Amazing Stories, Vol. 2, No. 1 — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

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Fxperimenter Publishing Company, Inc. 230 Fifth Ave. : : New York, N., Y. > AMAZING STORIES POOR FITZ-JAMES O’BRIEN Editor, AMAZING STORIES: Why on earth should you publish a_ story in which the science is so manifestly false that even I a mere dabbler, should be able to see the mis- takes? In Fitz-James O’Brien’s “The Diamond Lens,” why should animalicules living in a molecule, be discommoded by the evaporation of the drop of water? A molecule of water is of the same size as a molecule of steam or ice, and, I believe, is not in the least changed by evaporation or solidi- fication. Why should evaporation kill an animali- cule? Also, how can a man see, with no aid savé that of a diamond lens, that which we are unable to see because our eye is too coarse? Would the rays of light be of sufficient shortness to strike a mole- cule anyway? I am no microscopist, but I be- lieve that no ray which can be intercepted by a molecule will find resistance in the human eye. I was under the impression that nothing but an X-ray would be stopped by a molecule—and we cannot see X-rays. Why publish stories which cannot be—since science has proven them false. Stories like “The Time Eliminator,’ which are pos- sible, are all right—but the others no, _By the way, what is the metal levium, which is men- tioned so often in “The Second Deluge?” I am under the impression that all metals of a weight approximate to that which Mr. Serviss assigns to levium, have been discovered, and that none of them meets his requirements, Is levium a relation of lithium, glucinum, or some compound of the two? Chicago, Il. [We do not agree with your train of thought as to Fitz-James O’Brien’s “The Diamond Lens.” This story, by the way, was written over fifty years ago, and the author has long since died. We insist that the optics in the story is correct, and we do not see why you question that evapora- tion could kill the animalcules. If the drop of water evaporates, naturally it becomes non-exis- tent physically and it could no longer be observed by microscope or otherwise. It has been taken up in-the atmosphere and therefore has vanished. Mr. Fitz-James O’Brien’s science, therefore, is correct, and must stand. To be sure—and here we agree with you—‘The Diamond Lens”’ itself is a poetic license. The author used the diamond because the refraction of the latter is of very large index and it was here that the scientific point of the story came in. If the story were fact, it would not be fiction. And if it were fact, we would be using the device as +t. i. As to the metal, Levium, this is a purely fanci- ful name for a supposed metal which, of course, does not exist.—EDITOR.] A CHARACTERISTIC LETTER FULL OF APPRECIATION Editor, AMAZING STORIES: No, this is not a story. And there is none com- ing “‘under separate cover. It is merely the resu't of a little curiosity concerning your new magazine, “a new sort of magazine.’ In these Readers’ Forum things in so many of the publications nowa- days are the letters those of real people, or are they merely turned out from the fertile imagina- tion of the publishers? If they are written by real people, here is another contribution for you to print.. If not, here is another contribution for the proverbial waste basket. I give some of the criticism that you were asking for. In the first place, I strongly advise that the magazine be kept in the present form, i.e., with one or two two-part stories and the rest short stories. When a person has a few minutes to spare, he is far more likely to want to read a whole story than to read a little bit of a long story, and then forget where he left off when he next starts to read. Probably I have expressed this rather clumsily, as usual, but I am too lazy to correct it, and so it must stand as it is. I shall be looking forward to the stories trans- lated from foreign languages, and also to some good ones by Jules Verne. I believe that some account should be made of Dr. Hackensaw’s in- ventions, which he seems to produce at an amazing rate of speed. However, I hope that if they are inaugurated in AmMazinG Stories, they will be bet- ter than the last ones appearing in Science and In- vention. I have read your first issue from cover to cover. The “New Accelerator” was still good, although I have read it in two different places before. Jules Verne is almost always good. and his ‘‘Off on a Comet” is no exception. ‘““The Man from the Atom,” although the theme is old and time- worn, presents some new ideas on the matter. “The Man Who Saved the Earth” is good, even though the author does leave one or two things unexplained at the end. “The Thing from— Outside” was all right. I did not like it as well as the other stories, hut probably other people liked it more. “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” is a typical Poe story, but, to my mind, it does not belong in a magazine, or rather I should say, in “THE magazine of scientifiction.” “They Called Me a Human Clam, But I Changed Almost Overnight’ is also good. I often wonder >? Stop Using a Truss STUART’S PLAPAO- PADS are different from the truss, being mechanico- chemico applicators made 6elf-adhesive purposely to hold the distended muscleg securely in place. No straps, buckles or spring attached —cannot slip, go cannot chafe or press against the pubic bone. Thousands have successfully treated them- Reduced Reduced Fac-Simile fclves at home without eao.simile Gold Medal, obstinate cases conquered, Grand Prix Soft as velvet—casy to apply—Iinexpensive, Awarded Gold Medal and Grand Prix. Process of recovery ig natural, so afterwards no further use for trusses. 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