MOONSHINE NO. 2 Produced by John F. Burke, 57 Beauclair Drive., Liverpool 15, and circulated by JMRosenbium, who has the impertinence to call it "Pseudo Psally" for which he will never be forgiven. WHY? It is time that some person with an analytical mind (like my own). made some attempt to investigate this absurd business of voting for the best article in a certain fan magazine. What is the purpose of this ridiculous custom? Fan magazines, as all should know by now - the editors most of all - are run by voluntary efforts, which either come in or do not come in, just as the writer feels inclined. It is, something like.. well, actually, there is no simile of sufficient power to describe tha effort requited to obtain material from that lazy bunch of creatures called fans. Few fanmag editors are in a position to pick and choose, and even when they can do so their choice is restricted to a few items, Why, then, go through this farce of voting for the best article in the issue? What happens when the list is drawn up? Does the editor at once write away to the winner asking for another contribution? Very rarely, and if he does it is very probable that nothing will happen. Should the fan be an obliging fellow (very rare specimen indeed) he may try to churn something out, and in all probability said product, will be strained, artificial, and far below standard, since fans, like swing musicians and great writers, only work when smitten by inspiration. In nine cases out of ten, however, there is complete silence, and the fanmag just goes on with whatever material it has to hand. If the readers don't like it, that's just too bad. I don't suppose the opinion of even a vast body of readers (ha ha!) would stop Sam Youd, or myself printing whatever we felt like printing. So why waste time on these trivialities? If you like an article, by all means write in and say so, but don't vote for the best in the issue, unless you're one of those lunatics who like referendums referenda?). WE NEED articles and all the other stuff asked for in the last issue. We have received a very small amount of material, so what about a little support? There's a poem from JERennison coming up, and we have one or two other stalwarts who may be provoked into activity, but we can never have too much. Doug Webster is all in favour of an all-poetry sheet, or one with short poems and paragraphs. Is there any market for poetry in this benighted land of beer and bombs? A few comments, please. WILLIAMS THE PROPHET. Reading through an old issue of NOVAE TERRAE the other day we came across an astonishing forecast by Eric C. Williams in his article, "Idle Chatter in the Vaults". In this he mentioned the demise of N.T. in 1939, just before the second World War started. As one an' all will realise, this prophecy has been only too well justified, and we must pat Eric on the back for this truly remarkable achievement, Any more of these, and he'll be taking the bread and butter out of the mouth of H.G. Wells. GANS T. FIELD. Those readers of WEIRD TALES who have been trying to couple the names of Gans T. Field and Seabury Quinn should be interested to note that under Field's latest story, "The Dreadful Rabbits" is the line: "by the author of 'The Witch's Cat' and 'Fearful Rock), - Now 'hark back a little and remember who wrote 'Fearful Rock'!
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	THE MOCK WEBSTER'S SONG. "Will you read a little faster?" said a stfan to his pal, "There's a vombis close behind us, and he's rarin' for this Sal. See how avidly the werewolves and the zombies on us sprang! They are itching just to know you - will you come and join the gang? Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the gang? Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the gang? "You will have the greatest honour you'll be famous very soon, When they pack us in a spaceship and they shoot us to the moon!" But the pal went pale: "Nay, nay, 'I say!" as a vampire showed his fang - Though he loved all fandom dearly, yet he would not join the gang. Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the gang. Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the gang. What matters it if we are mad?" the doughty fan replied. There are kindred souls a-plenty, as you'll see once you're inside. There are Marids and there's Martians - all of whom the authors sang. Then do not quake, you wrigley snake, but come and join the gang. Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the gang? Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the gang? D.W. TOPICAL TUNE: "I'm Nobody's Baby", as Adam Link said. MARTIAN INVASION: The "Listener" for 2nd. January 1941 contains an interesting review of a new book dealing with the almost forgotten American radio scare over the broadcast of H.G.Wells' "War of the Worlds", dealing with several psychological aspects of the matter and giving percentages of the various classes of people who were stampeded. MISCELLANEOUS: HGW's latest, "The Babes in the Darkling Wood", is an interesting provocative dialogue that should appeal to all thinking fans. (That doesn't leave very many). Although Wells is at times almost ridiculous in some things, he raises many points worthy of attention. He also makes some veiled remarks about Aldous Huxley that he developed in a recent article for the "Sunday Dispatch". I have an idea "Brave New World" is more likely to become a Classic than any of HG's books.............. We will strike away from fantasy, or at least from one of fantasy's main exponents to add our regrets to those already offered for the death of James Joyce, one of the greatest experimentalists of our age. Comments in the daily press show a woeful lack of understanding of his work, and some of them are only prevented from saying he was ridiculous by a certain artificial respect for the dead ...... Pleasing to note that the experiment of publishing "New Writing", the intellectuals' happy hunting ground, as a Penguin 6d., has been so successful that it is now to be issued once a month .... Arthur Clarke is issuing an excellent sort of chain letter to keep a small body of fans in touch with one another. Will any of the "Red Bull" clique who have not yet been contacted by Ego, because of change of address or anything of that very frequent sort; get in touch with him at Colwyn Bay. MOREMOONSHINENEXTMONTHIFONLYYOULAZYSQUIRTSWILLSENDINSOMEMATERIALFORIT.
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