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WEIRD TALES
283

The popularity of Lovecraft’s stories in Weird Tales seems to provide a definite answer to his question, "Will the readers stand for it?" And when he has departed most widely from human motives and standards, as in The Outsider, he has attained the greatest favor with you, the readers of this magazine. It is such wholly unearthly standards that made the charm of Donald Wandrei's The Red Brain, in last October's Weird Tales; it is the utter strangeness and unterrestrialism of The Space-Eaters, by Frank Belknap Long, Jr. (shortly to be published), that give this story its gripping horror and fascination.

Clark Ashton Smith's unusual poem, The Saturnienne, has made a real hit with you, the readers, judging by the enthusiastic comment it has evoked.

"The Saturnienne is a masterpiece of its kind," writes Charles M. Walker, of Federalsburg, Maryland. "This poem is grotesque and unique, to say the least, and I would like to read more of this man's work."

"I read Clark Ashton Smith's bit of verse with delight," writes August W. Derleth, of Madison, Wisconsin. "I hope you run more of his poetry."

"Weird Tales appeals to me because it is different," writes M. Artine Miller, of Pine Ridge, Oregon. "I can always rely upon finding at least one entirely different story from any I have ever read. Long life and much success to Weird Tales."

Writes J. T. Ballew, of Newport News, Virginia: "For some time I have been a constant reader of Weird Tales, and find it the most interesting magazine on the market. Am casting my first vote, on stories in the December issue, for The Time-Raider; second, for The Infidel's Daughter; third, The Devils of Po Sung."

A joint letter, from "six California readers who are thrilled by your magazine," asks for more variety. "The historical weird story seems to be forgotten," write these readers from Los Angeles. "Did you ever have stories submitted with Napoleon or Washington or Cæsar as a ghost? Why not? These might be quite instructive at the same time, and remind us of historical events which we have forgotten since our school days. Too many of your newer writers seem to imitate Lovecraft, who is unique in his eery tales. Anybody trying to wield Lovecraft's thunder appears ridiculous. His tales can not be beaten for weirdness."

"The Time-Raider is one of the best serials that ever ran in your magazine," writes Ralph McCormack, of Ashland, Oregon. "Stories of thousands of years in the future are always interesting. I like this story much better than The Time Machine by that famous English author, H. G. Wells; he had the people of the future fragile, small creatures, and very timid. The people in his story were much worse off than we are now, and didn't know much about science. It seems to me that people would be very much more scientific in the future, as they are in Edmond Hamilton's serial in Weird Tales. I hope that you will publish more stories like The Time-Raider. In your De-