by Victoria Silverwolf It might be my imagination, but it seems that events came in pairs this month. On April Fools' Day, two new medical soap operas premiered on American television. I'm not fond of that genre – give me Route 66 or Alfred Hitchcock Presents when I want something other than science fiction and … Continue reading [April 23, 1963] Double, Double (May 1963 Fantastic)
by Victoria Silverwolf The last decade saw a boom in written science fiction as well as science fiction cinema, due in part to both the fear of atomic warfare and the promise of space exploration. Both trends have tapered off recently, possibly due to the many stories and films of poor quality offered to a … Continue reading [November 13, 1961] (un)Moving Pictures (December 1961 Fantastic)
Has John W. Campbell lost his mind? Twenty years ago, Campbell mentored some of science fiction's greats. His magazine, Astounding (now Analog), featured the most mature stories in the genre. He himself wrote some fine fiction. What the hell happened? Now, in his dotage, he's used his editorial section to plump the fringiest pseudosciences: reactionless … Continue reading [July 10, 1961] The Last Straw (Campbell's wrong-headed rant in the August 1961 Analog)
Let's play a name association game. When I say "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle," what comes to mind? Sherlock Holmes, I'll wager. But did you know that, in addition to being a quite accomplished non-fiction writer (his The War in South Africa: Its Causes and Conduct won him a knighthood), Conan Doyle was also a science … Continue reading [July 17, 1960] Lost Time (The Lost World)
This Friday night was a bit of a repeat performance of last week's: another trip to the German delicatessen in Escondido, another beer, another coffee and dessert. This time, I was in the most enjoyable company of my wife, and we had an avid discussion of what it is to be a "fan." A mutual … Continue reading [Dec. 15, 1959] Between Superstition and Knowledge (Twilight Zone 4-week wrap-up)
It's those haunting, evocatively written F&SF stories that keep me a regular subscriber. July's issue opens with Robert F. Young's To Fell a Tree, about the murder (mercy killing?) of the tallest tree imaginable, and the dryad that lived within. It'll stay with you long after you turn the last page, this sad, but not … Continue reading Starting strong (July 1959 Fantasy and Science Fiction;6-13-1959)