cal designation of the various machine men is slightly confusing.
Mr. Editor, I know I roasted you unmercifully in my last letter and maybe you did not need to be treated so harshly, but we (I am speaking now for the many readers) should like to see A. S. a monthly again. How are the odds?
C. Howes,
397 Davisville Ave.,
Toronto 12,
Ontario, Canada.
(There is little to be said in answer to this very friendly letter. As far as any severity in your preceding letter is concerned, this one makes up for it, and we thank you for the encouragement it gives us. We are hoping for the resumption of the Monthly issue.—Editor.)
A Very Special Letter From A Science Fiction League Member
Editor, Amazing Stories:
The cover for the April, 1936, Amazing Stories was very pleasing to the eyes. Morey is choosing his colors well. However, some merit is lost because Morey does not bring out the details. He seems to have splashed his brush at random, while drawing the background. Also, many important details are blurred.
The editorial was very interesting.
"Intelligence Undying" was a good story, but, the plot was not absolutely original. Hamilton could have developed the plot to a greater extent. However, he did manage to "save the earth."
"A Modern Comedy of Science" was very amusing. I enjoyed it immensely. However, scientifically, it was all wet. First, the "Utopian Reformer" would not have been able to wield or even hold a stick, or any other three dimensional object. Secondly, he would have fallen straight to the center of the earth since everything passed through him; nothing could deter his fall.
But I repeat, I enjoyed the story.
"Labyrinth" is an excellent continuation of the Jameson Series. All of them are classics. I look forward to more.
"The Pygmies of Phobos" was interesting. The author certainly went out of his way to tell the main story.
"The Airwayman" was good reading, and should have had an illustration. A good drawing has a good effect upon the reading of the story.
When are you going to make Amazing Stories a monthly again?
You should have had some special features in the April issue concerning the 10th Anniversary of Amazing Stories which is also the 10th Anniversary of a real "stf" magazine.
Here's hoping for more features, new authors, variety of artists, and a Monthly magazine.
More power to Science Fiction,
Raymond Peel Mariella
Science Fiction League,
First Class Member No. 18,
3527 Chancellor Street,
Philadelphia, Penna.
(We are living in hope of a monthly Amazing Stories some time in the not too distant future. But it is still a subject of debate, so we hope for the best. One special feature of our tenth anniversary is that we are now virtually the one Science-Fiction magazine. Is not this a good "Special Feature"?—Editor.)
An Article Printed By Special Permission
from "The Saturday Evening Post"
Is Objected To
Editor, Amazing Stories:
I got my copy of Amazing Stories today and there was one terrible thing in it. I refer to the article "Nothing To It." That joke is as old as the hills and as it says at the end, copyright, 1834. I enjoyed the issue however, although I cannot see how the story "Hoffman's Widow" could be called a science-fiction story.
I have been an ardent reader since 1931 and have been trying to get back issues ever since Wonder Stories started its swap column. You ought to try it for I know several people who buy Wonder just for that column. I still need copies from 1926, '27 and '28.
My favorite author is Dr. E. E. Smith who wrote the Skylark stories which were in my opinion the best published. John W. Cambell, Jr., is almost as good and the Arcot, Morey, Wade and Fuller stories are the second best stories you have published. My other favorite authors are Harl Vincent, Neil R. Jones and David Keller. The interplanetary stories are the best by far.
It hurts to see you go bi-monthly, for I remember that "Astounding" did that before it went out of business.
E. E. Piedmore,
28 East Fulton Street,
Long Beach, New York.
(The date you quote was an error in proof-reading, it should have been 1934. Our stories are not necessarily invariably of the science-fiction type. The questionnaire shows that there is a lot of science to be found on the pages of Amazing Stories.
