Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 50 — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

OVERSEAS SECTION NO MISTAKE In the article, “Solar System No. 9—Uranus” you state that Uranus has a gravity of 0.92 of Earth normal and yet has an escape velocity of 13 m.p.s. This statement, I think, however, is a little wrong. For Sir Isaac Newton in one of his laws of gravity states that every body attracts every other body with a force proportional to its mass. Yet you write that Uranus, whose gravity is less than Earth’s, has a greater escape velocity. Please let me know if I am wrong in accusing you of a technical error of such magnitude. 3502950 Cpl. Clarke, R.A.F. Staging Post, Mauripur, Karachi. Delighted, Corporal! What you have forgotten is that escape veloc- ity is the square root of twice the gravity times the radius of a planet: and Uranus has nearly four times 136 Aan EE D roject les the radius of the Earth. Work it out for yourself. But thanks for writing and for the compliments in rest of your letter. HOW? How do you do it? Since hearing your most intriguing series of talks on our C.B.C. when you were this way, I have managed to read through the contents of several Authentics without collapsing from sheer shock. And why shock? Shock at the fact that science fiction can-does thave an adult- hood. Since the tender age of twelve I have been subjected to an almost continuous environment of bug- eyed monsters, and I have received a thorough education in the art of the male and female nude and their anatomy. I have learnt much of the sicknesses of humanity from these books, but none of the art, none of the beauty of man... his dignity, his zsthetic virtues. But, my dear Mr. Campbell: then I found Authentic! And I might add, science fiction. And further- more, it was Authentic Science Fiction, from all points of view. What flaws do I find in your magazine? Of course, I’d like to see you junk the readers’ section—un- less you print my letter; then I'll conmmcloooks.com