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INTERNATIONAL
FANTASY AWARD 1955 LESLIE
FLOOD NEW WORLDS
39 - SEPTEMBER 1955 Looking back over 1954’s output of hard-cover science
fiction books, the selection of suitable candidates to be judged for the 1955
International Fantasy Award proved to be a far less rewarding task for the
I.F.A. Committee than in previous years. The quantity of original novels had
decreased, and more significantly, the number of outstanding stories could be
counted on the fingers of two hands. Reprints are, by rule, excluded, also
anthologies and paper-covered editions. Even the greatly increased issue from
British publishers did not help, since most of the better ones were reprints of
American novels which had been considered for earlier Awards, or were included
among the 1954 candidates for the same reason. An interesting point here is
that, of the final list of 42 books under survey, 4 had been published both in
America and Great Britain during the same year, whilst two of the British
titles have appeared in America so far in 1955 and no less than 14 of the
American books either have been published already during 1955 so far or are
scheduled for early publication. Since its inception the I.F.A. Trophies have been awarded
outright to George Stewart for Earth Abides (1951), John Collier for Fancies
And Goodnights (1952), Clifford Simak for City (1953), and Theodore
Sturgeon for More Than Human (1954), thus revealing a tendency for the
books so honoured to be those which not only received great critical acclaim but which were
successful with both science fiction enthusiasts and the wider reading public.
The reason for this is readily apparent. Imaginative concepts
are insufficient in themselves, and scientific gadgetry, unless supported by
strong characterisation, plausible
plotting and above all, good story-telling, can appeal to no one but those
science fiction fanatics who relish any stale, badly written pot-boiler with
the desperation of a dope addict—as long as it has a space-ship or two, a
monster threatening a beautiful heroine and some trite slam-bang action. The
science fiction field in general has suffered from this limitation, and it is
fairly obvious that editors and publishers have come to realise that their
readership is not satisfactorily expanding and has perhaps reached a saturation
point with sales figures insufficient to ensure a healthy permanence. Happily
there are exceptions. The annual anthologies prove that there is an upper level
of science fiction authors who can write good short stories for the magazines,
and there are enough outstanding novels each year to maintain the faith of
those who believe in science-fiction's future. As in other media of
entertainment—and the prime objective of a story-teller is to provide
entertainment—the average moronic level of mass-culture is occasionally
surmounted to help maintain standards of comparison (a matter of importance,
except to the cynic, if only for historical development). And surely literary
quality is the bootstrap by which the specialised medium of science fiction
must raise itself from its present suspect position into the mainstream of
respected literature ? H. G. Wells'
scientific romances showed the way. Let us admire and encourage those who
follow in his steps. Thus with
the objects of the International Fantasy Award in mind, the panel of fourteen
judges from America, England and France, including such noted critics as August
Derleth (for the Chicago Sun), J. Francis McComas (for the New York Times),
Tony Boucher (for the New York Herald-Tribune and as editor of Magazine of
Fantasy), Georges Gallet (of Le Rayon Fantastique), P. Schuyler Miller (for
Astounding Science Fiction), Groff Conklin (for Galaxy Science Fiction), and
John Carnell (editor of New Worlds) to name but a few, have selected their five
choices in order of preference, and by a points system of voting, the Committee
has chosen as winner of the 1955 Award a book which is well in the tradition of
previous winners. This is A
Mirror For Observers by Edgar Pangborn, first published in America by Doubleday
& Co., Inc., and recently published in England by Frederick Muller Ltd. Mr.
Pangborn is a native New Yorker, late of Harvard University and the New England
Conservatory of Music. He suddenly switched from composition to creative
writing and is now launched upon a successful science fiction career. This is
only his second published book although there are many short stories to his
credit, one of which won the Special Award of Merit from Ellery Queen's Mystery
Magazine in 1951. His first novel West Of The Sun (Doubleday, and Robert Hale)
was very well received' but A Mirror For Observers is a brilliant and
enthralling piece of craftsmanship which was easily voted with a big lead in
points as the finest science-fantasy novel of the year. Mr. Pangborn will be
presented in due course with the customary Award Trophy consisting of a classic
model spaceship, chromium-plated and mounted on a suitably inscribed oak plinth
together with a cigarette lighter. For once I feel the design could have been
aptly altered into a bronze mirror. The
runners-up were bunched pretty closely together far behind the winner. Although
widely varied in theme and style, all have in common the grace of good writing,
interesting story-telling and attention to recognizable human behaviourism
reacting to the varied circumstances of the authors' imaginations. In second
place, to receive the Certificate of Merit, was Hal Clement's Mission Of
Gravity—a marked success for the purist science-fiction style—which was also
published in America by Doubleday, and in England by Robert Hale. Tieing for
third place were our own J. T. Mclntosh's One In Three Hundred (again by
Doubleday, and due next year from Museum Press) and Isaac Asimov's The Caves Of
Steel (yet again by Doubleday, a remarkable achievement, and by T. V. Boardman
& Co., Ltd., in England). Fourthly came Robert Sheckley's fascinating collection
of short stories Untouched By Human Hands (published by Ballantine Books Inc.,
in America, and due soon from Michael Joseph over here). Jointly in fifth place
were Poul Anderson's Brainwave (again Ballantine and Michael Joseph) together
with Shepherd Mead's satiric Big Ball Of Wax (Simon & Schuster in the
U.S.A. and due from Boardman later this year). Last for particular mention came
Chad Oliver's novel Shadows In The Sun (published by Ballantine and announced
for September by Max Reinhardt Ltd., in England). One of the
names which cropped up favourably in the judges' reports were J. R. R.
