''The Enchanted Duplicator'' is

science fiction fan Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...

fiction written by Walt Willis and

Bob Shaw Robert Shaw (31 December 1931 – 11 February 1996) was a science fiction writer and fan from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980. His short story " Light of Other Da ...

. It was originally published in February 1954, in an edition of 200 numbered copies, and has been reprinted many times, notably in an edition illustrated by Eddie Jones in 1962; in ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearance ...

'' in 1972/3; and in ''Warhoon'' 28, a hardcover

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...

collection of Willis's writing, in 1980.

Summary

It is an allegory of the journey of a science fiction fan, loosely based on

John Bunyan John Bunyan (; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', which also became an influential literary model. In addition to ''The Pilgrim' ...

's ''

The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant works of Protestant devotional literature and of wider early moder ...

'' (though Shaw and Willis denied having read it beforehand). The Tower of Trufandom, the eventual location of the Enchanted Duplicator in the story, was based on

Scrabo Tower Scrabo Tower is a high 19th-century lookout tower or folly that stands on Scrabo Hill near Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland. It provides wide views and is a landmark that can be seen from afar. It was built as a memorial to Charles ...

Newtownards Newtownards (; ) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles (16 km) east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. It is in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Newtow ...

, near Walt Willis' home in Northern Ireland.

Sequel and stage versions

A sequel, ''Beyond the Enchanted Duplicator... To the Enchanted Convention'', by Walt Willis and James White, was published in 1991 by Geri Sullivan, and illustrated by Stu Shiffman. A musical based on the work was written by Erwin S. Strauss in 1975. A revised version premiered at the Dublin

World Science Fiction Convention Worldcon, officially the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during Wor ...

in 2019. A 1982 stage version written by Shelley Dutton Berry, Gary Farber, and Jerry Kaufman was performed at the convention

Norwescon Norwescon is one of the largest regional science fiction and fantasy conventions in the United States. Located in SeaTac in Washington state, Norwescon has been running continuously since 1978. "Norwescon" was also the name of the 8th World S ...

5.Raz Baz Rep presents ''The Enchanted Duplicator''
(1982). Accessed Sept 5, 2021.

References

External links

*
The Enchanted Duplicator
' available at eFanzines.com *

' available at The Fanac Fan History Project British speculative fiction works Fan fiction works Allegory 1954 short stories {{1950s-sf-story-stub