The Best of Xero

by Pat Lupoff, Dick Lupoff, Roger Ebert (Introduction)

From modest beginnings to the 1963 Hugo Award for Best Fanzine, Xero was a fascinating and controversial convergence of writers, artists, and a burgeoning fan community. Collected here from Pat & Dick Lupoff’s legendary fanzine are an array of excellent essays, memoirs, and ongoing debates on science fiction, mysteries, comic books, and popular culture as well as the revolving letters of comment that are virtual forerunners of the Internet.

Highlights of The Best of Xero include Harlan Ellison’s prescient take on the movie Psycho , Donald Westlake’s humorous denouncement of the science-fiction field, James Blish’s nostalgic look back on his scriptwriting stint for the Captain Video serial, Lin Carter’s spot-on parody of Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu novels; and Don Thompson’s detailed analysis of the origins of ultrapowerful and mysterious comic-book heroes Dr. Fate and The Spectre .

The Best of Xero also features original comics and illustrations from Xero and an introduction by film critic and Xero contributor Roger Ebert.

Genres: Science Fiction

220 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2004

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend loaned this to me, and I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it looked interesting, so I dove in. It was well worth the effort. As a contributor for many years to a local APA (Amateur Press Association), it was interesting to see what some of those who preceded me were up to. Further, a lot of the contributors to the 10-issue run of Xero were among the writers I grew up reading.

There are some notably hilarious articles and letters - such as Col. Avram Davidson's "non-contribution" - and the usual fan-feuds. Heck, there's even a letter from someone whose monthly fannish parties I attended for many years.

That said, this is not, I think, a book for a general reader. It's the kind of book that I think you have to understand the milieu of in order to enjoy it - and, with the onset of the Internet, that milieu is rapidly vanishing.

[Randy]

This is the kind of book that you want to keep next to your bed so that you can dip into it now and then. Most of the essays are obviously dated but are still interesting. For instance I didn't know that Don Westlake, one of my favorite mystery writers, started out as both a SF fan and writer before giving it up for the mystery field. Plus, it paints a picture of a procosious young fan named Roger Ebert who would grow up to become famous in his own right.