Following today’s class, post your 250-word summary on today’s readings (Moore’s “Shambleau” and excerpts from Burrough’s A Princess of Mars) and lecture as a comment made to this blog post.
19 thoughts on “After Class Writing Assignment: Pulp SF”
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Brianna Grant
Eng2420 E255 Science Fiction
Prof. Ellis
City Tech
7 October 2017
Assignment #4
During lecture on October 4, 2017, Professor Ellis expounded on pulp science fiction (1920s-1930s). He also elaborated on the essential characteristics of pulp science fiction and the many writers that works are published in the category of pulp science fiction.
He begun by elaborating on what pulp science fiction is. In pulp science fiction technological developments existed in the 1920s and the word pulp was used to describe the type of magazines and how they were made. These magazines were about 10*7 inches in size and were made by a process that was developed in 1880s. Therefore, the paper was very cheap and due to the acidic, coarse nature aged very poorly. Professor Ellis then goes on to speak on the eight essentials of pulp science fiction which are:
(1) Exciting story of heroism, happy ending, uplifting stories
(2) Crude Stories (written quickly)
(3) Formulaic
(4) Written for less educated audience
(5) Very little emphasis on character/ more emphasis on stereotypes
(6) Many recycled ideas (begins developing a foundation)
(7) B.E.M.S (Bug Eyed Monsters)
(8) SF themes began to be developed
(Space Opera)
( Superman)
( Galactic Empires)
The first author that Professor Ellis elaborated on was Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967). A Luksenberg native that immigrated to the United States in 1904 to launch an electronic company. He also launched his first magazine in 1908 entitled, “Modern Electrics,” that taught individuals how to invent and use products that were sold in his store. Science Fiction’s original name was called scientifiction in which he describes should always teach you something. Gernsback theory of scientifiction was that it is 75% literature, 25% science, should be didactic and should be prophetic.
Nonetheless, another author on Professor Ellis’ list was C.L Moore (1911-1987). Moore’s rise to fame was with the 1933 short story entitled ” Shambleau,” in which included a femme fatale set in Mars. Hence, C.L Moore was also renowned as the writer of the first sword and sorcery work with a female protagonist (Jirei of Goiry). Consequently, these authors paved the way for many others in the history of science fiction and were the main reasons why we even have monumental classics such as the 1934 comic strip by Alex Paymond “Flash Gordon or the Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) work entitled ” Tarzan and the Apes.” Nevertheless, these works have had such an essential impact that these prime science fiction examples have molded history forever.
Saif Ahmed Professor Elis
ENG 2420
10/10/2017
Pulp SF Princess of Mars and Shambleau
In class we had a discussion about pulp Science fiction and how at the time it was given in magazine that cost of production was low because of the quality of the materials used. Pulp SF target audience was for the lower class people that work hard but do not make as much money has say middle class or upper class do. These were the best pass times for these people as after work there was nothing to do except read pulp sf magazine. Also Movies were created and both movie and magazine ended in a cliffhanger to keep the readers or viewers guessing and wanting to see more. The best examples of Pulp Science Fictions are the Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs and Shambleau by C.L. Moore. The stories both tell a story of life on Mars. In Princess of Mars the character Carter wakes up in Mars and has to prove himself to the Martians and is awarded. Whatever Carter does the Martians applaud because it is Fascinating for them to see an earthling do all of these wonderful things. Carter is appointed a higher status he is a chieftain and he got that after Carter proves himself after beating white apes and he also impressed Sola his appointed backup. Carter learns everything the Martians know like most importantly language and life style and understands the different feelings through the language. Carter meets a princess of Helium who is captive Dejah Thoris and she stays with Carter for the moment and will be cared by Sola. The Next Story Shambleu is also about Mars life and Traveling people from Venus to mars. This story is mainly about Smith the character hears the Tale of Shambleau which is a race of aliens who feed off life force. This he wanted to know because Smith was caught by an Alien so he wanted to know more of the Aliens and what they do. These Pulp Sf stories have cliffhangers and will find out more in upcoming volumes.
Rebecca Delgado
ENG 2420
Professor Ellis
10/11/17
Pulp Science Fiction began roughly in the 1920s-1930s. Pulp originated from the cheap pulp paper used for brightly colored magazines meant to grab the eye. The writers for these magazines were paid by the word, it changed how authors would write. They would drag out a scene so they can make a profit and quickly write something for money. Because of this, there stories with repetition of prior. Some characteristics Pulp Science Fiction include; recycled ideas, bug eyed monsters, existing and uplifting stories full of action and simplified writing since the audience was less educated.
