Dear Editor:
Your "The Readers" Corner" interests me very much. It surely does show how your magazine pleases its readers. You cannot get too much science in your stories to suit me. Chemistry and physics more than anything else.
I surely enjoyed reading "Mad Music" and "The Thief of Time." I don"t like long stories. They are too interesting to have to wait a month for the next part.
I hope that your magazine continues to have as "astounding" stories as it has in the past.--Vern L. Enrich, R. F. D. 1, Casey, Illinois.
_From Master Weiner_
Dear Editor:
One day coming home from school I saw your magazine. That night I bought it and have since been an ardent reader.
But why not give us a change? I prefer stories of the Sarga.s.so Sea, the Maelstrom, and about invasions of the Earth.--Milton Weiner, age 12, 2430 Baker St., Baltimore Maryland.
_High Praise_
Dear Editor:
Enclosed you will find twenty cents in stamps for the first copy of Astounding Stories.
I have just finished the May issue of Astounding Stories and the rating of the stories is: 1--"Brigands of the Moon"--Excellent!
2--"The Atom Smasher"--Marvelous! 3--"Murder Madness"--Perfect.
4--"Into the Ocean"s Depths"--Good. 5--"The Jovian Jest"--Pretty Good.
The cover design by H. Wesso is good. Don"t lose him.
I would like more stories by Victor Rousseau and Ray c.u.mmings.
Where are some stories by H. G. Wells, Stanton Coblens, Gawain Edwards, Francis Flagg, Henrik Jarve and Dr. Keller? My favorite stories are interplanetary stories.
Here are some things that may improve your magazine (though I must say that your magazine is about perfect as it is): More pictures in long stories; about two novelettes in each issue; about two short stories in each issue; more interplanetary novels and novelettes; about one serial in one issue; smoother paper.--Isidore Horowitz, 1161 Stratford Avenue, New York City.
"_Fairly Good Satire_"
Dear Editor:
I have read your two issues of Astounding Stories and I feel they will fill a very much needed place in literature.
I am especially interested in the stories like the "Vampires of Venus" and the "Brigands of the Moon." The "Vampires of Venus" can be cla.s.sed as a fairly good satire on Earth beings; I consider that story one with a moral. It reminds one of Voltaire"s Micromegas, and it"s taking us to another planet to show us our faults at home will stimulate interest in social improvement.
I have kept tab on Edgar Rice Burroughs" writings because he teaches evolution in a way that makes it easy for the ordinary reader to grasp.
You have a great field, if you can keep up the interplanetary stories and mix some evolutionary stories with them.
The true stories are playing a valuable part in stimulating people to take a deeper view of life, and you have a field in Astounding Stories almost without a compet.i.tor.--J. L. Stark, 530 Sutcliffe Ave., Louisville, Kentucky.
_He is H. W. Wessolowski_
Dear Editor:
Since I have read every copy of Astounding Stories since it was inaugurated I feel well qualified to contribute a few bouquets and also some criticism. The cover ill.u.s.trations are wonderful but I cannot find the artist"s name on it. So good an artist should put his "moniker" on his productions. I am glad to see that the words "Super-Science" are on the top of the cover in bright red letters; some other Science Fiction magazines seem desirous of disguising the contents of their magazines for some obscure and mysterious reason.
And now a brickbat. It is my humble opinion that the science should be examined more carefully before the stories are printed in this excellent magazine. The stories should be not only astounding, but should contain some science information that will be remembered after the fiction is forgotten. "The Man Who Was Dead" is an excellent ghost story or weird tale, but is out of place in "our"
magazine. (I take the liberty to call it "our" magazine since a department is given over to the readers and we express our choice of the kind of stories that are printed.) However, taken all together, our magazine is steadily improving; each issue up to now has been distinctly better than the one before.
I have graded the stories in the April and May copies as follows: Excellent--"Vampires of Venus," "The Ray of Madness," "Brigands of the Moon," "Murder Madness," "Into the Ocean"s Depths" and "The Jovian Jest." Good--"Monsters of Moyen," "The Atom Smasher" and "The Soul Searcher." Poor--"The Man Who Was Dead."
My favorite authors are Dr. David H. Keller, Harl Vincent, Lillith Lorraine, Anthony Pelcher, Capt. S. P. Meek, Dr. Miles J. Breuer and Ray c.u.mmings. I can hardly wait a month for my next copy.--Wayne D. Bray, Campbell, Missouri.
_Story Says Cro-Magnons Fled to Europe_
Dear Editor:
Ever since I was first introduced to Astounding Stories by a cousin I have been a steady reader. I have not missed a single issue so far.
I hope you will have stories by Hyatt Verril, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edmond Hamilton, Leslie Stone, Stanton A. Coblentz and Francis Flagg.
The stories I like best in each issue (not counting serials) are: "Phantoms of Reality," "Sp.a.w.n of the Stars," "Vandals of the Stars," "Vampires of Venus" and "The Atom Smasher." In "The Atom Smasher" it says that all Europeans descended from the Atlanteans.
Now when the hero killed them all with the disintegrating ray, would he not have affected their birth?
Wesso is some artist. I saw a mistake on the cover of the March issue. The color of s.p.a.ce is a deep black, not blue, because the blue color of the heavens when viewed from the earth is due to the reflection of light by the atmosphere.--George Brande, 141 South Church St., Schenectady, N. Y.
"_The Readers" Corner_"
All Readers are extended a sincere and cordial invitation to "come over in "The Readers" Corner"" and join in our monthly discussion of stories, authors, scientific principles and possibilities--everything that"s of common interest in connection with our Astounding Stories.
Although from time to time the Editor may make a comment or so, this is a department primarily for _Readers_, and we want you to make full use of it. Likes, dislikes, criticisms, explanations, roses, brickbats, suggestions--everything"s welcome here; so "come over in "The Readers"
Corner"" and discuss it with all of us!
--_The Editor._