Futurians

The Futurians were an influential group of science fiction fans, editors and writers. The Futurians were based in New York City and were a major force in the development of science fiction writing and science fiction fandom in the years 1937-1945.

Origins of the group

As described in Isaac Asimov's autobiography In Memory Yet Green, the Futurians spun off from the Queens Science Fiction Society (headed by Sam Moskowitz, later an influential SF editor and historian) over ideological differences. Asimov does not specify the differences but hints that they were political in character. Other sources indicate that Donald A. Wollheim was pushing for a more left wing direction with a goal of leading fandom toward a political ideal, all of which Moskowitz resisted. As a result, Wollheim broke off from the Queens Science Fiction Society and founded the Futurians.

Political tendencies

At the time the Futurians were formed, Donald Wollheim was strongly attracted by communism and believed that followers of science fiction "should actively work for the realization of the scientific world-state as the only genuine justification for their activities and existence". It was to this end that Wollheim formed the Futurians, and many of its members were in some degree interested in the political applications of science fiction.

Hence the group included supporters of Trotskyism, like Merril, and others who would have been deemed far left for the era (Frederik Pohl became a member of the Communist Party in 1936 but was subsequently expelled). On the other hand several members were political moderates or apolitical, and in the case of James Blish arguably right-wing. Damon Knight in "The Futurians" indicates that Blish at that time felt Fascism was interesting in theory, if repellent as it was then being practiced. More solid evidence is that Blish admired the work of Oswald Spengler.

Members include

• Isaac Asimov
• Damon Knight
• Cyril Kornbluth
• Frederik Pohl
• Leslie Perri
• Richard Wilson
• James Blish
• Hannes Bok
• Dan Burford
• Chet Cohen
• Harry Dockweiler (also known as Dirk Wylie)
• Virginia Kidd
• Walter Kubilius
• David Kyle
• Robert A. W. Lowndes
• Judith Merril
• John Michel
• Larry Shaw
• Donald A. Wollheim

References

• The Futurians by Damon Knight (1977)
• The Way The Future Was by Frederik Pohl (1978)
• In Memory Yet Green by Isaac Asimov (1979)
• All Our Yesterdays by Harry Warner, Jr. (1969)

External links

• http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/20th/etudes/anderson/futurians.html
• Frederik Pohl profile with several paragraphs on the Futurians
• Fancyclopedia II: F (see the entries under FUTURIANS, and FUTURIAN HOUSES)