Tolkien's monumental fantasy The Lord Of The Rings. However as this is being
published in three parts, of which only the first two books, " The
Fellowship of the Ring " and " The Two Towers " have been issued
so far, it was decided to postpone entry until the trilogy is complete and to
consider it for a later Award. Gratified
that my own choice A Mirror For Observers achieved the success I felt it
deserved, I am now looking forward to the 1956 Award for which there are
already some strong contenders. My eye is on John Wyndham and Arthur Clarke,
but perhaps Sturgeon will bring it off again. Or could it be Ray Bradbury at
last ? Whatever the result I hope 1955 will provide you with much good science
fiction reading- Leslie
Flood |
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1955 I.F.A. PRESENTATION JOHN CARNELL NEW WORLDS 43 - JANUARY 1956 Owing to the rearrangement of our production schedule caused
by the Christmas holiday it happens that this section of the magazine will be
printed last, which just enables me to cover the presentation ceremony of this
year's International Fantasy Awards, held on November 29th at the
Criterion Restaurant, London, in conjunction with the publishers who form the
Science Fiction Luncheon Club group. Guest Chairman for the occasion was popular author and
scientist Arthur C. Clarke who has just returned by way of U.S.A. from a year's
trip along and under the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where he has been
colour-filming for material for a new non-fiction book on undersea adventure.
Members and guests were given an interesting factual account by our book
reviewer Leslie Flood who is also Secretary of the Award Committee, of how the
International Fantasy Awards were founded as a non-profitmaking organisation to
reward merit and ability in the field of fantasy literature. He pointed out
that although American writers had consistently taken first place (although
John Collier who won the trophy in 1952 was born in England, he is now a
naturalised American) British writers had never been far behind. In fact,
Arthur Clarke and John Wyndham, who were present at the luncheon, and J. T.
Mclntosh of Edinburgh who was unable to attend this year, had had novels voted
close to the winning titles during recent years (Mclntosh tieing for third
place this year while Wyndham had run John Collier a close second in 1952). He
hoped to see a British author win first place in the very near future. The handsome trophy won this year by American author Edgar
Pangborn for his book A Mirror For Observers was accepted on his behalf by J.
C. Reynolds, editorial director of Frederick Muller Ltd., who published the
British edition. In presenting the award Arthur Clarke mentioned seeing last
year's trophy only a few weeks ago when he visited Theodore Sturgeon in New
York and hoped that Mr. Pangborn would not put his trophy to the same use—as a
paper weight! He also remarked that so far he has been unable to adapt the fuel
from the lighter in his own trophy (won in 1952 for his non-fiction Exploration
Of Space) into a propulsion unit for the model rocket but that he still has
hopes of achieving this end. In his reply of acceptance Mr. Reynolds pointed out the fact
that his company did not officially publish science fiction but that the books
they had produced in this field were listed as general fiction. He felt this
allowed greater scope for sales and widened the range of readership to include
many people who must of necessity be put off by the term "science fiction." A measure which has been advocated by many
writers and is now being considered by some publishers. The Chairman then
presented the Certificate of Merit for the second please selection of Hal
Clement's Mission of Gravity, which was accepted on the author's behalf by Fred
Olive of Robert Hale Ltd., the British publisher, who stated that he was more
than gratified to find that the only science fiction title they published
during 1954 took an award. Among the numerous guests present were Miss Barbara Noble,
head of Doubleday's London office, whose American office were responsible for
the first four winning titles in this year's presentation ; Dr. J. G. Porter,
Director of the Computing Section of the British Astronomical Society, who
readers will readily recognise as the popular broadcaster on astronomy—and who
is incidentally on the adjudicating panel of the Science Fiction Book Club ;
Charles Chilton, creator of the " Journey Into Space " radio serial
together with Andrew Foulds the actor who plays the part of " Jet Morgan
" ; airmindedness was represented in the persons of Arthur Johnson, editor
of the R.A.F. Flying Review, and L. J. Bittlestone, Secretary of the Air
Scouts, whose organisation I understand are becoming increasingly interested in
both space travel and science fiction and will be organising lectures on both
subjects for the members in the near future. Another interesting personality was Ronald Edwin, whom
British readers will remember as the esper who confounded Gilbert Harding on
" What's My Line " earlier this year. Mr. Edwin has a new book just published by
Sidgwick & Jackson in their " Psi Library " entitled Clock Without
Hands, dealing with extra-sensory perceptionism which we shall review
shortly. An amusing aside happened as
visitors were leaving the restaurant—finding no cloakroom attendant present Mr.
Edwin vaulted the counter and proceeded to hand out hats and coats until one
member, when asked for his cloakroom ticket, said "being as esper you shouldn't need my
ticket." Never lost for a reply
(as the panel on " What's My Line
" found to their cost) Mr. Edwin replied " Sorry, old chap, I'm not
on duty at the moment!" One personality I should have liked to have met was
prevented from appearing at the last moment—he was Nigel Neale, author of the
exciting cliff-hanger T.V. serial “Quatermass II " which has just ended on
the B.B.C. John Carnell |
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