Astounding Stories, August, 1931 by Various (the gingerbread man read aloud txt) 📗
- Author: Various
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Nerves Now Better?
Dear Editor:
In Gould you have a fine illustrator; in Wesso a better one, but as I skip the page on which the story, a truly remarkable one by R. F. Starzl, "The Earthman's Burden" is on, my eye is caught by—yes! a drawing by Paul, good old reliable Mr. Paul, the king of Science Fiction illustrators. Now that you have him on your artist's staff I wouldn't feel at all bad seeing a painting of his on the cover.
The June issue was a dazzler. "Manape the Mighty" held me spellbound. The others were all excellent stories. The cover painting by Wesso was good, but I have already seen one of that sort in a previous issue. Why not give us more interplanetary illustrations of space ships and the like as in "Brigands of the Moon"?
Another thing, it is nine-thirty. I must be asleep by eleven-thirty in order to start for school early the next morning. I allow myself two hours in which to read Astounding Stories. I turn to the contents section; I see a story there which I wish to read. It is on page 604. I turn the pages: 599, 601, 607 come in rapid succession, all but the page I look for. This goes on for some time until at last the roughened edge of 604 comes into view. By then my nerves are on edge and I find it is almost eleven-thirty!
But I cannot say that you do not stand up with the foremost of all magazines, and the way you are improving now you'll soon forge far in front.—Arthur Berkowitz, 763 Beck St., New York City.
Some Goal!
Dear Editor:
Permit me to congratulate Mr. Diffin on his latest masterpiece, "Holocaust."
Every once in a while Mr. Diffin produces a story that bids fair to eclipse all its contemporaries. His former story, "The Power and the Glory," could also be placed in that category. Somehow, that story has become indelibly written on my memory. The philosophy expressed in it was overwhelming. It would have done justice to a Shakespeare.
And now, you can imagine how delighted I am to learn that Mr. Diffin has once again graced us with a yarn of the same class.
Man, if you continue to publish such stories as these frequently, you'll have the public terming Astounding Stories literature of the highest grade! However, I won't entreat Mr. Diffin to write these stories spasmodically, as the long wait between tales adds lure to the stories.
And now for Mr. Burks. Ah—here is an extraordinary chap! Mr. Burks is your most versatile author. Of his several stories, each has opened up a new vista in the field of Science Fiction, and he is a thoroughbred in each endeavor. If you want to be convinced, read the opening chapters of "Manape The Mighty," and I will wager any sum you won't lay down the story until you've read every word.
As a matter of fact, all the stories are good. And the bill for next month appears to be exceptionally unusual. It is very evident that you are on the road to perfection. Smooth cut edges, the acquisition of the greatest of artists, Paul, all point to the accelerating progress Astounding Stories is achieving.
We Readers are frequently asked as to how we would run the magazine if we were Editors. Well, here is my conception of the ideal magazine:
Smooth paper, no advertisements whatsoever, the interior illustrations done by an artist with the talent of a Paul and a Wesso combined, and made in water colors, too. Then I would only have such renowned Authors as Burroughs, MacIsaac and a few others. I suppose that's the eternal dream of the modern Editor, but who can say that you, Mr. Bates, won't evolve Astounding Stories in the same manner. At any rate, there's a goal to aim for.—Mortimer Weisinger, 266 Van Cortlandt Ave., Bronx, N. Y.
Guilty
Dear Editor:
You are hereby summoned to appear in Court on attempt of murder. Following are the charges: Stopping my heart from beating when I saw the smooth edges in Astounding Stories, and making my heart miss five beats when I saw "The Earthman's Burden" illustrated by Paul!
I now think Astounding Stories has reached its highest peak. Arthur J. Burks' story was a wow. I hope he works on a story as he said he would in "The Readers' Corner" if he gets enough requests.
And Charles Willard Diffin! Here's a writer for you. I think the first story he ever wrote was published in Astounding Stories. Don't lose him. His "Holocaust" is his best, with the probable exception of "The Power and the Glory." I don't think the last mentioned ever got enough praise. I expect to see it reprinted some day in The Golden Book Magazine. It's distinctly smooth paper style.
And of course Sewell Peaslee Wright's "John Hanson" stories are top-notchers.
And Ray Cummings. Must we mention his story? We all know what to expect when we read one of his stories. I hope you have another serial by him soon.
I'm sure you'll be deluged with letters[278] because of the even edges and the illustrations by Paul (who should draw at least two in every issue), but I hope you'll print my letter, because I never had a letter of mine in print, and want to get a thrill seeing this published.—Anthony Caserta, 4575 Park Ave., New York, N. Y.
