Astounding Stories of Super-Science January 1931

Why not try to get a story of A. Merritt’s, or Ralph Milne Farley’s? – A. Dougherty, 327 North Prairie Ave., Sioux Falls, So. Dak.

Announcement

Dear Editor:

May I enter “The Readers’ Corner” to announce that a branch of The Scienceers has recently been formed in Clearwater, Florida, by a group of Science Fiction enthusiasts?

We have a library of 175 Science Fiction magazines, including a complete file of Astounding Stories to date. We hold weekly meetings at which scientific topics are discussed, and current Science Fiction stories commented upon.

As the first branch of The Scienceers, we are striving to achieve a success that will be a mark for other branches to aim at. – Carlton Abernathy, P. O. Box 584, Clearwater, Fla.

From Merrie England

Dear Editor:

I came across your May publication of Astounding Stories the other day, and I cannot resist writing to you to congratulate you on the most interesting magazine I have ever read. I am now determined to take it every month. Re “The Atom Smasher,” it is A-1. I have read several interplanetary stories over here but none to touch those of your magazine.

Best wishes for the success of your book and its authors. – J. C. Atkinson, 17 Balaclava Rd., Sheffield, England.

Starting Young

Dear Editor:

You’ll excuse my writing, for it is the end of vacation.

I like your book very much, which many other readers approve of. Some dislikes, of course, everyone has, and I have three which many readers have, too. First, I wish the magazine were bigger and the paper better. Second, have more stories and raise the price to 25c. Third, have stories of the future such as “Earth, the Marauder,” and stories of lost Atlantis, the fourth dimension, other planets, atoms and electrons. – Jack Farber, Payette, Idaho.

P. S. I am 11 years old and interested in science.

Doesn’t Like Serials

Dear Editor:

I am a recent reader of the Astounding Stories magazine. I am going to keep getting the magazine, as I like it very much.

I did not like “Murder Madness,” or Burks’ “Earth, the Marauder” very much. I do not think “Murder Madness” is the type of story that belongs in this magazine. I do not like continued stories very much as I hate to break off at an interesting point and wait a whole month before I can read the next installment or conclusion of the story. The front piece of the magazine is very good, and except for the criticisms mentioned above the magazine is excellent. – Kempt Mitchell.

A Staunch Defender

Dear Editor:

At one time a friend introduced your excellent little publication to me. I read it and enjoyed every paragraph of it. This issue starred “The Monsters of Moyen,” which I consider a real super-science story. I have followed “The Readers’ Corner” quite a time.

In the September issue I saw where someone made a commentary on the magazine. One of the things they said was that the paper should be of a better grade. It is true that this would help, but “our” magazine is not half full of advertisements to pay for this expense. Dear friends, this is no Saturday Evening Post. Don’t ask too much. Then, you may take in consideration that other magazines of Science Fiction have no better grade of paper than this, for I have purchased several.

I have but one thing to say as an improvement for it. That is, why shouldn’t there be a Quarterly? Other Science Fiction magazines have them. They have complete stories and are double in size and price. Dear Editor, please, for the public’s sake, put out a Quarterly. I’m sure others would like one. – H. C. Kaufman, Jr., 1730 N. Monroe St., Baltimore, Maryland.

Announcement

Dear Editor:

We would appreciate it very much if you would print this in your “Readers’ Corner” department.

We wish to inform the readers of Astounding Stories of an organization lately formed, called The Boys’ Scientifiction Club. Its purpose is to promote scientific interest among boys between the ages of 10 and 15, to encourage the reading of Science Fiction and scientific works, and to create a bond of friendship among them.

A circulating library, composed of Science Fiction books, magazines, articles, etc., is being constructed to circulate among members who desire to read any of the contents.

Officers are: President-Librarian, Forrest J. Ackerman, 530 Staples Ave., San Francisco, Cal.; Secretary-Treasurer, Frank Sipos, 174 Staples Ave., San Francisco, California.

Address all letters concerning membership to the President. He will be glad to answer all letters and explain particulars of the club. Thank you for your kindness. – Linus Hogenmiller, Vice-President B. S. C., 502 N. Washington St., Farmington, Missouri.

But – Ray Cummings Writes Us Only Brand New Stories!

Dear Editor:

I want to commend Astounding Stories on carrying out an idea which I have had in mind for some time; that is, some scientific articles. “A Star That Breathes,” in the July number, was very interesting, as were the two articles in the August copy. However, I hope that this is only the start of a valuable new addition to Astounding Stories. There should be at least five or six in each magazine, and I think most of the readers would prefer them at the end of the stories instead of in the back of the magazine. Another thing that is absolutely essential if Astounding Stories would hold its own as a high-class Science Fiction magazine is a scientific editorial in the front of the book. The way it starts off abruptly onto a story gives the impression of a cheap publication.

A lot of your readers have been setting up a clamor for stories by Ray Cummings. While it is true that he has written a few good stories, you will find that his antiquated stuff is not being printed in any of the other Science Fiction magazine, but only in ones devoted to adventure-stories. For the sake of your many readers who would like to see “our magazine” keep abreast of the times, Cummings should be dropped and some of the peerless authors of to-day employed. As an advance along this line you already have Capt. S. P. Meek, Harl Vincent, Lilith Lorraine, Edmond Hamilton, and, in the latest copy, R. F. Starzl. “The Planet of Dread,” by R. F. Starzl was the best story in the August issue. A wealth of ideas was contained in that treatise of life on a young, warm planet, and the idea of fooling the liquid intelligence by thought-suggestion is quite novel but entirely reasonable. Mr. Starzl is an author of the highest type and ability, and you will do well to secure more stories from his typewriter.

I was glad to see that the cover has finally been changed from the conventional blue background, and I hope we will have a little variation from now on. Concerning illustrations, Wesso is a great artist, and aside from a few scientific errors his covers are excellent. The inside drawings could be improved, however.

I hope for your continued success – Wayne D. Bray, Campbell, Mo.

Are We All “Morons?”

Dear Editor:

Having perused three issues of your magazine, I must agree that its title is well chosen. The stories are nearly all “astounding”; astounding in that they utterly ignore every scientific fact and discovery of the past ten centuries.

The cold of inter-stellar space; its lack of oxygen; the interplanetary effects of gravitation – all are passed over as if non-existent.

An “anti-gravity ovoid” – of which no description is given – if worn in a man’s hat, makes his whole body weightless.

Men, buildings and cities float through the air or become invisible, yet not the least semi-scientific explanation is made as to the how of it all.

In other words, the pattern of your stories appears to have been taken from the Arabian Nights and from Grimm’s Fairy Tales – but with not a millionth part of the interest.

How anyone, save a young child or a moron, can read and enjoy such futile nonsense is incredible.

If your writers would (like Jules Verne) only invent some pseudo-scientific explanation for their marvels, your publication might then be read with pleasure – but why do so when trash is acceptable without thought behind it! – M. Clifford Johnston, 451 Central Avenue, Newark, N. J.

A Wesso Fan

Dear Editor:

Let me congratulate you on the September issue of Astounding Stories. It is the best issue you have published yet. I noticed in this issue that you had four illustrations by Wesso. Though that is the most you have ever had, I think it would be much better if all the illustrations were by him.

However, getting down to brass tacks, the reason I’m typing this letter is to ask you to publish an Astounding Stories Quarterly. You could have it contain twice as much reading material as in the monthly and charge forty cents a copy for it. It would be much better than a semi-monthly and I am quite sure it would “go over” big. – Thomas L. Kratzer, 3593 Tullamore Rd., University Heights, Ohio.