OFF COURSE

I wonder how often reader speculation makes authors change their plans? It's possible that the future history of the Galaxy was changed by one Robert Griffin, who in the April 1946 A.S.F. may have shaken Asimov to his Foundations by guessing that Stars' End was imaginary, a Seldon device to encourage Terminus; the next in the series was inconclusive, very much delayed, and should perhaps have been called 'Now You've Seen It.' Then in August 1947 Warren Hayle suggested that in the hands of a less capable author Lord Clane would turn out to be a normal man, the others being the mutants. Perhaps Van Vogt was not so very bright after all: anyhow he has since left the twilight of the 'Gods.' Thank you, Warren.

TWO SUGGESTIONS

I do wish Mr. Campbell would stop giving away plots of the stories in A.S.F. by those clever little introductions. [Personally I much prefer to be not quite sure what a story is about after reading it; which is why I like Van Vogt.] In the time saved maybe he could find the paper for the 16 pages which disappeared in March, 1947, or even for Unknown. This famous paper famine, I must say, seems slightly incredible to anybody who tries to lift one of those technicolor catalogues the Americans call 'slick' magazines.

WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN

Talking of Unknown, does anyone know when the stories in the current British reprints first appeared? Are we still ploughing on to October, 1943, or are we on the second trip through, living on rejects from the first? Sometimes I've thought we must be on the third or fourth lap.

Data entry and page scans provided by Judy Bemis

Data entry by Judy Bemis

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