£ LAN'S LANTERN 24 S A cprederik cPohl Special LAN'S LANTERN 24 E~ Frederik Pohl .drawing by Eva Victorof Front Cover Table of Artists Tables of contents, artists, colophon,............... 1 Terry Jeeves — 1,4 - Diana Stein -- 7 Frederik Pohl.................... Lan................. 2 Phil Tortorici- 5 Eva Victorof — Cover Frederik Pohl: Literary Agent.... Larry Nowinski..... 3 Alan White -- 8, 10 Beyond The Blue Event Horizon — A Book Review Jean Lamb...........4 DEDICATION Thanks, Mr. Pohl................. Timothy Nowinski .... 6 To Maia, Some Comments on Frederik Pohl .... David Palter........7 as always; To Fred.......................... Gregory Benford.... 7 To Fred and Sprague, May they give us A Conversation with Fred Pohl.... Lan................. 8 another fifty years of reading pleasure. Addresses of the Contributors............ 10 Why You Are Receiving This You have a contribution (art, article) in this Lan’s Lantern #24 is published and edited by George issue. You've sent me a contribu­ "Lan" Laskowski, 55 Valley Way, Bloomfield Hills, MI tion (to be published in a 48013 USA. Phone: (313) 642-5670. Lan's Lantern is future issue). available for articles, art, letters (calls or post­ Loc received (to be pub­ lished next issue). cards) of comment, even money (US$2), and the whim of Trade the editor. The opinions expressed are those of the contributors, and may or may not be those of the edi­ We're in an apa together. tor. This is Lantern Publication #10, a division of I would like you to con­ tribute to the next special LanShack Press Unlimited. Lan's Lantern #24 is copy­ issues (1988: on William F. right (c) November, 1987, by George J Laskowski Jr., Temple, Lester del Rey and Arthur C. Clarke; 1989: except where otherwise noted. Contributions (art, art­ Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Fritz Leiber, Ted icles, reviews, letters) become the property of Lan­ Sturgeon, A. E. Van Vogt). Shack Press, but will be returned upon request. All This is your last issue un­ rights return to the contributors upon publication. less you send me something. FROM THE EDITOR GFrederik ^Pohl (RAMBLINGS 24.2) Frederik Pohl. I've known the man almost as his novels — Preferred Risk, long as I've been in fandom, for Drunkard's Walk, Wolfbane, The almost twelve years. The first Age of the Pussyfoot, and others. time we met was at a CONFUSION in These were all right, but his Ann Arbor. Shortly after that we writings after an extended period were both at a meeting of the as editor of Galaxy and If were ’ Science Fiction Research Associa­ better. Man Plus, Gateway, and tion. I was one of the few fans Jem are among my favorites. s there, and that gave us a bond In his extensive travels * that the other people didn't around the world, Fred has been have. gathering SF authors from a var­ On and off for the past twelve iety of countries to join WSF — years we have encountered each World Science Fiction, an inter­ other, usually just saying hello, national organization of SF writ­ sometimes pausing to talk longer. ers. Fred has tried to be accom­ The most time I spent with Fred modating to fans. I've asked him was at one of Jim Gunn's SF on several occasions to write an Teachers' Seminars. I spent three article of appreciation for my weeks in intensive study of sci­ special issues. Unfortunately he ence fiction, talking to other has been too busy writing and readers and teachers, to authors traveling, to do so. However, he and editors, Fred among the likes was able to write a piece on L. of George Scithers, Ted Sturgeon, Sprague de Camp. Jayne Tannehill, Thomas Disch, In preparation for this spe­ Lloyd Biggie, Gordon Dickson and cial issue of Lan's Lantern I James Gunn himself. It was like a asked Fred if I could interview three-week-long convention. And him. We arranged to meet on Sun­ Fred was part of it. day of WINDYCON in November of He talked about stories. He 1986. He had to fly in from Phil­ talked about the John W. Campbell adelphia where he was a special Award for Best Novel (Thomas guest at PHILCON for their 50th Disch won that year for On Wings anniversary. I can't say that I of Song), about editing, about know of too many authors who introducing SF to young people. would make that effort. (To be He mentioned his own writing hab­ honest, I think he wanted to its — four pages a day, minimum. hurry home to be with his wife, Sometimes they