_Kidding the Editor_

Dear Editor:

I have just finished your January, 1932, issue of Astounding Stories. It was superb.

Imagine my delight and surprise when I purchased the first issue this year! Smooth edges! Good quality of paper! I had a few other articles to purchase but I forgot all about them when I saw your magazine and rushed home to read it.

It had a most admirable cover design by your best artist, H.

W. Wesso. I turned to the Contents Page. The first story was by my favorite author, Ray c.u.mmings, and called "The s.p.a.ce Car to Mars." Hot dog! My favorite theme, interplanetary travel.

All the rest of the Authors were my favorites too! Edmond Hamilton, Capt. S. P. Meek, S. P. Wright, A. J. Burks and a short story by Jack Williamson.

I turned to the next page and lo and behold, what do I see but an editorial. Wonders after wonders! It was called "The Possibilities of s.p.a.ce Travel." I was by this time beginning to think that at last the Editor had achieved a perfect magazine, and when I turned to the first story, the one by Ray c.u.mmings, I knew it. There was a double-page ill.u.s.tration by Wesso in soft and realistic _colors_! Think of it! _Colored_ ill.u.s.trations for each story!

Well, I was so excited that I could hardly read, but at last I began. Boy, can Ray c.u.mmings write interplanetary stories!

Y como! (And how!) He wove scientific explanations into the story so very skillfully that one learned the scientific facts without knowing it. When he thought that the explanation of some invention would be boresome, he put a little note at the foot of the page. This, I remembered, was an admirable feature in his story "Brigands of the Moon,"

which you published two years ago.

I then turned to "The Readers' Corner" only to discover that its name had been changed to "The Observatory." (I expect this name was taken from the suggestion of P. Leadbeater in the March, 1931, issue.) I discovered also, to my delight, that at the end of each letter the Editor made a few comments. I finished reading the Readers' letters and on the next page I found this leadline: "Science Questions and Answers." I read these with enthusiasm.

I forgot to mention the raise in the price to twenty-five cents, but that is immaterial to me now since I have the perfect science fiction magazine. You have surely hitched your wagon (magazine) to a star now!--Clay Ferguson, Jr., 510 Park St. S. W., Roanoke, Va.

_Sugar Candy_

Dear Editor:

It is very seldom that I write to any page like "The Readers' Corner" but I have gotten rather tired of all those knocks. So I am writing to say that I have missed only one of your issues since the second, (Feb. 1930) and have found only one not to my liking, and I have forgotten what that is.

I have no comment to make on your Authors. I don't care who writes it or what his literary reputation is--as long as the story is good; and you wouldn't print it if it weren't.

As for exact scientific data--away with it. Some may wish to be bored with it, but I prefer action. I like your pictures.

They are bizarre and give one an idea of what the Author is trying to convey. And they intrigue the interest before the story is read. I also like the size, because it is not awkward, and I like the edges because they make the pages easy to turn.--Mrs. Margaret M. Phinney, 1632 W. 3rd, Plainfield, N. J.

"_Becoming a Habit_"

Dear Editor:

The May Astounding Stories seems to have nothing but complimentary letters in it. Mr. Magnuson probably tore out his hair when he saw all those letters. Not that Astounding Stories fully deserves all that praise. As one Reader said, words are inadequate to describe how wonderful your magazine is; however, I do not agree with those who denounce some of the Readers for making criticisms and suggestions. No magazine can be absolutely perfect, although Astounding Stories comes pretty near it. Even if it were perfect, the Readers would have to keep on making criticisms and suggestions in order to keep it that way. Besides, "The Readers' Corner" would become pretty dull and lifeless if you printed nothing but flattering letters. Most of the Readers who make unfavorable criticisms really have the welfare of the magazine in mind, else they wouldn't write at all. All of them aren't grouches. For example: a certain person sent one of the Science Fiction magazines about the most vicious and uncomplimentary letter that magazine had ever received. Yet in this issue of Astounding Stories he jumps on the knockers for daring to say anything against Astounding Stories! So you see that all knockers are not hopeless!