C.L. Moore rose to fame with her short story âShambleauâ published in 1933. As a writer she had great attention to detail and fluency. Shambleau is a story about a femme fatale on the planet Mars. The Shambleau are a race of Medusa like women that have human and animalistic features. They prey on men, later killing them.
Edgar Rice Burroughs was born in 1875 and died 1950. He is the author of âA Princess of Marsâ and wrote martian stories. His writing includes poorly developed dialogue, stereotypes/racism, and action. John Carter is on the planet Mars and attempts to save Princess Dejah who appears to be his love interest. He is constantly fighting to stay alive throughout the duration of the story. It takes place during Confederate times, roughly 1865.
Science fiction film series became more popular. Right before a movie played a weekly release of a short film would be shown before the featured film. It encouraged the audience to go see a movie the following week to see the rest of the short. It left the audience with a sense of âwhatâs nextâ. It was low cost production that provided cheap entertainment.
Jia Du
English 2420 Science Fiction Literature
Professor Ellis
10/10/2017
In class, the professor started the class off by talking about Pulp Science Fiction (1920s-1930s). During that time period, magazines made with cheap material were issued to readers. They mainly focused the presentation of the covers which attracts readers.
As the professor goes in depth about Pulp S.F. he explained that, it contains exciting story on action, romance, happy stories, and uplifting stories. Pulp Science Fiction were also written quickly and submitted to be published without checking for errors. Authors also followed an outline and targeted the less educated audience. The professor also explained that characters were often stereotyped and used recycled ideas from other authors. Other essential were Bug eye monsters and cliff hangers.
On the next topic, the professor introduced the Author Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967). He was a writer, editor, and inventor. During 1908 He launched the magazine Modern Electronics which was a magazine that shows how to make things which he sells the parts for. Later on he lost ownership of the company which did not stop him from creating new ones.
The next subject we jumped to was Gernback Science Fiction. The professor discussed that his theory was 75% literature and 25% science, didactic, and prophetic. During that time they held the first Science Fiction fam club meeting, then 1937 England meeting and 1939 world science fiction convention.
Next authors the professor mention was C.L. Moore ( 1911-1987). Some of his works were Shambleau(1933). The setting of the story was outer space on mars. Smith encounters a young woman in distress and helps her. She was not human but yet attractive to him. Yarol also came and helped him by using a mirror on the enemy as a reflection and kill them. This story and its ideas were related to Perseus and Medusa where her hair is like snake creatures. Sword and Sorcery, Jirei of Goiry, Cross Story between the two novels (1937). Next Author was Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) Famous works were Tarzan of the Apes. When stories are put into the public domain, fans and inspiring authors can use the idea and write their own story for it.
The novel Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs was about, John Carter being transported to Mars where he gains super human strength and super human speed. He encounters Martians when he eventually gains respect and status because of his powers. He becomes involved in conflicts between Martians only to wake up later on Earth to wonder what happen to his love one.
Justin Tam
ENG2420
Professor Ellis
October 11, 2017
Around 1920-1930, pulp science fiction began to become a thing, during this time, it was also the âscare of the timeâ where people were scared of people reading too much, such as people walking around with their eyes glued to newspaper or books. Similar to the concerned we have today with people looking at their phones all the time. The name pulp science fiction comes from the material the magazine was made from, which was chemically wood chip pulp that made thick sheets. It was very acidic which caused the magazines to age poorly, making it hard to preserve. Science fiction became so popular that in December 1929, the first recorded fan club was established, as well as the first convention in England January 3rd 1937.
A princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) is about a man named John Carter who have just âsavedâ his lifeless friend, Powell, from the killers, the Indians, and ends up hiding in a cave where he became paralyzed for some reason. He then wakes up to realize that he is now on Mars. He discovers that he is able to jump high as well as have tremendous strength due to the difference in gravity between Earth and Mars. He later encounters the Martians who lives in Mars and becomes the Chieftan. He later encounters the princess named Dejah Thoris
Shambleau by C.L. Moore (1911-1987) is a story about a earth man named Northwest Smith encountering a mob who looked like they were out to kill a girl. They repeatedly shouted out âshambleau!â and demanded that Smith hand her over to them. But once they heard that the girl belonged to Smith, they became passive, happy even and went away. Later, we learn why the mob were content once Smith claimed Shambleau. It turns out the girl creature that is named Shambleau fed on the lifeforce/soul. Luckily, his friend and partner, Yarol, managed to save Smith by looking into the mirror (like how Medusa was killed by Perseus by the same mirror tactic) to avoid gazing and becoming tranced to be able to shoot Shambleau and kill her.
