Tag Archives: Walter Gillings

[October 6, 1969] The Rule of a Mediocracy (Vision of Tomorrow #3)


By Mx Kris Vyas-Myall

The Times is running a series of articles where major thinkers elucidate on what they believe life will be like in 1980. The series started with Arthur Koestler (philosopher most known for his Orwellian novel, Darkness at Noon) who predicts that, in the Britain of 1980, Mediocracy will be the order of the day.

Drawing of Arthur Koestler at a table pointing to a diagram of the human circulatory system
Arthur Koestler by David Levine

By this he means that instead of having a meritocratic system, defined by IQ plus effort, the main ingredients of life will be common sense plus inertia. Institutions will continue in modified forms without revolutionary change. Politicians are more likely to be dentists than demagogues. The family structure will continue but divorce and extramarital relationships will be commonplace. Housewives will have “bugs”, small time-saving robots, to do their household tasks, but they will breakdown so frequently the repairman will be a regular guest.

On a more positive note, he foresees the removal of private cars from cities, to be replaced by automated electric vehicles for hire. Office work will be done from home, with tactile simulators introduced to ensure people do not feel deprived of physical contact. Education will begin shortly after birth and young people will be encouraged to engage in more out-there behaviour before settling into mediocre adulthood.

We will have to wait another decade to see if his predictions come true. But, if the latest Vision of Tomorrow is any sign of things to come, mediocrity is certainly on the horizon.

Vision of Tomorrow #3

Vision of Tomorrow #3 Cover with a drawing of two spaceships over a futuristic city
Cover art by Eddie Jones

Yes, I am also still waiting for issue #2. I am assuming there was some hiccough at the printers.

In his editorial, Harbottle continues to outline his vision for the magazine. Firstly, stories must be “entertaining”, secondly, they should not contain sex. New Worlds this is not!

Let’s see how this translates into prose.

Shapers of Men by Kenneth Bulmer

Drawing of a man in a ruined spaceship that has crashed into the top of a tree
Illustrated by Eddie Jones

Once again, Mr. Bulmer opens the magazine with an adventure tale. This one, we are told, marks the start of a new series. Fletcher Cullen, “galactic bum”, travels across the stars wherever the loot and action take him. In this opening installment, Cullen’s flier is shot down over Sitasz and he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between the humans and the natives.

Man with a gun facing towards us with two alien beings behind him
Illustrated by Eddie Jones

This is a rather old-fashioned kind of interplanetary tale with some attempts at modern touches. Cullen is an untrustworthy rogue, miles away from Flash Godon or Clark Kent, the Sitazans are a well-constructed alien race and there are attempts to bring in modern frames of reference like LSD.

However, it is really boring to read. Generally each chapter will spend most of the time in overwrought descriptions and dull exposition, then a quick escape, followed by a capture by someone else. Even Bulmer’s amusing similes are like fish and guests, starting to smell off after the third time.

A low two stars

Number 7 by Eric C. Williams

Frederick Hasty, technical overseer of demolitions in London, is called to Number 7, Good Peace Road, in New Cross. Its destruction is a necessary part of the rationalization of London currently taking place. Unfortunately, the property is surrounded by an impregnable invisible barrier.

A reasonable little mystery but one that does not amount to very much.

A low three stars

Science Fiction in Germany by Franz Rottensteiner

A one-page summary of the SF scene in both Germanies, covering Perry Rhodan, Utopia Zukunftsromane, translations, fanzines and conventions.

It does the job it intends to but it is not as good as Cora’s coverage.

Three stars

People Like You by David Rome

Drawing of a jeep driving up a mountainous roadside, overlooking a river valley
Illustrated by B. M. Finch

Gail and Gordon Coulton, and their daughter Dorinda, are staying in a holiday home overlooking Cody Canyon when they notice some of their property has been taken. They suspect it is their neighbour, George Abbot. But what could he want with these items?

I was reminded of The People stories, but Rome is no Henderson. It is enjoyable enough, with a nice twist in the tail, but nothing special.

Three Stars

The Impatient Dreamers Part 3: Shadow of the Master by Walter Gillings

With us still waiting for the intervening issue, we skip to the third of Gillings articles, looking here at the emergence of British SF writers and publications in the 1930s, along with his efforts to establish more SF fan clubs.

This continues to be a brilliant series casting a spotlight on an area of SF development I rarely see discussed.

Five Stars

Pioneers of Science Fantasy

Two colour magazine covers:
Pearson's: illustrating Winged terror with a giant caterpillar like creature terrorising an Edwardian city
Chums: Illustrating Beyond The Aurora showing a plane flying in space with wings filled with rocket boosters

Some special colour reprints and short looks at big names in the history of the genre. A kind of supplement to the prior article.

Fantasy Review

Ken Slater reviews the latest E. C. Tubb interstellar adventure, Escape Into Space. Apparently, it is a disappointment, lacking character and convincing explanations.

Lucifer! by E. C. Tubb

Drawing of a suave man wearing a ring whilst a woman with goat horns looks on behind him
Illustrated by Gerard Alfo Quinn

Speaking of Tubb, this tale tells of Frank Weston, a morgue attendant who manages to get his hands on a ring of The Special People. These rings are a kind of portable time machine, allowing him to reverse time over a short period. Frank uses it to get rich and powerful, but can it really give him everything he desires?

A pretty standard tale of this type, well told. Once again Ted lands straight in the middle.

Three Stars

The Adapters by Philip E. High

Drawing of giant translucent monk like figures standing in the rain with heads bowed
Illustrated by Gerard Alfo Quinn

Roger Pryor is a fugitive from The Invaders. Five years ago, people started falling down totally incapacitated when touched by them. They are huge beings invisible except in very specific temperatures and lighting. They continually tell him they are here to help and rescue him, but what can their real agenda be?

A tense and evocative piece. Not the most original but enjoyable enough to bump it above the general chatter.

A low four stars

The Nixhill Monsters by Brian Waters

Whilst travelling across the Australian outback Alice and Graham swerve to avoid a strange creature, like a glowing transparent humanoid. Stopping in the nearby town they are curious to know more, the townspeople however are determined to kill the monster.

This feels to me like a middle-of-the-road episode of The Twilight Zone, overly simple moral and all. Whilst fairly competently constructed it feels strange that everyone here quickly accepts the existence of an alien, but also wants to murder her simply because she looks weird.

Two stars

World to Conquer by Sydney J. Bounds

A Woman being lifted high into the sky by two creatures who resemble a cross between a human and a pterodactyl.
Illustrated by BM Finch

With the Earth devastated by radiation poisoning, humanity is desperately searching for a new habitable planet to live on. When they finally find the world of Asylum, it is already occupied by the intelligent Fliers. Leo Crane is sent to meet the inhabitants, to discover how easily they can be exterminated.

Whilst some parts of this are very old-fashioned (Marie’s “I’m a woman” speech is particularly excruciating), I found the scientific concepts involved interesting and the question raised about how humanity treats the worlds it finds worth pondering. By the end you want to ask if we would really have the right to survive?

Evens out at a high Three Stars

Prisoner in the Ice by Brian Stableford

Drawing illustrating two men looking on as another man attempts to pick a frozen Saber-toothed tiger out of an ice sheet.
Illustrated by BM Finch

After centuries of battling the encroaching ice, the Earth is finally starting to warm up. On one of these ice sheets three men discover a saber-toothed tiger, frozen in mid-leap.

A much more philosophical story than I was expecting from these pages. The tiger and ice melt are really just metaphors, the main thrust of this piece is a discussion about what people become when they fight to survive. Do they become the winners or merely leftovers?

Interesting to compare and contrast with the previous story.

Four Stars

A Dentist’s Waiting Room

A Woman crawling towards a man who is seated on the floor
An unusual final image from Dick Howett previewing issue #4

So perhaps common sense and inertia are the tools behind Visions of Tomorrow. I feel like little here would be out of place ten years ago, but it is generally competent. Only the Bulmer I found to have any structural flaws.

Whether this middle of the road approach will work in the long run remains to be seen. Being unobjectionable but unremarkable is not necessarily going to get people to drop their 5 shillings for the next issue. As the architect of the NHS Aneurin Bevan said:

We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over!






[August 28, 1969] Aussie-British Publishing (Vision of Tomorrow #1)

Join us on August 29 at 7pm Pacific Daylight Time for the first edition of Science Fiction Theater—every week, we'll broadcast an excellent show or two, accompanied by fanzine readings and, of course, with commercials!



By Mx Kris Vyas-Myall

In general, there is a certain patriarchal attitude us Brits have towards the Commonwealth. We assume we will be the mother country that will be investing in and helping out the former colonies. Yet recent evidence suggests the opposite is true. And now we see it in publishing with the plan to rescue The Sun newspaper by 37-year-old Australian entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch.

