Silverberg to Moskowitz

Silverberg, Robert. SIX TYPED LETTERS SIGNED (TLsS), all to "Dear Sam" [Moskowitz], each about 1/2 page or less, dated: 8 October 1951; 11 February 1952; 14 December n.y.; 17 February 1962; 19 August 1963; 7 July 1968, all signed "Bob.". The letters cover a period of 17 years, starting in 1951, when Silverberg was 16 - and the editor/publisher of a fanzine, SPACESHIP. Moskowitz had written, ordering some back issues as well as a subscription. Silverberg informs him that some of the back issues are sold out and that he will credit this payment for those to extend his subscription. He thanks him for suggestions made about the publication. "I've been working on the artwork problem for quite some time - as well as various other format bugs. The current issue (#14) shows some of the changes which I've made, but the improvements probably won't show for a while... I'll appreciate your comments on the current issue when you get it, and I'd be happy if you'd care to contribute something for one of the future issues." A sign of the early literary activity of Silverberg, who would go on to become not only one of the most prolific sf authors of the postwar period, but one of the most highly-regarded. Writing in Clute and Nicholls (eds), The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1993), p. 1107, Brian Stableford says, "He remains one of the most imaginative and versatile writers ever to have been involved with sf. His productivity has seemed almost superhuman, and his abrupt metamorphosis from a writer of standardized pulp fiction into a prose artist was an accomplishment unparalleled within the field." The second letter, written four months later, from the same Brooklyn address, contains Silverberg's congratulatory comments on M's history of early fandom, THE IMMORTAL STORM, which had just been published. "I thought it a most impressive work, which will probably rank with the FANCYCLOPEDIA, the Kennedy reviews, and other similar works." He suggests that he bring it up to date, saying that he would "probably have a greater sale, since most everybody likes to find his name in a history." In response to an ad by Moskowitz (as a dealer) in STF Trader, the young Silverberg orders an old issue of FANTASY MAGAZINE and asks that it be packed carefully since the "Brooklyn post office gives the mail quite a buffeting." The third letter, its year undated but written sometime after 1956 (since it refers to a magazine story of that year) and with a return address of West End Avenue in New York, is brief, answering a bibliographic question that Moskowitz had evidently asked him. "The Robert Howard story was 'White Smoke Rolled' - DOUBLE ACTION WESTERN Dec. 1956. Not a bad yarn, and sort of a parallel-world fsy." In turn, he asks M (in his capacity as dealer, one imagines) if he has had "Any luck with the Brand book?," presumably referring to Max Brand, the prolific author of Westerns and other genre fiction. The fourth letter, dated 1962, mentions a recent move to Goodridge Avenue in New York and concerns payment for some books bought from Moskowitz, "...Olaf Stapledon at $29.40 and Philip Wylie at $35.28. Ted [Carnell] also notifies me of payment having been made on Shiel and Heard..." Carnell was a British editor, anthologist and literary agent, whose "contribution to UK sf was enormous." - Clute and Nicholls (eds), The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1993), p. 196. Carnell was apparently acting as some sort of agent between Silverberg and Moskowitz. The fifth letter, written about a year and a half later (August 1963), from the same address, is addressed to both Sam and his wife Chris. It refers to the brouhaha with Ted White. Silverberg notes that M's lawsuit against White is coming to trial in October and asks politely but firmly that he not be included among the New York fans that M plans to subpoena as witnesses. "I'm neutral. It's my considered opinion that both sides have merit, and also that both sides are at fault. I wish the whole thing had never blown up. Nothing I could say in court could conceivably help your case - or hurt it either. I ask out of friendship that you refrain from dragging me into it, and if you insist on calling me anyway, well, I'm afraid our friendship will be at an end." He notes that he is busy and doesn't want to lose productive time. "If I told you how much it would cost me to take a day off and testify, it would seem like bragging, so I'll simply point out that you're both professional people and can understand that nobody is going to reimburse me for any time I'm compelled to waste." The last letter, written in 1968, notes that his place on Goodridge Avenue had been damaged in a fire and that he is living temporarily in the Bronx. He mentions some books that he needs to replace, thanks him for the return of a borrowed book and mentions his review of Moskowitz's just-published anthology SCIENCE FICTION BY GASLIGHT. "I hope you'll forgive me for taking a few swipes at your prose style, which isn't getting more elfin with the years. The general tone of the review otherwise can best be summed up by quoting the final line: 'This is a splendid book - an item for the basic s-f shelf.' It sure is. What a fine job!" The lot of six letters provides a sketch of the changing connection between two of the key figures of American genre sf. The first three letters are typed on good-quality note paper, the third with a blue border; the next three are on cheap letter-size paper, browning with age. Sam Moskowitz was one of the pioneers of genre science-fiction scholarship, approaching the subject from historical and sociological as well as literary vantage points; editing anthologies, magazines and book reprint series; and championing the work of obscure authors as well as the genre itself. Though not always meticulous in his research or discerning in his taste, he took seriously a field of literature that academic critics ignored until much later, and blazed many of the trails that they smoothed out later. In saying that he made up in enthusiasm what he lacked in rigor, it could be argued that the former virtue was, at the time, the more needed one. Besides old creases where folded for mailing, the first letter has two faint triangles of offsetting from some other acidic paper at lower corners, the second has a 2 cm hole near the top, above the salutation; else the lot is in very good to fine condition. (#100297)

