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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