Fanopolis

Fanopolis was a five-part original work published by Sam Youd (as Fantacynic) in 1939. According to a comment before the first part, it was preceded as a fannish story by Don J. Cameron's "Call to Arms" and a suspiciously similar story in Cosmic Tales, as well as Jack Speer's "Six Against the Past". The Fantacynic, however, had come up with his idea some time ago and therefore couldn't be accused of plagiarism.
== Featuring ==
* John F. Burke as John F. Barke
* Louis Kuslan as Louis Lankus
* Jack Speer as Billy Stratford (a play on "Shakespeare")
* Donald A. Wollheim as DAW
* William S. Sykora as Tykora
* D.R. Smith as D.R. Black
* William F. Temple as Bill Pimple
* Arthur C. Clarke as Ego Narke
* Maurice K. Hanson as Boris Pantson
* J. Michael Rosenblum as Pie-Can Rose-in-Bloom
* Sam Moskowitz as one of the Nitwitz
== Summary ==
Part I: The Neophyte (The Fantast #2, pp 9-12): Ishmael Neophyte falls asleep reading Marvel Science Stories and wakes up in a giant, beautiful city with tall buildings and airships. A little man with a bulging cranium explains to him that he's in Fanopolis, a city run by science fiction fans. He speaks of the Apostle Gernsback, and when the Neophyte mentions the science fiction prozines Amazing Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories and Astounding Stories, the little man shivers and says that the big name fans have turned on Amazing editor Raymond A. Palmer, who's retaliated with an inconsistent release schedule.
The Neophyte is introduced to the Fantaspoet, John F. Barke, and Macinpain, a selection of fans who carry around musical instruments. They play a song for him:
Puzzled, the Neophyte leaves them behind and the little man leads him into Fanopolis.
Part II: The Council At Work (The Fantast #3, pp 6-11): Inside Fanopolis, the Neophyte sees ads for The Science Fiction Fan, Cosmic Tales and the FAPA. His guide remarks that the FAPA's ad, aimed at "Papa, Mother and Child", is optimistic as most of the community are bachelors. They have some trouble getting their car started, and the Guide says the city's computer, the Brain, goes crazy on a regular basis. However, the Brain is basically decent--he hates the Michelists and John Russell Fearn. His problems are probably because Louis Lankus and Billy Stratford keep sneaking him strawberry ice cream in exchange for information on DAW.
The Neophyte is set upon by Red Flannel, who tries to sell him Startling Stories and tells him about D.R. Black, who once tried to dismantle the Brain. The Guide notices his watch is off and says that Edmond Hamilton must have gotten hold of a time warp again--once Hamilton teleported some of the Michelists to Berlin in the middle of a "Hitler Thanksgiving", but Robert A. W. Lowndes was unfortunately able to rescue them. The Guide and Neophyte arrive at a stately dome, where a wise patriarch is just taking a vote on whether to cut whiskey ads from Astounding Stories. Stand-ins for John W. Campbell and Frederik Pohl are the only dissenters, along with Bill Pimple.
Part III: Digression in a Flat (The Fantast #4, pp 11-13): The wise patriarch introduces himself as Hugo Gernsback. He asks the Neophyte what Flat he's going to choose. Choosing a Flat means choosing a fan-creed and a group to follow. The first fans to share a Flat were Bill Pimple, Boris Pantson and Ego Narke, and after that it spread. Among those running their own Flats are DAW and Tykora, stand-ins for Donald Wollheim and William Sykora. The Neophyte puts off his choice.
The Neophyte is taken to the intersection of Lovecraft Lane and Schachner Street, which apparently caused quite a ruckus when Schachner Street was named. In the end the "provincials" won the vote. Gernsback explains that most fans only visit Fanopolis and are looked down on by the residents. At the top of the stairs, Pimple, Pantson and Narke are engaged in a Music Night, which takes place on the same day as two other Music Nights from other English fans. As Gernsback and the Neophyte enter, the music is switched off, to the relief of every other fan in the area.
Part IV: Voice of Fanopolis (The Fantast #5, pp 10-12): The Neophyte is welcomed by the other fans, who abandon Music Night and start writing letters. The Neophyte asks if anyone minds the fact that people keep looking over their shoulders, and John F. Barke assures him that one of the most fun things in life is insulting another fan who might see it happening. The Neophyte wonders if anyone else shares this opinion, but he reads several letter to Astounding Stories telling Editor Hambell that the magazine is terrible.
Another fan is busily filing information about Amazing Stories. Ego Narke tries to throttle him for adding percentages badly. The Neophyte moves on to another fan, and realizes that he's found the only fan writing by hand. Barke explains that this is Pie-Can Rose-in-Bloom, who can't stand machines because he was dropped on his head by a robot as a baby.
Other fans are found hunched over rotary duplicators. Sucker, a stand-in for Bob Tucker, is hard at work on Le Zombie, and he accuses Barke of stealing material for The Satellite. Barke pours a bottle of mimeo ink down Sucker's back, and moves on with the Neophyte to greet Fantaspoet and Macinpain.
Part V: Meanderings (The Fantast #6, pp 10-12): Louis Lankus, John F. Barke, Macinpain and the Fantaspoet take the Neophyte to meet the V. B. I.: the Very Busy Individual, a fan so busy that he stopped doing anything at all. On the way they pass by a convention, and explain that the newest fad is to have conventions where you kick out anyone who doesn't agree with you. (See The Great Exclusion Act.)
The Very Busy Individual is hard at work studying everything that begins with an M: music, meteorology, journalism, memory and murder. A short argument ensues over whether journalism counts, which the VBI argues it does as it ends with an M. The Neophyte is shaken and asks to leave. Louis Lankus tells him as they leave the "Gholy Ground" that the VBI is always planning to start something but never gets around to it.
On the way back, the car stops a beautiful canyon full of flowers that glow and sing. They pass underground and the Neophyte observes tiny suns hanging in the air. Barke explains that this is the part of Fanopolis dedicated to what-ifs: to authors of speculative fiction like H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Stanley G. Weinbaum, and others who died young. In a field of white roses, red begonias spell out the name HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT. Barke tells the Neophyte that it's time to return.
The saga of Fanopolis promised to conclude next month, but the next issue explained that editor Sam Youd had decided to cut it off before it had the chance to go sour.
== Reviews ==
Fanopolis generally ranked among the top-rated articles in The Fantast while it was publishing.
=== Part I: ===
=== Part II: ===
=== Part III: ===
=== Part IV: ===
=== Part V: ===
Category:Faanfiction
Category:1939 Fanfiction