Gabriel Higuera
ENG 2420
10/10/2017
Pulp science fiction (1920-1930) is described with various forms of characteristics such as: uplifting, happy ending, stylistically crude, formulaic since stories mostly followed the same pattern, written with a more basic vocabulary to captivate a broader audience, very little emphasis on characters and mostly pushing an exciting story out to the public, and the beginning of S.F.âs foundation. At the time a lot of stories were being pushed out by volume, as writers were getting paid as much as they decide to write. Majority of the themes we read about in science fiction now a days, evolved from the era of pulp science fiction. We see a lot of almost the same thing being recycled. For example from the two stories assigned for this week Edgar Rice Borroughâs (1875-1950) âA Princess of Marsâ published on October 10, 1917. And C.L. Mooreâs (1911-1987) âShambleauâ published in 1933 as part of the pulp science fiction magazine âWeird Talesâ both stories tell a narrative of occurrences developing in Mars. From here we can see how the themes of that time pretty much had a similar formula going of outer space adventures.
In a âPrincess of Marsâ we see an American man named John Carter fall in love with an green alien that goes by Princess Dejah. In all honesty, most of this book went right over my head. There were so many plots going on and a lot of twists that did keep it interesting but I can see for a book like this, a lot of imagination has to come to play. Carter learned various superpowers while on his extraterrestrial adventures, like learning how to fly. In all this book is the ideal book to showcase in order to explain how pulp science fiction literature was back in the days. It carries tons of adventures and is action packed and it ended with a mostly positive tone.
âShambleauâ I understood it much more than the previous story. Again, this happens in outer space in the planet of mars and it also brings the idea of a human developing feelings for an alien species. Unlike a âPrincess of Marsâ I find âShambleauâ more enjoyable since itâs a little more realistic. We learn that the main character is in possession of a âRay gunâ which is really cool knowing that the gun is iconic in many science fiction narratives. The first time I heard of that weapon is in the game âCall of Dutyâ in a zombie killing action game. We can see how the roots of science fiction was planted as pulp science fiction era was developing.
Alex Giffen
ENG 2420
10/11/2017
Most of the duration of class was discussing the origins of traditional Science Fiction, Pulp Science Fiction. The term Pulp SF comes from the quality of the print that the science fiction magazines were printed on. Since there was a need to print every month, they had to follow many tropes. They typically had exciting stories based on action, with either a happy ending or a cliff hanger. They were formulaic, often following plots of other stories. They pulp stories were aimed towards less educated people, hoping to get as many subscribers as possible. They promoted the most popular authors on the covers and large colorful pictures to get the attention of prospective buyers. Characters were also very bland and one dimensional, they usually didnât have flaws and were either hero, villain, or damsel. Authors used recycled IPâs to have a lexicon of terms as to not need to spend time describing every piece of technology. The villains were also usually âbug eyed monsters,â a very stereotypical, easy to explain monsters. Finally, they helped define science fiction themes, the issues that science fiction stories cover. An example as one would be reliance on technology or what is considered something that is alive.
Some authors that helped create the pulp science fiction genre were Hugo Gernsbeck, he created the original science fiction magazines. He also believed that SF is 75 percent literature and 25 percent science. Other authors include L.L. Moore who wrote âShanblowâ and Edgar Burroughs who wrote SF based on Lowellâs Mars canal drawings. Other forms of popular SF emerged because of pulp magazines. One example being Flash Gordon, a space hero that saves the damsel. These films were low cost, low production, made quickly, and always ended on cliffhangers. All these forms of media in SF made sure to grab audiences and helped it become the huge genre it is today.
Mellissa Valle
Eng2420
Science Fiction
Prof. Ellis
A Princess of Mars 1917
Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950)
It begins with John Carter narrating his extraordinary adventures on Mars.He is a handsome man, apparently immortal. On Mars discovers that his terrestrial musculature gives him a disproportionate strength and agility with respect to his size, he also discovers that this planet has to be actively enriched in oxygen to allow life
On Mars (Barsoom) there was a white race in the past, which was the summit of civilization. Their descendants are the red Martians. who have developed a warrior culture. The other predominant race is the green Martians , monstrous beings, organized as a warrior society that does not know love and only respects martial aptitudes
John Carter ends up as a prisoner of the Green Martians, where he meets Tars Tarkas. The story gets complicated when the princess of Helium, Dejah Thoris, is imprisoned so John Carter joined forces and rescued her .With unexpected outcomes,After rescuing the princess they get married. Shortly after that they ran out of oxygen on the planet and everyone except John Carter died.When on Earth John Carter looks up to the sky hoping he can go back to his love, but I know theyâre all dead. đ
Shambleau 1933
C. L. Moore(1911-1987)
Northwest Smith, is a respected man in taverns. He is a cautious man, despite his reputation. The story started when he heard a scandal in the street, the crowd was going after a fragile creature, Shambleau. Without second thoughts he decides to protect her. Everyone looks at him with disgust and perverse but let them go with the condition of not letting her out to the streets.
