FIVE RARE PAMPHLETS PRODUCED FOR DISTRIBUTION BY THE FUTURIANS AT THE FIRST WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION, 1939: AN AMAZING STORY by Robert W. Lowndes; DEAD END 1938 by Robert W. Lowndes; THE PURPOSE OF SCIENCEFICTION by D. W. F. Meyer; THE FOUNDATION OF THE CPASF by John B. Michel; and SCIENCEFICTION TURNS TO LIFE by Upton Sinclair. The bundle of notorious ultra rare CPASF publications the Futurians intended to distribute at the First World Science Fiction Convention held in New York City in 1930. The bundle comprises: (1) Lowndes, Robert W. AN AMAZING STORY. New York CPASF, April 1939. Octavo, pp. [1-2] 3-6 [7-8: blank], offset from typewritten copy, brown front wrapper silkscreened in pink. (2) Lowndes, Robert W. DEAD END 1938. New York: C.P.A.S.F., June 1939. Octavo, pp. [1-2] 3-10 [11-12: blank], offset from typewritten copy, white wrappers, front wrapper silkscreened in cream and black. (3) Meyer, D. W. F. THE PURPOSE OF SCIENCEFICTION. New York: CPASF, June 1939. "2nd Ed." Octavo, pp. [1-2] 3-6, offset from typewritten copy, white front wrapper silkscreened in orange and purple, plain brown rear wrapper. (4) Michel, John B. THE FOUNDATION OF THE CPASF. New York: Published by the CPASF, May 1939. Octavo, pp. [1-3] [4: blank] (not paginated), offset from typewritten copy, white paper front wrapper silkscreened in blue and gold, plain brown rear wrapper (wrinkled). (5) Sinclair, Upton. SCIENCEFICTION TURNS TO LIFE. New York: Michel - Wolleim Publications, June 1939. Octavo, pp. [1-2] 3-7 [8-10: blank], offset from typewritten copy, white paper front wrapper silkscreened in blue and white. This article, reprinted here with Sinclair's permission, first appeared in the NEW MASSES, 17 February, 1939. A complete set of the pamphlets the Futurians intended to distribute at the First World Science Fiction Convention, the culmination of the major fan feud of the the 1930s between New Fandom, who organized the convention, and the Futurians, led by Donald A. Wollheim, who termed New Fandom a dictatorship. Futurian members were banned from the convention hall unless they gave personal assurance that they would not disrupt the proceedings. While confronting Futurians attempting to enter the convention hall prior to the commencement of the proceedings, New Fandom organizers learned that a pamphlet, A WARNING!, subtitled "BEWARE OF THE DICTATORSHIP" was being circulated among attendees. Then copies of the five pamphlets offered here were discovered hidden behind a radiator. Ultimately, some Futurians, Isaac Asimov and others, were admitted to the hall. At 2 PM the convention was called to order, attendees took their seats, and the crisis passed. See Moskowitz, The Immortal Storm: A History of Science Fiction Fandom (1974), pp. 213-224 (especially p. 216 that includes the list of publications and their content). Pavlat and Evans, pp. 3, 22, 88, 44 and 102. Staples removed by an earlier owner, else all pamphlets are in fine condition. While not part of this lot, a copy of A WARNING! can be supplied at extra cost. (#178785).
Price: $5,000.00
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