by Ed Wood
Out of the aptly termed microcosm, which is science-fiction fandom, has come one of its few lasting contributions. If there is any document, which is at one and the same time, a sourcebook, handbook, and history of fandom, it is THE IMMORTAL STORM. The wealth of detail, the technical competence, the overall objectivity make it the sine qua non of fandom, past, present, and future. Sam Moskowitz has made of this history of fandom, a living vital moving story of which no-one can tell the end.
In writing history, the writer is circumscribed for he has certain events and personalities to deal with. He cannot draw on his imagination, for he will be attacked by the people concerned, if he includes misinformation. Also, he must be familiar with the events he deals with, or have access to source material. The perspective must be correct, for he must choose the vital, from a mass of inconsequential information. The good and the bad must also be reported for to expound upon the pleasantly memorable and to exclude the skeletons in the closets would not merely be dishonest, but more important, it would be a distortion of history, which would be very hard to eliminate.
THE IMMORTAL STORM must have had a very long gestation period. In the September 1940 issue of the fan magazine "Van Houten Says" the following appears:
"Sammy Moskowitz has in his possession a manuscript which,
if printed, will do fandom no good. It's a screwball thing about
the Futurians, called "The Immortal Storm" or "Blitzkrieg Over
Fandom.................................................................................
In a letter to this writer, Moskowitz has pointed out that this "Immortal Storm" was a parody on the Futurian - New Fandom episode, and not by any means a serious article. Yet there is no doubt that he thought about the historical details and the incidents to a great extent before putting them on paper.
Many people will compare THE IMMORTAL STORM with Jack Speer's "Up To Now" or his "Fancyclopedia". Perhaps a quote from Speer himself will settle the first:
"Ungraciously, I have to register a dissent to F.T. Laney's opinion
that "Up To Now" was less biased & more accurate in details than
The Immortal Storm. As he comes up into events in which he par-
took, Sam may become guilty of more slanting: but, so far, aside
from some scarcely noticeable predjudice for Ackerman, he has
remained commendably impartial and the factual research in Storm
is out of "Up To Now" class entirely." (From a letter in Vampire #8)
The FANCYCLOPEDIA being arranged in an encyclopedic format suffers from all the advantage, and disadvantage of same. Sadly out of date now, had the FANCYCLOPEDIA been kept up to date with yearly or bi-yearly revisions, it would be invaluable. As it is, to find something in the FANCYCLOPEDIA, you must know what to look for. Many of the important events of early fandom are dealt with in small detail and any interested person must seek additional information elsewhere. Moskowitz has, in almost every case, added enough minutiae that a complete picture can be obtained from THE IMMORTAL STORM with no necessity for seeking source material.
The value of this history to present day fandom is not that it details the doings of a certain group of young people ten to twenty years ago but rather in it's details of fan magazines, the organization and decline of fan clubs, the deadly and sterile results of feuds, the universality of the problems in fandom. It is, in some ways, amazing to think that so many words are expended upon problems which a few years can toss into utter oblivion. And when the same problem comes up a few years later, a new generation of fans takes up with fanaticism and vigor the facets of this "crushing" item.
The tragedy of more than one fan publisher is detailed here. Near the end of Chapter 14, speaking of Olon F. Wiggins and his SCIENCE FICTION FAN:
".... Wiggins mailed out three hundred sample copies to fans who
had not seen the magazine before. Not even one postal acknow-
ledgement --- let alone a subscription! -- came back. The bitter
truth became apparent. There were simply enough interested fans
to support a printed journal........................................................."
While this may be an extreme example, it was repeated many times in the first decade of fandom and is not unknown today, in a time when science-fiction is much more popular and is, in the minds of some, becoming respectable (whatever this term may mean). It is a tribute to the pioneer fan magazine editor and publisher that they put out so many magazines of worth. Perhaps lacking the neatness of todays average publication, but showing an enthusiasm sadly lacking today, they are among the tragedies of the microcosm, and though small compared to the vast stage of world problems, the hurt was felt none the less deeply.
If one tried to sum up the many lessons listed in THE IMMORTAL STORM, they perhaps could be said to add up to this:
COOPERATION - PROGRESS ANARCHY - APATHY.
THE IMMORTAL STORM as it stands, is incomplete. Ending with the conclusion of the first World Convention in 1939, it does not stop at a natural break, which would be a time when a definite era of fandom was over. Later editions may well extend the story to December 7, 1941, or even later. At this date, informed fans know what has to come next, the reaction against New Fandom, the second and third Conventions, the outbreak of World War II & the virtual collapse of British Fandom, the COSMIC CIRCLE, etc. Whatever point Moskowitz selects there is little doubt that future historians of fandom will use it as a starting point. No-one can add more to the territory already covered except the personal memoirs (should they ever be written) of Wollheim, Palmer, Ackerman, Lowndes, and a few others of the period.
The reputation of many professionals may suffer a little when read about in THE IMMORTAL STORM, but that should teach the importance of placing oneself on record in print. Since no-one can tell what importance the years to come may place on one's statements, it is impossible to avoid treading on what one writes, in long range terms, would tend to eliminate many of the trivialities that bother some of our esteemed professionals today.
The names of the fans of yesteryear seem like a rollcall of the professional field today. Fandom has given editors, illustrators, agents, and writers to the field, and will perhaps continue to do so. Irrespective of the final assessment of fandom, THE IMMORTAL STORM shows clearly that, in spite of false trails, stupid and incompetent leaders, obscure means and ends, fandom has been a group having an importance out of all proportion to its size. To all future fans, it will serve as a guide thru the complex early era of this science fiction fan movement.
All histories are tragedies in the last analysis since the stage remains essentially the same, while the characters change. To the old guard, those few hardy souls that have remained when so many have gone, it will bring back memories of the younger days. The present fans should contemplate whether their contributions to fandom will endure among the members of the microcosm, or if they shall be among the nameless many. History can record and judge achievements, both positive and negative; it cannot record nonentities.
Copies of THE IMMORTAL STORM, by Sam Moskowitz may still be purchased from Henry Burwell Jr., 459 Sterling St. N.E., Atlanta, Georgia; price $2 per copy postpaid. Going fast!!
(Data entered by Judy Bemis)