were good, some­ Betty Ann Hull, who couldn't go times not. What counted was that with him to PHILCON.) he was doing some writing every Fred and I haven't sat and day — and in four months time he talked very often, but when we would have a good-sized novel. Or do, it's a pleasure. The novel several short stories. Or a few The Way the Future Was which con­ novellas. He took his typewriter tains his memoirs, is a delight «• #24 to read, but he has so many more wherever he went. Indeed, as I passed his room one morning, I stories to tell in person. Get heard the clack of typewriter him talking, and you'll laugh un- ’ keys. til your sides ache, or cry, or Lantern I've found his writing ex­ argue, or become thoughtful at s ’ tremely interesting. I recall one of his personal stories. checking out of the library a I'm glad to know Fred Pohl. I hope to get to know him better as /Lan collection of his short stories we both continue our journey 2 when I was about 14. They were good, very good. I moved on to through fandom. by Larry Nowinski GFrederik ^Pohl GLiteraW ^Agent Although Frederik Pohl says haven't been tried before and vociferously in his memoir, The still be able to make a sale was Way the Future Was, that he has heavenly. no desire to be a literary agent, As a result, Pohl got a lot of and on some days wishes that he very good stories, many of which could remove that block of time appeared in the anthology he ed­ from his life, I think it was an ited, Star Science Fiction. Work­ important time for the SF field ing under Ian Ballantine's direc­ that he was an agent. tion for his paperback line, Bal­ Mr. Ponl wanted stories he lantine Books, Pohl was able to could sell, stories that were ask writers to submit stories for good enough to sell. Writers did this original anthology, the not always write good stories — first of its kind, and many did. many times only competent ones, Again, the writers stimulated and oft-times poor ones. To make their literary and science fic­ things easier for the writers to tional imaginations and came up write without tying them down to with some very good stories. specific formulas or aiming for Frederik Pohl was also able to particular markets, Pohl arranged bring new talent into the field. to buy whatever they wrote, and When he can take the credit for find the market for them after­ the likes of Robert Sheckley and ward. Could you imagine the free­ A. J. Budrys being published, he dom a writer had with this ar­ has a right to a certain amount rangement? He could al low his of pride. And getting Isaac Asi­ imagination to soar, write things mov's first novel published? that he wanted, and stretch the Which agent nowadays would like limits of his craft, style and to have that in his credits! Or abilities. He was assured of some being responsible for getting sort of remuneration. Jack Williamson's The Humaniods This might not sound like much into hardcover book form for the in today's market, when so much first time! garbage seems to be pub]ished The unfortunate thing about under the heading "Science Fic­ Pohl's methods was that he needed tion", but back in the late for­ a large outlay of capital to make ties and early fifties, this was it work. He had some, but in the like a dream-come-true for those end he overstretched his re­ writers. Too many times a writer sources and had to quit. He paid would like to stretch himself but off his writers and let them go, couldn't because he needed money making cash settlements with many to make ends meet that month. of them. This left him with a Even if he was married and his debt of some §30,000, not a small wife worked, he still had to do chunk of money, particularly in 5 something to add to the household the fifties. co" income. Writing to formulas was Pohl then turned to his first Lantern one way, becoming a "hack" and love, writing, to earn the money writing for series or writing-to- and pay back that debt. It took order was all well and good, but him nearly ten years to balance the talents he has can atrophy if everything. He took the respons­ #24/ not used. Knowing that any compe­ ibility and never once considered tent story he turned out would be filing for bankruptcy. 3 bought was a comfort, and knowing I think that says more about that he could try things that the man than anything else. Ex Libris A book review by Jean Lamb Frederik Pohl is one of that possible return.