You must remember that its principal name is Amazing Stories and that "Science Fiction" comes in as a second title, not necessarily applying to everything which has been published. Your favorite author Dr. E. E. Smith is a chemist of very high standing and possesses the art of telling a good story embodying his knowledge of natural science. We have a custom of publishing all letters asking for back numbers. This we do because we are not always able to supply them from this office.—Editor.)
Comments At Once Amusing and Complimentary From a Careful Reader
Editor, Amazing Stories:
Looking back through Discussions of 1936 I find the most contradictory criticisms. I give you samples of nine pro and con. (These we omit to save space—nine abuse our magazine unmercifully and others praise it to the skies.)
Hmm—well what are we doing, Editor, descending, ascending or floating? Ascending is the right word. And if anyone cannot see that A. S. is ascending, may that person step up and receive a pair of glasses. Take notice, Mr. Pizanno of December, '35. Anyway Charley says "No more time travel and no more satirical. To say it differently, nothing but interplanetary. Well interplanetary is O. K. But, Mr. Pizanno, what if approximately two hundred other readers do want satirical and time travel, the latter especially?
A. Editor prints Time Travel and Satirical.
Pizzano quits A. S. That event has happened.
B. Editor prints no Time Travel.
200 quit A. S.
Most likely the Editor would rather have one reader quit buying A. S. than 200—so Mr. Pizanno you should not have picked time travel as your enemy. It is too popular with readers! As for satirical put that in also.
By the way wasn't "When Time Stood Still" by Phillip J. Bartel in the February, '36 issue a dandy little story? More stories that are satirical and more time travel stories, Editor. To wind up I must express my gratitude for the little Henry J. Kostkos story in the April issue. Let's have a lot more by Kostkos. He is a writer. I am not forgetting "Earth Rehabilitated Consolidated" either. In my opinion that was A.S.'s best contribution for 1936. Keep Amazing Stories ascending, Editor.
John Chapman,
500 15th Ave. S. E.,
Minneapolis, Minn.
(It is certainly most amusing to see how opposite in ideas different readers are. It seems that what you express goes to show the impossibility of pleasing everybody. As regards comparison with other magazines, we regard that as of the least importance. Although we do not let unfavorable criticisms trouble us, we certainly enjoy such favorable ones as you express, for you appreciate the work that we are doing and the time and thought that has to be extended on it. Your arithematical way of presenting the topics is decidedly amusing. Poor Mr. Pizzano is getting a great scolding, but good natured enough, we hope, to elicit an answer from him. We certainly shall try to follow your last exhortation and keep Amazing Stories rising.—Editor.)
It Is Hard to Please All Readers. What
About Trying to Please a
Well-Meaning Editor?
Dear Editor:
Phoey, phoey, phoey. That is what I think of the contents of the June issue. Honestly, do you call the tripe you are printing, Science fiction? All it is is poor fiction.
Of all the stale, outworn, and hackneyed plots, the June issue's stories take the cake. They weren't even well written, much less science fiction. I guess you have gone in for strictly children's tales; they certainly aren't meant for the ardent fan.
Keep this up and you won't even come out every other month.
Hoping that you will improve, but not expecting it, I remain,
Yours truly,
Milton B. J. Harles,
233 Perry Street,
San Francisco, Calif.
(We have let the word "Dear" remain, although it is not generally used in the heading of letters in this department of the Magazine. You see we try to get a little comfort out of your rather savage letter. We would like to please everyone but we cannot.—Editor.)
About the Transference of Brains, With Reference to "The Isle of Juvenescence" in the June Issue of Amazing Stories
Editor, Amazing Stories:
The purpose of this letter is to confirm the plot of Bob Olsen's Isle of Juvenescence. A few days after I read that most ingenious story, I received this week's Science News Letter. I would like to quote a part of an article I saw in it:
