Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION mention that if there are any youngsters in the Newport area of Melbourne who can’t afford maga- zines, they can always borrow mine from this address. Ken Potts, 307 Douglas Parade, Newport, Melbourne, Australia. Ah, but, Ken, isn’t variety the spice of life? We hope impecunious Melbourneans will take advantage of your kind offer. That’s the spirit _ we like to see in fandom. IDEAS The non-fiction portions of the magazine are good, but the science articles appear to be either too condensed or too vague and wandering. In future issues what about cover views of the solar system, particularly Saturn, one planet per month? I would suggest for science articles the following subjects, based on present-day scientific knowledge: robots, future human foods, evolution, planetary gravitational fields and their dan- gers, humans and the effect of gravity on other planets, and future power sources and resources. R. J. Burgess, Romita, 11 Childs St. Clayfields, N.2. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Many thanks for the ideas, Roy. The solar system cover series will be starting with the next issue—we already had it planned when your letter arrived. As for articles, some of the subjects have been covered by now and some of the others will 137 be appearing in future issues; the one on evolution is in the present issue. Okay? Keep up the good work. We like to pick readers’ brains! DIFFERENT There is no mag State-side that I like better than its editor(s), for if the editor isn’t to my liking, neither is his mag(s). In England, how- ever, I like HJC much more than Authentic. There are times though when I disagree with him most heartily. He admits that men like Deegan and Sheldon helped to make Authentic what it is today; yet he refused to retain them when the mag mutated. To my mind, this is saying that the mag previous to the issue of January, 1953, was inferior to what it is today; yet if it were so it would never have risen to where it is. I have nothing against Temple, Byrne and Phillips. Charles L. Harness has long heid a high place with me; The Rose was exceptional. But I like the above- mentioned authors equally weil. Henry Moskowitz, Three Bridges, New Jersey, U.S.A. Then all you have to do, Henry, is read the Panther Book series in which Deegan and Sheldon regu- larly appear. Authentic prior to 1953 was not inferior to what it is now—it was different. We have never refused to print Deegan, Sheldon or any of the old authors in Authentic (Deegan had a story in No. 37 and Berry keeps on cropping up), but these authors seem happier in the — novel-length form: should we force comiclbooks.corn