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NOVAE TERRAE #8 (November 1936)
CONTENTS:
Copytyping this issue by Keith Freeman, from scans provided by Alistair Durie.
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NOVAE TERRAE...................NEW WORLDSNOVEMBER 1936.............VOL 1 No.8CONTENTS
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THE BRITISH SCIENCE-FICTION CONFERENCE by D.W.F.Mayer On January 3rd, 1937, there is to be held in the Theosophical Hall, Leeds, under the auspices of the Leeds Science Fiction League, an event without precedence in the science fiction world - a conference of British science fiction fans and authors. The following are but a few of those who have promised to attend:- D.G. MacRae, Director of the Glasgow Chapter; S. Johnstone, Director of the Barnsley Chapter; M.K.Hanson and D.A.Jacques, editors of NOVAE TERRAE; W.H.Gillings, editor of "Scientifiction"; L.J.Johnson, Hon. Secy. of the British Interplanetary Society; E.J.Carnell, London Correspondent to NOVAE TERRAE, and J.R.Fearn, author of "Mathematica", etc. The Conference is to be divided into two parts: The morning part, for those who arrive in Leeds early, and the Conference proper. The morning part will last from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., and will consist of short talks by prominent persons in the science-fiction world. The afternoon part will commence at 2.30 p.m. and continue until any time after 6 p.m. There will be a programme of discussions to consider ways and means of improving science fiction in Great Britain. Everyone attending is invited to speak. I have recently received a letter from Professor A.M.Low, Vice-President of the British Interplanetary Society, and author of the science-fiction serial "The Great Murchison Mystery", now appearing in "Armchair Science", in which he states:- "I consider that a meeting of this kind is of immense interest, and that it also has a very definite scientific value.......I wish success to the meeting and suggest a good motto for such a Conference might be 'What is good enough for today is much too bad for tomorrow'." Several other important scientists and authors, including Dr. Steinitz the German Rocket expert, have also expressed an interest in the Conference.
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HUMORESKE Slips that slipped past ...........................the final and most trying situation then becomes the climax of the story and the solution its denouncement . ...... (from "Fantasy Magazine" ) Is science fiction in a rut? Left out till next issue.......(from "The Phantagraph") The Three-Eyed Man Cummings.......{from "Fantasy Magazine")
Rumour...........................
Entertainments we have yet to enjoy.....................
Tin Tacks Department........................... ...your last issue was swell! "Rough Stuff Rayers" was fine, "Dimensional Demons" terrific, "Void Vampires" marvellous, and "Planetary Parasites" magnificent! I am five years old and have been a constant reader for three weeks................P.S. Why do you have any science in the stories?
A kick in the pants once more
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Introducing: Following their Footsteps a feature in which we do what the professional science fiction magazines have been doing for years —- with the redeeming feature that we do it that much better (so we fondly imagine, anyway.) In this issue, for the benefit of editors and all and sundry we demonstrate how to deal to the best advantage with the recalcitrant reader. We received the following letter recently: Editors, "Novae Terrae". Dear Sirs, I have just received the current (October) issue of "Novae Terrae" and have read same from cover to cover. But what have I learnt? -— nothing, absolutely nothing. If, as the name of the mag suggests New Worlds are to be talked about, let's talk about them, and not a lot of rot about what other people are doing or supposed to be doing. Take the Editorial (where? all right, joke over —- Eds.) a lot of gas about nothing. "Hands Off English" -— nothing but slating a lot of fools who do not want to speak English, as we know it. "Personal Opinion" another waste of good time writing. "This Side 0f the Atlantic" -— nothing but a book and film review which anyone can get who reads a decent newspaper. "The Position of the Science Fiction Film". Another film review, the same applies to this as to the above. Come along, Messrs. Editors and let's have something that will interest, elevate and give us something to think about or like many of us we shall have to go back to H.G.Wells (the second)
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P.S. I trust that you will publish this. If you do you will have a few bricks thrown. HGW 2nd. (We might say that this letter expresses itself so well that comment would be superfluous, or we might say that a letter like this makes one feel that an Editor's job is no sinecure -— but we will refrain. In fact, it gives us an unholy joy to attempt to reply even more scathingly to this scathing denunciation. In the first place, in the more fastidious circles to send a letter to a magazine without name or address with more than a hint of daring it to print it is a deed looked on with askance -— it just isn't white man, it isn't done. We feel that if our correspondent has learnt absolutely nothing from the issue he holds so low in his estimation, his mind is not one whit susceptible or retentive of the things the average science fiction enthusiast really wants to know. Perhaps H.G.Wells the second is taking the title "Novae Terrae" -— New Worlds too literally since the title was picked to convey a sense of new spheres and ideas in the science fiction world to be explored. We do not hesitate to say that "Novae Terrae" is the only journal of its kind in Britain and thus the material we run in it comes ipso facto under the heading we chose, though if H.G.Wells (the second) still feels that we are running the wrong type of material perhaps he would be considerate enough to let us know what precisely he would like to see —- for we are anxious to consider every suggestion anyone has to offer -— instead of contenting himself with purely destructive criticism. At the end of the letter it seems implied that our correspondent had considered "Novae Terrae" as replacing H.G.Wells (the first) in his reading —- an end at which we have not even remotely aimed,
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for rather do we attempt to record
what is going on of interest to science fiction enthusiasts, together with a by no
means negligible proportion of features that are meaty, interesting and elevating. In
reply to H.G.Wells (the second)'s specific criticisms we might ask whether anyone has
seriously denied that the purpose of an Editorial is to say little as elegantly as
possible? Again, the very fact that the "scienti" craze is so prevalent renders Mr.
