Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 47 — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION HOME SECTION UNINTELLIGIBLE? I feel I must congratulate you on a first-class science fiction magazine. The fiction is excellent, although I think Mary Hell’s could just as well have been a normal fiction story instead of science fiction. The non- fiction is a delightful surprise and I thank you for it. In some parts, however, it is very technical and unintelligible to us laymen. But keep up the good work. By the way, I wonder if any other Scottish reader could write to me about science fiction? James Gerard McColl, 22 Greenlea Road, Chryston, Lanarkshire. James, several people have saitd that about Mary Hell’s, and maybe we made a mistake in publishing it, but—do you, and all the rest, require that science fiction should have no points of contact with reality ? Stories like this highlight the possibility that the conquest of Mars will produce problems equivalent to those that cropped up during terrestrial ex- pansions. So many people think only of the glamour of space travel. Now, about intelligibility—it is very diffi- cult to judge the level of technicality that is acceptable to the majority of readers. We are absolutely depend- ent on readers’ letters as a guide. Yours is one. We hope many others will give us their views on this im- portant point. TRASH Tomorrow is Another Day, by K. Houston Brunner, I regret to say 138 “stank.” Why-o-why do you publish trash like this? I may be dumb or something, but it was the best I could do to follow the story, let alone enjoy it. Now for the articles. As I read only three of them I am really in no position to rate them, but I can only say that if I wanted fact 1 would buy a magazine that deals with it, and not a science fiction one. So please, no more articles. Michael R. Birrell, 10 North Street, St. Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex. It is a policy of . Authentic, Michael, to use stories occasionally that make the reader think; this policy is endorsed by the majority, who do not demand always to race through a story for immediate titillation only. As for the articles, these too are endorsed by the majority—and just where would you find such articles, Michael? Tell us. We'd really like to know. STOP THIEF! Don’t look now, but some- body’s pinched all but one of your interior illustrations! I presume you were short of space, so we won’t say any more; but don’t give them up just as they were getting better. Paul L. Sowerby, 21 Lansdowne Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, 20. It’s all right, Paul, nobody stole them! We’re afraid you’re going to be disappointed, though, for there will be only one interior illo for quite a while. comicloooks.conn