SCIENTIFICTION New Series #51 SCIENTIFICTION A publication of FIRST FANDOM New Series #51, 1st Quarter 2017 IN MEMORIAM FIRST FANDOM AWARDS (2017) JOHN R. ‘KLON’ NEWELL A ballot is enclosed for members to cast their votes for the First Fandom Awards. (1935 - 2017) Please return ballots before May 15th. The names of the award recipients will be announced during the annual Hugo Awards Ceremony at the 75th Worldcon. IN MEMORIUM We sadly acknowledge the passing of Richard Adams, Carrie Fischer, Klon Newell, Gene Nigra, Berni Wrightson. WORLDCON UPDATE The 75th World SF Convention will be held in Helsinki, Finland, August 9-13. Guests of Honor: John-Henri Holmberg, Klon Newell at Noreascon 4 Nalo Hopkinson, Johanna Sinisalo, Courtesy of Hazel’s Photo Gallery Claire Wendling, Walter Jon Williams. (Photograph by Chaz Boston Baden) For information: http://www.worldcon.fi/ An associate member of First Fandom, Klon Newell was a long-time collector, NASFIC UPDATE SF fan and bookseller at conventions throughout the country for decades, The North American SF Convention will regarded for his big-hearted generosity. take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 6-9. For information, please visit: IN THIS ISSUE https://www.northamericon17.com/ P. 1: Announcements PUBLICATION NOTES P. 2: President’s Message P. 2: Remembering David A. Kyle Thanks to the contributors to this issue: P. 3: The Korshak Collection on Exhibit Chaz Boston Baden, Todd Dashoff, P. 4: Birthdays and Obituaries Mike Glyer, David Langford, Robert P. 6: A New Book about Otto Binder Lichtman, Craig Mathieson, Mary P. 7: Norman F. Stanley’s Donation McCarthy, Christopher M. O’Brien, P. 7: Letters from Our Readers Steven H. Silver and Jon D. Swartz. P. 8: First Fandom Masthead Deadline for the next issue is May 15th. SCIENTIFICTION New Series #51, page 2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE REMEMBERING DAVID A. KYLE I was saddened to learn of the passing (By Todd Dashoff) of Klon Newell. We were close friends Philcon, the annual science fiction for more than thirty years. We visited in conference run by the Philadelphia each other’s homes, roomed together at Science Fiction Society (PSFS), conventions, and traded a lot of books. I honored the memory of Dave Kyle by contacted Klon several months ago by holding a memorial panel at the most telephone after the post office returned recent convention, held the weekend of his newsletter as “undeliverable.” He November 18-20, 2016, in Cherry Hill, said that he had moved to a residence NJ. Dave was a frequent attendee at to get additional needed health care, but past Philcons, having started by he was doing alright. At his request, I attending the first Philcon in 1936, when did not publicize his mailing address. a group of New York fans traveled to sense of wonder Klon never lost the . I Philadelphia to meet up with their will remember his kind, generous nature counterparts. In 2012, Joe Siclari and how fairly he treated everyone. interviewed Dave at Philcon; the video Klon was a trufan. We will all miss him. of that interview is online. I was privileged to meet Gene Nigra at The memorial panel’s participants Mel Korshak’s 80th birthday party. He consisted of Siclari, Bob Madle (the sole was an unparalleled enthusiast for the surviving member of the original artwork of Hannes Bok and Virgil Finlay. founders of PSFS), and Dave’s MEMBER INFORMATION UPDATE daughter Kerry. Highlights of Dave’s life-long career in fandom were Please contact Secretary / Treasurer presented by Joe Siclari and Bob Madle, Keith W. Stokes via his new e-mail and Kerry Kyle contributed a number of address: [email protected]. previously unknown stories of everyday MEMBERSHIP PATCHES life growing up with one of the most well-known science fiction fans. The New full-color embroidered membership audience was treated to the story patches are available in a very limited behind the famous quote “Dave Kyle quantity. To order, please send a check says you can’t sit here”, as well as other for $20.00 (payable to John L. Coker III). stories involving Dave that have passed IN CLOSING into fannish history. Members of the audience contributed reminiscences and Christopher M. O’Brien was helpful in stories after the panel had spoken. our efforts to contact the family of Ned Brooks. We sent the Moskowitz Award At the end of the panel, Kerry Kyle and for 2016 to Ned’s sister, Mary McCarthy. Bob Madle were presented with a pair of booklets that had been produced by th As the Worldcon celebrates its 75 anni- John Coker as a tribute to Dave. John versary, take a moment and raise a sent them to me as Philcon Chair and I glass to First Fandom members Bob was happy to pass them on to the Madle and Erle Korshak, both of whom intended recipients; I only wish he had attended the First Worldcon in 1939! been