News travels fast on the internet, though since that news will live there forever, it can also travel slowly. Which is why I only just ran across a 2005 post which appeared at The Comics Reporter site in which comic-book personalities shared famous industry events at which they wish they'd been flies on the wall.The list of suggested incidents included such famous moments as "Sit in on a Lee/Kirby or Lee/Ditko plotting session, circa 1963" and "Joe and Jerry signing the contract to give Superman to DC," both incidents which changed not just the face of comics, but of the wider world as well. Which got me thinking—what science-fictional events would
I have wanted to witness as a fly on the wall?
What priceless, pivotal moments would I pay anything to spy? Here are the ones that are closest to my heart. I'd love to see:
The discussion in which Astounding editor John W. Campbell, Jr. inspired Isaac Asimov to create his classic story "Nightfall" by sharing a famous Ralph Waldo Emerson quote.
Frank Herbert, whose novel Dune had previously been rejected by more than 20 publishers, opening the envelope from Chilton finally accepting for publication the book which would go on to win both the Hugo and Nebula Awards and become one of the best-selling science-fiction novels of all time.
Don Wollheim, Frederik Pohl, Cyril Kornbluth and others as they were being ejected from the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939 by Sam Moskowitz and Will Sykora as part of one of the earliest fan feuds.
The screening George Lucas held for friends such as Steven Spielberg and Brian De Palma of a rough cut of Star Wars before the special effects were laid in.
Daniel Keyes bringing the manuscript of "Flowers for Algernon," a short story masterpiece, over to the apartment of Horace Gold, and listening as the agoraphobic editor of Galaxy told him that he needed to change the ending to make it more upbeat.
Jack Williamson's face at the newsstand that day in 1928 upon seeing his creature from "The Metal Man" illustrated on the cover of Amazing and realizing that he must have made his first fiction sale—only no one had bothered to tell him!
Steve Jobs at work in his family's garage with friend Steve Wozniak as they built the first personal computers and launched Apple. (Think that wasn't an SF moment? Think again!)
Rod Serling initial subversive pitch of The Twilight Zone to sponsors, as he convinced them that after years of writing serious drama, he had now decided to turn his hand to mere entertainment.
The magical moments are endless, and I can think of many others I'd like to have witnessed.
How about you?
Scott Edelman started his trek to the editor-in-chief position at Science Fiction Weekly decades ago, when he began working as an assistant editor at Marvel Comics. Between these two positions, this four-time Hugo Award nominee in the category of Best Editor was the founding editor of the award-winning magazine Science Fiction Age, in addition to editing Sci-Fi Universe, Sci-Fi Flix and Satellite Orbit. Currently he also edits SCI FI, the official magazine of the SCI FI Channel. His most recently published short story has just appeared in the latest issue of the magazine PostScripts.