Rupert Murdoch in 1969 sitting in a chair whilst holding a newspaper
Australian press-magnate, Rupert Murdoch

Back in 1964, the Daily Herald was Britain’s 4th biggest selling newspaper, with a specific interest in advancing the trade union movement. However, it was still losing money as its readership were generally older and of lower income—not the audiences advertisers wanted. The paper was folded and replaced by The Sun, designed to appeal to the “steak-eating weekenders” of the aspirational working class. However, this did not end up reviving its fortunes and International Publishing Corporation was losing £2m a year on the paper. As such they have declared they need to sell or shutter it by January 1970.

Also in 1964, Rupert Murdoch, having inherited News Ltd. from his father in 1954, launched Australia’s first national newspaper, The Australian, to compete with the established state papers. He got the local papers he controlled to move away from “stodgy” local news items, into human interest and television interests. This all led to the company’s profits rising from £30k to £1.2m. But he continues to have ambitious plans for expansion.

Having already beaten out Paul Maxwell to take over the weekly News of the World at the start of the year, the acquisition of The Sun will mean he has a daily publication under his belt. What he will do with it remains to be seen but sensationalism may be the order of the day. His News of the World has already attracted controversy by publishing extracts from Christine Keeler’s memoirs.

Whatever the fate of these papers, another collaboration has interested me. That between Australian publisher Ronald E. Graham, and British editor Philip Harbottle. United by their love of John Russell Fearn, they have put out a new Science Fiction magazine, Vision of Tomorrow.

Vision of Tomorrow #1
Cover of Vision of Tomorrow #1 with a colour painting of a dead man on an alien planet lying on the ground with his space helmet next to him. To the left another suited spaceman runs out whilst being watched by a floating spherical robot.
Cover by James

In spite of initial reports, this will not contain any John Russell Fearn reprints (a secondary magazine may be produced for that purpose in the future) rather “Vision” is dedicated only to publishing new stories by British and Australian authors, along with new translations of European authors.

In contrast to the semi-professional style of Alien Worlds or the arthouse feel of New Worlds, this feels like a traditional professional magazine. One that could sit in the racks happily beside Analog and Galaxy, albeit a 64 page slick, rather than the advertised 196 page pocket book. But what is inside?

The New Science Fiction by Philip Harbottle

In his editorial for the magazine, Harbottle sets out his stall. He declares that this magazine will deal with humanity trying to adapt to the increasing pace of change. Personally I think this sounds rather similar to what Gold was attempting in Galaxy in the 50s.

Swords for a Guide by Kenneth Bulmer
Black and white ink drawing of people fighting with swords whilst other people descend from the sky in globes
Illustrated by G. Alfo Quinn

As the sole member of the Kenneth Bulmer Fan Club [Not quite true—Jason Sacks likes him, too! (ed.)], I was excited to see he would be leading the magazine. Here Jeffrey Updike Grant is a Captain in the Guides, a kind of Galactic Administration military force, but one trained only to use weapons equivalent to the technological level of the alien planets they are on. When he is stationed on New Bangor, an uprising takes the Guides by surprise.

After a distress call is sent out, it is answered by local freetraders (read smugglers) who have no truck with the rules on technological advances. Whilst they initially push the Bangorians back, they are eventually overpowered and their atomic weaponry ends up in the hands of the natives. With the natives now aware that the Guides are not from this world and in possession of advanced weaponry, the chances of survival for the Terrans are slim. Their only hope is to travel down river to the largest settlement, with the natives hunting them.

Black and white ink drawing of five people sheltering on the raft as others fire at them with bows from the riverbank.
Illustrated by G. Alfo Quinn

Whilst I usually enjoy Bulmer’s work, this is not his standard fare, more a Victorian Boys-Own adventure, with lots of action and heavy descriptions, but not much depth. There is possibly some critique of colonialism at the end, but this work primarily seems designed to appeal to those that lament the loss of a “sense of wonder” in SF today. I am not one of those people.

Two Stars

When in Doubt – Destroy! by William F. Temple
Two spacemen look at a spherical floating robot with mechanical arms and two large eyes
Illustrated by G. Alfo Quinn

Pathfinders Cordell & Marston are surveying the Pluto-esque Scylla-8, awaiting a much-delayed supply ship. Instead, a robot named Mark 1105 appears. It tells them it has captured their ship along with a previous survey mission, and they will be imprisoned, without food or water, until they answer its questions about humanity.

This has a great moody sense of doom penetrating throughout and it has interesting ideas about psychology. Unfortunately, I found it let down a bit by using a very old and silly cliché to battle a robot.

