vector 61 lead-in Contents: V ector is the official journal of In Peter Roberts' Convention report last "Either before the Eastercon (though the British science Fiction Assoc­ issue, he referred in passing to the I can find nothing in a quick glance Lead-In 3 iation Ltd. (Chairman! John Brunner) auction saying, "A mass of fanzines were through the files) or certainly at the The Arts in Science Fiction 5 to be sold, part of the BSFA collection Con another name cropped up as the cur­ BSFA Officers: (James Blish) which had been rotting away unseen for rent holder of the FF. Kike Meara was V ioo-Chtiirmnn t Keith Freeman many years (despite the gallant efforts found and told this and arranged to go The Fannish Inquisition 15 Treasurer! Era G.T.Adams (54 Cobden of Charlie Tinstone)". This brought a over and collect the fanzines. This (Peter Roberts) Ave, Bitterns Park, Southampton swift and rather heated reply from BSFA name escapes me at the moment so I'll Book Reviews 19 302 4FT) Vice-Chairman Keith Freeman, who had in­ call him 'John' as I think that's cor­ Publicity/Advertising! Roger G.Peyton terpreted what Peter said as a direct rect. An Interview with Peter Tate 24 attack on the BSFA. I'll ouote part of (131 Gillhurst Rd, Herborne, "I was dragged out of a meeting (or (Mark Adlard) Keith's letter: Birmingham, Bl7 81'G) bar — I can't remember which) to be told The Lail Response (letters) 28 Membership Secretary: Urn ..A.Halton "When I took over tho Vice Chairman­ that they were auctioning off the FF. I (25 Yewdale Creo, Covontry, CV2 2FF, ship there were many aspects of the BSFA went to the auction where I found that Lews Lepartment 35 Hariri oka) (Archie Mercer) that I knew little of...in a handout the true state of affairs was that Peter Company Secretary: Grnham il.Poole written just previous to my taking over Weston recognised the fanzines being got you'll see no mention of the BSFA FF. ready as being the FF. I inspected a Vector 61 is edited, typed, laid-out Vector oonto 30p. In tho O.K. it in sample of these fnz but could find no pasted-up and generally slaved over by only available on a regular banio to "On the 29th Nov I received a letter from Archie Mercer with part of a letter indication on them that they were from mernborn of the B.3.F.A. (annual sub­ the FF (e.g. all books and magazines in Malcolm Edwards scription £1.50) from Mike Meara: 75A Harrow View the BSFA libraries and magazine chain have Harrow Rates oloewhere are: 'I was interested to hear Peter stickers and/or overprinting "BSFA" on Heston say...at Novacon that the them). Nevertheless "John" was found. Middx HA1 1RF U.S.A. & Canada: single copy 60/ U.K. BSFA fanzine foundation was in a He admitted that he'd got a lot of fanzi­ 10 issues $5.50 bad way, or words to that effect.' nes from Charlie Winstone (who'd apparent­ ly said he'd written to everybody in the The News Department is edited by Archie Australia: single copy 60/ "Archie's letter also said that the BSFA Council but never had a reply) but Mercer, and any material intended for 10 issues /A5.5O FF was last heard of c/o Charlie Win­ stated that the fanzines being auctioned inclusion should be sent to him at: (Australian agent: Bruce Gillespie stone and needed something doing about were not from the FF but were second, it. The same day I wrote to Mike and 21 Trenethick Parc PO Box 5195AA third and even fourth copies. In offered him custodianship of the FF — Helston Melbourne every case, he said, he'd kept the best Victoria 3001 giving him Charlie Winstone's last Cornwall copy — or best two copies in the case Australia) (known to me) address. of rare issues. Vector 61, September-October 1972 "I got a letter back from Mike on the Copyright (c) Malcolm Edwards, 1972 Necessary moral support during the 4th Dec and the next day I wrote to "Mike, it was agreed, would still go over and collect the FF from 'John'. production of this issue oame mostly Charlie Winstone. Nothing more heard of from Neil Young, tho Family, and, of that... With this agreed I could do no more — course, from Chrictinu Edwards. 