Smith's article the more opportune and valuable. Regular features such as the column by our London Correspondent and "This Side Of the Atlantic" we have defended above though we must add that we are extremely dubious as to whether anyone bitten by the science fiction cupiditas habendi or with any taste for science fiction films, etc., would get ten percent of the items that appear in this feature from any one newspaper, or periodical. This department may or may not have been interspersed with Shavian shafts of wit, but we feel that since H.G.Wells (the second) wrote seriously with worthy intentions we have tried to reply in like manner, trusting that all who read will not have wasted their time, entirely.......... ((((((Editors))))))
Presumably the Editors of THRILLING WONDER have been impressed by the work of Ray Cummings for the December issue of that magazine carries two of his stories —- "Trapped In Eternity" and "Earth-Venus 12", the latter appearing under the name Gabriel Wilson.
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The science fiction fan THIS SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC is on the look-out for fantasy published in these Islands. We hope this aids him. Humorous science fiction from the pen of well-known humourists is all too rare so that the occasion when none other than P.G.Wodehouse applies himself to this type of literature is not one to be forgotten in a hurry. "Laughing Gas" published by Herbert Jenkins at 7/6, and currently serialised in the "Daily Express", is based around what happens when the mind of Reggie Havershot, vacuous English earl, is transferred to the body of Joe Cooley, precocious Hollywood child film-star, and vice versa, via the influence of dentists' anaesthetics and the fourth dimension. Certain of the passages are considered the best thing Wodehouse has done, which is saying something, and the rest is well up to standard...................The "Daily Express" seems somewhat prone to the fantasy serial for it was they who created something of a furore by printing an interplanetary serial by Moore Raymond a year or so ago, though they recently turned down a novel by John R. Fearn ..............................Only a few weeks ago Gaumont-British's "The Man Who Changed His Mind" with Boris Karloff and Anna Lee had its premiere and has had a quick release. In common with all recent science fiction films but "Things To Come" it didn't get a tumultuous reception, but was treated for the most part with a tolerant aloofness....................................The third of H.G.Wells' films for Alexander Korda "The New Faust" now in production, the treatment by Wells appearing in the December "Nash's Magazine"..... Wells was also featured in the "News-Chronicle" series of English humourists with "The Truth about Pyecraft" in the issue of October 20th. The day before a Lord Dunsany short story was
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featured................
Benson Herbert's last serial in the old "Wonder" is published over here in book
form under the title "Crisis — 1992"..........................
Via the fourth dimension to the distant star Hesperus is the basic idea in "The
Hesperides" by John Palmer,
Secker 7/6. This is another book following in the tradition of "Erewhon", "Upsidonia"
etc., and it has
been commended either as a comparatively good satire or as a story of fantastic
exploration................
Professor A.M.Low's first novel, "The Great Murchison Mystery" is currently running
as a serial in "Armchair Science" and is centred around communication with Mars in
the days when the earth is on the brink of another wholesale war
.................................Once again the Children's Hour provides sole science
fiction items on British radio..... .On the 26th of October the West featured "A
voyage to the Moon" by Dan Jones. "The Man from Mars" by J.D.Strange is again being
serialised, this time by the North with episodes every Wednesday. ...........................
In "Four Days War" (Hale 7/6) S. Fowler Wright continues the story of the war of
1938 replete with aerial gas attacks, bomb attacks, etc., etc................