Once in a room she would always listen to Smith and lock the room. Her anatomy was not suitable for our language but she managed to communicate a little. She had sharp teeth like those of feline and her body similar to the human therefore she should also have digestive system but she refused to eat, âher food was much betterâ,
One night Smith had a nightmare where he could not move, he felt pleasure and at the same time terror but later he just forgot about didn’t pay more attention. Shambleau then tells him that soon she will eat, not to worry about her and that they will be able to communicate on her own language too, she probably referred telepathically.
Once again, Smith has this creepy nightmare, he can not move, he realizes that it is not such a nightmare, it’s real, Shambleau. Luckily, Smith was already waiting for his friend Yarol who saves his life when he kills that monster. Yarol makes him promise that if at any given moment he finds this creature send her to hell at once… Smith canât promise that. He prob wants to die too đ
Comments Pulp SF
In class we learn what defines Pulp SF. started on the 20âs-30âs when technological development already existed. Some of its characteristics are: – Fantastic stories, not a happy ending (just as in these readings, everybody dying) -These were weekly published, very fast. -Written for less educated people therefore easier to read, more access. – Many recycle ideas, writers sharing their thoughts. – BEMS(Bug Eyed Monsters). Hugo Gernsback (1884 -1967) was the person responsible for the genre, winning a Pulp SF Label. Pulp SF is 75% literature and 25% science, is didactic (teaches something) and prophetic(predicts the future)
Paul Chandipersaud
October 11, 2017
Pulp Science Fiction, Shambleau, A Princess of Mars
In our last lecture we discussed what pulp science fiction is and also talked about the stories we read âShambleauâ by C.L Moore and âA Princess of Marsâ by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Pulp science fiction is a genre of science fiction that came about between 1920-1930âs. The name âPulpâ came form the magazines it was made on. The magazines were 10×7 inches and very cheaply made. They used cheap paper, it was course, absorbent, acidic, think, and they had bright to attract readers to them. The writers of pulp sf were paid very cheaply and that caused a lot of bad and repetitive stories to be mad because some writers just wrote to get paid. Pulp sf has 8 defining characteristics to it. Those characteristics are its very exciting and uplifting, stylistically crude, formulaic, written for a less educated audience, little emphasis on characters and more on stereotypes, recycled ideas, BEMS (bug eyed monsters), and some major science fiction themes came from this era like space opera, âsupermanâ, sword and sorcery, galactic empires, and even sex. A major innovator of pulp sf was Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967). He originally wrote stories to sell radio parts from his business but it later evolved into much more.
The short story âShambleauâ was written by C.L Moore (1911-1987) takes place on Mars and is a story about a man named Smith who encounters a cat/female human like creature who he saves by a mod of people trying to capture it. The mob looked at Smith in disgust after he decided to defend the creature and he had no idea why. The creature wanted to stay by Smithâs side and he allowed it and took her home. They didnât speak the same language so there was little conversation. One night Smith and the creature went to sleep. Smith woke up in the middle of the night and saw her undressing her tight turban and what he saw truly shocked him. These red like worm things dropped from her head and looked onto Smith and made her way towards him. She got close to him where she started to devour his life force. Smithâs friends Yarol went to check on Smith because he hasnât seen him for some days and when she walked into the room he sees the creature all over Smithâs body. Remembering the story of Medusa Yarol takes a mirror and uses it against the creature. Smith later wakes up and Yarol explains everything to him, telling him exactly what that creature was and what happened.
The book âA Princess of Marsâ by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) also takes place on Mars after a man named John Carter was escaping a band of Apaches and found a cave to hide in. From the cave he is transported to Mars without clothes and with no understanding of how he got there. John encounters green Martians on this planet and he discovers heâs one of the strongest beings on this planet (because of the lesser gravity) and the Martians were pleased and entertained by this. John learned the ways of the Martians, their language, and in short time he moved up in the ranks of the green Martians. During his time there he meets a red Martian named Dejah Thoris, the Princess of Helium and falls in love with her. Dejah is taken by the people of Zodanga and John is to go and save her and after doing so the people of Helium fall in love with John and the two ended up getting married and living together for 9 years. They only got to spend 9 years together because someone assassinated the person in charge of their air supply and everyone lost hope and accepted their fate. On the last minutes of life John thinks he can save everyone and makes his way to the air supply station. Unfortunately, John ended up dying due to the insufficient air. But instead if actually dying John woke up back on Earth in the cave he last remembered. After this John does nothing but wonder about the people he cared for on Mars.
