William S. Sykora
| Fan | |
|---|---|
| Name: | William S. Sykora (Will) |
| Alias(es): | |
| Type: | Organizer |
| Fandoms: | Science Fiction |
| Communities: | |
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| URL: | |
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William S. Sykora, usually called "Will" in early fandom, was an early member of science fiction fandom. He attended the First Convention and helped organize the Newark Convention and the first Worldcon.
Conflicts and Feuds
Sykora's focus was on science itself, which left him at odds with fans like Donald A. Wollheim and John B. Michel, who believed in integrating leftist politics into science fiction fandom. Wollheim and Michel joined him as some of the first five members of the New York chapter of the Science Fiction League, but later events would drive the three into two opposing factions.[1]
According to Jack Speer's Fancyclopedia (first published 1944), Sykora was at one point chairman of the International Scientific Association. He resigned in 1937 due to his college workload, and also because he felt the organization was neglecting its original purpose to lead sci-fi fans into scientific careers. At that point Donald A. Wollheim assumed control as the sole active club officer. Wollheim obtained consensus from other members to dissolve the club, and while Sykora tried in 1938 to resurrect the ISA, he was unsuccessful. These attempts, along with Sykora's alleged "dictatorial" leadership of the Queens Science Fiction League, led the Wollheim faction to suspect he would try again at Worldcon 1939.[2]
The QSFL had also broken up in 1938 after clashes between the "Wollheimists" and Sykora.[3] Sykora now ran it under a revived charter, along with Sam Moskowitz and James V. Taurasi. Wollheim's leftist faction had regrouped as the Futurians, and the longstanding bad blood between the two groups would culminate in the Great Exclusion Act at Worldcon 1939.
In January 1941, Bob Tucker printed a stinging article in Le Zombie accusing Sykora of reporting false rumors in Fantasy-News. He repeatedly called Fantasy-News a "(quote) news (unquote) paper" and said that Sykora had "Sykorized the news" by reporting that at the Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference, the officers of Tucker's Illini Fantasy Fictioneers had been publicly condemned over plans to "pocket" the profits from Chicon I. Fantasy-News had cited an issue of the Fantasy Fictioneer that, according to Tucker, had yet to be printed at the time. He said that contrary to Sykora's report, the members of the IFF had voted and approved a motion to hand over the profits in recognition of their hard work.[4] Tucker later admitted that one of the officers had "persuaded" the vote in this direction.[5]
Jack Speer reports that Sykora faded out of fandom for a while after Chicon I, owing to reports of his arrest for child molestation.[6] His name vanished from the credits for the final issue of the clubzine New Fandom. He continued editing Fantasy-News, but it appeared very rarely from 1942 onwards.
The bitterness of those early years, there can be no coubt, has become a part of Wollheim's character, along with secretiveness, and a vitriolic tongue. Acquired traits. Evidence is not lacking, on the other hand, that this latter does not apply to Sykora; it would seem that universal dislike merely brought out into the light concealed innate character---or lack of it. Hypocrisy, for example: hypocrisy like his statement that the Boskone was conducted in hushed respectful voices, and that the reason for fan suicides is the fact that child-like egos brought into contact with mature intellects like Will Sykora's, bloat and burst. Which is the height of absurdity, since neither [Joseph] Hatch nor Daniels were excessively active fans, and both, there can be little denying, had intellects that were not immature.To be fair, however, Will is not without his good points. He does his best to spread good cheer at the same time, saying that he believes that Joseph Goon Gilbert, fandom's No. 1 Goop, will soon end all his many troubles with his own hand.... I merely want to point out by all this, that of all his many enemies the most hilariously absurd Will could have picked out---as he did---to commit suicide, the silliest pick is the Westwood boys.
Joe Gilbert: "Slan!-der". Fanfare #7 pp. 10-11, Aug. 1941.
References
- ^ William S. Sykora on Fancyclopedia.
- ^ ISA at Fancyclopedia.
- ^ GNYSFL at Fancyclopedia.
- ^ Bob Tucker: "Following Fanny: The Latest Parlor Game". Le Zombie, issue 36 pp. 10-11. (January 1941.)
- ^ Bob Tucker: The First Chicon, pg. 5. Tau Ceti Reprints no. 2, May 1965.
- ^ William S. Sykora on Fancyclopedia. Text quoted from Speer's original Fancyclopedia I (1944).