Dave Van Arnam -- This isn't a comment on anything you said last week, but as Fandom's Closest Contact with Lin Carter, maybe you can answer a question for me. What is Carter doing in the King Kull paperback? His story there, "By This Axe I Rule!", is a point-by-point copy of Howard's Conan story, "The Phoenix on the Sword", except for the added love interest in Carter's story. Howard's villains are Ascalante, the outlaw; Volmana, the dwarfish Count of Karaben; Gromel, the giant commander of the Black Legion; Dion, the fat baron of Attalus; and Rinaldo, the mad minstrel. Ascalante says, "As for me - well, a few months ago I had lost all ambition but to raid the caravans for the rest of my life; now old dreams stir." Carter's Ardyon says, "A few months ago I had lost all ambitions save to waste the villages and the caravans as long as Ilived. Now, well - now we shall see." The similarities go on like this for page after page. Why on Earth has Carter made such a close copy of one of Howard's best stories? Is he just trying to see how many people spot the steal? Did he find the Conan story existing in an earlier form in Howard's manuscripts, and complete it into a Kull story to bring both versions into print? (But a list of credits is given of the manuscripts by Howard that were completed by Carter, and "By This Axe I Rule!" isn't among them, which seems to imply that it was written entirely by Carter.) I'd like to know why Carter simply reworded a Conan story and published it as a new Kull story, if you can find out the answer from him.
Bruce Pelz -- One of the more valid objections that George Nims Raybin was making to the non-North American rotation slot every 4th year was that, just because Heidelberg happens to want the Con for 1970, there's now a feeling that there's bound to be at least one good foreign bid every four years; and this is dangerous and faulty thinking. This means (acto George) that if a foreign city puts in a bid, no matter how puny or unpopular, during this 4th year, it's got the WorldCon cinched; unless some U.S. city wants to bid out of rotation and tyr getting the 2/3 majority vote needed to overcome the rotation system. So, if George's vision comes true, there may not be a WorldCon out of the continent every four years, even if the rotation plan stays set up for one; or there may well be U.S. competition (and runners-up) to foreign bids, even though by the new setup a non-North American bid has no North American competition.
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4404 Forest Park
St. Louis, Mo. 63108
October 4, 1967Dear Fred,
I received RADIACTIVOS! #154 today, and thank you for thinking of me.
Thank you also for the support of St. Louis in '69...believe me, it's very appreciated.
...'Enjoy' is not the correct word to use considering; however, I greatly appreciated the comment you made in regard to the Guest-of-Honor seconding Con bidding speeches. Your point, concerning the use of the 'position', as opposed to the use of the 'person', is sound. It's a hairy problem - the entire subject of the ethics of con bids - and undoubtedly we'll all be hearing much about it in years to come. As the WorldCons grow larger and larger, the questions raised by every con-bid will become more imperatively demanding on answers....
It's been said, and is probably true, that nothing changes until it becomes an economic necessity. No doubt, the same will hold true with fandom...it is very little different now than it was in the early '50s...and when change comes to fandom the discussions of ethics that will be raised will be lively. Even though ethics will not be the reason that any of the systems are changed, they will be used as the reason for making the changes that the economy demands. In actual fact, ethics themselves will change to blend more smoothly with whatever changes should occur...for ethics are little more than a codification of the rules put down by society, and seem (to me at least) to, generally, outline the most efficient mode of operation. That the ethics of conbidding will change...as they are beginning to change now...is no more than a reflection of the fact that the most efficient way of conbidding will change. The bidding session at Nycon has shown us this; it is no longer feasible to feel confident when using the old-style ethics. The economy of conbidding is changing too quickly for the old-style ethics; they will not survive.
A pity...for me, at least as I was 'schooled' in the old economy, under the ethics that applied. But, to someone who is 'schooled' in what-ever-new economy should arise, our codes will seem as inoperable as the ethics in use in the days of Salem. Which will, of course, be correct, as they will no longer be working in the same economic framework as we work within.
Thanks again; I did enjoy your comments concerning this...they made me think.
Best Regards,
Ray Fisher
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LASFS OUTINGS: Saturday, Nove. 4th -- Gilbert & Sullivan Theatre Party, to see "The Yeomen of the Guard". Place: Robert Frost Auditorium, 4401 Elenda Street, Culver City. Admission: $3.00. Time: 8:15 p.m. (performance starts at 8:30). Pay at the door, but if you want to join the LASFS group, get your name in to me by next week so I can reserve a bloc of seats together, in the LASFS' name.
Saturday, Nov. 11th -- Picnic outing to L.A. County Arboretum (where Don Fitch works). Details will follow.
