This Little World of Fandom
“This Little World of Fandom” consists of news items, selected and summarized by Ron Ellik, from FANAC, a zine edited by himself and Terry Carr. The selections cover the period from February 24, 1958, through January 18, 1959.
24Feb: Matheson to be Solacon guest of honor; Walt Willis definitely not to come to the Gate in Fifty-Eight; Chicago, Detroit, Dallas and Milwaukee to fight for 1958 [sic, should be “1959”] Consite; Terry Carr now 21 years old; Dick Lupoff, currently in USArmy, announces engagement. These were highlights from FANAC’s first issue, which ran four pages and went to 73 people.
4Mar: Guy Terwilleger to publish BEST OF FANDOM–1958; Nick and Noreen Falasca launching campaign to destroy WSFSinc; Joe and Roberta Gibson to move to the San Francisco area; LASFS moves again - to Byron’s Coffee Shop. The Falascas denied our news in a later issue, however - it seems they just wanted to straighten the WSFSinc out a little; and LASFS didn’t really move - they were going to, but Byron’s reneged on the deal, and to this day they still meet at 2548 W. 12th, Los Angeles 6.
17Mar: Anthony Boucher to take six months of vacation [from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction] to rest from his editorial duties; and, in RUR, fandom is warned that the Secret Service has started investigating Dave Rike and might start investigating you next. The Secret Service never did anything violent, although they did scare Rike and his readers, about whether or not he was a communist.
24Mar: TAFF ballots out - candidates are Ron Bennett, Dave Newman, John Berry and Roberta Wild; Chicago announces a one-shot to explain their bid for the 1959 [sic] Consite, and Cincinnati and Dallas announce their regional conferences.
31Mar: Our first big piece of bad news - Cyril Kornbluth died 21 Mar; more information about Chicago and Detroit; Len Moffat stands up to defend the WSFSinc because it helps him in his job with the Worldcon; INFINITY to go bimonthly because of poor sales.
8Apr: Kent Moomaw folds his fanzine ABERRATION and announces intention to attend Midwestcon, Souwestercon and Solacon; first issue of GROUND ZERO appears, presenting the viewpoints of three WSFSinc officers; SF ADVENTURES folds; Rog Phillips sells to Astounding; Terry Carr enjoys first pie a la mode.
14Apr: IllWiscon announced for 4th July wkend by Lynn Hickman; John W. Campbell Jr and Ed Emshwiller visit Berkeley; Campbell plans new non-stf magazine, Journal of the Interplanetary Society.
29Apr: Califandom congregates at the home of Burbee for the Living Legend’s birthday party; Lars Bourne sent a tree to Berkeley; WSFSinc files suit against Dave Kyle for approximately $200.
5May: Joe and Roberta Gibson move to Berkeley; Knight to edit IF, Budrys to be consulting ed on VENTURE, Phil Klass to be consulting ed on F&SF; controversial issue of METROFAN published, containing material which later caused Arthur Kyle to demand a retraction from editor MacDonald.
12May: Kyle publishes rebuttal to opposing factions in form of THE BELL TOLLS FOR WHOM; Roberta Wild definitely withdraws from 1958 TAFF race.
19May: Silly Season drives Berkeley fandom to distraction with odd messages by phone and junk-mail arriving first class from Pennsylvania; Disclave a success; Le Zombie revived for one issue only.
26May: Dave Kyle serves summons against George Raybin and Franklin Dietz Jr. [in] WSFSinc v. Dave Kyle lawsuit[ -] returned by Sheriff’s office, unsatisfied..
2Jun: Welcome Gibson Party thrown at home of Rog and Honey Graham, draws carload of fans from L.A. as well as most Bay Areans; Anna Moffatt orders GNRaybin to withdraw suit against David Kyle; Raybin hedges.
17Jun: French fandom censored by DeGaulle-ist government - first issue of Paris club’s 00 confiscated by post office, to be returned at the “end of the national emergency”; Sam Moskowitz to marry; Catherine Mary Young enters home of George and Mary Young 10 June.
23Jun: Vernon McCain dies of peritonitis 10 June; the Dave Kyle v. GNRaybin and FMDietzjr lawsuit announced to be for the sum of $25,000.
4July: Francis Towner Laney dies of bone cancer; postal rates to change as of 1 August, to affect fanzines drastically.
12July: Ron Bennett wins TAFF.
26July: Dave Kyle offers to withdraw $25,000 lawsuit if Dietz & Raybin retract every statement they have made about him; resign their positions in the WSFSinc; agree NEVER to run for any WSFSinc office again.
1Aug: Dallas drops from the 1958 [sic] Worldcon running, leaving Chicago and Detroit; FANAC increases sub rate to help meet increased postal costs; Raybin defends his delay in obeying Anna Moffatt’s order to withdraw.
15Aug: Litttle Garden Library closes - Little Men to meet at home of Poul & Karen Anderson; Sally Dunn to wed Roger Brues.
8Sep: Solacon report - Committee rejects WSFSinc as an authority, Anna Moffatt brings down house with announcement of independence; HUGOs awarded to Walt Willis, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Frank Kelly Freas, F&SF, Avram Davidson, and Fritz Leiber; Detroit wins Worldcon bid; Seattle wins Westercon bid; EEEvans resigns as Director of WSFSinc, George Nims Raybin resigns as Legal Advisor; Terry Carr to stand for TAFF 1960; Art & Trina Castillo move to San Francisco; Max Keasler returns to fandom; Jim Caughran moves to Berkeley.
26Sep: Carl Brandon does not exist, but is hoax created by us scheming conniving Berkeley fen; Alan Samuel Young, born 17 Sep to Andy and Jean Young.
30Sep: I become 20 years old, amidst wild fannish party involving another carload of fans from L.A. and most of the Bay Area group; Bob Madle announces TAFF Rules; STEAM (Ken Bulmer) publishes a Bulmer’s-eye-view of TAFF history and much invaluable information; Ron & Cindy Smith move to Bay Area.
18Oct: Dave Kyle increases his suit against Raybin & Dietzjr to $35,000; Raybin, now no longer WSFSinc legal adviser, claims he cannot withdraw WSFSinc v. Dave Kyle suit for $200; Burbee in hospital from collapsed lung; Ron Ellik elected FAPA vice-president, Washington DC groups take other offices.
28Oct: Clayton Kent Moomaw found dead near home in Cincinnati - considered suicide by police; George Raybin sends stipulation of substitution to Kyle to allow another lawyer to take his place in WSFSinc v. Dave Kyle lawsuit.
5Dec: E.Everett Evans dead of a series of strokes, 2Dec; Roger Horrocks weds Lynnette Mills, Ted White weds Sylvia Joy Dees; Ackerman birthday party huge success, with carload of fans from Berkeley in attendance; cities bidding for 1960 con are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington DC; Chicago announces its bid for 1962; Chuck [sic] Harris retires from co-editorship of HYPHEN; Futurian Society of NYC re-formed on a happy-go-lucky basis; Bill Courval visits Berkeley on way into Army.
18Dec: Amendment to lower dues for overseas members of FAPA fails due to apathy among the voters; Boucher resigns from all connection with F&SF; LASFS buys a Gestetner 120, plans for increasing activity; Atom returns from gafia.
18Jan: Bill Courval found dead near San Diego - considered suicide by police; Pierre Versins adopts baby girl, Dominique; Tom Condit moves back to Bay Area; PSYCHOTIC #25 heralds somewhat reawakened fannish interest on part of Dick Geis, but is not a revival of PSYCHOTIC.