Most of us have been learn normal panels about the “ Death of Science Fiction ” for year now — it ’s become sort of a jolly platitude . Everybody laments the release of some earlier , greater age for the genre . But back in 1937 , British devotee were pretty worried that SF was in lasting decline .
Top image : Thrilling Wonder Stories , viaUK Vintage .
Over at Rob Hansen ’s Fan Stuff , you may show the full contents of Novae Terrae — a fanzine from November 1937 , listing a sure Arthur C. Clarke as one of its associate editors . Along with some pretty abrasive reviews of the then - latest emergence of Thrilling Wonder Stories ( pretty certain “ stock characters ” are still with us today ) there ’s Clarke ’s rebuttal to the people who say “ science ” is the important part of “ skill fiction , ” and science fable account demand no literary merit .
And then at the death , there ’s this choice morsel :
You have to love the whim of the great unwashed earnestly contend in 1937 whether the best twenty-four hours of science fable were behind it . Bear that in mind the next time you insist that it ’s all downhill from here . [ h / t Danny ]
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