CRYSTAL SHIP 9. published October 1984 by John D.Owen, 4,Highfield Close, Newport Pagnell, Bucks., MK16 9AZ, United Kingdom. All contents are copyright c 1984, J.D.Owen, but with rights reverting to originator on publication. CRYSTAL SHIP is available for all the usual reasons: letters of comment, fanzine exchanges, contributions, displays of interest, etc, etc, are all good reasons, though money is not. Other than that the catch-all phrase 'editorial whim' comes into play, and I can be very whimsical at times, so, if this is your first issue, then you are well advised to do something to be sure of a second. Now you can't say that I didn't warn you, can you? Cover -"Anon Hen" by Steve Lines. p.4 Gumbo's Variations : The Editorial. p.6 Occam's Razor & Luther's Birthday : by William Bains : illo by Iain Byers. p.12 As I Walked Out : by David R.Morgan. : illos by David Collins. p.14 The Philosopher's Stone : by Martyn Taylor. p.18 Ox Tales : by David Bateman. : illos by David Bateman (p.18) & Shep (p.19). p.26 What I Hate About Fandom : by Kev Rattan. : illo by Shep. p.28 & 29 Centre-spread : by Martin Helsdon. p.30 Ripples : The Letter Column. Additional Illos : Steve Lines, p.2, 3, 17, 42,Bacover. : Shep, p.55. Atom, p.25. Brad W. Fester, p.32. Gumbo's Variations John D. I have noticed that, in fannish according to Avedon Carol, places circles, there is a growing belief doubts on the validity of anything in a peculiarly unique form of Richard might want to say about writing connected with fannish fan­ TAFF , its candidates and its zines. The belief is that this form purposes. If a guy like Bergeron of writing is somehow special by has trouble with the small print, comparison with other written matter well, I guess we can all worry (whether in fanzines or elsewhere) about what else is lurking down and that it should be the aim of the there among the codicils, can't we? fannish editor and writer to seek out Here we all were, thinking that these creative jewels and use them the only thing we had to worry to their best advantage. Malcolm about was exercising the creative Edwards was one of the first to freedom of our fanzines in a propose this theory of fannish writ­ responsible way, turning out zines ing (in this decade anyway: I'll and writing to the best of our wager it's appeared in similar guise ability, honing our meagre skill before), and it was later taken up with each issue, trying to commu­ with gusto by D.West, then by many nicate with our readers on any others, even unto the very least subject that we felt interested in the fannish horde. in, which, by extension, other fans might be interested in too. "Fanwriting", (or 'fannish writing' But, sniggering in the small print whatever it may be called), "is mar­ all this time there have been velously well suited to communications clauses that restrict the freedom, about people and experiences", the that limit the creativity to rather pundits say. 'Fannish writing' becomes more specific areas of concern, then something that can be short on which one steps outside at one's style, or on writing ability, but peril. No wonder I've not been long on context, mentioning all the able to get an overall response right people and happenings, and to my zines that is better than therefore worthy of inclusion in the 60%: I've been doing it wrong, the exclusive 'fannish' category. Mean­ zine's simply been breaking the while, in a dark corner, excluded rules so fans haven't been taking from the company of good fans and any notice of it all this time. true, there is a pile of material, Damn it, I wish I'd known before! some of it exceedingly well written, but unfortunately about subjects Alright, alright, I'll stop that are rather, yer know, 'unfannish': being sarcastic and state my own they are about ideas and concepts; objections to the idea of 'fannish about authors and their works; about writing'. They are quite simply films and their makers. Hell, I even stated: I don't believe there is see the corner of one article poking such a thing as 'fannish writing'. out there that's about the painter Now I suppose you'll want me to Constable — well, I mean, how justify that statement. I thought unfannish can you get! you would. No one takes a gentle­ man's word for anything nowadays! What? I'm being rather heavy- handed in showing my bias? Of I read a lot of fanzines from course I am! Producing a fanzine like all over the world. Their contents the Ship I would be, wouldn't I? range from the sublime to the I mean, here I am, running into an thoroughly ridiculous, and the exclusion clause in the fannish writing abilities displayed are contract, aren't I? So I've got just as varied as the contents. reason to be a little put out. I'm Those zines which stick in my not the only one to fall foul of the mind are ones which produce a good small print in the fannish contract mixture, that manage to balance either. The most recent WIZ to arrive interesting content with enough from Richard Bergeron (numero 11) writing skills to convey the details his own problems with exclu­ writer's thoughts to the reader. sion clauses, this time relating to When it comes down to it, that is his non-attendance at cons, which, the nub of any form of writing: 4 you take a subject (any subject) and that the one form is 'unique', and you write about it skilfully enough to laud it above all others as to transfer what you have in your something 'fannish', is to confuse head to the reader’s head. There is the issue, and, in truth, to only one problem — no amount of propogandize a favoured form of writing skill will get a subject content over others no less worthy. across that the reader doesn’t want And that is what we are really to know about. So, the writer has two being subjected to with these paeans hurdles to surmount before he can of praise for the 'fannish way of communicate with his reader. The writing': propoganda and self- first is the technical one of how aggrandizement .nothing else. As to write, while the second is a West says in 'Performance', when strategic one: where to place a piece someone claims that their work is so that it finds the reader it was of a different nature to others and meant for. therefore can't be judged in the same way, then that someone is In other words, the writer must pulling a fast one, or operating not only master the techniques of under a false system of logic. writing enough to communicate, but Good writing is good writing, and must also know his 'market'. It's if the subject appeals then you'll obvious really, isn’t it? There is enjoy it whatever category it falls not much point in writing pornography into. Anything more specific, more and expecting it to sell to 'Woman's proscriptive than that is just some Own', or doing a sparkling piece on kind of 'fascist groove thang' , as "How to become a Satanist" and asking Higgbo is wont to say, and we 'Church Times' to buy it. The same wouldn't sully the fair pages of applies in fannish circles. Send me our fanzines with that sort of a convention report, and the chances thing, would we? are you'll get it back by return of mail. Send Rob Hansen a piece on the So, let's ditch the meaningless life and times of Robert Heinlein and categories, let's start thinking in it'll come back so fast it'll blister terms of whether a given piece of the postman's fingers. Switch 'em writing works in the context of what round and you stand a much better it sets out to do, and not measure chance of acceptance. There may be it up against some crypto-fannish no difference in the writing skills censor's list, to see if it conforms in the two articles, and to my mind to a certain 'norm' before giving they could both qualify as 'fan­ it a 'certificate of fannishness' , writing', being written by fans for and a place in the truefan's library. fans to read, and so having a certain That's just driving fanzine fandom degree of assumed knowledge that up a cul-de-sac in a car with no would not be so applicable if the reverse gear, and probably no same material were being submitted brakes, either. outside the fanzine 'market'. So, I believe that the peculiar Right, having got that off my beastie known as 'fannish writing' chest, I have just enough room to is merely writing that is done with inform you of a change in policy. a particular market in mind, done From CS10, I'm slimming down the for those fanzines that are 'more Ship to a more manageable 40 pages context dependant' than others, that or so, partly to get it out quicker, are offshoots of the socialising and partly to make it easier to aspect of fandom. It is therefore produce anyway (56 pages is simply natural that they tend to be of a too much for me at the moment).