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The Early Milt Rothman

John V. Baltadonis

Wonder Stories’ letter column, "The Readers Speak," provided me with my first acquaintanceship with Milton A. Rothman, Science Fiction Fan

In the letters column, readers were provided a forum for their opinions of the published material. Artwork, fiction, and articles were critiqued for scientific accuracy and plausibility as well as for form and content. Most importantly, the writers’ addresses were listed, allowing the readers to continue discussions through correspondence

While in junior high school, Jack Agnew, Harvey Greenblatt Robert Madle, and I formed "The Boys’ Science Fiction Club," which met at the school and our respective residences.

Milt Rotman and His Wife by Lynn PerkinsOne Saturday, Bob and I walked to Milton’s home to try to meet with him (telephones were uncommon at that time). Unfortunately, his father greeted us with the information that Milton was "in town at a concert." Connections through the U.S. mail were made and eventually we were able to get together in October 1935 for the first meeting of what was to become the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society.

Our meetings ordinarily consisted of animated discussions of the science fiction we had read, were reading, or were going to read (in 1935, it was easy to read all the science fiction being published and catch up with that which had been published). In addition to the story lines artists’ interpretations, descriptions of alien creatures, planetary environments, social issues, etc., the science rationale was always foremost.

On a clear night, Milt would identify the visible constellations, their componen stars, the distances of those stars from our solar system, and the classes of the stars. All this while walking to or from a meeting.

In retrospect, I marvel at his patience and forbearance with us younger science fiction fans

As an active fan Milt provided many articles, fiction, and illustrations for the several fan publications that originated in Philadelphia and for those published by his correspondents.


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