Air Wonder Stories, December 1929 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

on the ‘choice of our stories, or if the. editorii sionally, it is up to you to voice your’ opinion. n whether your letter is complimentary, critical, or whether ‘it contains N this department we shall publish every month your opinions. After I all, this-is-your magazine and it is- edited for you. It makes’no difference THE READER AIRS _HIS VIEWS a old-fashioned brick-bat, ~ of your letters, as much as space will allow, will be published here the bénefit of all: Due to’the large influx of ‘mail, no communications to this’ department are answered individually unless 25c in stamps to caver time and postage is remitted. Tt: we fall down board slips up occa- for great number of communi- ‘Tcations written in anawer-to Mr. Klessling’s Ictter in the October iasue, on the. question of serials, more than exceeded our expecta- tions, We have recelved several hundred so for; and each mafl that reaches our desk adds to thelr num- ber. Ninety-six..per cent. favor serlalu—‘the longer the better.” We have been very careful to pick out the répresentative letters, and are printing as many as space will per- mit. We have absolutely no preju- dice In the ‘matter. Evan if our renders. want twenty - three-page ptorles, or one ercty pewe story, we would give It to them. So, your letters are the best indication of your wishes. To those who agree or disagree with the ideas set forth In ‘the letters printed here, wo cor- dially: invite you to send us your opinions, We print most of. these letters without. comment for, on tho whole, they spesk pretty definitely for themselves. Women Have Patience Too Editor, AIR WONDER: STORIES: I have just to-day received: our copy of Are Wonpex Sroxtes, and as. I always turn to the readers’ column of all, 1 was much sur- prised to find .Mr, pees ings letter criticlsti serials. My vote ist Keer Ur rae Setar, read and very much enjoyed “The Ark of the Covenant’—but I do not think I would have enjoyed it at all if it-had heen squeezed into one issue of your magazine, along. with the other: stories, ow could it he as interesting— hecause half, over half of it, would be left out in order to do $0, ar else you would have had to forego printing it. Why deprive the rest of the readers from reuding a good story because some man hasn't the patience-to wait until it ends? Mr. Kisesling’s request jx childish and unreasonable, I think, Good: stories should be printed regardless of length—the longer it is, the more Kaccicy a fine story, Certainly, a good story is worth waiting for, as all good things are. Ob, these men who haven't the patience fo wait for an ending to a story they are reading—and. so they ‘think interesting stories must sacrificed because ‘they can’t wait until the end of three or four months! There are eee of short-story magazines on the market if Mr. Kiessling warts to read them—buot don’t by any means do away with the serials—print at least two a month, and I certainly don’t objéct to three. Just so they remain interesting, and anyhow, it gives- one something to look forward to eagerly every month—not that the readers don’t “pester” the postman or haunt the newsstands waiting for your two magazines to arrive.. Let it not be said that all men lack patience and I hope that our readers will come forth with a loud “Aye” for serinls—and also. members of the fair sex, let it not be said that we women haver’t patience either to wait for a good story. Please pardon. my criticism of your Jetter, Mr. Kiessling; but truly, you're unreasonshle when you expect a three- or four-month serial to be crammed into one issue, It’s evident—that the Story meets with pLOEE apprayal or you wouldn't get.it every mon! As to your covers, both on Scimnce Wonpex Stortes and Ain Wonpen Stortes—they are marvelous. I menn both the covers and the magazines theméelves, Why will people con- sider bright, cheery’ colors vulgar? If color will help to describe your stories better, why give it all the color it needs. Your covers are the pride” of my brother’s library-and. my own—for we have every issue of your maga- zines—past and present—filed away. To-spread these magnzines all down on the floor, presents a rainbow of bright colors and blearre, weird and sometimes really beautiful drawings, Some of Paul’s drawings are weirdly beautiful and help. to make your magazines two of the most wonderful on the market, Paul’s art, as you said in answer to ao Jetter, is going. through the storm of criticism that all things that are It takes the public a long new go through. time to get used toa thing, sometimes, so set is it on. old ‘standards, even though it does boast that it is becoming more —broad—and open-minded, By the way, why not publish aul’ pcrare—29 we may see who paints these wonder covers? I hope that you will have some interplanctary. stories in this magaxine, Um “rarin’” to go to distant plants and-universes, I_hope that you will put out an Arm: WonpeR Quarterty, cep the same type ‘of stories in Screncs Wownner Quanterty as=you print in your Science Wonver Mowrety, and the same with Atx Wonper Ouartenty, Although I like Am Wonder Stontes very much, Sctence Wonper Stonres is my favorite of your two magazines, However, Atz Wonpgr Storres comes .a- close second. Stick to stories in your magazines; and Jeave out non-fiction articles, such as “The Problem of Space Flying.” While I realixe that this is very educating, yet-these two maga- zines are first of all fiction magazines—let them remain so. Your stories all contain _n treasure trove of scientific facts that-most of us would not otherwise know of—unless we were making science a study, I must say, that your maga- zine has done a great-deal to promote an in: terest in science—and we are all the better for reading your magazines, and: I’m ‘sure: you deserve a_greut deal of appreciation for this, “Men With Wings” was delightful. “The Planet's Air Master” was alsa good. “The Ark of the Covenant’ was very fine, In fact, I enjoyed all your stories—and I read. each and every one, Mr, Repp is one of our favor- ite authors—and. we especially enjoyed™ his Radium. Pool." We simply. must ‘have a sequel to that, Good Iuck to you and your magazines, Mr. Editor. Oh, yes!” Also, I Dr, Keller's “Human Termites’’ is simply mar- yelous, and I’m