Three Stars

Anchor Man by Jack Wodhams

Tirk and Ken are members of the experimental EPD, where psychic impressions of objects and people are used to investigate police cases. Mary Pantici, a prostitute, is found murdered in a sound proofed flat with no witnesses and the EPD is brought in for the first time on a case like this. Ken is indeed able to get an impression of the murderer. However, his gift leads him to the conclusion that the killer is a police officer, one who has mental abilities of his own.

Given Wodhams’ regular sales to Analog, and the centrality of ESP to the tale, I can’t help but wonder if this was meant for Campbell but was rejected because of the grimmer elements. Whatever its origin this is a reasonable update of the occult detective story, well told but with a bit of a limp denouement for me.

Three stars

The Vault by Damien Broderick

Dr delFord, a logician, is awoken at 3am and taken on a secret flight. His old friend Gellner reveals to him that, under the lunar crater Tycho, an ancient buried computer complex has been discovered.

Much of it seems to have been destroyed in a nuclear attack; however, they are able to deduce from a map the location of two other alien bases. One at the bottom of the Atlantic and one under Ayres Rock. It is to the latter one that delFord is flown. The titular Vault inside Uluru does not allow any electronic equipment in and so far has resulted in the deaths of 173 people trying to enter it.

With a new protective suit, delFord has one hour to try to work a way in, discover all he can and make it out alive.

It has become fashionable of late to claim every piece of mythology or construction project before 1945 is secretly the work of aliens (see, for example, Chariots of the Gods?). This sits within that genre. Not bad per se, but I feel that it could easily be made into an unremarkable episode of Star Trek or Doctor Who.

Three Stars

Sixth Sense by Michael G. Coney
A black and white ink drawing of a man helping a young woman in climbing up rocks
Uncredited illustration

This short story comes from a new writer who recently debuted in the pages of New Writings. Jack Garner is a publican who possesses a sixth sense others don’t. He recalls a summer three years before when a quarrelling family came to stay and how he made use of his unusual ability to help them.

The actual plot is fairly thin, being the kind of tale you would read as the text feature in an adventure comic, padded out with mind-reading sections. In addition, there are leering descriptions of a 14-year-old girl’s body from the point of view of our 37-year-old narrator. Less than this got Mr. Hedges branded a pervert by the local community in an episode of Please, Sir!.

One Star

Consumer Report by Lee Harding
A black and white ink drawing of a fleet of rocket like spaceships against a galactic background
Uncredited illustration

Previously one of Carnell’s crew, he wrote one of my favourite short stories of the decade, The Liberators, but I haven’t seen anything from him in a few years.

Crossing the spaces between galaxies the self-proclaimed Lords of their universe come on a mission of conquest, but they find only dead planets. What could have caused this?

Thankfully, this is not one of those awful John Brunner vignettes we usually see in Galaxy. Instead, Harding gives us a serviceable but unremarkable piece of space horror.

Three stars

Are You There, Mr. Jones? by Stanislaw Lem

This is a work from a leading Polish SF writer (translated by Peter Roberts) representing his first appearance in English. It tells of the legal case of Mr. Jones, a race car driver who has replaced parts of his body with cybernetics following various accidents. He has been unable to pay his debt for them and, indeed, claims they are faulty so he should not have to. However, a previous court ruled he could not have them removed as it would kill him.

As such the Cybernetics Company tries a new tact, arguing that as so much of him is replaced, he is no longer human and they are merely recovering their property.

I have heard from continental friends that Lem is already well liked in Germany and France, and this showed me why. This is only a short vignette but addresses fundamental questions in a concise and amusing manner.

Four Stars

The Impatient Dreamers Part 1: First Encounters by Walter Gillings

The editor of the first British SF magazine begins a history of 20th Century British Science Fiction. A largely auto-biographical piece, this opening section tells of the early days of British fandom in the 20s and 30s, talking of the influence of imported American magazines, short lived fandom, Edgar Rice Burroughs books, BBC Radio dramas and the film Metropolis. An interesting and pleasant introduction to an era before I was born.

Four Stars

The Shape of Things To Come
Text saying:
Don't miss this powerful novelette of one man's incredible fight for freedom across the burning desert of Zen, the Prison Planet...hunted by men and beasts alike!

Quarry by E. C. Tubb

Also
Moonchip by John Rankine
Dancing Gerontius  by Lee Harding
Frozen Assets by Dan Morgan
Minos by Muarice Whitta
Echo by William F. Temple
A Judge of Men by Michael G. Coney
Strictly Legal  by Douglas Fulthorpe
Undercover Weapon by Jack Wodhams

Plus the continuation of Walter Gilings' great series, a special report on SF In Germany, and a new book review section!

