Fanopolis

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Fanfiction
Title: Fanopolis
Author(s): Sam Youd
Date(s): May-September 1939
Length:
Genre(s): Humor, Fannish RPF
Fandom(s): Science Fiction, science fiction fandom
Relationship(s):
External Links:

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Fanopolis was a five-part original work published by Sam Youd (as Fantacynic) in 1939. According to a comment before the first part, it was preceded as a fannish story by Don J. Cameron's "Call to Arms" and a suspiciously similar story in Cosmic Tales, as well as Jack Speer's "Six Against the Past". The Fantacynic, however, had come up with his idea some time ago and therefore couldn't be accused of plagiarism.

Featuring

Summary

Part I: The Neophyte (The Fantast #2, pp 9-12): Ishmael Neophyte falls asleep reading Marvel Science Stories and wakes up in a giant, beautiful city with tall buildings and airships. A little man with a bulging cranium explains to him that he's in Fanopolis, a city run by science fiction fans. He speaks of the Apostle Gernsback, and when the Neophyte mentions the science fiction prozines Amazing Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories and Astounding Stories, the little man shivers and says that the big name fans have turned on Amazing editor Raymond A. Palmer, who's retaliated with an inconsistent release schedule.

The Neophyte is introduced to the Fantaspoet, John F. Barke, and Macinpain, a selection of fans who carry around musical instruments. They play a song for him:

For ten long years they had suffered it in silence - / Tripe, tripe, tripe in Science-Fiction's name: / But when new magazines came sweeping in a cloud on them / They made a list of everyone in any way to blame.

Then they rose, from 'Frisco and Los Angeles, / Minneapolis, Chicago and Boston, Mass, as well, / From Texas they came, from Zenith and from Podunk, / From Arkham and from Providence - and one or two from Hell, /

And then they moved, like Zombies on an outing, / Trekking with determination on the Last Crusade; / Brave the rumble and sparkle of their ray-guns. / Brave the marching of the Fantasfan's Brigade!

The fans were marching, marching through America, / They found a nest of poetry and viewed the sight with pain. / They took Nat Schachner and threw him in the lion-pit, / But the lions didn't like him and they threw him back again.

New York they seized, and captured all the Editors - / Palmer, Weisinger, Campbell and the breed. / They rounded them up, and sent them to Australia / And only the Australians failed to thank them for the deed.

Puzzled, the Neophyte leaves them behind and the little man leads him into Fanopolis.

Part II: The Council At Work (The Fantast #3, pp 6-11): Inside Fanopolis, the Neophyte sees ads for The Science Fiction Fan, Cosmic Tales and the FAPA. His guide remarks that the FAPA's ad, aimed at "Papa, Mother and Child", is optimistic as most of the community are bachelors. They have some trouble getting their car started, and the Guide says the city's computer, the Brain, goes crazy on a regular basis. However, the Brain is basically decent--he hates the Michelists and John Russell Fearn. His problems are probably because Louis Lankus and Billy Stratford keep sneaking him strawberry ice cream in exchange for information on DAW.

The Neophyte is set upon by Red Flannel, who tries to sell him Startling Stories and tells him about D.R. Black, who once tried to dismantle the Brain. The Guide notices his watch is off and says that Edmond Hamilton must have gotten hold of a time warp again--once Hamilton teleported some of the Michelists to Berlin in the middle of a "Hitler Thanksgiving", but Robert A. W. Lowndes was unfortunately able to rescue them. The Guide and Neophyte arrive at a stately dome, where a wise patriarch is just taking a vote on whether to cut whiskey ads from Astounding Stories. Stand-ins for John W. Campbell and Frederik Pohl are the only dissenters, along with Bill Pimple.

Part III: Digression in a Flat (The Fantast #4, pp 11-13): The wise patriarch introduces himself as Hugo Gernsback. He asks the Neophyte what Flat he's going to choose. Choosing a Flat means choosing a fan-creed and a group to follow. The first fans to share a Flat were Bill Pimple, Boris Pantson and Ego Narke, and after that it spread. Among those running their own Flats are DAW and Tykora, stand-ins for Donald Wollheim and William Sykora. The Neophyte puts off his choice.

The Neophyte is taken to the intersection of Lovecraft Lane and Schachner Street, which apparently caused quite a ruckus when Schachner Street was named. In the end the "provincials" won the vote. Gernsback explains that most fans only visit Fanopolis and are looked down on by the residents. At the top of the stairs, Pimple, Pantson and Narke are engaged in a Music Night, which takes place on the same day as two other Music Nights from other English fans. As Gernsback and the Neophyte enter, the music is switched off, to the relief of every other fan in the area.

Part IV: Voice of Fanopolis (The Fantast #5, pp 10-12): The Neophyte is welcomed by the other fans, who abandon Music Night and start writing letters. The Neophyte asks if anyone minds the fact that people keep looking over their shoulders, and John F. Barke assures him that one of the most fun things in life is insulting another fan who might see it happening. The Neophyte wonders if anyone else shares this opinion, but he reads several letter to Astounding Stories telling Editor Hambell that the magazine is terrible.

Another fan is busily filing information about Amazing Stories. Ego Narke tries to throttle him for adding percentages badly. The Neophyte moves on to another fan, and realizes that he's found the only fan writing by hand. Barke explains that this is Pie-Can Rose-in-Bloom, who can't stand machines because he was dropped on his head by a robot as a baby.

Other fans are found hunched over rotary duplicators. Sucker, a stand-in for Bob Tucker, is hard at work on Le Zombie, and he accuses Barke of stealing material for The Satellite. Barke pours a bottle of mimeo ink down Sucker's back, and moves on with the Neophyte to greet Fantaspoet and Macinpain.

