Interpreter needed

[randy_byers]

Recently Science-Fiction Five-Yearly #12 was reviewed in a British zine called Krax that comes out of Leeds. The editor was kind enough to send me a copy. A copy of SFFY #12 had been passed along to him by someone he didn't name. I thought it was kind of sweet that the fanzine got reviewed two years after publication. It was a nice review, and he seemed to have a handle on the basics of fanzine fandom, although he clearly comes from a somewhat different sector of the zine universe. There were reviews of Banana Wings and Vanamonde, too, as I recall, along with many zines I'd never heard of. I wrote the guy a letter telling him about Lee Hoffman's death, the Hugo, and the discontinuation of SFFY. I also sent him a copy of the latest Chunga just for the hell of it.

Anyway, I've now received a query in response to that review that I'm having the hardest time making heads or tails of. I'm hoping y'all can help. The letter is from another Briton, a resident of Aylesbury. It says:

Jan 2009

Dear Mr Byers

I saw mention of your publication in "Krax" magazine (UK).

They don't mention a price nor much info on contents. Could you oblige please? I'm interested in "the topic" having seen one aged 8 years back in the 1950's! I can accept some simple media but my DVD is Region 2 though it will play NSTC format -- apparently. Also any books in French (they have some great SF writers you know and I *don't* mean Jules Verne). If you put out a list of "offers" please include when replying.

Best wishes of the season

The "having seen one aged 8 years back in the 1950's" maybe means they saw an issue of SFFY back then? Is that what's meant by "the topic"? My only guess about the rest is that they think SFFY is a catalog of collectibles or something. Anybody else got a better interpretation? I yam cornfuzzled.

Update: Here's the review from Krax, in case it helps shed light on the issue:

Well, yes, this does give you time to get going between issues. Founded by Lee Hoffman in 1951 this is guest edited (as many others have before) and, indeed, concludes with a starter kit D.I.Y. challenge. (Very fair for first time readers as I know it would inspire me.!) The back cover is purportedly a Hubble telescope photo despite looking like your vintage tie-dye T-shirt and I can't recollect there ever being a teddy-bear galaxy? The content is traditional fanzine fare -- spoof pulp tales; some crime based, some futuristic, and convention 'exposes', five-year old correspondence and those risible fillos. You would think you were back in the 1950s as it is in 'enhanced' mimeo on vintage paper that's probably nearly my age. And those contributors have been around a few years, too, so they're well-practised in doing these things right. Going to wait for 2011 or what?

Comments

[farmgirl1146.livejournal.com]

Time Traveler? Can't tell the "9" key from the "5" in the third position of the date? Is crazy?

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Well, the first issue of SFFY was published in 1951 and the second in 1956, so it's not impossible for them to have seen a copy back then. If that's what they are meaning to say.

[farmgirl1146.livejournal.com]

True, but as calimac said, what's with the DVD distribution? The sentence could be parsed, and this is a stretch given the original, that at 8 years old in the 1950s he/she/it saw a copy. However, I want to know what this "list of offers" is and why I'm not getting any offers! Whoops shouldn't go there. (insert joke hand signal here)

Cubbette suggests that you bark at it. The cats recommend a nap. Looking forward to the rest of the story, myself.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

A nap sounds nice.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

Either the writer really did see one of the earliest issues of SFFY back then, or else "the topic" refers to something in the review that was discussed in #12.

And clearly you are taken for a book dealer.

But what could have convinced this person that the fanzine comes on DVD?

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I've added the review as an update to the post. I don't see that it sheds any light on what "the topic" might refer to, but perhaps you'll catch something I didn't.

If this person thinks SFFY is a catalog, perhaps they think DVDs are on offer as well as books? Perhaps they are looking for French SF movies as well as French SF books.

[intelligentrix.livejournal.com]

It sounds to me as if there are a number of terms in the review that this guy found unfamiliar, so his brain leaped to the closest similar word. Mimeo=video, for example. He might also have thought that the DIY kit was something you could buy, like the X-ray glasses advertised in the back of old comics and pulp magazines.

On further reading, I also came to the conclusion that he meant he saw SF mags in the 1950s when he was 8 years old, and I'm guessing "the topic" is SF.

All that said, it is a most peculiar letter, and reads a bit like some of the responses to Craigslist ads I've received. Perhaps a letter explaining the nature of fanzines and what they are (and aren't) would be in order.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

I strongly suspect you're on the right track, but if "the topic" is SF then I still think that "having seen one" in the 1950s still means an issue of SF5Y, as it would be rather peculiar to boast of having seen some SF back then. But then, this is a peculiar letter.

Also: the review's "starter kit" and "first time readers" could be misread as suggesting that you sell SF books, aimed at a general market.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

Foggy myself. "You" in first paragraph = intelligentrix. "You" in second paragraph = fringefaan.

[intelligentrix.livejournal.com]

I imagine you're right on the idea that the letter writer had seen a copy of SFFY in the 50s rather than just any SF mag. I had a further thought that perhaps he/she (realized my assumptions as to the gender of this person were just that) thought that SFFY was available in an electronic media format, hence the discussion of what DVD player was available? Hmmm. It's a tricky thing, this translating business.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Well, SFFY #10 did offer up a CD with scans and text that jcbemis prepared, but I don't see any way the letter writer would have known about that.

Back in the day, fans regularly traded with each other, so it's possible he's asking if you have anything for trade in addition for more info on SFFY (price and contents). On the SFFY side, I'd suggest sending him the URL for the Science-Fiction Five-Yearly page on eFanzines.com and tell him he can download a PDF of the fanzine there (if he has internet access, that is). Or you could print out the contents page from the PDF and send him that along with the info that we don't have any copies for sale. (Or, if you have some copies on hand, name whatever price you think is reasonable and offer to sell one to him. I'm down to just a few file copies and a couple that will likely end up in future fan fund auctions or the like.)

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Good call on what "list of offers" probably means. And that's a good idea about sending them the contents page and the URL for the PDF. I'm down to just a few copies myself and am in hoarding mode. Funny how asking for the price makes me feel this is not somebody who would appreciate this fanzine! Maybe I'll get around to examining my assumptions one of these days.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I like the possibility that mimeo was confused with video. Also, yes, I thought of your Craiglist ads, too. "My body yawns for your list of 'offers' LOL!"