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Dead Issue Department (1983)

Dead Issue Department (1983)

©1983, 2013 by Dallas Denny. Magazine cover art ©1983 by Jim Crabtree.

Source: Dallas Denny. (1983, September). Dead issue department. Alternate Realities, #7, pp. 11, 22.

 

 

 

 

Alternate Realities was a low-budget science fiction magazine published in Asheville, NC. I met some of its principles at a comic convention and sent them material, which was duly published. It includes this piece, which was born when I saw an ad in an old issue of The magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in which prominent science fiction authors condemned the war in Viet Nam.

I don’t remember if the response from advocates of the war was in the same or the next issue, but from them this quiz was born.

 

Alternate Realities (PDF)

 

Dead Issue Department

By Dallas Denny

 
In the March 1966 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, an advertisement appeared on the back page. The ad stated:

We oppose the participation of the United States in the war in Viet Nam.There followed a list of more than 75 noted fantasy and science fiction authors who opposed the war.

Shortly, another ad appeared This one read:

We the undersigned believe the United States must remain in Vietnam to fulfill its responsibilities to the people of that country.

A list of fantasy and science fiction authors who supported the war filled the rest of the page.

See if you can guess the sympathies of the following authors:

 Poul Anderson

Isaac Asimov

Anthony Boucher

Marion Ziminer Bradley

Arthur C, Clarke

Hal Clement

Samuel Delaney

Harlan Ellison

Philip Jose Farmer

Robert A. Heinlein

Damon Knight

Ursula K. LeGuin

Judith Merrill

Larry Niven

Jerry E. Pournelle

Robert Silverberg

Fred Saberhagen

Kate Wilhelm

Jack Williamson

Donald A. Wolheim

The name of one of the above authors appeared on neither list.

 

Scoring

Score one point for each correctly identified author. Add three points if you correctly identified the abstainer.

 

Over 15 correct: Call Yourself Machiavelli

10 to 15 correct:  Honors PoliSci Student

5 to 9 correct: Reagan Cabinet Member

Less than 5 correct: You don’t remember Vietnam, do you?

 

Opposed to the War

Isaac Asimov

Anthony Boucher

Samuel Delaney

Harlan Ellison

Philip Jose Farmer

Damon Knight

Ursula K. LeGuin

Judith Merrill

Robert Silverberg

Kate Wilhelm

Donald A. Wolheim

Arthur C. Clarke

 

Supportive of the War

Paul Anderson

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Hal Clement

Robert A. Heinlein

Larry Niven

Jerry K. Pournelle

Fred Saberhagen

Jack Williamson

Arthur C. Clarke’s name did not appear on either list.