Randy Valcourt
10/11/12
ENG lecture
The story Shambleau is a space opera by C.L.Moore where we are introduce to a truly, in my opinion, frightening story. This story originates form the pulp fiction era, an era where there was a rise in science fiction through magazines like âModern electricsâ by Hugo Gernsback. Now in the story Shambleau it starts on Mars with a character named North West. It was established that North West was well known not only in Mars but many other well-known planets. On this planet he was meeting up with an alien friend named Yarol, while he was waiting he fell into an unfortunate event. The event was meeting a female alien named Shambleau. When he first met her she was being chased my a mob of Marians wanting to kill her being heroic he stopped them from killing her and let her stay with him until his friend came. North West told the crowd and other aliens that the creature known as Shambleau was his aliens and they where discussed with him and spat on the ground in front of him. He was confused by there actions, for what could be so wrong with the girl he thought. The girl had a feline appearance she had sharp claws on her hands and feet and green eyes. It wasnât until they slept in the same room together that he realized why people feared her and wanted her died. She was a creature that fed on the life energy of men (blood in this case) she got them to give her there blood by seducing them through her eyes and once she put her arms around them she would cover them with the wormy snake like hair on her head. He realized what she was to late and was succumb by her. She was really the spitting image for the Gorgon Medusa as North West stated after he was save by his fiend Yarol. This interstellar sorry was great in my opinion it brought forth a interesting alien horror story with the idea of introducing the concept that ancient Greek myths might be just the tales of fist encounters with other alien races.
Another interesting space opera would be the princess of Mars where a confederate officer named John Carter leaves his body in a cave as he is Sent to Mars in another body. Unlike Shambleau which is a short horror story The Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs is a Romance story one of adventure and Drama. On Mars John Carter is introduced to the Green Marsian species and there way of living. He also meets a group of advanced humans and within that group the Princess of Mars. On his journey he acquires skills like how to job incredible lengths and distances above the ground and how to even use telepathy. Burroughs does a great job in developing the setting of the story so vividly. It is similar to the way C. L. Moore to such time to paint and image of how the Medusa like female alien. Both stories are some of the highlights of the Pulp science fiction era of the 1920s and 30s.
In this class we learn about Pulp SF, the creation of the first affordable science fiction books. They were called pulp books because they were made of a course, absorbent and thick paper, made of ground wood to help keep the cost down. The problem is that once wood gets mashed and pulped, the paper created doesnât last very long and the book must be handled carefully. The innovator of pulp sf is a man named Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967). He was a wealthy man from Luxembourg who made his living being an editor, writer and inventor. After moving to America, Gernsback created a science fiction magazine called Amazing Tales, which only stayed open from 1926-1929. The magazine featured known and new aspiring writers of sci-fi, and paid their writers by word, and attracted readers with their bright and vibrant colored covers that featured lurid and controversial images. There are eight characteristics of a good sci-fi read that developed during the pulp-era and recurred in all the different magazines since. They are:
1- exciting stories full of action, heroes, and usually with happy ending
2- stylistically crude (quick writing)
3- formulaic (follow similar patterns, cliché-creating)
4- written for a less educated audience (less schooling available, grow the readership, more readers, more accessible)
5- very little emphasis on character, but more emphasis on stereotypes (no flesh, juxtapose this type of person, less need for character development)
6- many recycled ideas (develops a foundation for sci-fi as a whole, helps future writers)
7- BEMs- Bug-Eyed Monsters (your average alien)
8- SF themes begin to be developed- eg- space opera, era of sword and sorcery, galactic empires, provocative themes
C.L. Moore (born Catherine-Lucille) lived from 1911-1987. Her claim to fame was the short story âShambleauâ, written in 1933. It began her series of a female protagonist, Jirel of Joiry. This story tells of a woman creature who we only know as a Shambleau, which is a different species. When we first meet her, we are still interested in Mooreâs husbandâs character, NorthWest Smith, a space traveler and conman. Shambleau is a creature, a futuristic Medusa, that usually takes the form of a woman. A Shambleau feeds off the life essence of humans, usually males, by seducing them and then feeding from them with their worm-like hair. Upon her feeding, Smithâs assistant comes in and, using her reflection, is able to shoot her with his weapon. In this case, the alien gives the implication of innocence, but she is truly a femme fatale, a woman out to kill.
Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) created a new world in Mars, with creatures called Barsooms, and so began his name with an adventurer named John Carter in 1912. His claim to fame, however, was the creation of Tarzan which is still being capitalized by the town he created before his death. In Edgar Rice Burroughâs book, A Princess of Mars, we meet John Carter and Tars Tarkas. We learn about the culture clash that Carter learns to overcome, and how he fights his way into power purely with the instinct to survive. In Mars, laughter is evil and indicates the intent to maim and torture a being. To kill someone is to assume their status or to maintain your own. Carter, out of sheer instinct, ends up as a Captain in their army, owns a woman who he falls in love with, and befriends one of the strongest influential people of their land. But, as with all stories go, with power comes responsibility and every decision Carter makes effects his future.
Pierre Polycarpe
Prof. Ellis ENG2420 E255
October 11, 2017
Prof Ellis indicate a lot of essential points during our lecture on October 4th. However, the following ones stood out the most in my opinion. Prof Ellis started by educating on the Pulp science era. The pulp era took place around 1920âs and 1930. It was a period where science fiction genre was popular or should I say at its best. These magazines didnât have good quality because they were low on budget and production values and low cost. They were classified as cliffhangers. Meaning, they would usually show them before a movie and ending an episode leaving the audience in suspense so they could come back.
Hugo Gernsback fits right in when it comes to SF. Other refers sometimes refers to him as he Father of SF. He was born on august 16, 1884 and passed away august 19, 1967. Hugo was an American inventor, a writer, editor and magazine. Hugo launch his first SF magazine in April 1926. Prior to creating SF, Hugo was an entrepreneur in the electronic industry. In 1915 Hugo coined a new word âScientificionâ which signifiesâ Charming romance intermingo with scientific factâ. Hugoâs scientificion characteristics were 75% literature, 25% science, must be didactic meaning it must teaches something and prophetic which means should predict or anticipate the future.
In April 1926, Hugo release his first SF magazine known as Ralph 124c 41+. It was written as twelve parts in Modern electrics magazine. In 1929, Hugoâs company filed for bankruptcy however it did not prevent Hugo from pursuing his dream.
Cl Moore is also another great example when it comes to SF. She was born in 1911 and passed away in 1933. In 1933, she published her first SF story entitled âShambleauâ. The film took place on Mars. In 1940 Moore married Henry Kuttner, another SF writer. According to Prof Ellis, Moore and Henry had some differences. Moore was one of those writers who pay a lot of attention to details while Henry uses more of a witty approach. After Henry died in 1963, Moore stopped writing.
Last class we discussed pulp SF. The term pulp science fiction come from the process of using old paper smashed up into a pulp and then pressed into paper. These books were affordable but the durability of them was lacking. Pulp SF was not that popular when it was first introduced but it gained popularity over time. We also learned about Hugo Gernsback who was born on August 16, 1884 and later passed away on August 1976. Hugo Gernsback is sometimes referred to as the father of SF. He created a new term called scientifiction, but this term never gain much traction because it was rather difficult to say. According to Gernsback scientifction should contain 75% literature, 25% science, and didactic meaning. Before getting into science fiction Hugo was an Inventor, magazine publisher, editor, writer. He contributed so greatly to science fiction the was honored by the world’s first science fiction convention called âThe Hugoâsâ
âShambleauâ was written by C.L Moore (1911-1987). Shambleu tells a story of a space traveler who encounter and mob trying to kill a cat like person called a Shambleau. The space traverler, Smith, defends the Shambleau and the mob looks at him weirdly as he says the Shambleau belongs to him. The Shambleau lives with Smith for bit and Smith tried to feed her but she never eats. One day the Shambleau attacks Smith and begins to suck lifeforce out of him. Smith is saved by his friend and warned to kill the next shambleau he encounters. The experience was rather addicting though and Smith can only promise to try.
Jessica L. Roman
Prof. Ellis ENG2420 E255
October 2017
Pulp Science Fiction
In this weekâs lecture we discussed the emergence of pulp SF, âpulpâ refers to the type of paper that was used to print the magazines. It was chemically treated wood pulp that was highly acidic and did not hold up well. The covers of these magazines were brightly colored to grab attention. The writers in these magazines were paid by the word and not paid very well which resulted in poor writing and a lot of recycled ideas and storylines.
The eight characteristics of Pulp SF are:
1. Exciting stories of adventure, were typically uplifting and had a happy ending
2. Stylistically Crude, written quickly with little editing
3. Formulaic
4. Written for a less educated audience
5. Very little emphasis on character development, focused on stereotypes
6. Recycled ideas are plentiful
7. Bug Eyed Monstered âBEMsâ
8. Themes: Space opera, sword and sorcery, galactic empires
The creator of the first SF magazine was Hugo Gernsback; Gernsback was an inventor, publisher, writer and editor who came to America in 1904. Gernsback had an interest in radio and electricity and launched a mail order company for electronics. During this time Gernsback began to write stories about inventions and technology in his magazine, Modern Electrics, to get people interested in what he was selling. Eventually Gernsback went on to publish the first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories, in April 1928 where he introduced introduced Scientitfiction. Scientifiction was marked by being 75% literature and 25% science; it was didactic and foresaw the future. Gernsback and his magazine facilitated SF fandom. SF was the only genre that had a community heavily invested in its stories and writers. Fans were known to not only discuss these works but also critique and praise stories and authors. We also discussed the first science fiction convention that took place in 1937 and briefly learned of some of the controversy and bigotry within the community.
