by a tasy packed full of action. But we pre- full-length novel by Lee I'rancis, ,.the ferred "Realities Unlimited," a piece Man from Yesterday," which gets a concerning an expedition to Mars, by good deal oi fun out of the idea of a Emmett McDowell, and L. Ron Hub- Stone Ager mixed up with the present- bard's "When Shadows Fall," a tale of day. But there's juit room foi three the last days of Earth, was impressive. shorts : "Unfinished Business." bv We liked Jack Vance's "Ilard Luck Dig- Enoch Sharp, "To-morrow I Die," bi gings," too-may we see more of Mag- Richard Casey, and a neat little piece nus Ridolph! Henry,Kuttner's "When by new writer R.usseU E. Nihlean. the Earth Lived" was weil worth read- "Tanya's Night to Howl." promised ing again; as for Margaret St. Clair's for September is a Don Wilcox novel. "Quis Custodiet?" its novel idea "The Lavender Vine of Death.', perked up our interest in her work just "The Purple Sapphire,,' first of the when we were getting tired of Oona. John Taine fantasies, which appears Thanks, Mr. Editor, for that nice esti- again in August Famous Fantasflc mate of s-f fandom in "The Ettrer Mystgries, still makes good science flc- Vibrates"-we've never been summed tion reading in spite of having been up better. Next issue: Fteclric Brown's written almost a quarter of a century "What Mad Universe," another Jack ago. Also in this issue is a short piece Vance tale, and a reprint of P. Schuyler by Murray Leinster, .,The Night Be- Miller's "Tetrahedra of Space." fore the End of the World"; in the next Editor Donald A. Wollheim gives us will come C. T. Stoneham's jungle fan- advance information on the seventh tasy, "The Lion's Way.', September Avon Fantasy Reader, which will pre- Fantastic Novels brings back Memitt's sent C. L. Moore's classic "Shambleau," "The Conquest of the Moon pool." Fritz Leiber's "The Dreams of Albert Second (Summer '48) issue of Fator Moreland," Clark Ashton Smith's "The the new factual-fantasy magazine; REVIEW 19 ofiers another illustrated article on the reading, and WiUy Ley's article on the question, "Are Space Visitors Here?" German experiments which led to V2 and one which looks forward "Five must have been of particular interest Years to A-Day" with diagrams show- to those who were right at "Ttre other ing the probable efiecfs of atom bombs End of the Trajectory." Coming in on city areas-very edifying indeed. 9ctober, from what we can make of it, Prof. R. N. Sweeney discusses the old is van Vogt's sequel to "The World of subject of life on Mars in the light of Null-A." recent observations, and Vincent H. FaIl '48 Planet Stories presents Gaddis touches on parapsychology in another original interplanetary piece by an inferesting article on people who Ray Bradbury entitled "Mars is can still think in spite of severe injury Heaven"-but is it? We might have to the brain. Other pieces on scientiflc enjoyed it better, though, if it hadn't prediciion of ttre future, the human been so similar in theme to "The Earth aura, children's uncanny experiences Men," his tale of Mars in the August aJId various ghostly fappenings, com- Wonder which we'd only recently read. bined with a digest of the book, "The Emmelt McDowell's "Citadel of the Secret Science Behind Miracles,"by Max Green Death" is fast-action space Freedom Long, make reading of compel- opera of the sort beloved by Planet ling interest to all fantasY fans. fans; "Valkyrie from the Void," a Basil An excellent Bonestell cover, showing W.ells "novelet of stellar savagery," is a space-ship on the Moon, distinguished more in the Tarzan tradition, and the JuIy Astounding' in which Eric James Blish's "Against the Stone Frank Russell's "Dreadful Sanctuary" Beasts" is a time-travel tale of war be- continued to intrigue us with the prob. trveen a winged race and creatures of lem of why none could get there-and negative matter-you might call rt gave us the answers. Fancy us being time-cpera. Among the shorts are A. descended from Martian lunatics! Bertram Chandler's "Preview of Peril," Almost deserving "nova" designa- a soliloquy by the lover of the girl who tion, H. Beam Piper's novelette, went ofi in the first interstellar ship; "Police Operation," was a neat varia- EIik Fennel's "Synthetic Hero," which tion on the idea of "paratime"; the two would lrave done quite well in ASF two shorts by new writers Neal B. Wilkin- years back; and an amusing piece by son and John S. Browning made fair William Tenn, "Brooklyn Project."

" s M L E ;#*'ff 1'l.,fJ*t_'F# b.'?':ll #flt'"e: A L A DY RTS i"ffif,tsa-"?3i#flj special Rirre -to couec-tors: .2d. per ""eRKf,3l""*' rnu woril (5c. C_ana{r anil. U.S1A,.} ; .lljli: Brilish rantasy Libraiy witt keep you mum 12 worils. To Traders and others: srrijiGa wilii ieguiai iisues ltriou'ifr"its 3d. per word (7c. in Canada and U.S.A.). toan scheme. particutars from All iilvertisements in this-section.must be i{."ij'iir'i"e il;Asat; tii-eaUbacombJ HoCa, foi: prepaid. Box numbers 6d. (15c.) extra. quav,- Oevirir. BRITISII FANS wishing to establish WaUfnni American Horrm Stories, contact with American fandom, write Terror Ta"les, Silk Stocking, High Heel.- Raymond J. Van Houten, 409 Market BM/FRVV, London, W.C.l. street, Paterson, 3, N.J., ruho welcomes OPERATI0N FANTAST-Ihe Trading correspondence. Department of the British Fantasy U.S. COLLECTOR wants "Secrets of Library. Science fiction and fantasy books Dr. Taverner," by Dion Fortune, in good and mags. bought, sold, exchanged. Free condition, sale or exchange.-Box 118, advice on all fantasy ma,tters gladly given. Fantasy Review. Canadian and American fans should THE NATIONAL FANTASY FAN rvrite to John E. Koestner, 2124 Rene FEDER,ATION welcomes British mem- Court, Brooklyn, 27, N.Y., U.S.A. Fans in bers. Write K. Martin Carlson, Sec.- other parts of the world shouid contact Treas., 1028 T'hird Avenue South, Moor- K. F. Slater, Riverside, South Brink, Wis- hea.d, Minnesota, U.S.A. bech, Cambs., England. When informa- ERIC FRANK RUSSELL interviewed tion is wanted, please enclose stamped, in Scientifiction for Aug. '37; ll- Qic.) addressed envelope. per copy, post free, from Fa,nta,sy Review IF YOU are thinking of insurance, con- (Service Dept.), 115 Wa"nstead Park sult J. Michael Rosenbium,4 Grange Road, Ilford, Essex. Terrace, Chapeltown, Leeds, ?. We under- SOUVENIR booklet of the "Whitcon," take atl types of insurance: Iife, endorv- British fantasy fan convention, now ment, flre and burglary, householder's, available; 1/- including postage, from J. property owner's, house purchase (via Newman, 36.Butstrode avenue, Hounslow, endowment policy), jewellery, accident, Middlesex. etc. Inquiries invited. Do You Want A NEW These Titles ? SERY/CE

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