Fantasy-News
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Fantasy-News |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | James V. Taurasi, Will Sykora, Frances Alberti |
| Type: | |
| Date(s): | 1938-1944, 1948-1949 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Science Fiction |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | Online at Fanac.org |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Fantasy-News was a science fiction fanzine published 1938-1945, with a later revival from 1948-49. James V. Taurasi was founding editor and publisher until 1939, at which point it was handed over to Will Sykora. Frances Alberti Sykora edited the revival.
About
FANTASY NEWS hits greater and greater heights with each new issue. This newspaper of fantasy, which appears each week without fail, contains all the news of the professional and amateur science-fiction periodicals. And at the lowest price of any fan mag today: three issues for a dime. Regular supplements include FANTASY SCOUT, LE ZOMBIE, and a number of others. In short, you get for three pennies, anywhere from four to ten, or even more, pages of science-fiction dope. Nowhere will you find a better bargain.Ad placed in Spaceways #5 pg 23. May 1939.
Reviews
The last issue of this weekly was the 39th. It seems that now, four pages is the minimum for this weekly. While eight pages (and more!)issues are not uncommon. Easily the best in its field."Fan Mag Review": Science Fiction Collector issue 23 page 15 (January 1939)
If Jimmy Taurasi would clean his type oftener , it would probably make for clearer reading in FANTASY NEWS, and we know dang well we could read his correspondance better. Some lighter fluid and a toothbrush does the trick Jimmy. Your welcome!Bob Tucker in Le Zombie issue 3 page 1 (March 1939)
Forrest J Ackerman boycotted the zine in late 1939, after he and the Los Angeles Science Fiction League voiced their support for the Futurians (see The Great Exclusion Act), and Sam Moskowitz responded with some personal attacks (see Morojo vs Moskowitz) and what the LASFL saw as false reporting:
My subscription to Fantasy-News expired with the issue of Nov.5 &, sotto voce, I myt say I wish Mr Moskowitz had done the same. Feature of this number was SaM's colorful account of the 4th Annual Philadelphia Conf. ...On the outcome of my investigation I feel that Fantasy-News should be reimburse me $2.50... & I am letting my subscription lapse untill such a time as Fantasy-News either changes its name to Fantasy-FICTION or requires its star reporter (one star) to exercise less imagination if not outryt mendaciousness! Another not renewing... is one Morojo; in fact, the one and only Morojo, that "prejudiced little antipacifistic hypocrite".Forrest J Ackerman in Le Zombie, issue 20 page 4 (December 30, 1939)
Robert A. W. Lowndes reviewed the zine in 1940, at the height of a personal feud with Taurasi and Sykora. (See also The Great Exclusion Act.)
"Fantasy-News", while chiefly interested in the pulp magazines, did carry as well fugitive items on fantasy appearing elsewhere, as well as news of events in the field. Its news, however, was for most part restricted to the meetings of the Queens Science Fiction Leahue [sic]. Operating under rather poor mimeographing handicapsof a machine, hampered by poor spelling and faulty grammar, Taurasi still succeeded in issuing a newsheet worthy of fan's attention up to the time of the World's Science Fiction Convention. After that date, news items in "Fantasy-News" slipped from slight (understandable and forgivable) bias to out and out falsification and deliberate distortion, so that today the magazine exists as a virtual "Voelkischer Boebachetr" in fandom, pathetic in its attempts to deceive, and amusing in its efforts to keep from falling into the hands of those fans who know the truth on the stories it distorts and who would expose its deceit.Lowndes in Scientifan issue 2 page 4 (January 1940)
New Fandom, edited by Taurasi and Moskowitz, reviewed it several months later:
This is the most complete and most reliable science-fiction news paper in the world. It is a weekly, has never missed an issue,and consistantly scoops the fan world on all items of importance. Among the scoops it has carried in the past month, complete, accurrate accounts of the Second Annual Philly Conference; scoop announcement of the appearance of "Planet Stories"; announcement of two color illustrations in "Astounding" & "Super Science Stories title; of the appearence of "Astonishing" & Super Science Stories" etc., etc. At writing 94 weekly numbers have appeared and when the 95th appears next week, it will break all existing records for the consistant appearence of any fan magazine. Get this newspaper!"The Manuscript Bureau" of New Fandom, issue 7 page 12 (April 1940)