Superman
| From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959 |
| "A superman is a human being who has greater powers than the normal person -- physical, mental, or possibly supernatural", says R. R. Winterbotham. Speer distinguishes four types of Superman:
(1) Super-developed Homo sapiens, either thru special training like Doc Savage or thru the advantages of a more advanced civilization than ours, like Eldred Crang in the null-A series. (2) Homo sapiens with certain powers added, as by constructive (rather than merely preventive) medicine -- e g Stephen Germaine in Byrne's Colossus; by the environment of another planet, like the Valerians in the Lensman series; by genetic selection of existing human qualities, as the people in Beyond This Horizon; or by immortality however acquired, like the protagonists of My First 2000 Years. (3) Homo superior, humanoids with extra-human powers, like the Slans or many another mutant. (4) Non-human superior races, such as super-intelligent insects, e-t's, highly efficient robots, and intelligences of pure force. Arisians and suchlike fit here. Type 3 is what is usually meant when fans discuss the Superman: a new species of genus Homo. The scientificomic character Superman is of some fan interest because he is the creation of Jerome Siegel and Joe Schuster, who once published a fanzine entitled Science Fiction, as fans are not loath to remark, tho all of them agree Superman stinks. |
| From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944 |
| "A superman is a human being who has greater powers than the normal person--physical, mental, or possibly supernatural." --R. R. Winterbotham. Speer distinguishes four types of supermen: 1. Super-developed Homo sapiens, either thru special training like Doc Savage or thru the advantages of a more advanced civilization than ours. 2. Homo sapiens with certain powers added, as by constructive (rather than merely preventative) medicine, by the environment of another planet which in the case of Jupiter would mean greater strength, by genetic selection of existing human qualities, or by immortality however acquired. 3. Homo superior, humanoids with extra-human powers, like Slan, Williamson's weremen, the Star-Begotten when far advanced, or the mutants that Campbell talks about. 4. Non-human superior races, such as super-intelligent insects, e-t's, highly efficient robots, and intelligences of pure force. Type 3 is what is usually meant when fans discuss the superman: a new species of the genus Homo.
"Superman", says the Office of the Quartermaster General, "is a popular cartoon character of prodigious strength and apparently limitless physical and mental resources." We mite add that he is the offspring of another planet, from which he was shot just before it broke up, when he was a baby. Growing up, he took the character of Clark Kent, newspaper reporter, who in place of underwear has a skin-tite costume and loose cloak, which he strips to with amazing speed whenever he wants to show off in some juvenile adventure which involves flying thru the air, scaring criminals into telling where Lois Lane has been taken, and crashing thru a brick wall to the rescue. A published section of Swisher's time travel thesis suggests 1 illogicallity of all this: a hundred-kilogram man accelerating from zero to 100 km/hr in a matter of seconds would deliver such a tremendous recoil that he'd kick holes in the floor. Superman is of especial fan interest because he is the creation of Jerome Siegel and Joe Schuster, who once published a fan magazine entitled Science Fiction, as fans are not loath to remark, altho all are agreed that Superman stinks. |
| Fiction |
| This is a fiction page, describing fictional ideas and characters |
