1957 02 00 Fantastic Universe - How to be a Saucer author

Magazine Overview

Title: FANTASTIC UNIVERSE
Issue: FEBRUARY, 1957
Volume: Vol. 7, No. 2
Publisher: King-Size Publications, Inc.
Country: USA
Price: 35c

This issue of Fantastic Universe Science Fiction, dated February 1957, presents a collection of science fiction stories and articles, with a prominent focus on the topic of flying saucers. The cover features striking artwork of a flying saucer against a dramatic cityscape and highlights key contributions, including an article by Ivan Sanderson on flying saucers and a novelet titled 'Volcanero' by Robert E. Gilbert. Other featured authors include Gray Barker, Harlan Ellison, and Richard Wilson.

Featured Articles and Stories

'Volcanero' by Robert E. Gilbert This issue's novelet, 'Volcanero,' is presented without a synopsis in the provided text, but its placement suggests it is a significant piece within the magazine.

'An Introduction to Ufology' by Ivan T. Sanderson Ivan T. Sanderson offers an introductory perspective on Ufology, exploring the phenomenon of flying saucers and related topics. The article is positioned as a foundational piece for understanding the subject.

'The Cat and the Canaries' by Helen M. Urban This story is listed in the table of contents but no further details are available from the provided scans.

'The Temporal Paradox' by E. Henley Another story from the issue, 'The Temporal Paradox,' is included in the table of contents.

'The Tipplers' by Morris Hershman This story is listed in the table of contents.

'Success Story' by Richard Wilson Richard Wilson contributes a story titled 'Success Story' to this issue.

'The Truth is Fantastic' by Gray Barker Gray Barker explores the fantastic elements of truth in his contribution, 'The Truth is Fantastic.'

'The Ships in the Sky' by George H. Smith George H. Smith's story, 'The Ships in the Sky,' is featured in this issue.

'How to be a Saucer Author' by Dean McLaughlin This article offers a satirical and cynical guide on how to write a book about flying saucers. The author, Dean McLaughlin, advises writers to prioritize sensationalism, fabrication, and reader appeal over factual accuracy. Key recommendations include: * Inventing evidence: Suggesting that readers want to believe in flying saucers, authors should assure them of their existence and present fabricated 'proof,' such as distorted photographs. * Appealing to authority: Authors should present themselves as astronomers or experts, even if falsely, to lend credibility. * Fabricating details: Writers are encouraged to invent details about saucer technology, alien origins (e.g., Atlantis, Mu, or other planets), and the appearance and motives of saucer people, who should be depicted as perfect, benevolent beings. * Avoiding logic: The article stresses that logical explanations are unnecessary and can confuse readers who are not accustomed to them. * Creating sensational narratives: Authors should include elements like mysterious disappearances, disasters attributed to saucers, and claims of government cover-ups to make the story more compelling. * Personal testimony: Writing in the first person as if the events actually happened is recommended.

The article humorously notes that the advantage of writing about saucers is that they can never be disproven, as the lack of evidence is itself presented as evidence.

'The Farmer in the Dell' by Dorothy H. Edgerly This story is listed in the table of contents.

'Invasion' by Harlan Ellison Harlan Ellison contributes a story titled 'Invasion' to the magazine.

'Ugly Earthling' by Lee Chaytor Lee Chaytor's story, 'Ugly Earthling,' is also featured.

Editorial and Publication Information

The magazine is published monthly by King-Size Publications, Inc., located at 320 Fifth Ave., N. Y. 1, N. Y. The subscription price is $3.75 for 12 issues, with single copies costing 35 cents. Foreign postage is extra. The publication is reentered as second-class matter at the post office in New York, N. Y., with additional entry in Holyoke, Mass. The characters in the magazine are entirely fictitious. The copyright is held by King-Size Publications, Inc., and the issue is dated February 1957. Printed in the U.S.A.

