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Conference noted::sf

Title:Arcana Caelestia
Notice:Directory listings are in topic 2
Moderator:NETRIX::thomas
Created:Thu Dec 08 1983
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1300
Total number of notes:18728

1139.0. "U.S. Stamp with SF art?" by MSBCS::BORSOM () Fri Apr 30 1993 08:57

    I just received a mailing from a dealer in old SF books, and on the
    envelope was a very nice $0.29 U.S. stamp depicting three rockets flying
    in formation past an extravagantly ringed planet.
    
    The stamp could easily be the cover art for an SF book or
    magazine.
    
    Anyone know whether this is a new issue, what other stamps are in the
    issue, and who the artist is?
    
    Thanks for any info.
    
    	-doug
    
    
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1139.1Yes29736::FEHSKENSlen, Engineering Technical OfficeMon May 03 1993 10:596
    These are a recent issue.  I think there are 5 stamps that together
    form a "quintych".  They are sold in booklets of 20 for $5.80 at your
    local post office.
    
    len.
    
1139.2VMSMKT::KENAHAnother flashing chance at bliss...Mon May 03 1993 16:0810
    >
    >The stamp could easily be the cover art for an SF book or
    >magazine.
    
    In 1939, perhaps.  It's real old-fashioned looking technology.  
    
    Fortunately, the USPS got it right, and entitled the stamp 
    series "Space Fantasy" -- no hint whatsoever of SF.
    
    					andrew
1139.3Back To The FutureDRUMS::FEHSKENSlen, Engineering Technical OfficeTue May 04 1993 10:3510
    
    
    >In 1939, perhaps.  It's real old-fashioned looking technology.
    
    Interesting notion, that: an old-fashioned view of the future...
    
    Of course it makes sense, but it's still curious.
    
    len.
     
1139.4Space Fantasy? SF?MSBCS::BORSOMTue May 04 1993 18:1120
      >>The stamp could easily be the cover art for an SF book or
      >>magazine.
    
      >In 1939, perhaps.  It's real old-fashioned looking technology
    
      >Fortunately, the USPS got it right, and entitled the stamp
      >series "Space Fantasy" -- no hint whatsoever of SF.
    
    The silly artistic cliches in the stamps continued to appear on
    book and magazine covers well into 1960s (the "real" space age). But
    certainly the style is dated. 
    
    I have to wonder what the cut-off point is for labeling something
    "space fantasy" as opposed to SF. For instance, is all literature
    that involves faster-than-light travel not SF, but rather "space
    fantasy"? If so, I think SF is the poorer for it and space fantasy the
    richer.
                                                                  
    	-doug
    
1139.5A Case for Fuzzy LogicCUPMK::WAJENBERGWed May 05 1993 10:1415
    If the border between SF and fantasy is debatable, the border between
    SF and "spcae fantasy" must be even smudgier, since "space fantasy"
    seems to have been deliberately invented as a buffer state between the
    other two genres.
    
    I would tend to regard a work as more "space fantasy" the more it
    includes magic or transparently equivalent things such as magic-like psi 
    or magic-like super-science, and the less it pays attention to little
    niceties of scientific accuracy (like no audible explosions in vaccuum,
    or planets having palpable differences in gravity and atmosphere).
    
    But you are now trying to get rigidly determined areas of doubt and
    uncertainty.
    
    Earl Wajenberg
1139.6VMSMKT::KENAHAnother flashing chance at bliss...Wed May 05 1993 15:356
    I really don't want to get into the "genre wars" -- when I said
    they avoided the controversy by referring to the stamps as "Space
    Fantasy" I meant simply that the USPS recognized that what they
    were depicting was fanciful, with connotations of "space opera."
    
    I like the stamps -- they're stylish, in a 40's sort of way.
1139.7TINCUP::XAIPE::KOLBEThe Goddess in ChainsThu May 06 1993 11:351
They make me think of "Rocket Man" every time I place one on a letter. liesl
1139.8Star Wars!PEKING::SMITHRWThe Great Pyramid of BlokeFri May 07 1993 08:524
    Are we sure they aren't a leftover SDI promo issue?  8*)
    
    Richard
    
1139.9New SFish U.S. space stampVERGA::KLAESLife, the Universe, and EverythingWed Jun 02 1993 18:1445
From:	US1RMC::"[email protected]" "Peter Yee"  1-JUN-1993 21:18:23.04
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	Postal Service to launch space stamp Thursday at Spaceport USA  
        [Release 60-93/KSC] (Forwarded)

          Mitch Varnes                                      June 1, 1993
          407/867-2468

          KSC Release No. 60-93

          POSTAL SERVICE TO LAUNCH SPACE STAMP THURSDAY AT SPACEPORT USA

          The U.S. Postal Service will unveil its latest space-themed crea-
          tion at 11 a.m.  on Thursday at Spaceport USA,  the Kennedy Space
          Center's visitors complex.  The $2.90 stamp features the image of
          a futuristic space plane soaring through space, leaving Earth and
          other interstellar objects in its celestial wake.

          Deputy  Postmaster  General Michael S.  Coughlin and KSC Director
          Bob Crippen will dedicate the stamp in a ceremony  set  to  occur
          inside the Spaceport Central annex of Spaceport USA.   Members of
          the public are invited to attend the free event.

          Stamps with space themes have historically been  favorites  among
          both  philatelists and collectors of space memorabilia.   Popular
          space stamps of the past include a 1969 issue  commemorating  the
          manned  lunar  landing  and a 1992 joint venture with Russia that
          culminated in the release of four stamps depicting  international
          cooperation in space exploration.

          The  Titusville  Postmaster  will establish a mini-post office at
          Spaceport USA on Thursday to allow for the purchase  of  the  new
          stamp.   The makeshift mail room will open at 9 a.m. and close at
          2 p.m.

          First day cancellations of the space stamp will indicate that the
          stamp was issued at the Kennedy Space Center.  Collectors are en-
          couraged to send their requests to  the  Titusville  Post  Office
          where first day of issue postmarks will be available for purchase
          until July 2, 1993.

          Members  of the media wishing to cover the dedication may proceed
          directly to Spaceport USA.