able to attend in person to have Clear ether, - John L. Coker III the honor of doing so himself. SCIENTIFICTION New Series #51, page 3 THE KORSHAK COLLECTION as inspiring in him a sense of wonder, and a passion for the illustrations of the ILLUSTRATIONS OF IMAGINATIVE LITERATURE genre. This will be the first public ON EXHIBIT: MARCH 30 – MAY 16, 2017 exhibition of the European works in the collection. ALBIN O. KUHN GALLERY The exhibition will also include books, UNIV. OF MARYLAND AT BALTIMORE pulp magazines, and other items drawn from UMBC’s Rosenfeld Collection, “Truly a vision of the fantastic, this revealing how the illustrations in the exhibition is an amazing exploration of Korshak Collection were meant to both illustrative art and the evolution of appear when encountered as artifacts of the visual landscape of science fiction material culture. (SF) and fantasy literature. Featuring work by both American and European On Thursday, May 4, at 5 p.m. award- artists and spanning more than a winning illustrator Donato Giancola, century, these vivid illustrations bring to best known for his endlessly creative life adventures, beings, and worlds and exquisitely rendered SF and fantasy conjured in novels such as Don Quixote, illustrations, will discuss his broad range Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and of illustrative work.” Tarzan, and pulp magazines including For more information about the Korshak Amazing Stories, Fantastic Adventures, Collection on exhibit at the University of Weird Tales and Wonder Stories. Maryland at Baltimore, please visit: Accomplishing far more than simply https://www.google.com/amp/s/artscalen guiding readers in their explorations of dar.umbc.edu/2008/07/20/the-korshak- new and some-times bizarre realms, the collection-illustrations-of-imaginative- range and impact of these illustrations is literature/amp/ far-reaching. The illustrations featured in this exhib- EXHIBITION SCHEDULE ition are treasured pieces of the Korshak Collection, owned by collector Stephen June 6 – August 19, 2017 Korshak. The love of both literature and American Society of Illustrators art of the SF and fantasy genres is a New York, New York passion Stephen Korshak shared with https://www.societyillustrators.org/exhibi his father Erle Korshak, a founder of the ts/works-korshak-collection imprint Shasta Publishers, which specialized in SF books. Shasta played September 23 – October 29, 2017 a key role in ushering in the transition Stamford Museum, Stamford, CT that saw important SF literature move from the pages of magazines printed on November 17 – February 4, 2018 cheap pulp paper to hardcover, library- Chazen Museum at University of quality books. Much of the illustration Wisconsin-Madison, WI art for Shasta publications hung in the Korshak family home and the company For further information, please visit: office where, as a young man, Stephen Korshak encountered it – a fact he cites www.korshakcollection.com SCIENTIFICTION New Series #51, page 4 BIRTHDAYS OBITUARIES (From a list originally compiled by Andrew Porter) April Richard Adams (b.1920) 1 – Anne McCaffrey, Samuel R. Delany 3 – Donald M. Grant “Richard Adams was an English 5 – Robert Bloch, Boris Strugatsky novelist best known as the author of 7 – Henry Kuttner, James White Watership Down, Shardik and The 8 – Ralph Milne Farley, Ted Carnell Plague Dogs. He studied modern 12 – Emil Petaja, Carol Emshwiller history at university before serving in the 14 – Morris Scott Dollens British Army during WW II. Afterwards, 17 – T. Bruce Yerke, Lloyd Biggle, Jr. he completed his studies, and then 18 – Frank R. Paul, G.M. Carr joined the British Civil Service. In 1974, 20 – June Moffatt two years after Watership Down was 25 – Fletcher Pratt published, Adams became a full-time 26 – H.L. Gold, A.E. Van Vogt author. He died on December 24, 2016 27 – Frank Belknap Long at the age of 96.” 29 – Elmer Perdue, Jack Williamson (Excerpted from an entry in Wikipedia) May 2 – E.E. “Doc” Smith Carrie Fischer (b.1956) 4 – Erwin “Filthy Pierre” Strauss 7 – Walt Liebscher, Gene Wolfe “Carrie Fischer, the US actress, has 8 – Roy Tackett died aged 60 of a heart attack. She 9 – Philip Klass (aka William Tenn) became famous and is most noted, for 10 – Olaf Stapledon, Alex Schomburg her role as Princess Leia in the Star 18 – Laurraine Tutihasi Wars films. Born in the US she was 20 – Gardner Fox educated in the US and later in 21 – Manly Wade Wellman London's Central School of Speech and 22 – Arthur Conan Doyle, Ed Earl Repp Drama. Her big screen debut was in 23 – James Blish Shampoo (1975). She also appeared in 25 – Charles D. Hornig The Blues Brothers (1980), Hannah and 26 – Robert W. Chambers, Howard De Vore Her Sisters (1986), Amazon Women on 27 – Rudolph Belarski, Harlan Ellison the Moon (1987), The Time Guardian 30 – Harry C.