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Reviews —- In a nutshell (Compiled by D.R.Smith and the Editors) In this department, which we propose to make a regular feature, we intend to comment briefly on all outstanding features -— stories, illustrations, departments, etc., —- of the s-f magazines now in circulation in Britain. Ratings: Very good, good, quite good, fairly good, fair,
December THRILLING WONDER STORIES (readable, poor. The basic idea has something in common with "The Adaptive Ultimate", but the story is nevertheless amusing, far above the standard of the rest in the issue. Good.
TRAPPED IN ETERNITY by Ray Cummings.
STATIC by Eando Binder (Fair.
THE LANSON SCREEN by Arthur Lee Zagat.
THE BRINK OF INFINITY by Stanley G. Weinbaum
MUTINY ON EUROPA by Edmond Hamilton.
SATURN'S RINGMASTER by Raymond Z. Gallun THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR X. by Allan K. Echols Not at all noteworthy in plot science or action. Poor.
EARTH VENUS 12 by Gabriel Wilson ILLUSTRATIONS: Generally inferior and cheap. The cover artist has potentialities, as yet very undeveloped.
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DEPARTMENTS: Zarnak with his bulging biceps and pugnacious jaw is laughable. Science
Questions and Answers best ever, "The Reader Speaks"
mediocre, book and film review better than most. SFL dept. is fair but "The Story
behind the Story" is novel.
October AMAZING STORIES
THE COUNCIL OF DRONES by W.K. Sonneman
SIX WHO WERE MASKED by Henry J. Kostkos
THE HUMAN PETS OF MARS by Leslie F. Stone
THE OUTPOST ON CERES by L.A. Eshbach ILLUSTRATIONS: Slightly below average in execution, very poorly reproduced. The cover maintains the improvements that have been apparent in this direction recently. DEPARTMENTS: "Discussions" contains more than the usual amount of uncalled for gush. No book-reviews in this issue.
October ASTOUNDING STORIES
GODSON OF ALMARLU by Raymond Z. Gallun
POSITIVE INERTIA by Arthur Purcell
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THE TIME ENTITY by Eando Binder A well meant attempt at explaining time-travelling paradoxes, though it is more explanation than story. Fairly good.
THE SAPROPHYTE MEN OF VENUS by Nat Schachner
NIGHTMARE ISLAND by Douglas Drew
INFINITY ZERO by Donald Wandrei
THE FLIGHT OF THE TYPHOON by Clifton B. Kruse. ILLUSTRATIONS: In "Godson of Almarlu" Thomson is rather refreshingly Paulian, and Dold's work for "The Saprophyte Men of Venus" is nuch better than his usual. The rest are rather better than average. The cover is fairly good but the composition is a little disjointed. DEPARTMENTS: "The Double World" by John W. Campbell, Jr. is very entertaining more from the writing than its contents. "Brass Tacks" is much of a muchness, though it is pleasant to see several letters backing up Lovecraft. The Editor must be feeling sore between the shoulder-blades with the pats he gives himself.......................................................
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PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE by E.J.Carnell I have just finished reading a touching little story in the 1898 "Strand Magazine" entitled "The Thames Valley Catastrophe" whereby "a great vent opens in the Thames Valley, and molten lava flows onward to engulf London and all the Southern Counties". The terrific efforts of the hero on his fifty mile dash from Oxford to the Metropolis with only a bicycle between himself and awful death, brought tears to my eyes. However the science in the story was correct, and goes to prove that there was science fiction stories in circulation even then. Along with my monthly assortment of literature arrived the May and June issues of the FOURTEEN LEAFLET, Chicago's answer to the fan magazine question. These are the first two that I have had the pleasure of reading....I say "pleasure" because they are extremely interesting, especially the Editorials. In the May issue Milton J. Latzer states that science fiction is "a type of literature appealing almost entirely to the juvenile mind" and goes on to sum up the average age of American fans, which, he says is fifteen years. This is interesting and appears to be true. In a recent check-up with New York fans I have found that the average age of English fans is some seven years, or more, higher than in America. Ages of ace American fans or those most prominent for some reason or other are:— Bill Sykora 22, Don Wollheim 21 1/2, Dan MacPhail 20, Jack Speer 15, Julius Schwartz 20, Mort Weisinger 20, Charles Hornig 20, Conrad Ruppert 22, Wilson Shepherd 21, Forrest Ackerman 19, Jack Darrow 19, John Michel l8, Irving Kosow 18, Hare Kirshenblit 19, Arthur Selikowitz 15, Jim Blish 14, Claire Beck 17, etc. The average fan is 18, the average reader 13-14. In England we have an entirely different parallel.
