Lawry, I knew Ted Carnell (nee John) who edited the two major British Science Fiction Magazines. Through him I met some SF Brits. Principal impression that has remained is that John Wyndham (actually John Harris) never paid for his coffee. (The film "Day of the Triffids" which must have heavily increased his bank balance was a decade away.)
Through Carnell, I got some introductions in New York which I enjoyed. In Toronto, I imported Carnell's two magazines and they were distributed across the country. I think most of my California introductions came through my radio programs. Ray Bradbury and I had a long connection, but our paths went in different directions - the world discovered how delightful his writings were and he became an international celebrity - as he should. I would lecture to Jerry Pournelle's Pepperdine Poli-Sci classes and would run into Harlan Ellison and suchlike. Perhaps the greatest fun I had from my sci-fi connections occurred with the twin premiers of "The Planet of the Apes" and "2001 - A Space Oddysey". I got four veteran writers press tickets to see "Planet", and invitations to the special first west coast showing of "2001". (I could do this back then.) Then we met in Forrest Ackerman's Ackermansion in the Hollywood Hills - a science fiction museum that is almost unbelievable with more than 400,000 items filling every corner. Joining Ackerman was Fritz Leiber, perhaps the best author of the supernatural/horror genre and famous across the world, Robert Bloch who did the screenplay for Hitchcock's Psycho, and Bradbury. I should have made it a two hour show. It was wonderful. At times, I forgot that I had production duties as these wonderful "futurists" went to it. They liked both "Planet" and "2001" but they also had some cogent criticisms. (I think they started the debate on whether the hero of 2001 could leave his capsule and make it across the open to space airlock to the closing switch without bursting into bloody bubbles!) We are all a lot older now. Bloch and Leiber are gone. Ackerman is pretty old and has recently endured serious hospitalization. Ray is still in fine fettle and enjoying his position as an elder statesman of science fiction - though I think his greatest ambition to be a major playwright has escaped him. He wrote some very good plays. So, a period in my life that must have started in my early teens came to an end. But I still contend that most of my early philosophical thinking about the future started in the lurid pages of pulp science fiction. I could have done worse. Harry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lawrence wrote: >Good question, Harry. My favorite contemporary sci-fi writer is Stephenson >(sp?), in particular the superb SNOWCRASH. > >Can't stand fantasy or the Tolkien stuff. Hobbits! Please. > >How did you come to know the sci fi writers? > > >Cheers, Lawry > > > > > > Eventually, science fiction seemed to slip away to be replaced mostly by > > other fantasies. > > > > Eventually, the genre became mainstream and I don't really know > > whether any > > "futurist" authors are now writing. ****************************** Harry Pollard Henry George School of LA Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: (818) 352-4141 Fax: (818) 353-2242 *******************************
