EYE

EYE, sometimes written as "i", was a science fiction fanzine by Vince Clarke, Stuart Mackenzie, and E.C. Tubb, later joined by Joy Clarke and James Rattigan.

EYE was published in London, England in the 1950s. The first issue appeared in September, 1954. Rob Hansen, in Then, Chapter 4, writes, "September also saw the appearance of the first issue of EYE, a fanzine put out by London Circle members Vince Clarke, Joy Goodwin, Stuart MacKenzie, Jim Rattigan, and Ted Tubb, that would achieve fame not only for the quality of its contents but also its length - 40 pages was standard and the third issue weighed in at 170, making it probably the biggest single fanzine ever published in Britain."

Issue #1 featured written contributions from Bryan Berry, John Brunner (Noise Level), Daphne Buckmaster (Esprit), Nigel Lindsay, and Stuart Mackenzie.

Issue #3, from December 1954, was 170 pages, and featured the article "Mordecai of the White Horse" by Frank Arnold, an account of the activites at the White Horse pub, where Lew Mordecai was bartender and all of London science fiction fandom met. It was later reprinted in Relapse #18.

Rob Hansen, in Then, Chapter 4, explains the gap in time between issues 3 and 4; "The fourth EYE appeared in June, six months after the previous issue. It was explained inside that:

"...in order to explain the delay and rumours this is the real gen. Stu MacKenzie has gone GAFIA with an abruptness and violence somewhat rare in anyone who, up to so short a while ago, was so keen."

It was further explained that he had taken off "...with all the letters, contributions, accounts, subscriptions, ready cash and postal lists".

Despite this setback, two more issues would appear, with six issues published in all; Issue #6, the last issue, appeared in December 1955.

Other contributors of writing included Ron Bennett (Ploy, Skyrack), among others.

Stuart Mackenzie also published the titles Convention 1955 and Ib Tenebo for OMPA.

E.C. 'Ted' Tubb would go on to become the editor of the first issue of Vector which appeared in the summer of 1958.

With Vince Clarke, Jim Rattigan had been one of the co-editors of the 1952 one-off fanzine Our 'Zine, co-edited by Vince Clarke, Jim Rattigan, Fred Robinson (Straight Up), Bob Shaw, and Mike Wilson.

Vince Clarke began publishing fanzines in January 1949 with the first issue of Science Fantasy News, released throughout the 1950s and 16 issues were released, the last in June 1960. He returned to publishing in the 1980s and 1990s as co-editor of Pulp, with Avedon Carol, Rob Hansen, John Harvey and Pam Wells.

External Links

• Review of EYE by Walt Willis, from his Nebula column "The Electric Fan"
• Frank Arnold's "Mordecai of the White Horse" (reprinted as "Tales of the White Horse"), from EYE #3