The Fanzines of Trek -- in situ

David Chute is a total jerk. He reads the newspaper during Star Trek and just assumes it was no good.

 

Hey man, I'm not disagreeing. Just reporting the news.

(I think Shatner does a fine job for the most part, and Trek does require attention. It is science fiction, after all...)

 

Is it this David Chute?

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/david-chute-dead-film-critic-1235115944/

 

Probably. The Chute in the article also grew up in Maine, and he wouldn't be the first fan-to-critic (Roger Ebert, Ted White, Tom Purdom)

 

As a matter of fact, I did. Quite recently. It didn’t work for me at all.

 

The audience is always right about what it likes and doesn't.

 

Kris, one of our UK correspondents, gave it a positive, but alloyed, review:

https://galacticjourney.org/september-16-1966-is-censorship-heating-up-fahrenheit-451/

 

It was probably Kris’ review that prompted me to watch it again, after ~50 years. I kinda wished I hadn’t. In the intervening years, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon in a friend’s living room, as a small group of fans were entertained by Ray Bradbury telling mad tales of his life. It’s one of the highlights of my 20s. He was like the cool uncle you desperately wish you’d had.

So the heavy-handed anti-TV sentiment of the movie was disappointing. I think I actually yelled at my TV at one point “We get it, Ray, TV BAD!!”

It felt like they were hammering home that message with a Roddenberryan lack of subtlety. Which I want to believe was unfair to Bradbury. I haven’t re-read the book since I was a teenager. Was Ray concerned with TV when he wrote the book?

 

I don't know, but I'm always one of the few who think Bradbury isn't all that great -- overly mawkish, and never hard SF.

His original short story version of The Fireman, from the late 40s, was probably the best. The novel was implausible and heavy-handed.

 

I see that Denny was nudge nudge wink wink in the comments on that as well:

Denny Lien
SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 AT 11:02 AM
I think it’s very much possible that censorship of books will be pushed under the guise of “minorities must never be offended.” I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the not-so-distant future, we might even see withdrawal of availability for those reasons of books by an author as benign as (oh, let’s just go for an extremely unlikely example, since this is just blue-skying about the future, right?) — say — Dr. Seuss?​

Why would Bradbury do hard SF? That wasn't ever his thing.

 

But Neopeius likes harder science ficiton more than softer science fiction, so no matter how good Bradbury was at softer science fiction, Neopeius won't like Bradbury as much as Bradbury's greatest fans do.

 

Neopius can answer that for themselves.

 

True, but Mark got it right.

 

You're a very agile man, Mister Neopeius. Just how many of you are there?

 

Third person is becoming the default generic pronoun. It's a little clumsy, but it's better than anything else that's been come up with.

He/him is fine, as is Gideon. Never "Marcus" unless it's preceded by "Mr." (or we're evoking the past when reference to someone by last name was common -- I think that went out by the 80s.)

 

From the latest (August 1967) issue of Analog, editor John Campbell says of Trek:

"Star Trek" is the only real science fiction for adults TV has ever presented. The nearest next show is "Time Tunnel," about one third as good!"

This sentiment makes sense given that Analog/Astounding was a prime inspiration for Trek.

(this is for those who say Trek was NEVER SCIENCE FICTION IT'S ALWAYS BEEN SCIENCE FANTASY JUST LIKE STAR WARS!!!111)

 

Here's a bit of Zelig action (or for younger folks, Forrest Gump action).

We have completed our first Trekzine! The Tricorder is written as if it is summer '67, and we only have the first season of Trek to go on. It includes a great short story, a crossword puzzle, a cocktail recipe, a filk, an Ask Captain Kirk section, and a Welcome to the Enterprise guide.

I assembled it in traditional 'zine style, though we used photocopiers rather than mimeos (such were coming into use at that time).

If anyone wants a physical copy, let me know. It just costs postage and materials ($1 for domestic; $1.50 for overseas):

 

Factsheet Five had nothing on you…great look.

 

Thanks so much!

 

The first Trekzine, Vulcanalia, is probably out, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and wait another week. Yandro won't be here till the end of the month.

Um... might you have meant SPOCKANALIA? Devra Langston's zine, generally recognized as the first Trek fanzine?