3 it was Peter Heston's word against at Chester that the fanzines about to be $ 'John''s• auctioned apnearod to belong to the BSFA, at least in my opinion, ho evidently con­ "On the 7th June I had a letter from fronted John Muir who 'cxnlained' that Kike. He is now convinced that the FF these were only duplicates and/or part was auctioned off at Chester, BUT HASN'T of his own collection which had been sold THIRD TO SEE 'JOHN'. He also sent me to him by Charlie 'Jinstonc. the text of an editorial he's going to publish which is faintly libellous — "That's all right then — or is it? that however is of no concern here. Doesn't it sound pretty thin to you? I mean, Charlie as a 1963-fan, like me, ne-.i "Can you see why Peter Roberts' words ver built up much of a collection himself '(despite the gallant efforts of Charlie and so I can't see how he could pass on Winstone)' mode my blood curdle?" many 1940's fanzines to John Muir. Things, So far, so confused. It seems im­ like Acolyte, Snaceways, Le Zombie, early 1 possible to say with absolute certainty post-war Ken Slater Fantasts, and a com­ at this juncture just what has occurred, plete run of Hyphen just don't grow on and if the BSFA does still have a fan­ trees. zine collection. In an attempt to "But the salient point is that the BJ- clarify the position somewhat I'd like FA believed John Muir, and so instructed domes Bliss to quote two of the other principals in me to proceed with the auction....Here is the affair, Mike Meara and Pete Weston. the joker, however. After the Con I heard Firstly, an excerpt from the afore­ by word-of-mouth (which may be incorrect, mentioned Mike Meara editorial (this don't forget) that John Muir had not do­ the arts in science fiction was to have been a News Department item; nated his (?) fanzines to CHESSMANCON I've moved it here as it seems more after all. Oh no. He had offered them relevant): "The Fanzine Foundation is for auction on the understanding that the dead. It died at Chester during the Concomm kept 15^ of the proceeds, the Easter week-end, and the various parts rest going to him. Now this is a state- • of its dismembered body have been carried ment which I have been unable to check; off to various parts of the fannish but if true, it makes me wish that I had | I was asked to discuss the arts in the most recent issue of F&SF, one de­ world, even to America. There seems to given the things awayI" science fiction. I was a bit puzzled at voted to sf in the universities, which be some confusion as to how this was Now all of this raises a good many first as to whether or not I was here contains a rather extended comparison allowed to happen, but it seems to me questions, and answers very few of them. confronted with a non-subject — this, between jazz and sf by Philip Klass (who you probably know as the author who that a combination of reluctance to I make no apology for taking up rather a of course, partly because I was raised intervene by the BSFA officials in a lot of space with these accounts of the in the pulp era, when the only arts we writes under the name of William Tenn). position to do something about it, to­ affair: I'm sure many other BSFA members I were interested in were those of con­ Kings!ey Amis made a similar comparison gether with a connivance by certain peo­ must be as concerned as I am that one of J structing one cliff-hanger after ano­ in New Maps of Hell; and in a number of ther, and if possible keeping the story ple — I don't intend to name names; the its most valuable possessions can be so different stories Theodore Sturgeon has guilty ones know who they are — to hide easily lost — or, perhaps worse, that moving by dialogue rather than anything described, or attempted to describe, the the true source of the material, was the nobody knows enough about it to say for else, because we had no faith in the effects of jazz. main cause." Mike goes on to wash his sure whether it has been lost or not. reader's ability to follow more than hands of any future involvement with the three sentences of description. But ( But when you try to survey the field This may not be the fault of the current as a whole since, say, 1926 (when maga-' FF. this, of course, is not a question of Council members — and in any case I'm zine sf began) you really find very lit­ art at all; it is simply a question of Perhaps the most revealing comments not bothered about trying to lay the minor technique.