Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 72 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION of view or of pointing a moral. T ragedy is justifiable,“but not in this form. Suggestions for the future ? Single column instead of the double column, which, on such a small page, causes something akin to visual claustrophobia. Do S.F. magazines have to have an illus- trated cover? Of their type, your covers are good, but I deplore this choice of cover. I am uently annoyed because people who, if they could overcome their in- stinctive prejudices, would enjoy S.F., are put off by the covers. Why not a monochrome back- ground with the title and nothing else? John F. Barrie, c/o Cullen, 18 Bellsdyke Road, Cairnhill, Airdrie. Are our covers the type to “‘put people off”? HYPNOTISM Having been an S.F. fan for some years, and a student of hypnosis, I have always been dis- appointed when hypnotism has been used in a story. The reason is that none of the authors seem to know much about the facts, and if they do, they dis- regard the possibilities of the science, for a science it is. For instance, here are a few facts. Nobody can be hypnotised against their will. It isn’t a matter of a stronger mind against a weaker one. The more willpower and intelligence a person has, the better subject he will be—but only if he is a willing subject. Also, a subject cannot be made to do anything against his or her morals, religion or self-preservation. Im- beciles, idiots and morons are either impossible or most difficult to hypnotise. Now for a possibility, ESP, for instance. Research is being carried out on this all over the world, using hypnosis for obtaining higher ESP than is normally found while a person is in a normal, conscious state. By using hypnosis one is able to train a person who has no sign of ESP to become quite a good ESP subject. You must realise that I have just touched on the subject of hypnosis, but please, all you authors or would-be authors, if you must use hypnotism in your stories, look up the facts, and from these you'll be able to see the possibilities. There are many good books on the subject and, if anyone is really interested in hypnotism, I am always willing to oblige, and so is any other hypnotist. Here’s wishing Authentic all the best, and congratulations on being the finest S.F. magazine yet. J. L. B. Paterson, 71 Adair Road, Eastney, Southsea, Hants. One of the most often repeated statements made in connection with hypnotism ‘is that it is impossible to persuade a subject to do anything against his moral code. As it is extremely doubtful that any hypno tist knows just what the subject’s moral code is, that statement is open to question. It is based on the fact that most subjects will come out of trance if commanded to do anything they do not want to do. But what if the hypnotist, by suggestion, persuades the subject 156 . ——— | comiclooks.conn