Rhodomagnetic Digest 1949-1951

A recent seller of antiquarian items posted this index (and notes) for the first 2 years of Rhodomagnetic Digest. Many notables contributed letters, comments, and essays.

The first six issues of the fanzine RHODOMAGNETIC DIGEST (Being the Proceedings of The Elves’, Gnomes’ and Little Men’s Science-Fiction Chowder and Marching Society - A Society Dedicated to the Purpose of: bringing together people with an interest in Science-Fiction and Fantasy for mutual enjoyment and enlightenment), edited by George T. BLUMENSON (Berkeley, CA.) and published in 1949-50

JULY 24, 1949 (Vol. 1 No. 1)
Editorial: To Hell with ‘Fanzines’ (George BLUMENSON); On The Newsstands (Donald Baker MOORE); The Basic Science-Fiction Library (a discussion conducted by Anthony BOUCHER); Fifteen Best Science-Fiction Shorts (J. Francis MCCOMAS); About a Story from Nowhere About a Monster from Nowhere (J. Lloyd EATON); Lost and Found (George STALEY); Book Reviews (Gladys FABUN, W.W. WAGNER); Reports and Announcements (George FINIGAN); Letters. * slight age-darkening, minor wear. Unpaginated.

AUGUST 1949 (Vol. 1 No. 2)
Editorial: Science-Fiction an Hollywood (George BLUMENSON); The Monster from Everywhere (H.H. HOLMES, pseudo. Anthony BOUCHER); The Comic in Fantasy Fiction (Annette MCCOMAS); Pseudonyms in Fantasy Fiction (Anthony BOUCHER); On the Newsstands (Donald Baker MOORE); Book Reviews (Don L. FABUN and W.W. WAGNER); Reports and Announcements (George FINIGAN); Letters. * slight age-darkening. Unpaginated.

SEPTEMBER 1949 (Vol. 1 No. 3)
Editorial: Fantasy is Fun (George BLUMENSON); The Passing of the Six Gun (George HERSH); And Still the Monster (Anthony BOUCHER); Recent Thiotimoline Research (W.W. WAGNER and J. PENSKY); Pseudonymia Revisited (H.H. HOLMES, pseudo. Anthony BOUCHER); In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON); Book Reviews (Don L. FABUN); On the Newsstands (Donald Baker MOORE); Reports and Announcements (George FINIGAN); Letters. * slight age-darkening. 18 pages.

DECEMBER 1949 (Vol. 1 No. 4)
The Mind of Man (George BLUMENSON); Science Without Fiction (Wm. BRIGHT); Stuff & Supermen (Karl BOYER); So Help Me…! (J. Lloyd EATON); In Defense of Other Worlds (John BASINSKI); Your Fantastic IQ (Hazelle HERSH); Book Reviews (Don L. FABUN); In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON); On the Newsstands (Donald Baker MOORE); Reports and Announcements (George FINIGAN); Apologia (Addressed to Sam MERWIN by a ‘little man’ - ANON); Letters. * slight age-darkening. Unpaginated.

MARCH 1950 (Vol. 1 No. 5)
The Reprint Rocket (George BLUMENSON); The Road to El Dorado (Fred BROWN); Man and Superman (H.T. GORDON); What About the Flying Saucers? (Don L. FABUN); Casual Thoughts on Random Subjects (Yancy WADSWORTH); In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON); The ‘Irrelevant’ Controversy (Leland SAPIRO); Book Reviews (R.N. SHIRAS); On the Newsstands (Donald Baker MOORE); Reports and Announcements (George FINIGAN). * slight age-darkening, faint staining and bumping to top corners, shallow chip to front top corner. Unpaginated.

