Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 18:51:21 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Old School
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

> twhite8 at cox.net 3/30/2005 6:24:16 PM >>>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Lawhorn, William - BLS" <Lawhorn.William at bls.gov>
>To: "'WSFA members'" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 1:04 PM
>Subject: [WSFA] Re: Old School
>
>>
>> I'd include at least one of the Lensman and/or Skylark series.  Have
to
>> think about it more to add more...
>>
>> -- Mike B.
>>
>> Not familiar with them.  Of course there is too much I'm not
familiar
>with.
>
>Not familiar with *E.E. Smith*?   Then again, familiarity might breed
>contempt -- he wrote a very rudimentary form of SF.   It's more
important
>as a foundation to what followed (i.e., space opera) than anything
else.

Lord knows as a writer Smith was... yes, rudimentary, but then most of
the pre-Campbell pulp stuff was even less so.

Simply put, Smith is the bedrock on which Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon
5 all rest upon.

Oddly enough, the issue of Amazing that carried Part One of The Skylark
of Space also carried a story by Philip Francis Nowland featuring
Anthony Rogers, better known as Buck.  Here's more info, including the
cover (they don't make 'em like that anymore!)
http://www.troynovant.com/Franson-DL/Essays/Amazing-Stories-Obituary.html

Which brings to mind one of the "problems" with knowing the past.  When
I started reading this stuff - 1963/1964 - it had been less than 30
years since Amazing had been founded.  It was possible to read widely,
to know most of what Murray Leinster or E E Smith or H. B. Fyfe or..
or...  had written.  We're now close to 80 year ssince that first issue
of Amazing; a lot of fiction under that bridge, so to speak.

I still have sense of wonder... GoshWowOhBoy... when looking through
the Campbell era Astoundings.  The July 1941 issue had Part 1 of 3 of
Methuselah's Children, "We Also Walk Dogs" by Anson MacDonald, and
stories by Simak, van Vogy and Bester.

September had "Nightfall".

October had "By His Bootstraps" by Anson MacDonald & "Common Sense" by
Heinlein.

Covers and ToCs here:
http://www.noosfere.com/showcase/astounding_1941.htm

Gosh, dem were da days...

mjw

>
>--Ted White
>