Part V: Meanderings (The Fantast #6, pp 10-12): Louis Lankus, John F. Barke, Macinpain and the Fantaspoet take the Neophyte to meet the V. B. I.: the Very Busy Individual, a fan so busy that he stopped doing anything at all. On the way they pass by a convention, and explain that the newest fad is to have conventions where you kick out anyone who doesn't agree with you. (See The Great Exclusion Act.)

The Very Busy Individual is hard at work studying everything that begins with an M: music, meteorology, journalism, memory and murder. A short argument ensues over whether journalism counts, which the VBI argues it does as it ends with an M. The Neophyte is shaken and asks to leave. Louis Lankus tells him as they leave the "Gholy Ground" that the VBI is always planning to start something but never gets around to it.

On the way back, the car stops a beautiful canyon full of flowers that glow and sing. They pass underground and the Neophyte observes tiny suns hanging in the air. Barke explains that this is the part of Fanopolis dedicated to what-ifs: to authors of speculative fiction like H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Stanley G. Weinbaum, and others who died young. In a field of white roses, red begonias spell out the name HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT. Barke tells the Neophyte that it's time to return.

The saga of Fanopolis promised to conclude next month, but the next issue explained that editor Sam Youd had decided to cut it off before it had the chance to go sour.

Reviews

Fanopolis generally ranked among the top-rated articles in The Fantast while it was publishing.

Part I:

"Fanopolis" is very promising indeed. It looks like being a worthy successor to "Alicia in Blunderland" which fascinated me in the brief glimpse I had of it. Full marks with no reservations this time, and more of the same.

D.R. Smith: letter printed in The Fantast #3 pg. 16 (June 1939)

Part II:

6 for "Fanopolis". Compared with some other contributions it is excellently written, though not exceptionally meaty. But there may be allusions in it that I have missed. I have only just realised that Auburn is Clark Ashton Smith's abode.

Maurice K. Hanson: letter printed in The Fantast #4 pg. 17 (July 1939)

I enjoyed Fantacynic's posthumous work, particularly the part about the Brain. Very amusing.

Arthur C. Clarke: letter printed in The Fantast #4 pg. 18 (July 1939)

"Fanopolis" - "Fantacynic" - here's my hand! It was good! Lots better than that first bit. More! Let's all go bats.

James Rathbone: letter printed in The Fantast #4 pg. 20 (July 1939)

Part III:

"Fanopolis" continues on its happy way, and I have no hesitation in awarding the usual full marks for this instalment.

D.R. Smith: letter printed in The Fantast #5 pg. 20 (Aug. 1939)

Part IV:

"Fanopolis" shows no signs of dwindling. The usual 10.

D.R. Smith: letter printed in The Fantast #6 pg. 15 (Sept. 1939)

"Fanopolis" was without a question superb. To my mind each instalment seems better than the preceding one, and I can’t give FANTA his fair rating without lowering previous evolutions. This gets 10, of course.

David McIlwain: letter printed in The Fantast #6 pg. 16 (Sept. 1939)

Part V:

"Fanopolis" is a curious mixture. Some of the jokes are good, but they are clumsily introduced, the interview with the Very Busy Fan being most so. The lapse into romanticism would be more welcome were it not such a gigantic purple patch, and there is one mistake in it which will make every music-lover wince.

Gordon Cousins, letter printed in The Fantast #7 pg. 20 (Oct. 1939)

Fanopolis keeps up to its standard or very near it. One or two quips seem a little forced this time, but it deserveth seven, with strong leanings to a higher mark. But best to end it, I believe, before it starts downhill too much.

Harry Warner, Jr.: letter printed in The Fantast #7 pg. 20 (Oct. 1939)

The latest issue of your rag was of its usual mediocrity, or, should I say unusual mediocrity. Gottliffe, Smith, Burke, all the gang. Only one contribution showed any signs of value, though I will admit that this showed not only signs of value, but the very hall-mark of genius. I refer, naturally, to "Fanopolis", which surpasses even its own previous heights, despite your lamentable typing, at all times striving to reduce excellence to absurdity. I see you spotted one error in time to add an erratum, but this is insignificant beside your remarkable mutation of 'Tosti' into 'Tosca'. Even sex knows no bounds to editors of footling little periodicals.

Your suggestion (though phrased in rather peremptory tones) that "Fanopolis" should cease at the present point displays intelligence, something with which I would never have credited you. Even I can not be expected to improve on perfection, and the end should now be mystifying enough to qualify me for a place with the ultra-moderns. I am sending you herewith yet another gem (despite your pointed remarks) which is probably too ingenious for your semi-illiterat readers. This applies in particular to /rest of letter censored/

Fantacynic, jokingly addressing himself as editor: letter printed in The Fantast #7 pp 21-22 (Oct. 1939)

"Fanopolis". Oh boy! TEN! I think this is the best yet, or maybe it's just in contrast to last month's rather poorer instalment. Someday I shall rise in wrath at all these cracks about me, but as yet I am still too hysterical to worry much. Anyway, it's publicity.... 'Who in Hades is the Very Busy Fan? /Me - at the moment [(-ed.)]/ The passage at the end came as a surprise, and despite the great danger of bathos in such a situation, it's welcome, I have always considered you expressed yourself far better in verse, and were rather inclined to stumble over prose, but this piece is lovely - it seems a pity that you could not have rounded off the wholle thing with this, as any more will be an anti-climax to such a startlingly beautiful passage. Yeah - 10!

John F. Burke: letter printed in The Fantast #7 pg. 22 (Oct. 1939)

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