I notice that you have complied with one of my requests, and have published an autobiography of Mr. Wentzler, although there is no picture. Perhaps, as Mr. Wentzler suggests, that is for the best. The readers of Astounding Stories are accustomed to pictures of grotesque and weird-looking inhabitants of other planets, but a picture of Mr. Wentzler may prove to be too much. Or, if you do put it in, you might ent.i.tle it "Wesso's Conception of a Martian."

I hope Mr. Wentzler does not take the above paragraph too seriously. Like him, I was. .h.i.t on the head when I was but a babe. In my case, it was a bronze statue that proved to be my undoing. Unfortunately, they were never able to straighten out the bend in that statue, which was the result of its contact with my dome.

As for the stories in the May issue, they were all perfect, every one of them. Having all the stories perfect in each issue is becoming a habit with you. Keep up this habit. For first place I nominate "When the Moon Turned Green." I considered Mr. Wells' previous story, "The Gate to Xoran"

the best short story you had ever printed, but the later one surpa.s.ses it. You will not be making a mistake if you give us many more stories by this Author. I do not need to say anything else about the rest of the stories--they are all excellent.

Don't you think that it is about time for Astounding Stories to become a semi-monthly?--Michael Fogaris, 157 Fourth Street, Pa.s.saic, N. J.

_Located at Last_

Dear Editor:

I read every Science Fiction magazine on the market, and can truthfully say that yours is the best of them all.

Of course, there is always room for improvement, and some of the stories published in the May issue were not so hot. Meek always gives me a pain in the neck, but c.u.mmings is an ace, though the installment in this issue dragged considerably.

In Diffin you have a master writer; and I was tickled to death to see finally in "our" mag a story by that peerless team, Schachner and Zagat.

I was wondering how long it would take you to locate them, as you have done with most of the other stars in Science Fiction.--Bill Merriam, Ocean Front, Venice, Cal.

_"Stories Aid Considerably"_

Dear Editor:

I cannot rightfully say what story was the best in Astounding Stories. For the man who balances stories for their values is just kidding himself. That is my theory and I am ready at all times to stand in back of it.

Though I have only been reading Astounding Stories since January, I am a thoroughly convinced fan. For the past two years I have been puttering with chemistry and physics in a laboratory of my own, and the science mentioned in these stories aids considerably.

I would sincerely appreciate letters from Readers of Astounding Stories. I will answer all.--Lawrence Schumaker, 1020 Sharon St., Jamesville, Wis.

_To the Rescue, Somebody!_

Dear Editor:

You're getting better all the time. The April number was the best yet, and the May issue is not far behind it. The cover on the May issue was wonderful.

"Dark Moon" is the best story by Diffin that you have yet printed. "When the Moon Turned Green" and "The Death Cloud"

are both masterpieces.

"The Exile of Time" is a fine story, but I cannot understand the explanations. How could the murder of Major Atwood be mentioned in the records of New York? Why could not one see events in which he partic.i.p.ated? Of course, Ray c.u.mmings perhaps knows more about it than I, but I think a lot of his ideas are the bunk.

I do not think that your stories should be full of science and nothing else, but they should at least observe known scientific facts.--J. J. Johnston, Mowbray, Man., Can.

_A "Two-Timer"_

Dear Editor:

I was surprised but pleased to receive the answer to the question I asked in my letter to you. It is indeed a pleasure to read a magazine that takes enough interest in its patrons to personally answer a letter written to it.

Thank you very much.

And I am certainly glad that we are to get a sequel to "Dark Moon." I wish that I could personally tell Mr. Diffin what I think of his writing.

I am anxiously awaiting the next issue of "our mag." It certainly does seem a long time between issues. When are you going to start putting it on the stands twice a month? I know that thousands of Readers would bless the day you did it.