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Our oldest fan is well in his thirties,
while the most active are between 22 and 30, with a few between 18 and 22. Now the
reader ranges from 20 to 50. I recently experimented to find this out. I discovered
that my magazine agent, a man about 45, was an ardent science fiction reader and had
been for about 20 years, so I spent a Saturday afternoon at his shop checking up
buyers of the various science fiction magazines. It was at a period when several
issues of magazines were over here on the remainder stands....and out of some fifty
sold during four hours, not one went to a person under 20 years old. The average, I
should think, was about thirty, years of age. I gather that the mental attitude of American readers is towards the 'dreamer' and that few of them belong to social groups. Most of them have the urge to experiment and quite a few of them have their own laboratories. In England, the attitude is again entirely dissimilar, many reading the stories entirely for their advanced ideas, and I don't know of one who has his own lab. So much for the May issue of the LEAFLET. Now, the June issue raises another interesting point. I notice that the Chicago Chapter is solidly behind the new THRILLING WONDER, while I know that the main group of New York fans are against it. Controversy may be raised to a white heat for and against the Mag, so let's try an experiment on this too. I invite all readers and fans in all parts of England and America to send their opinion of the new THRILLING WONDER to Maurice Hanson, the editor of this magazine, either singly or collectively in groups and Chapters, on a post-card will do, by the middle of January, 1937.
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Trial Trip by D.R.Smith At one side of the main entrance hall in the offices at the Midland Rocket Station was a large door marked "Officers Only". Inside that door was a large low room, comfortably furnished, filled with an ever-changing gossiping crowd of officers waiting for their calls, waiting for a train home, or amusing themselves towards the weary conclusion of an enforced spell of idleness under the health regulations. Through the thick sound-proof windows could be seen the vast black expanse of diamond hard concrete, and when a liner came sidling down wreathed in incandescent blasts there was sure to be a critical crowd round the windows ready to censure any mistake. Many tragic and semi-tragic incidents in space became jokes in this cheerful atmosphere, such as the famous "Ajax" tragedy when the notoriously clumsy captain made his first good landing after literally losing his head at eight hundred miles up. A small meteor had ripped through the control room decapitating the captain and killing the other two officers in the room with metal splinters, but the captain's headless body froze on to the controls and a series of incredible chances brought the vessel down without a jar. Testers led an adventurous life and often a patrol ship brought down a pair who had suffered for the mistakes of designers and artificers. Then there was sure to be a great joke narrated against some unfortunate engineer, and the greater the victim the greater was the laughter. Thus when one bright June afternoon in 2176 Hans and Fritz Darner related such an incident against the Managing, Director of Universal Rockets himself, Harry Peters, captain of the Martian mail, delayed his vessel for the first time in his career in order to hear the entire story.
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Hans and Fritz were twins, grandsons of a
mechanic on the first successful Lunar voyage, and had been born and bred in the
trade. Square faced, square built, notorious jokers, long use to high accelerations
had toughened them to a formidable extent. Blond haired Hans told the tale thus: "You fellows know how proud Leach is of his son don't you. It's 'Fred did this', 'Fred did that', 'Fred was almost first of his year in rocket mechanics'.......well, someone at a big dinner said why doesn't this marvel improve rocket design? So Leach said, well, of course he can if he wanted to, and the other fellow (I think it was Cohen of Transport Services) said is that so. Leach said it was so and when he's designed a ship I'll see that it's built. "So Fred studies the latest rocket design and sets out to improve it. His first brilliant idea was to decrease the weight by cutting down the factor of safety (which was pretty low already) and there he stuck for a bit. I think his next idea must have come after a cheese supper. The two side thrust motors are usually mounted on a big steel bearing, and as you fellows know, it's a struggle to swivel them round for swift manoeuvring. So our young genius sticks roller bearings in, giving the bearing people heaps of fun at any rate. Realising dimly that these would be rather too free for the usual clamping device he designed a quick acting arrangement using big finely serrated plates. The effort of designing this caused brain fever or something and in his delirium he replaced the worm and worm-wheel with rack and pinion for turning them. "Well, the works manager and other people made so many cracks about this marvellous design, until Leach said, why to prove its ok Fred and I'll go up on the first trial, see? They did too, and Fritz and I sweated blood trying to ease the strains as much as possible. That didn't satisfy, Leach, and he told us to give her the full test.
