Amazing Stories, August 1927 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

514° (Concluded on page 514) LOOKED around and saw the professor with the help of his lank fiancée getting,up. He looked like a native chief of Dahomey who had taken a bath with his European clothes on, The first thing he did was to let out a vast and good old American curse involving Hicks. So I knew he I heard a sudden commotion in the front There was a thundering as of water downstairs, Somebody had opened the door. else but water was running downstairs, however—in fact, It was Irvine and Smith. But they was all right. room. And it was. if was some body. were not first. The inventor was ahead of them. out of the window. There he was, going down the street AMAZING STORIES romance! thing up. Something I looked THE END. like a streak, doing a hundred yards in exactly a couple of seconds, less than very little. Shades of all the runners of He would have made them look like nothing. Smith and Irvine were doing well, but they were hopelessly outdistanced, In five seconds the inventor was out of sight. Then I remembered that I was the one who had fixed the I began to think. Gruesome details of several recent lynchings flashed through my mind. Without stop- ping for my hat, I crept down the stairs. At the entrance I looked around cautiously. Then I squared my shoulders and walked away in the most dignified manner I could mus- ter and reached home, none the worse for the experience, which is as it should have been, for it was not my fault, AAA AANA TT In this dopartment we shall discuss, every month, topics of fnterest to readers, subjects directly or indirectly related to the storios appearing in Discussions 8 magazine, The editors invite correspondence on all In case a special personal answer is required, a nominal feo of 25c to caver time and postage is required, GENERAL CRITICISM Editor, AMAZING STORIES: T have read all the Jetters published in your tnagazine about the stories you print. Altogéther 1 wish to compliment you on your chojce of stories as I have enjoyed nearly all of them. I can hardly wait to finish the magazine and then I have to wait another month to repeat the same cyclo, I am heartily in favor of a semi-monthly copy of your magazine and think that many others are also in favor of it} I know several readers of your maga- zine in this vicinity and they are all in favor of two a month. As you say, no one can please evety- one, but you seem to please most of your renders according to the letters you publish. Although some of them seem to like a certain class such as strictly scientific or almost all imaginative, they all seem to Hke enough of them to keep on reading the magazine. “ a I think that many of your stories stich as, “The Educated Harpoon,” “The Man Higher Up,” "The First Men In The Moon,” etc., are very good. Either they are interesting just to read or they are interesting for the facts which are mnde wo of. I Jike many of the storles of Wells but some of his are not very interesting just to read, Serviss writes good stories both to rend and to get science from. I think that you ought to encourage other people to write in ways stich o8 the latest contest and by offering a prize sny every other month to the best original story by young authors who have no stories whioh have been published. Joun R, Kitty Rock River, Wyo, [Such a letter as this one from the standpoint of an editor may be termed at once instructive and suggestive, ce want to please our readers and those who give us their views as Mr, Kelly does, help us in our selection. We feel that the recent prize which we offered encouraged a number of writers to produce excellent stories, We considered the picture rather difficult {o base a story on, To tell the truth it was purposely made’so, but it pro- duced some excellent work, We can make no promises as yet about the semi-monthly issuing of our magazine, but in hoping for it wo shall feel that we are supported by many appreciated readers. —EDITOR.]) INTERPLANETARY STORIES ASKED FOR Editor, Amaztno Storrts: I am glad that you are putting in a story by Edgar Rice Burroughs, I have always liked his books and I hope you will publish more of them, especially the Martian books, I like stories about interplanetary space, and about the different planets. The Second Deluge is one of the best stories I have ever read, I would like to know If you have any back insues of the Axazrna Stones from last April to August. I hope you will soon put the Ascazrna Srorigs magazine out twice a month, I am now getting.the magazine at a store but I will soon send for it and for Science and Tnyention. Currrorp Kornomyez, Chicago, TI. {We have sometimes feured that we were giving too many interplanetary stories, but your letter tells us that we have not, and like Oflver Twist you virtually “ask for more.” More are coming. SEDITOR] ~ FICTION NOT TO BE CRITICIZED LIKE STATEMENTS OF FACT Editor, AMAZING STORIES: Upon reading the January issue of your inter- esting magazine, particularly the “Discussions Col- umn,” I was immediately struck by the puerility of several of the correspondents. riticlym of such authors as Verne, Poe or Wells, it seems to me, should test with persons more versed in the liter- ary art than these correspondents Apes to be. As to the names of these great men being used as a drawing oard for your magazine, I am sure that many other publications would do well to act like- wise, Many of your renders, no doubt, have