Dear Editor:
I have just finished reading the April issue of "our" magazine. Can mere words describe my feelings? I am cla.s.sing the stories as follows: A--excellent; B--very good; C--good; D--pa.s.sable; E--poor.
A--"Monsters of Moyen," "Vampires of Venus," "The Ray of Madness,"
"The Soul-s.n.a.t.c.her."
B--"The Man Who Was Dead."
C--None. D--None. E--None.
"Brigands of the Moon" is getting more and more interesting. Can you please tell me which month"s issue was the first one, as I didn"t procure the first two copies and should like to do so?--Eli Meltzer, 1466 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y.
"_Eclipses All_"
Dear Editor:
Just as soon as your new magazine came out I espied it. It eclipsed all the other magazines on the stand. As a cub magazine I couldn"t ask for more.
I am going to comment on your stories now because I know you want me too, for I know you would like to know what sort of stories your readers like.
I have a lot to say about Ray c.u.mmings. He is the best writer I have ever seen. His stories couldn"t be beat. "Phantoms of Reality"
was a corking good story, but I believe his new serial, "Brigands of the Moon," is going to be better. Captain S. P. Meek is a very good writer also. I take immense joy in his Dr. Bird stories. And we must not forget that great writer, Murray Leinster. His stories are really good.
I congratulate you on your new magazine, Mr. Editor.--Albert Philbrick, 117 N. Spring St., Springfield, Ohio.
"_A Unique Magazine_"
Dear Editor:
I"ve been trying to write your magazine for a long time, so here goes.
I"ve bought every copy from the first issue and sure think it is a good magazine. In fact I should say a unique magazine; there are but few magazines in its cla.s.s among Science Fiction magazines. The stories come up to the standards of good Science Fiction, and some go far above it. A few stories I did not like were: "The Man Who Was Dead," "The Soul s.n.a.t.c.her," "The Corpse on the Grating" and "The Stolen Mind." The science in all these stories was very poor.
But your magazine became better in my eyes when you published "Phantoms of Reality," "Tanks," "Old Crompton"s Secret," "Brigands of the Moon," "Monsters of Moyen," and all of Captain S. P. Meek"s stories. These were extraordinarily good stories.
Wesso"s drawings are very good, and I hope you keep him. I have seen his drawings in another magazine for quite a time. I don"t like the ill.u.s.trations of your other artist. Could you, by chance, secure an artist by the name of Leo Morey or Hugh Mackay? They both ill.u.s.trate for other Science Fiction magazines and are about as good as Wesso. Please keep the latter. And why don"t you have him to do all of your ill.u.s.trating?
Sorry to seem such a grouch, but I don"t like your grade of paper either. And why not enlarge the magazine to about 11" x 9" by 1/2", and charge 25 cents for your thoroughly good magazine, apart from the defects I have mentioned.
About your authors. They are, for the most part, good. But they are mostly amateurs at writing Science Fiction stories. I am delighted to see such expert writers of Science Fiction as Harl Vincent, Ray c.u.mmings, Victor Rousseau and Captain S. P. Meek writing for your magazine, but couldn"t you include in your staff of authors A.
Hyatt Verrill, Dr. Miles J. Breuer, Dr. David H. Keller, R. F.
Starzl, and a few more such notable authors? I hope to see these authors in your magazine soon.--Linus Hogenmiller, 502 N.
Washington St., Farmington, Mo.
_The Star System!_
Dear Editor:
One star means fairly good, two stars, good; three stars, excellent; four, extraordinary; no stars--just another story.
I give "Brigands of the Moon," by Ray c.u.mmings, three stars; "The Atom-Smasher," by Victor Rousseau, three stars; "Murder Madness,"
by Murray Leinster, two stars; "Into the Ocean Depths," by S. P.
Wright, two stars, and "The Jovian Jest," by L. Lorraine, no stars.
It was short and sweet.
Wesso sure can draw. I would like to see a full page ill.u.s.tration for each story by him.
My favorite type of stories are interplanetary, and, second favorite, stories of future wars. Will you have many of them in the future? I like long stories like the novelette in the May issue of Astounding Stories--Jack Darrow, 4225 N. Spaulding Ave., Chicago, Illinois.
_We Expect Not To_
Dear Editor:
While going over your "The Readers" Corner" of the April issue, I noticed in your answer to one of the letters that you will avoid reprints. Now many of your readers have not read the older cla.s.sics of Science Fiction. Would it not be a good idea to publish a reprint at least once a year? One of the suggestions given was Merritt"s "Through the Dragon Gla.s.s." Another very interesting story, and one that I am sure almost all of your followers have not read, is "The Blind Spot," by Homer Flint.
I like the idea of having three members to a volume, as it will be much easier to bind. Now, starting with the April issue, I think that the best story in there is "Monsters of Moyen." "The Ray of Madness" was up to the usual standard of Capt. S. P. Meek"s stories. "The Man Who Was Dead" was fairly good; average, I would say. I did not like "Vampires of Venus."
I say that the May issue was the best of the Astounding Stories. I was satisfied with every story in it. "Into the Ocean Depths" was the best story, "The Atom Smasher" being a close second. I like the way the story "Into the Ocean Depths" ended; a slight trace of sadness and not at all like the "and they lived happily ever after"
ending. A real story.
I was disappointed in not finding any story concerning Dr. Bird in the April issue. Will any more be printed soon?
Before I close I would like a definite answer to this question: Will you ever, or in the near future, reprint any of the genre of Science Fiction, stories by the late master Garret P. Serviss, or from the pen of A. Merritt and H. G. Wells?--Nathan Greenfeld, 313 E. 70th St., New York City.
_Again Reprints_
Dear Editor:
Although I am a reader of six Science Fiction magazines, I was more than glad to see the latest one out, Astounding Stories. Because the stories are all interesting. I consider Astounding Stories superior to most of the Science Fiction periodicals on the newsstands to-day.
My favorite stories are those of interplanetary voyages and other worlds. My favorite authors are: Ray c.u.mmings, A. Merritt, Victor Rousseau, Murray Leinster, Arthur J. Burks and Harl Vincent. I hope that you will soon have stories by Edmond Hamilton and David H.
Keller.
Now here is something I hope you will give some thought and consideration. I noticed that many of the readers wrote in, requesting reprints. I am one of those who would like to see you publish some reprints, especially stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs, A. Merritt and Ray c.u.mmings. These authors have written many masterpieces of Science Fiction. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for a person to get these stories. They could be made available easily if Astounding Stories would reprint them.
Most of the readers who object to reprints do so because they would hate to see a story by H. G. Wells or Jules Verne. I, myself, do not like these authors as they are too dull. But if you have only reprints by the three authors I mentioned and a few other popular writers, I am sure all the readers would welcome them. At least you could have a vote and see how they stand on reprints--Michael Fogaris, 157 Fourth St., Pa.s.saic, N. J.
_Likes_ "_The Readers" Corner_"