don't you get some variety in your art work, instead of all Morey? Your present issues absolutely can't compare with your older issues.
Look at the January issue of A. S. A very good cover by Morey, six stories and illustrations by Morey, Wesso and Paul! Why can't you get one of these to help Morey out now?
By the way what happened to the Quarterly?? Don't say it's gone for good! Now a word about the December, 1935, issue. I think the no serial idea is an improvement. The best story was Miss Stone's "Fall of Mercury." "Draught of Immortality" though not science fiction, was an excellent, well written story. Is A. W. Bernal, British? Third was "Symphony of Death," I liked the author's sense of humor. "Restitution" was quite good. "Meteor Miners" was poor, the plot hackneyed.
The cover? Couldn't you have chosen a more interesting scene from: "Fall of Mercury"? I’d like to get in touch with English readers with copies for sale.
C. Hazelgrove,
13 Foundry St.,
Brighton, England.
A Contribution From the State of Iowa
Editor, Amazing Stories:
I am not a reader from the Antipodes, a thirteen year old, a Britisher, but yust a back woudsmun wuth uh yen fer science fiction. (I'm considering that most pipple think that Ioway is some large cornfield with hawgs and farmers running around in a foot of mud.)
Seein' thu dangerus glint in the Editories eyie, I shall stop browsing, browbeating, munching and pasturing (in thu above mentioned cawmfield) TO TRY TO TRANSACT SOME BUS (pawdin' me ah jist notised) sness concerning back numbers of Amazing Stories (down't crowd i ain't offering none tuh sell.) Those I want to buy, beg, borry, steal, hijack, etc. are as follows;
April & May '35, Aug-Sept '35, and all others in yearly lots before Dec. '33. Name your own price just so it does not exceed the original price.
The April issue was fair, the outstanding stories in my estimation were "Labyrinth" and "Intelligence Undying." Your stories don't seem to have the same touch they had once.
My first contact with Science Fiction occurred when I was six years old and with a peculiar imagination. My mother had taken me shopping and I had wandered away, stopping finally in front of a magazine stand. The first thing to attract my attention was the cover of the quarterly, Vol. I, No. 4, Fall '28, with the story "The World of the Great Ants" by Verrill. I tried to run off with it but the proprietor of the stand chased and caught me. Since then I have always disliked proprietors of magazine stands. I would like to get hold of this magazine, so if anybody wishes to part with his issue for a tidy sum please notify me.
This jumble of words is already beginning to look like my father's income tax calculation, so I guess I'll have to close.
Jno Corbett,
Iowa Falls,
Iowa.
(Your letter is so amusing that it has literally cast a spell over the Editorial Chair. At least the first part of it did, it is hard to decide what part of your letter is most pleasing—the first or the second portion. One feature you may observe, and that is the fact that our authors have a way of standing by us. This should do the work of maintaining our standard.—Editor.)
A Letter Which Contains A Sort of An
Apology For Its Predecessor Which Was
A Bit Severe
Editor, Amazing Stories:
After the bad let down we had over the Feb., '36, issue I must compliment you on your effort in April, '36. It showed real improvement in stories and illustrations.
Cover—Fine. Space-ship well-drawn and the machine men are sketched according to author's description. (Something new?)
Editorials are always fine.
"Intelligence Undying" by Edmond Hamilton, was a very fine story. The long wait we had must have whetted our appetites, although they should need very little to really appreciate a story by Hamilton.
Mr. Nathanson, I, figuratively speaking take my hat off to you. Your story "A Modern Comedy of Science" was aptly titled. After reading most of your stories in A.S. and other magazines I must confess I never realized that you could be so humorous. However, we live and learn. Also I congratulate you on your individuality in that the hero was hailed as a saviour instead of being damned eternally by all and sundry for trying to reform the human race and, Lord knows, we need it. A refreshing tale and one worth re-reading as it well merits by being Mr. Nathanson's best effort.
The "Professor Jameson" series of stories was well carried forward by Mr. Jones's last effort "Labyrinth." These were all good tales, from first to last, although the numeri-