at some time or other perused the muanterpicces of these famous men, but the test of a clasitc lies in its ability to be read and ro-read with the same degree of pleasure. If Verne’s stories are “dry and poorly written,” it is strange that they have lived so long a time and been so immensely popu- lar. The translation, however, into English can- not always convey the extent of his literary ability as does the original, Critlolam of certain scenes, as the naval battle in “Station X’, may disclose an improbability in the assumed occurrence, ‘but, in any story, flaws may nearly always be picked without it losing the charm which it holds for the reader, ‘Station X”, “A Columbus of Space” and ‘The Te from— Outside” seem to me to be among the best you have -printed, although a leaning towards the gro- tesque might be discerned in the latter, Back numbers of Dr, Hackensaw’s Secrets and other stories from Sctenco and Invention, particu- Jarly those of Ray Cummings should prove extreme- ly popular, The authors most enjoyed here so far are Serviss, Poe, and Wells. Yours for a semi-weekly publication, D. B. Srscrars, s Winnipeg, Can. [Thiv interesting letter from acroas the border really expresses the feeling of the Editor. Like some of the other letters which we published, this is a criticism of our critics, One critic disapproves of what another critic admires. We have to strike a good average.—Editor.] A PROPOSED TRIP AROUND THE MOON Editor, Anazina Stories: T am writing you a few lines to let you know how TI feel about your Ascaztna Storres Magazine. I think it ie about the best book on the stand and T wish that you would publish it oftener. I like the stories by H, G. Wells and Jules Verne and “the rest of your authors aro not bad. I am sending you a clipping from the Cleveland Press, which might be of interest to other readers, : Mixe Duxovicn [We thank you for your. appreciation and for the clipping you send us. This tells of a plan to reach the vicinity of the moon by a projectile which will go around the moon passing back of it enabling the travelers to see the unknown portion of the satellite which ia never shown fo us and then they are to return to the earth, The puzzle is, however, how they are to make their landing. They are supposed to start at the rate of 7% miles a second, go around the moon like a iittle satellite and then come back to earth. But sup- pose he hits a lunar telegraph pole? It certainly would be bad for the pole—EDITOR.] PA LAE Satie. CRITICISMS AND APPRECIATIONS BY AUTHORS Editor, AwazinG Stories? nt On perusing a recent copy of Axrazinc Stortes I noticed especially those two. tales the type (no tongue twister 'tonded) of which I always read with the greatest interest—those two stories of the future: On the Martian Way," and ''The Thought Machine.” : _ Both were exceedingly fine, and in the same issue I also read the ‘Second Deluge,”’ the ending of which disappointed me very much. I do not intend to be bloodthirsty, but it really went against tho grain to have several millions of people stil] alive after Cosmo Versal had made his minute selection—the science of eugenics: could hardly sue- ceed, in my opinion, with such a mixed assemblage. Edgar Rice Busouihee story started out fine, as all his tales do, but [ am afraid that as a scienti: fiction story it is beaten severely by another writ ten by the same author, entitled “The Moon Maid,” which has also two sequels, “The Moon Men,” and “The Red Hawk,” oe Tam afraid that “The People of the Pit” ig beaten by still another story by Mr. Merritt—“The Metal Monster,” or the “Moon Pool.” 4 And now—to science! ‘ a T was very to see in tho latest issue of Axazine Stores that “The War of the Worlds” by H. G. Wells, is coming in the next issue. That story is ROTTEN! I am prejudiced against all of hi tales, because they are generally disconnected, ant he is always having one of his characters come ou of his story to scratch his chin or tug his whiskers or expectorate, or something. Noting all the dl versions ,in hia stories it seems impossible to mi that you should re-publish his tales. The onl good ‘one I have ever read was ‘The Star.” Yo should publish ‘In the Near Future,” by Jame Ivers Lawrence; a good story all around! Ant may I add, Mr. Gernsback, that I heartily agre, with a certain person, whose letter was publishai in “Discussions,” who said he wished that a pag would appear devoted to newspaper clippings prov ing extraordinary facts? And oh, yes! I woali sugyest that you select the best interplanetar stories, best futuristic stories, eta, that have ye aposaged in A. S, and bind them in book forr hat would be fins ond I would be d of set of such volumes in my “AMAZING STO: LIBRARY.” If you cannot do that why no lish annually hinders to hold o certain number AxdzinG Storis, the name “Amazing Sto’ appearing on the cover in gold letters? thanking you for your attention. Frep W. Fisxe [Critical letters like the one you hav to ts, we consider, not only interesting, br ful and a real tribute to our efforts. curious unfavorable criticism of Wells, i unique. He is today the most popular scientific fiction. And do you not think so little a thing as rubbing the chin may give the realistic touch tothe scene? = As regards the publication of newspaper we only wish that we had: more room to the ideas received from our interested 1 ia a hope we entertain and we trust that realized in the future. You will note in your suggestion about an annual binder, eve emiebook