by Alison Scott
Meanwhile in Australian Fandom
For three years we have been entertained and informed by the finest Australian fanzine of our age, the Australian Science Fiction Review (ASFR). Edited by John Bangsund, it started with a remit to explore Australian SF but of course it has cast its net far wider than that.
Cover, ASFR 15, John Bangsund
Bangsund prints articles by some of the most thoughtful and erudite writers from Australia and worldwide, and features fascinating letters from interesting correspondents on a range of subjects. The content, whether tending to the serious or fannish, sparkles; a testament to Bangsund’s close and careful editing. ASFR has been nominated for a Hugo in each of the last two years, and its influence is felt globally.
A Fanzine Editor is a Proud, Lonely and Impoverished Thing
Now, however, Bangsund is clearly finding the fanzine not merely a financial drain, but also a personal one. It has many subscribers and agents in several countries (including Ethel Lindsay for the UK, from whom I got these copies). In Issue 18, December 1968, he features an editorial explaining that the high cost and low level of feedback he receives on the fanzine is discouraging him from continuing. But the quality of material he publishes remains very high. That same issue features an essay by Australian author George Turner on the business of writing about science fiction that I think is well worth a read by anyone who is interested in criticism.
With a Little Help from his Friends
The latest issue, #19, dated March 1969, has been edited exceptionally by John Foyster, who writes, a little peevishly:
“Although I (John Foyster) am named as editor of this issue of ASFR, it should be noted that the issue has been partly edited by John Bangsund in that his policy prevented the publication of some material I should have liked to use. Further, the size of the issue has been limited to the extent that I cannot include some articles I felt were worthwhile (over and beyond the previously-mentioned censorship). But let's not get maudlin.”
This issue is still the largest for some while, and features a smaller typeface so as to cram in more material.
Will ASFR continue? It’s clear that Bangsund is unpersuaded of the value of publishing such a serious sf-focused fanzine as ASFR has become, and would prefer the freedom of a more general title. However, two of his associates appear to be picking up the mantle. These fanzines could not be more different from each other, but both show a link to ASFR beyond just being written by regular contributors to that fanzine.
Some Like it Sercon
The first, SF Commentary, comes from Bruce Gillespie. This is issue one, and apparently Gillespie’s first fanzine! He has clearly sprung fully formed from Bangsund’s rib. This fanzine is, to be fair, rather hard to read. I don’t think he has used the best typewriter, and there are no illustrations at all!. So it is quite a struggle to read the fascinating analysis of Kurt Vonnegut’s Sirens of Titan and Cat’s Cradle by Damien Broderick, or Gillespie’s own analysis of several recent novels by Philip K. Dick. It’s well worth it though.
Cover, SF Commentary 1, Bruce Gillespie
The first issue is over sixty pages in total (a letter column is promised next issue, and I am sure he will get good letters to put in it) and features a wealth of serious science-fiction criticism. This is explained in the acknowledgements; most of the articles here were originally planned for ASFR, but the reduced frequency of that fanzine has put them here instead. Gillespie is planning to publish nine times a year; quite an ambitious schedule. You would think he would have learnt from Bangsund’s example.
But what of Fannish Nonsense? We have a Rataplan for that!
Rataplan, meanwhile, comes from Leigh Edmonds, another of the ’ASFR gang’ – and this time there is a photo of Edmonds with the other people who work on ASFR.
The 'ASFR gang' pictured in 1967 – (l-r) John Bangsund, Leigh Edmonds, Lee Hardin, John Foyster, Tony Thomas, Merv Binns and Paul J Stevens. Photographer believed to be Diane Bangsund.
This is a very much better-produced affair than SF Commentary. Leigh is not rash enough to commit to a publishing schedule but says “I intend to concern myself with fandom… If I can get quality and fannishness I will be happy.” But while the major article here is a consideration of fantasy films of the thirties, the items I enjoyed most were the satirical pieces poking fun at, in turn, Melbourne SF fandom, ASFR, and science fiction magazines. That last came via a John Foyster ‘editorial’ for ‘Stupefying Stories’, a magazine which feels like many we have all read.
Cover, Rataplan 1, John Bangsund
John Bangsund has already suggested that these two fanzines are the heirs to ASFR. They are both very different and you will need to seek them both out to be convinced, as I am, that Australian fanzine writing is in safe hands.