eagerly, waiting. for the third installment—an_ installment well worth waiting for, Here's for bigger and better serials. MARGARET VON LESSING, ‘ Los Angeles, Cai. (Miss von Lessing’s letter is. quite a tre- mendons hlow to-the “do away with serials” group of readers, She speaks-so fervently and with such good’ sense that her words become very convincing, We can - perceive that’ the battle over the question of serials will soon be over. x Miss von Lessing, the Joan of Arc of the “Keep Up the Serials,” waves her battle flag in defiance of her opponents. And they seem to be vanquished. We gre very, very glad to get her letter—Editor.) Short Stories an Insult to : Magazine Editor, AIR. WONDER STORIES: In answer to Mr. Kiessling’s letter in the October issue _of your magazine on long or short serials, I am‘ writing my vote of prefer- ence, I prefer the long scriala such as “The Ark of the Covenant.” “The longer the better. If a story has certain good phases it_should be very long with interesting details around it, have every issue of your magazine and I always. read” “The Reader Airs His Views.” Now T have seen more letters asking for long serials than short ones, So, Mr, Editor, that should .prove to you that. longer serials are wanted the tost, Now I have a, knock for you. In your October issue theré are seven stories. Each of them is very small, excepting The Ark of the Covenant,” “The Sky Maniac’ was fair but should be longer for an excellent story like that, The rest of the stories went as high-ag seven pages; even less, one was four pages, That is an insult to the magazine and should be righted with a real long. one -next month. I see-that-you are asking whether we Teaders would like the magazine of short stories (Ara Wonnrr Stonres) or the magazine with three large stories, I for one am for the three long- stories iden, I am sure your readers (mostly) would be of the same opinion. When will the Am Wonner Quartenty be out? A, FROEHNER, 1684 George St, Ridgewood, N. Y. As yet we have made no definite plans for a Quarterly, We are looking over the available material and trying’ to ascertain our readers’ wishes on the question. We invite all those who favor a. quarterly to write in to us.— 562 Editor.) Wants Interplanetary Stories Editor, AIR-WONDER STORIES: L:have just. finished Sending my October issues of Arr Wonver Stontes and Sctence Wonnan Stoxigs, and_thought I would send you my com- ments regarding the kind of stories’I like. In- terplanetary stories are my ‘first choice, then ood aviation. stories like “The Ark of ‘the covenant” (but not in serial form—moré about that later) and-then my next choice is stories of the future times and inventions, ‘ You state? in your magazine that —imter- planetary stories were not to be included in Ant Wospen Stories, Why? | Inter planciey stories generally deal with ayiatioti ani I think Are Wonven Srortes is the proper. place for them rather than in Science Wonogr Sroutes, Now for scrials—I_do not approve of serials in any magazine. By having to wait month after month, as in “The Ark of the ‘Covenant,” a person loses the trend of the story; and as for serials keeping up the circulatign of your magazine, I agree with Mr, -J, R. Kiessling of Cincinnati, that it bas--nothing to do with it. In fact I personally: think that your magazine would sell a whole lot better without any serials. Now about the len of stories to be pub- lished, I think about four stories ‘in cach issue would be about right. All Jong stories to be put te (OUE quarterly instead of running them in serfal-form in your monthly magazines, About, the cover—hbetter let:well enough off alone, The caver was what led me to investi- gate the first science fiction Be T_ever read, After having investigated, I immediately bought a- copy, and I have been a faithful reader ever since, HENRY E. DECKER, 22 River St,, Towanda, Pa, (We are: gradually ‘finding ourselves yielding to the persistent demand of readers of At Wonner. Sroxizg for interplanetary stories, The appeal of our readers is.based on the idea, and we must admit with a great deal of justifica- tion, that if flight to other planets is not future aviation then what is? All we are trying to do, as usual, is to ascer- tain more fully the desires of aur renders, And-the. more vigorous they make their state- ments-of preferences, the moré clearly defined will be our knowledge of what to do.—Editor.) Doesn’t Mind Waiting a Month Editor, AFR: WONDER STORIES: The: only comments I bave to make come from “The Reader -Aire Hia Views.’ You ask about serials, Some of. the readers seem to have-hysterics if they -wait a month to finish a story. I don't.) I Itke serials, The longer the better. Have two every issue. Start one where gnother leaves off. If they are as good as “The Ark of the Covenant” or the forever- to-be-remembered “Cruise of the Skylark,” have them Inst six months or a year, the longer the better, Can't. you eet @ sequel to the latter story? et like sequels too, please have ag many ossible, bout long ‘stories, have only one, or at most two, short stories, and the rest as long as authors can write them. You. ask which of your two new magazines is the better. I think. that Scrence Wonpgn is a trifle ahead of the other because it covers a wider ground, but Arr Wonper is a close sto ond. After ‘all, the magazine with the best stories is the better and, if the two keep up us.good as they have started, it will be a tie; for_both will he absolutely tmbeatable. Keep up the Forum” and the -“Ouestionnaire” in your magazines. Although I have no ques- tions-to ask, I enjoy reading them, And finally, Jet me. horn ‘in. on this eternal struggle about the covers, As long as they are as food as this month, or last month, keep them as brilliant, if. not more -so, STANLEY THOMAS, Portland, Me, (Mr, Thomas is evidently one of those, and there are.a great many, who. like to pleasurably anticipate the good things to come, © are like that very often, asmuch as there are those who will agree. and those who will dis. agree with Mr, Thomns’s views, we are trying to please both classes by striking a good balance between serials and complete stories in each issue, We register another yote for Science Wonwner Sronres in our informal contest to decide which is the best magnzine.—Editor.) (Continned on <page 566) comicbooks.con ——— ?