A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, October 1950 — page 126: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

READERS’ COLUMN 123 becoming quarterly, you should become month- ly? You know we love you! There is one puzzling thing abont the listing of stories on the contents pags: “The Face in the Abyss,” really a novelette, is billed as a novel, while Eric North's “The Green Flame,” a longer story, is listed as a novelette. Why so? Ah, I think I can guess. Merritt can pack so mech into a shorter length that his novelettes are equivalent to aovels{ All the interior illustrations were very especially Finlay’s portrait of the living ec. Callé has an unusual style that is well suited to the more macabre tales of fantasy. Stories that would be appreciated in AMF are: Farley's Radio series, Cummings’ “The Man Who Was Two Men,” “War of the Purple Gas” by Leinster, and Kline’s Mars novels. Now that Lovecraft is on your list, ul Oy not print some of his scarcer tales such as: fy the Gate of the Silver Key,” “Celephais,” and “The Strange High House im the Mist’’—all with Bok illustrations, of course{ And some Merritt poetry! What little was m “The Ship of Ish- tar” has only whetted our appetite for more. In hopes that AMF will soon be bi-monthly again, Robert E. Briney 561 West Western Ave. Muskeg ichi ED: Weill try to get a Finlay cover for you. As you know now the distinction between a novel and a novelette is very fine. We're glad you think that the Mer- ritt story rated the novel line! HIS FIRST LETTER Dear Editor: My address is only temporary and I cannot give ou a permanent one, so all the requests make in this letter can be answered only in your magazine. I regret this, for I am not one of those who earnestly desire to instruct an editor in his profession. This is my first and probably last letter to a magazine. I have nothing but praise tor A. MERRITT’S FANTASY, and can offer little advice for its betterment. To me, it fills a desire of several years standing. I have grown tired of most of the fantasy writers of today whose simple little storics presumably arc written for sunple little ands and are reminiscent of the resumés of novels. If the stories are not of that type, they con- cern weird shapes creeping through the dark- ness bent upon sadistic pleasures. I am heartily tired of them. Sometime in the future, if worthwhile reprints are no longer available, why not publish good fantasies by modern authors, if for no other reason than to encourage new authors to write them ? My request is this: please reprint Merritt’s “The Snake Mother” at the earliest possible date. As you know, it is the sequel to “The Face in the Abyse” and I think it a far better story. How often may a Merritt story be reread before the reader tires of it? The same may be asked of Poe and Shakespeare, for I haven't tired yet. I have read “The Conquest of the Moon Pool” six times and will continue reread- ing it until the magazine wears out. His tales are really a diversion when I need complete relaxation. His literary accomplishments belong side by side with the immortals. I have made this letter long and rambling but behind its verbosity is constantly the thought: do not forget “The Snake Mother.” It is neces- sary to have it to complete the tale he told in “The Face in the Abyss.” In conclusion I want to say orward to scenes this : City, Mo. ED: You should be happy to learn that “The Snake Mother” is scheduled to ap- ai in the next A. MERRITT FAN- ASY—the January issue which will be on sale in early November. BRAVO, NORTH! Dear Editor : Sorry to see A. MERRITT’S FANTASY going quarterly. I can’t see why this must be so. erhaps if you had used more of Merritt your circulation figures might have been higher, if your trouble lies in reader apathy. I don’t see why you wouldn’t have rights to many of Merritt’s novels. You implied in answering Thomas Ward's letter that this has been the trouble. It seems to me that if you bought out the Munsey files you ought to have your choice of all Merritt’s writings by now. Under the Mun- sey regime, FFM and FN published: “The Moon Pool,” “The Conquest of the Moon Pool,” “Three Lmes of old French,” “The Face in the Abyss,” “The Snake Mother,” “People of the Pit,” “Dwellers in the Mirage” and “Creep, Shadow!” According to my files, then, you have used prior to the time Popular bought out Munsey eleven Merrittales, two of which were fairly short. During that time you were unable to supply us with “The Ship of Ishtar” and “Seven Footprints to Satan”. If it was copy- right difficulties which pisventec your serving us the two novels I have mentioned, then they must have been overcome recently, since you have printed them in the revived Fantastic Novels. Now why would you have troubles with rights to the other eleven when you wish to reprint them in AMF if you already own the novels having supposedly bought all the rights along with the Munsey files? It is more easily understood that since “The MICLOOKS (C(O) (C(O)