Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 50 — page 140: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION zine for entertainment and in- struction and I found neither in this revolting effort. Even a spine- chiller can be entertaining, although one hardly expects to find it under science fiction, but The Mutilants left me feeling very sick. In my opinion this story should have no place in your magazine and I hope you will not publish any more disgusting trash like it. Alan K. Redfern, 311 Manchester New Road, Middleton, Nr. Manchester. So far, Alan, yowre in a small minority about this story. Even so, we won't be running too many of that type; we don’t want to get a penny ’orrible reputation! NATIONALISM In your issue No. 46, which I found most interesting, you have an article by Peter Summers on Space Travel and the Law. At the end of it he makes a politically provocative statement, attacking the idea of national independence. WNational- ism, like any other human idea, can take perverse forms, but true nationalists are interested in all nations, not only their own, and I have found more ideas of World Unity among nationalists, willing that their nations should yield some sovereignty to a World Federal Government, for the good of all, than among the apathetic or the anti-nationalists. I feel that the people that are a i danger are those who wish to lead great power blocs, either from personal pride or from a desire to see their nation govern other nations, which is imperialism. This sort of thing will lead to two big power blocs in the world, in all 139 probability, whose leaders may cause a World war in their lust for power, and destroy us ail. Small nations cannot wage big wars. True patriots of ali nations would work together for the good of all, if given the chance. Of course we can produce states- men capable of running the world, but only perhaps if they are willing to be guided by God, rather than by their own pride. David Stevenson, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Naturally, we entirely agree with all your aims and ambitions, David, and we are pleased that you have stated them so lucidly for us, but we do feel that you are using the word ‘“‘nationalism”’ in a quite different sense from that in which it was used in the article. Imperialism (“‘Empire- grabbing’’) is a danger, certainly; so is nationalism when it takes the form of unfounded pride in the mere ac- cident of birthplace. The people you are calling nationalists are really internationalists—basing their pride on real values, domestic or foreign. That is what the article meant— national independence to the point of - bigotry is a bad thing for any nation and for the world. PAPER Couldn’t we have something different from that yellow parch- ment-like paper? It’s depressing. It seems to me to be harder on the eyes, it makes one feel one is struggling through a tale. And I'd like to see the printing done right across the page instead of in two columns as at present. P. E. Rigby, 131 Kensington Road, Southport, Lancashire. comiclooks.cormn