Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Lovecraft's Legacy: Some Notes On Interplanetary Fiction


It makes Chrispy shaky to think of James Blish, Donald Wolheim, KlarashTon, Ech Pi El, Frederick Pohl, Edmond Hamilton, and A. Merritt all in one fanzine. Great Gods of "Scientifiction" !


For many who don't know, the esoteric James Blish - the same one who wrote all those Star Trek novelizations from the screenplays - wrote one of the most definitive King in Yellow stories ever.


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Here is a rare image of The JANUARY 1937 issue of the science fiction fanzine THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER, Volume 2 Number 7 Whole Number 19, featuring:


The President’s Message……………William S. SYKORA

Magazines of 1936……………Donald A. WOLLHEIM

Science Fiction and Society……………David H. KELLER, M.D.

I Dare To Prophesy! ……………Clifton B. KRUSE

The Standardization of Science Fiction……………Raymond A. PALMER

The Epigrams of Alastor……………Clark Ashton SMITH

The Science Fiction Motion Picture……………William S. SYKORA

Five Minues Slow! ……………J. Harvey HAGGARD

Sun-Spots……………Donald A. WOLLHEIM

Some Notes on Interplanetary Fiction……………H.P. LOVECRAFT

The ISA Hall of Fame: “Frederik Pohl” ……………William S. SYKORA

How Will Interplanetary Travel Affect Us? ……………Edward E. SMITH, Ph.D.

The Greatest Adventure……………Milton A. ROTHMAN

Has Science Fiction A Future? ……………Jack WILLIAMSON

Has STF Been A Help To Rocketry? ……………Laurence MANNING

More Realism in Science Fiction……………Edmond HAMILTON

The Honorable Bean……………Robert A. WAITE

Science and Witchcraft……………A. MERRITT

The Philadelphia Convention……………John B. MICHEL

How To Culture Amoebae……………Jim BLISH

The Science Fiction Special……………Frederik POHL

Read ‘Em and Weep……………Frederik POHL

Official Notices……………ISA Business

Excerpts……………The ISA Mailbox

The STF Exchange……………Donald A. WOLLHEIM

The Contaminator of Space……………Neuty & Deuty

A Matter of Velocity……………Daniel C. BURFORD

Cover by John B. MICHEL


It is sated that it was published monthly by the International Scientific Association - ISA (Long Island City, NY)

Editor: Frederik POHL

Associates: Donald A. WOLLHEIM, John B. MICHEL, David A. KYLE, Arthur L. SELIKOWITZ Publisher: William S. SYKORA

Associates: Walter KUBILUS, Harry DOCKWEILER, George H. HAHN, Jack RUBINSON, Jim BLISH

Stapled. 40 pages.


David A. KYLE writes of this issue: “That 1936 social 'convention' had a very important result. The ISA began preparations, under the vigorous leadership of Sykora and Michel, to have a return engagement in New York City in February of 1937. Wollheim and Pohl went about creating a 'special convention issue' of the club publication which appeared that January. That issue of The International Observer was truly remarkable -- a thick, large-size mimeographed fanzine with a fancy silk-screened cover that sold for ten cents! The contributors were almost a roll of honor: A. Merritt, Doc Smith, Edmond Hamilton, H. P. Lovecraft, Jack Williamson, Ray Palmer, and many others, both pro and fan. I don't remember my contribution and the copy I once had is now long gone.” (“Farewell, Teens, Farewell!”)

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