MAY 1950 (Vol. 1 No. 6)
Editorial: Reprints, Rubbish, and Rackets (George BLUMENSON); The Monstrous Innovation (Don L. FABUN); On Dianetics (John W. CAMBELL, JR.); On the Fogging of Photographic Film (George P.S. FINIGAN); Fantasy in Music (George KELLEY); An Evaluation of Poul Anderson (Paul H. FINCH); Trends in Science Fiction (George EBEY); So You’re Going to Be An Editor? (Anthony BOUCHER); The Ending of ‘The Humanoids’ (Jack WILLIAMSON); Science in Science Fiction (Donald Baker MOORE); A Few Notes on ‘The Martian Chronicles’ (Ray BRADBURY); The ‘Irrelevant’ Controversy (conc., Leland SAPIRO); In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON). * slight age-darkening, faint staining to top corners. 40 pages.


Six consecutive issues (comprising Volume 2) of the fanzine RHODOMAGNETIC DIGEST (Being the Proceedings of The Elves’, Gnomes’ and Little Men’s Science-Fiction Chowder and Marching Society - A Society Dedicated to the Purpose of: bringing together people with an interest in Science-Fiction and Fantasy for mutual enjoyment and enlightenment), edited by Donald Baker MOORE (v2 n1-4) and Don L. FABUN (v2 n5-6) (Berkeley, CA.) and published in 1950-51

AUGUST 1950 (Vol. 2 No. 1)
Editorial: ‘The Evil That Men Do…’ (George BLUMENSON); Recent Rocket Research (George P.S. FINIGAN); A Norwescon Preview (Don DAY); Literature and Science Fiction (Norman SIRINGER); On Communication with Extra-Terrestrials (David B. KOBLICK); ‘…Nor a Lender Be’ (Gladys FABUN); ‘Rocketship X-M’—A Review (The Staff); Letters (from ASIMOV, DERLETH, BRADBURY, et al.); In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON); Index of Volume 1; and Other Articles, Reviews, and Features. * slght age-darkening. 42 pages.

SEPTEMBER 1950 (Vol. 2 No. 2)
Editorial: In Commemoration—Man! (George BLUMENSON); The Case of the Man Who Could Do Everything (David G. SPENCER); Norwescon Report (George P.S. FINIGAN); Apparent Precognition in ESP Tests (Don FABUN); Destination Moon Promotion, Part 2 (Don FABUN); The McMinneville Photos (Bob CONNELL); Letter from London (Fred BROWN); Letters; An English Fan (Ken F. SLATER); In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON); and Other Articles, Reviews, and Features. * light soiling to wrappers. 44 pages.
1950 (Vol. 2 No. 3)


How Long Is the Past? (P. Ray TERIT); Flight Instruments in Insects (Raymond WALLACE); The ‘Gadget’ Story in Science Fiction (Leland SAPIRO); The Journail of the B.I.S. (Don FABUN); In Memoriam—Olaf Stapleton (Fred BROWN); Letters; A Little Plain Speaking (Marion Z. BRADLEY); In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON); and Other Articles, Reviews, and Features. * slight age-darkening, light age-wear. 40 pages.
FEBRUARY 1951 (Vol. 2 No. 4)

Straddling (Donald Baker MOORE); Sweeney’s Big ‘Jump’ (Don FABUN); Planetary Research Teams (William A. ERWIN, JR.); Sina Lamittaa minua kun tulen takaisin? (J.R. EMMETT); Winding Up the ‘Gadget’ Story (Leland SAPIRO); Letters; Five Atomic Age Books (Green Vaughn RIVERS); In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON). * two small pieces of transparent tape reinforce spine. 40 pages.

MARCH 1951 (Vol. 2 No. 5)
Editorial (George BLUMENSON); The Whiskey Drinking Mathematician (Bill MURR); Corn Becomes Callous (Walter A. WILLIS); The Perils of Completism (Bob SILVERBERG); Down in the Dumps (Don FABUN); Book Reviews (The Staff); On the Newsstands (The Staff); Letters; In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON). * light wear to spine. 40 pages.
APRIL/MAY 1951 (Vol. 2 No. 6)

The Astounding Affairs (John W. CAMBELL, JR.); Science Ficton and the New Cosmology (Don FABUN); Element 121 (Mark HARRIS); Sapiro’s Last Stand (Leland SAPIRO); Flying Saucers—a new speculation (Vaughn Greene RIVERS); Book Reviews (The Staff); On the Newsstands (The Staff); In My Opinion (J. Lloyd EATON). * slight age-darkening, light soiling to front, light wear to spine. 40 pages. One-page typewritten letter (with Society letterhead) from (and SIGNED by) Gladys FABUN, to fan Ted ENGEL (dated August 7, 1951), regarding subscription and back issues, Laid In.