H. L. Herbert is listed as the Publisher, and Hans Stefan Santesson as the Editorial Director. Kelly Freas is credited with the Cover Design.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around science fiction, with a significant emphasis on flying saucers and ufology, as evidenced by the cover story and Ivan Sanderson's article. The inclusion of Dean McLaughlin's satirical piece, 'How to be a Saucer Author,' suggests an editorial stance that is critical of, or at least playfully mocks, the sensationalist and often unfounded nature of much flying saucer literature. While the magazine publishes fictional stories within the science fiction genre, the treatment of ufology appears to be a mix of serious exploration (Sanderson) and critical commentary (McLaughlin). The overall editorial approach seems to embrace a wide range of science fiction topics, from space travel and paradoxes to alien encounters and societal critiques, presented through both fiction and non-fiction articles.

Title: FANTASTIC UNIVERSE
Issue: 84
Volume: 84
Date: circa 1950s (based on content and publisher)
Publisher: Great Books, Inc.
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of Fantastic Universe features a satirical article titled "How to Be a Saucer Author," offering tongue-in-cheek advice on profiting from UFO-related literature. The magazine also includes a bibliography of suggested readings for aspiring authors.

How to Be a Saucer Author

The article "How to Be a Saucer Author" presents a cynical guide to writing and selling books about flying saucers. The author suggests that fabricating stories is more profitable than telling a true account, as the latter might not sell or be believed. Witnesses for fabricated stories are described as easy to find and inexpensive.

Key advice includes:

• Content: If you haven't had a genuine encounter (met a saucer man, ridden in a saucer, received a message), your story would be "far different" and likely wouldn't sell or be believed. Therefore, it's better to invent.
• Publishing: Do not approach reputable publishers, as they will reject the manuscript. Instead, find a smaller publisher who is eager to make money, but be cautious to ensure you can collect royalties.
• Revenue Streams: Beyond book sales, a lecture tour is highly recommended. The author suggests that even without stage presence, one can draw crowds willing to pay to hear the "lies" written in the book. Smaller towns are good for one-night stands.
• Ancillary Sales: Profitable sidelines to lectures include selling autographed copies of the book at a markup and potentially selling "authentic photographs of saucers and saucer people" and small souvenirs "slipped in your pocket when the saucer man was looking the other way."
• Consistency: It is crucial to remember everything written in the book to avoid contradicting oneself during lectures, which would be "awkward."
• Audience Avoidance: Never go near a college town, as students might ask "very embarrassing questions."
• Second Book: For a second book, the author advises breaking new ground rather than rehashing the first. Suggestions include writing about the "religion of the saucer people" as the "only True Faith" or proving that Shakespeare's plays were written by a saucer man.

Bibliography

The article includes a "Bibliography" section intended to help the "conscientious saucer author" produce a "superior product." However, the author notes that the list is "primarily instructive in matters of basic psychology" and "will not be particularly helpful" for the UFO subject matter itself.

The bibliography is divided into two sections:

Instructive Examples:

• Asimov, Isaac: *The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline*
• Graves, Robert: *The Nazarene Bible Restored*
• Raspe, Rudolph Erich: *Adventures of Baron Munchausen*
• Locke, Richard Adams: *Great Astronomical Discoveries Lately Made by Sir John Herschel, LL.D., F.R.S., etc., at the Cape of Good Hope.*
• Velikovsky, Immanuel: *Worlds in Collision*
• Shaver, Richard S.: *I Remember Lemuria*

Technique & Customer Psychology:

• Freud, Sigmund: *General Introduction to Psychoanalysis*
• Hoffer, Eric: *The True Believer*
• Orwell, George: *1984*
• James, William: *Varieties of Religious Experience*

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this article is the commercialization and sensationalism of the UFO phenomenon. The editorial stance is clearly satirical and cynical, exposing the potential for authors to exploit public fascination with flying saucers for financial gain through fabrication and marketing rather than factual reporting. The inclusion of psychological texts in the bibliography further underscores the idea that understanding human credulity is key to success in this genre.