Vision of Tomorrow offers you the finest science fiction available - place a firm order with you usual supplier or write direct to the editorial address.
Coming next time

In spite of Harbottle’s introduction discussing the New Science Fiction, this is quite a traditional selection of stories, although generally solid ones. It is certainly no worse than we see from If or Analog and the one weak piece being from a new author I hope we can see more of.

As such, I am excited to see more of this collaborative exercise. Bring on the second issue.

Black and white ink drawing of a one man shooting another from below with the man about to be hit has arms spread wide
One final illustration from G. Alfo Quinn






[February 27, 1963] Keep On Going: (New Worlds, March 1963)

[While you're reading this article, why not tune in to KGJ, Radio Galactic Journey, playing all the current hits: pop, rock, soul, folk, jazz, country — it's the tops, pops…]


by Mark Yon

I was hoping to report better things about the British weather this month. But no – we’re still in what seems like the middle of a deep freeze period. Earlier this month there was a blizzard that covered most of the country for over 36 hours. The weather has been so bad that, unusually, professional football matches (soccer matches to you US readers) have been postponed – more than once in some cases:

The sea’s even been frozen in places:

I’ve never known anything like it in my lifetime, but here’s hoping that by the time I write next month things will be back to some sort of normal.

To New Worlds, then.

Fallacies in Science Fiction, by Mr. Donald Malcolm

The Guest Editorial this month (yes – another one!) is by an author who has been here a lot lately. Although limited in experience, Mr. Malcolm takes advantage of this opportunity to explain things as he sees it. The Editorial is both a celebration and a critique of s-f, claiming on one hand that its imaginative concepts satisfy the needs beyond those of mundane readers and then counterarguing that this is the reason for s-f unlikely to become mainstream popular. The ongoing argument continues.

To the stories. There’s a general theme of aliens and alien planets this month.

Inductive Reaction, by Mr. Russ Markham

This is an “alien anthropology” story in the ongoing series featuring the Hunters and the Laings of the Galactic Union Special Survey Teams. This time the couples go to Oris IV, a Venusian jungle planet, where they have to solve a puzzle: why do the planet natives, seemingly peaceful and obsequiously eager to please, suddenly attack expeditionary members without warning? It’s a logical, if rather uninspiring solution, surrounded by clichés such as the point that the good wives should stay at home whilst the men do the dangerous work. Not one of Mr. Markham’s best, I feel. Two out of five.

Aqueduct, by Mr. Francis G. Rayer

Mr. Rayer’s tale of Mankind’s attempt to subjugate an alien species on a waterless planet made me think of modern day construction schemes in countries like Egypt. It’s another one-idea type of story, but I enjoyed it as much as Mr. Rayer’s last, Capsid. Three out of five.

Eviction, by Mr. John Baxter

Written by someone from an ex-British colony, there’s more than a little nod and a wink towards colonialism in this likeable story about when aliens come back to Earth to reclaim their territory. It starts really well, even if the conclusion is a little too convenient. Three out of five points.

Bottomless Pit, by Mr. Philip E. High

I was rather dismissive of Mr. High’s last story in New Worlds, but this one was a slight return to form. A story of planetary invasion with a unique planetary defence mechanism. It’s logical and solid, if a little jarring in its depiction of alien attraction. One of the more enjoyable stories in this issue. Three out of five.

Too Good to be True, by Mr Walter Gillings

A short but welcome return to fiction by one of New Worlds’s founding editors, Too Good to be True is a lighter story composed of letters sent to an imaginary magazine editor by an author who may be more authentic than the Editor requires. Slightly entertaining. Three out of five.

Dawn’s Left Hand, by Mr Lan Wright

And lastly, to the final part of this rather underwhelming serial. Things are tied up rather conveniently, albeit at the usual breakneck speed, which, of course, gives us little time to think about how improbable everything is. Our ‘hero’ Martin Regan, acting as gangster Manuel Cabera, gets past the previous difficulties to reach another plot point clearly meant to be a grand reveal. Unfortunately, the story ends up being depressingly predictable and increasingly illogical. I’m pleased that this serial has come to an end, but at least its limitations has shown me how much s-f has progressed in recent years. Still two out of five.

In summary, a more solid issue than the February issue, but I still feel that we’re treading water here. When New Worlds is at its best, there’s a variety of thoughtful and literate stories, all bringing something new to the table. More recently though, I can’t help feeling that there’s been a lot of filler, with tales that are limited in success. I hate to say it, but reading issues is becoming a bit of a struggle.

[P.S. If you registered for WorldCon this year, please consider nominating Galactic Journey for the "Best Fanzine" Hugo.  Your ballot should have arrived by now…]