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"We were about eight thousand miles up then and we let her out on six gravities
with the idea of squashing some of the liveliness of Leach and son. It did that
and more! Whether it was a brainwave of Fred's or whether it was accidental I
haven't liked to ask, but the thrust-reaction must have been considerably out of
line with the center about which the motors pivoted. Anyway, there was the sudden
noise of serrations being smoothed out, and the motors turned into Catherine wheels. "The ship created then! Our safety straps parted at once, and we sailed towards the ceiling which fortunately moved away in time. The. floor caught up with us and we managed to grab hold of the spare pair of acceleration hammocks. I could show you the marks my fingers left on the main uprights! The rocket feed was stuck on, though fortunately impaired in efficiency and it seemed only a matter of time before the motors pulled either the ship or themselves into little pieces. They were good bearings! The fuel feed gave up in the end and left us in comparative peace. The ship was shaken to a jumble of plates and twisted members at the back in particular, in fact I think that the control cabin was the only part of the ship even remotely whole. And you could see the air-pressure needle moving back to zero as you watched it, but Leach was swearing at dear Frederick, and Hans and I were too busy being sick and listening that it was minutes before we thought of the space suits. In fact, if Leach hadn't fainted I don't think we should have broken the fascination in time. Fritz had a look of worship on his face even while he was being sick. "Still, we got into our own suits and wrapped the remains of Mr. Leach senior and Mr. Leach junior in a suit each as well and waited for the life-guards in peace. It took them an hour from number three
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station, which wasn't bad going for
them. The doctors think the Leach family will able to walk in eighteen months at
the maximum, so they can't be so badly damaged as I thought they would be. After
all, considering Leach's stomach you wouldn't have thought he could have stood
anything like the shaking we got. I doubt whether Fred will survive though, he is
suffering from severe concussion of the pride. As for us, apart from minor
contusions, nervous shock and the humiliation of being space-sick for the first
time in fifteen years we are fine." "But what exactly did Leach say to the ex-apple of his eye?" asked Harry Peters eagerly, nodding impatiently to his anxious third officer. Hans grinned, and assisted by the retentive memory of Fritz repeated the remarks in detail.
Past, Present, and Future (Cont.)
To English readers....the October and December issues of TWS are now on sale in
England and are both an improvement over the August issue....this should enable
you to judge fairly accurately. The result of the vote will be published in the
February NOVAE TERRAE. The outcome of it whether for or against TWS won't worry
Standard very much, as fans occupy less than 2% of the science fiction reading
public, but it will be interesting to see how the fans take it.
Making science fiction history.......I voice the thought of myself and many
English fans in warmly congratulating Julius Schwartz of New York for the superb
latest issue of his FANTASY MAGAZINE. This issue has reached a peak in fan mag
productions which we candidly think will never again be attained....it's a
masterpiece.
On Tuesday, October 27th. the London Branch of the British Interplanetary Society
was formed at
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Professor A.M.Low's offices, Piccadilly. Twenty-two members were present at the
occasion and the evening was spent in an enthusiastic discussion of the principal
steps to be taken in the near future. The "Telegraph" of the 28th carried a five-inch column on the principal themes of the Meeting, which should benefit the Branch considerably. Before the meeting adjourned, some Press photos were taken which will be placed in suitable journals at a later date. J.H. Edwards, elected Director of Research, during his address to the members, stated that "science fiction authors have never kept pace with science". He said that when science has caught up with an idea that has been used by science fiction authors, usually before the estimated time science has beaten them at their own game. Working on the theory that most science fiction stories set interplanetary travel at the year 2000, and that science always overtakes science fiction, then we may expect space-travel by the year 1970. Plans are already taking shape for plenty of action by the Branch in the near future.
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money going to defray expenses. They must be ordered —- with money —- BEFORE
DECEMBER 1st. Collectors of science fiction rarities should make a note of this. We will be delighted to send any further information to anyone enquiring, but would appreciate the enclosure of a stamped-addressed envelope. One last appeal to all fans -— either send an envelope for a ticket, or, send 1/- and order a copy of the booklet (the booklets, of course, will not be issued until after the Conference.) Send your letters to D.W.F.Mayer, c/o Leeds Science Fiction League, 9, Brunswick Terrace, Leeds, 2.
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PHOTOS OF FIRST LONDON BIS MEETING, OCTOBER 27th, 1936 These two photos are from Ted Carnell's collection (as sourced by Peter Weston) and were taken at that first meeting in Professor A.M. Low's office, report above.
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