Disclaimer: First, opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor.

Second, this issue’s cover features a still from the film, Star Wars. The June 24, 1977, issue of New Times featured a very, very similar cover. Scintillation’s cover was laid out three weeks BEFORE the publication of the New Times issue. Similarity between the two covers are merely coincidental.

I’ve got a question for you: Do you read this editorial before anything else in the magazine? I ask because these past editorials have been written after the construction of the issue is complete. This editorial is no different from those past columns except that this is the first and final draft. Frankly, I’m much too pooped to reedit and retype an entire column to fit the available space. So, I would suggest the editorials be read after you've perused much of the issue. It seems to make more sense in that order.

So — this has been one hell of an issue. I hope you enjoyed it.

With this issue I’ve switched to white paper and have begun to use much more type reduction. Also, the issue is 56 pages — the largest issue yet. These factors have forced me to raise the price per issue to $1.50 and the subscription cost to $4.25 for one year (4 issues) and $8.00 for two years (8 issues). Postage is the substantial decision-making factor in this decision though. The white book stock costs so much more to mail due to weight. I prefer the white paper — I’m sure many other readers side with me and this decision.

The amount of material in this issue squeezed the parody out of this issue (a parody usually appears every other issue) but will be in the next issue. The subject matter, however, cannot be divulged. I will return to newsprint for this next issue to accomodate the parody, then will again use white book paper.

At the end if May, an article appeared in Time magzine about Star Wars. I’d like to make a comment about Ben Bova’s letter in the June 20, 1977, issue of Time concerning that article. In his letter, Bova complains that Time misquoted his comments concerning Star Wars in a way that made it appear that he liked the film. Bova “most emphatically did not.” He then makes a comment similar to: the few of us who work in the science fiction field for a living expect

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more from a science fiction film than Star Wars gave. Bova then said that it appears no adverse opinions of the film can be allowed; “Too bad.”

I am disappointed that Ben Bova has no sense of humor concerning science fiction. He’s taking this whole article and movie too serious, isn’t he? George Lucas and Ben Bova are working in two entirely different medias, appealing to different audiences. The majority of the people who have seen Star Wars wouldn’t read Analog.

Bova did make the people reading the Time letter column aware of the quality concerns within the SF field, but I can't convince myself that’s why Bova wrote his letter. Could it be embarrassing for the editor of Analog to appear in a major national magazine apparently endorsing a space opera like Star Wars?

I think Ben should keep in mind that the Time reader doesn’t give a hoot in hell about the difference between science fantasy and REAL science fiction.

Ben watched Star Wars as an SF sophisticate (an editor and writer), but didn’t overlook the fact that the film wasn’t made to work in our universe; real or fictionalized. Lucas is a film auteur and his picture reflects that; he’s not an SF writer, nor does he even pretend to be. In ALL quotes from Lucas, he carefully qualifies the

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label for his film — that is done out of knowledge of the SF form and its permutations. It’s like . . . well, look. I had more fun watched Star Wars than I have had reading the last four years of Analog, okay?

[Section removed.]

I’ve had some complaints from readers that there isn’t as much of myself in Scintillation as there used to be in the Dork-Pizzle days. That’s true enough. I’ve deliberately tried to squeeze myself out of the magazine, leaving more room for columnists and the articles, and hide out in the review section and among other short pieces sans byline. People who want to know what and how I’m doing. Although I used to do quite a bit of personal writing in this magazine, I now don’t believe it is interesting enough to warrant using the page space to write about it. Still, there are these complaints. Fine. Occasionally I can give short social updates, but my private life is something I’m not prepared

to let fandom know about like other fanzine writers.

Most Scintillation readers know that I own a science fiction bookstore in Portland, Oregon. That store is doing well and has now been open seventeen months. Last month we had our first autograph party with John Varley for the release of his first novel, The Ophiuchi Hotline. That went very well.

The store had to move from downtown Portland to an outlying area in November 1976 due to downtown reconstruction. The store is now just a short distance from Portland’s other SF book specialists, Garvin and Levin, and is located at 1808 E. Burnside (in case you’re visiting Portland someday).

I have also initiated a small one-man freelance graphic firm called Great Graphics! Arts Service, and am working on various freelance jobs (when I have time) here locally.

I must confess I have the rest of this page to fill with type and have nothing to say. Nothing of any worth, I must append. Anything of worth might be classified as an opinion or comment connected with the science fiction field. Something other than that just doesn’t belong in the magazine. That editorial policy makes this a ‘sercon’ fanzine, if Scintillation is to be considered a fanzine. I no longer do think of Scintillation as a fanzine, but rather as a small magazine. With the vast amount of my time taken up with the shop and the construction of this magazine, I haven’t the time to read but a small handful of fanzines and pro fiction magazines. Without this background of recently published and read material, I really cannot form any opinions about the field I’m working in. I was never very good at forming opinions — I never studied oration, I acted when I was younger and spent quite a bit of time speaking other people’s words. When I was even younger I followed others around. So, I never became very adept at expressing opinions. For the most part I learned how to assimilate other people’s opinions and express them by rote. I acted my opinions.

These days I prefer to confess my ignorance of a subject matter than recite.

I’ve been asked whether I really edit my magazine. Do I really believe in the things I publish? I don’t believe IN anything, and believe only one thing. To believe in something I would have to have an opinion on it. I have few true opinions; I have an opinion on drawing — something I have been studying for the past eighteen years, ever since I could hold a pencil in my first. I have an opinion on air, light, food and sound; things I have lived with all my life. But to have a real opinion on science fiction, something I have been reading for only seven or eight years altogether, that is ridiculous. Opinionists go where thinkers fear to tread.

Susan Wood asked me if I believe in the material I publish, or do I print it because it is controversial. A good question, but I have no real answer. An opinion would be detrimental to the open-minded approach I take with Scintillation. I believe in nothing I publish in this magazine. Instead, I feel that each piece has its valid points. On that basis I publish this material. If I had opinions on every topic mentioned, I certainly wouldn’t be publishing other people’s writing, I would write everything myself. Instead, I offer a forum.

I publish Scintillation out of curiosity. I am interested in what other people say in SF, but find there’s very, very few outlets like this one. There is only one person working in SF I won’t publish, but that is fine because he is published in many other magazines.

Altogether, that was a very good question. I have been thinking on that one deep inside for two weeks, Susan. But I believe one thing, and that is not at all connected with this magazine or science fiction. That, however, is my own business and is mine alone to dwell over.

On that somewhat final sounding note comes the time for the heartfelt thanks. Thank you to Richard Weholt, John Shirley, Philip José Farmer, Ted White, Doug Barbour, Steve Brown, Kathy Mayo, the artists, the letter writers, and the helpful subscribers. Thanks also to 20th Century-Fox, Dan DePrez, John Varley, Gil Gaier and Susan Wood.

A few more thanks to Rick Bilyeu, and to Jim and Jay at Photocraft for their invaluable help.

Much love to Dawn, my best friend and confidant, and forever to Shawn.

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