The writing in those stories is terrible. Even the Leigh Brackett story is rushed and clumsy.
(It was criticism like this that led to Sturgeon’s adage, “Ninety percent of everything is crap.” He had a point: Casablanca was one of fifty-two films Warner Bros released that year. Name another. Right. 1941 produced standing classics of science fiction. These stories aren’t among them. Oh well.)
one of fifty-two films Warner Bros released that year
Yes, that’s one complete movie – written, directed, acted, produced, with music written and performed, released each and every week. It was called “the movie industry” for good reason… (In practice, the films were produced and released simultaneously at set times through the year, much as is done today. The one major difference is, those films were watched by paying audiences, while today’s play to empty seats.)
Casablanca came out in 1942. Are you thinking of the Maltese Falcon? Either way, your point stands (even if I am actually familiar with other good films from both years).
Pardon my poor grammar. This magazine is from 1941. Hence, “1941 produced standing classics of science fiction. These stories aren’t among them.”
It’s still true today, of course; look at the Fall Preview issue of any year of TV Guide, and see “Of the many that were / How few remain,” as the old poem says. The die-off is almost total, every year. That’s show biz!
The writing in those stories is terrible. Even the Leigh Brackett story is rushed and clumsy.
(It was criticism like this that led to Sturgeon’s adage, “Ninety percent of everything is crap.” He had a point: Casablanca was one of fifty-two films Warner Bros released that year. Name another. Right. 1941 produced standing classics of science fiction. These stories aren’t among them. Oh well.)
one of fifty-two films Warner Bros released that year
Yes, that’s one complete movie – written, directed, acted, produced, with music written and performed, released each and every week. It was called “the movie industry” for good reason… (In practice, the films were produced and released simultaneously at set times through the year, much as is done today. The one major difference is, those films were watched by paying audiences, while today’s play to empty seats.)
Casablanca came out in 1942. Are you thinking of the Maltese Falcon? Either way, your point stands (even if I am actually familiar with other good films from both years).
Pardon my poor grammar. This magazine is from 1941. Hence, “1941 produced standing classics of science fiction. These stories aren’t among them.”
It’s still true today, of course; look at the Fall Preview issue of any year of TV Guide, and see “Of the many that were / How few remain,” as the old poem says. The die-off is almost total, every year. That’s show biz!