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The Futurians

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Authors

The Resume

    Born in New York, New York
    Informal group of science fiction fans, writers and editors that met in New York City between 1937 and 1945 and whose work led to the'Golden Age' of science fiction in the 1950's
    Membership originally consisted of Donald Wollheim, John Michel, Robert Lowndes, and Frederick Pohl
    Later members included, among many others, Isaac Asimov, James Blish, Damon Knight and Larry Shaw
    Profile pic features founding members Wollheim, Pohl and Michel

Why they might be annoying:

    They were all male.
    They split off from the Greater New York Science Fiction Club over their desire to take the club in a leftward political direction.
    They originally called themselves the 'Quadrumvirate.'
    They were remarkably arrogant.
    Wollheim and Pohl were communists and James Blish for a short time supported fascism.
    They went through multiple name changes before settling on The Futurians.
    Disliking the leader and founder of the Queens Science Fiction League, they joined it just to vote him out of office and shut the League down.

Why they might not be annoying:

    Their influence on science fiction literature was incredible and extends far beyond the 'Golden Age of Science Fiction' that they are rightly credited with originating.
    Although not technically members, women were allowed to attend meetings and some, such as Virginia Kidd and Judith Merril became regulars.
    For several years in the early 1940's, approximately 50% of all science fiction and fantasy magazines in the United States were being edited by Futurians, who were also providing at least that much of the content of those same magazines.
    They were denied entry to the 1939 World Science Fiction Convention.
    One of the reasons they were formed was to protest editor and publisher Hugo Gernsback's notorious late payments and out right stiffing of writers.
    Their name inspired the name of a rock band and a comic book.

Credit: tom_jeffords


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 131 Votes: 65.65% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 20 Votes: 70.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 135 Votes: 59.26% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying