Vorpal Glass

Fanzine edited by Karen Anderson in the early 1960s for the Golden Gate Futurian Society (GGFS). As you might expect, it featured many pros, including Poul Anderson, Anthony Boucher and Fritz Leiber, among its contributors. It was printed on blue paper, mimeographed. It was also sent to SAPS. It lasted 5 issues.

Issue	Date	Pages	Notes
1	December 1960	24	Contains "Imagine a Man" by Fritz Leiber, "Theory and Practice of Chimaerology" by Winston P. Sanders (pseudonym of Poul Anderson), and "The Fairest" by George Scithers and Karen Anderson. There were also two departments, or regular columns: "Beermutterings" by Poul Anderson and the lettercolumn "The Great Conversation." As this was the first issue, it contains no letters but does include a list of members of the GGFS. Cartoons are by Karen Anderson, Gene Ellis, and Ray Nelson.
2	June 1961	34	Contains "The Real World of Science Fiction" by Ed M. Clinton, Jr., "The Same" by William Wordsworthless (pseudonym of Poul Anderson, in this case, per discussion with Karen), and "The Unexpected" by Karen Anderson. Departments, again, "Beermutterings" by Poul Anderson and the lettercolumn "The Great Conversation." Letter writers are Redd Boggs, Don Wollheim, Buck Coulson, Miriam Allen deFord, Shirley Dickensheet, Bob Lichtman, and Sidney Coleman. Cartoons and sketches by Poul Anderson, Ray Nelson, William Rotsler, and Karen Anderson.
3	September 1961	46	Includes "My Love Affair with Witchcraft" by Fritz Leiber, "The Future of Love" by Margaret St. Clair, "Bookstore Haiku" by Karen Anderson, "O, Blast This Bay Area Fandom" by Joe Gibson, and "Ladle Red Rotten Hut" by Anomalous (pseudonym of ???). Departments, again, "Beermutterings" by Poul Anderson and the letter-column "The Great Conversation." Letter writers are Lee Sapiro, Sidney Coleman, Betsy Curtis, Joe Gibson, Avram Davidson, Miriam Allen deFord, and "X". Though X is identified nowhere in the fanzine, and has not generally been identified, Anderson has confirmed to me that it was Robert A. Heinlein. It's a substantial letter, 3 full typewritten pages, and Anderson truncated it. Artwork by Ray Nelson, William Rotsler and Karen Anderson.
4	March 1962	50
5	February 1963	30	Final ish.

Vorpal Glass online at fanac.org

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Publication

1960—1963

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