Ploy

From Fancyclopedia 3
Ploy (Bennett)
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(Did you mean the term of fanspeak?)

Ploy was also the name of a Ron Bennett fanzine, the first issue of which was to fanzines what the InVention was to conventions – an amusing hoax that came off well despite the fact that its name alone should have alerted fans to what it was. Bennett started publishing Ploy with the second issue, and filled its lettercolumn with paeans of praise (supposedly written by well-known fans) to the brilliant material written by pros and BNFs that had appeared in the (nonexistent) first issue. Fans who fell for the hoax were quick to rush letters to Bennett, begging for a copy of the first issue.

Issue Date Pages Notes
1 There was no issue #1
2 Autumn 1954 32 This was actually the first issue. It was deliberately mis-numbered.
3 August 1955 36
4 September 1955 34 Bill Harry joined as art editor
5 March 1956 34
6 June 1956 32
7 November 1956 36
8 March 1957 36
9 July 1957 34
10 September 1957 36 The 3rd Annish
11 March 1958 36
12 April 1958 32
13 July 1959 22
14 June 1959 44 The Bob Tucker Appreciation issue. Last issue

Ploy (Bennett) online at fanac.org

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
A guileful maneuver. Its present popularity stems from Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship, but the word is legitimate Scots dialect for employ, from Latin in plico.

Also, the name of a fanzine Ron published for TAFF. delegate; the ploy here was that the first issue was PLOY #2.


Publication 19541959
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