Lastly, we were introduced to Science Fiction film serials. These were weekly installments that played before a movie. They were of low cost and low quality and relied on cliffhangers to keep watchers coming back. The serial we watched was Flash Gordon, which is based on the comic strip drawn by Alex Raymond in 1934. This film serial is about a man, Flash Gordon, who is taken by a scientist to the planet Mongo, which is on a collision course with earth and Flash must save the earth and get the girl.
The two Proto SF works we read for this class were C.L. Mooreâs âShambleauâ and Edgar Rice Burroughsâs, The Princess of Mars. âShambleauâ is the story of Northwest Smith on the lawless Mars and his encounter with the femme fatale who is based on the mythology of Medusa. Smith meets Shambleau while protecting her from a mob trying to kill her. Smith does not understand why they are so afraid of her and repulsed by him and is quickly under her enchantment. With luck and the help of his friend and business partner Northwest Smith survives his encounter with Shambleau who had been draining his life to sustain herself. The Princess of Mars is the story of John Carter, a soldier of the former confederate army who is magically transported to Mars. While on Mars John Carter meets the violent Martian Barsooms, learns they ways, language and is accepted as one of them because of his physical feats. Carter becomes involved in the conflicts between the Barsooms on Mars and falls in love with the Princess Dejah. In the end Carter is again magically transported back to earth as the entire plant is on the verge of death never to know if they survived and what happened to his love.
On this day in class, pulp science fiction was talked which mostly emerged in the 1920âs and 1930âs. The vital characteristics of pulp science fiction and the famous numerous authorâs writings that are published in the grouped in pulp science fiction was also spoken of, such as C.L. Moore and Edgar Rice Burroughs.
The name âPulpâ came form the magazines it was made on. The magazines were 10 by 7 inches and very cheaply made. They used cheap paper that was absorbent and acidic which made the magazines age poorly. The many characteristics of science fiction were also talked about which included typically uplifting and with a happy ending, quickly written, formulaic, written for a less educated audience, little emphasis on character development, stereotypes, recycled ideas, bug eyed monsters and themes of space opera, sword and sorcery and galactic empires.
One author that Professor Ellis talked about was Hugo Gernsback (1884 – 1967). Gernsback immigrated to the United States in 1904 to launch an electronic company and launched his first magazine in 1908 entitled, âModern Electricsâ. It was also said that Science Fictionâs original name was called scientifiction. Gernsbackâs theory of scientifiction was that it is 75% literature, 25% science, and should be both didactic and prophetic.
Another author that contributed to science fiction was C.L. Moore (1911 – 1987). Before her marriage to Henry Ruttner and before she stopped writing in 1963, C.L. Mooreâs most famous work was seen with the 1933 short story entitledâ Shambleauâ, which included a Mars setting with a femme fatale theme, which centers around dangerous women. After this story, C.L Moore was praised as the writer of the first science fiction work that featured a female lead.
Professor Ellis also talked about the 1934 comic strip by Alex Paymond called âFlash Gordonâ which was inspired by Buck Rogers. Flash Gordon turned into itâs own franchise complete with film serials, video games, television series and movies and contributed to science fiction in the long run with Flashâs adventures in outer space.
Finally, Professor Ellis talked about âAll-Story Magazineâ in the early 1900âs where the famous author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875 – 1950) and his work entitledâ Tarzan of the Apesâ debuted which birthed the fictional character, Tarzan. Tarzan which went on to be one of the most famous characters in history, having more films than James Bond.
Sharon Rios
Pulp science fiction technological developments existed in the 1920âs and the word pulp was used to describe the type of magazines and the way they were made, which was by a process developed in1880âs. The paper was very cheap and due to the acidic, coarse nature, aged very poorly. There are eight essentials of pulp science fiction:
1. Exciting story of heroism, happy ending, uplifting stories
2. Crude Stories (written quickly)
3. Formulaic
4. Written for less educated audience
5. Very little emphasis on character/ more emphasis on stereotypes
6. Many recycled ideas (begins developing a foundation)
7. B.E.M.S (Bug-Eyed Monsters)
8. SF themes began to be developed like Space Opera, Superman, and Galactic Empires.
C.L Moore (1911-1987) is popular from his 1933 short story âShambleau.â As a writer, she had great attention to detail and fluency. Shambleau is a story about a femme fatale on the planet Mars. The Shambleau is a race of Medusa-like women that have human and animalistic features. They prey on men, later killing them. Edgar Rice Burroughs was born in 1875 and died 1950. He is the author of âA Princess of Marsâ and wrote martian stories. His writing includes poorly developed dialogue, stereotypes, racism, and action. John Carter is on the planet Mars and attempts to save Princess Dejah who appears to be his love interest. He is constantly fighting to stay alive throughout the duration of the story. In all, these writers inspired others in the science fiction world and were the main reasons for classics such as the 1934 comic strip âFlash Gordonâ or Edgar Rice Burrough’s (1875-1950) work entitled â Tarzan and the Apes.â
Jacob Banschick
Prof. Ellis
ENG2420
In todayâs lecture, Professor Ellis discusses Pulp Science Fiction, a term derived from the fact that these stories were printed on cheap, recycled newsprint (pulp). These authors were paid per word, and thus so, tended to drag out these stories as long as they could. As such, these stories tended to be packed with repetition and recycled tropes. Much like the paper they were printed on, the quality of the writing tended to tread on the less stellar end of the spectrum, never being proofread by an editor of any sort.
âShambleauâ was written by C.L.Moore (1911-1987), and was published in 1933 in an issue of âWeird Talesâ. It’s a retelling of the medusa myth in which the main character rescues an alien woman being pursued by a martian mob, only to learn she was a monster using her victimhood as a disguise, and they were right in doing so in the end.
In âA Princess of Marsâ, by Edgar Rice Burroughs weâre introduced to civil war veteran John Carter, who is cornered by Apaches in a cave where he and his friend had discovered a vein of gold. A gas fills the chamber, and John passes out to find himself on Mars. Because of its gravity, John finds himself many times stronger than the locals, and from here it becomes a tale of adventure, rescuing the princess, becoming a prince, and getting happily married to the princess. 9 years later, john finds himself trying to aid in a crisis, when heâs surrounded by the same gas thatâd transported him to mars all those years ago, where he awakens in the cave. From there, he becomes rich from the gold, moves to new york, and writes this very manuscript.
Christopher Gonzalez
Professor Jason Ellis
ENG 2420 â E255
During the lecture on October 4, 2017, the professor explained Pulp SF(1920s â 1930s). The name pulp comes from the type of magazine and how it was made. We discussed the eight characteristics of Pulp SF. Them being, Exciting Stories, stylistically crude, formulaic, written for less educated audience, having very little emphasis on character and more on stereotypes, recycled ideas, bug eyed monsters and the major SF themes were developed.
âShambleau,â by Catherine Lucille Moore, was published in 1953. It takes place on Mars where the protagonist, Northwest Smith encounters a non-human female called Shambleau. He saves her from a mob but does not realize the danger she presents. He soon realizes that the creature deeds on life force and almost falls victim to her if it were not for his partner Yarol.
âA Princess of Mars,â by Edgar Rice Burroughs was published in 1917. It takes place on Earth at first where Carter, the protagonist is chased by Indians and soon wakes up on Mars. Due to Marâs gravity he is capable of almost superhuman feats and soon encounters the Martian populous and tries to learn their customs.
Konstantinos Perselis After Class Assignment
In last weekâs class we discussed about Pulp Science Fiction that began between the 1920s-1930s. Pulp Science Fiction got its name from the cheap paper Pulp that was brightly colored to catch the eyes of the people and that was one way these magazines were sold. The authors of these magazines were paid by the word so they would carry the story as much as they could, and not only that but they had to keep making these stories in a short deadline given so the stories they made would be repetitive with past ideas they made. Some of the characteristics of Pulp Science Fiction was recycled ideas, bug eyed monsters, and exiting themes like action, adventure, and these stories were mostly made for less educated audience.
C.L. Moore born January 24, 1911, Died April 4 1987, became famous for her short story âShambleauâ that was published in 1933. Shambleau is about femme fatale on the planet Mars. In the story there is a race called the Shambleau that are a race that resemble Medusa like women that have animalistic and human features, and prey on men.
Edgar Rice Burroughs was Born on September 1 1875 Died on March 19 1950 wrote âTarzan of the Apeâ 1912 and âA Princess of Marsâ 1917, and also wrote Martian stories. Edgar Rice Burroughs was famous because of Tarzan and Tarzan was like his baby and he bought a big chunk of Los Angeles and named it Tarzana. Edgar Rice Burroughs stories are poorly developed dialogue, stereotypes, racism and action