"Very Pretty Problems Here"
Dear Editor:
The letters by P. Schuyler, J. N. Mosleh, and Jackson Gee in the last number sure do raise some very neat possibilities in Science. Anent travel in time, just what would you, Mr. Schuyler, expect to see if "John Doe" at 40 years (1931) went back to 1892 and met "John Doe" of that date on Main Street of his old home town? I suspect that two bodies cannot simultaneously contain the same ego, constant-entity, personality, or soul.
Which brings me to Mr. Mosleh, to ask: Just how is the self-realizant ego, which is conscious that "I am I" unchangingly for life, in any sense a derivative of the unstable, rapidly changing body?
Mr. Burks and Mr. Lee elucidate a very pretty little problem on the same lines. The cranial transplantation and the "atomic patterns" are admittedly scientifically and reasonably possible. But there is a real point of doubt: Would the personality accompany the brain in transplantation? True, the brain is the control room; but—?
And would the "atomic patterns," perfectly as they could duplicate a body, which is unstable by nature, work on the essentially stable ego (relatively) with its inherent capacity for continuity?
If not, would not the synthetic "Extra Man" be a human being minus personality? Some very pretty problems here. I'd much like to see a story along the lines of item 3 in Mr. Burks' letter.—L. Partridge, Box 84, Cornish, Me.
What Price Smoothness?
Dear Editor:
I have just finished the June issue of Astounding Stories. The cover was excellent, as were all the illustrations, except perhaps Manape's arms should have been a little larger.
I see that the edges of the paper are now smooth, but still the leaves stick out beyond one another, so what good does that do?
"Manape the Mighty," by Arthur J. Burks, was superb, gripping. I suppose a lot of Readers will rise violently against the love interest, but, I ask you, just where would this particular story be without the romance in it? This particular story, you understand; not every story.
"Holocaust," by Charles Willard Diffin, was next best with "The Man from 2071" a close second.
"The Earthman's Burden" was at least entertaining, which this installment of "The Exile of Time" was not.—Robert Baldwin, 359 Hazel Ave., Highland Park, Ill.
Time Trouble Answers Wanted
Dear Editor:
I have read your magazine for nearly two years, but this is my first letter to the "Corner." The first and second installments of Ray Cummings' "Exile of Time" prompted me to write this. There is a story you can well be proud of. I should like to obtain it in book form. Mr. Cummings is a wonder. I have read many time stories, but his is at the top of my list.
If there is any other "time" fan in A. S.'s "Readers' Corner" I should like to have a letter discussion on it with him. None of my acquaintances care a whoop about that type of story, so I have to thrash out all my problems by myself.
There are some questions I would like to ask about "The Exile of Time."
1—In the event of the appearance of the time-traveling cage, the story ran, to use Ray's own words: "Suddenly before me there was a white ghost. A shape. A wraith of something which a moment before had not been there. The shape was like a mist. Then in a second or two it was solid."
Why should the cage appear as a mist at first? If there is any amount of time separating two things, those two things are invisible to each other, are they not? Any amount of time would include a second, and even a millionth part of a second. In that case, the cage should suddenly appear in the twinkling of an eye, with no trace of a blur.
2—Supposing I were standing at a spot five feet from a time-traveling vehicle. The latter would be traveling through time at 3 P. M., while I am at 2 P. M.—an hour's difference between us. It would be invisible to me then, but an hour later when I would be at 3 P. M. and the machine at 4 P. M., then I would see it as it appeared at 3 P. M. Whatever movement it would make in space, I would not see until an hour later. Is that right? Then is it not possible that each individual is existing in a different time realm? And we see them, or I see the other fellow as he appeared when my time caught up with his? I had better quit before I get hooted off the stage.
3—If a man invented a time-traveler and went back to the year of the beginning of the World War, knowing all he has read in history, could he not take steps to prevent a war that has already happened? Or would that power be denied him? Somewhere in the story is said that the past cannot be changed, and that any effort to do so would be useless. In my belief, no matter where or when a man goes into the past, if he appears in a year or day that has already gone by, he[279] is changing the past. Then there should be no room for doubt: time-travelling is impossible. It never will be done (An Astounding Stories fan should be kicked for using the word "impossible"!).
Let's have more good thought-provoking time tales. And get lots of stories from Cummings—he's a wow. I sure would like to spend an evening at a campfire with him.—Allen Spoolman, 613—4th Avenue, W., Ashland, Wisc.
"Eh, What?"
Dear Editor:
Just got my June issue of our good mag, Astounding Stories, and I think that it is great. One thing you should do, however, is have a more mechanical cover design.
In regard to Miss Gertrude Hemkin's letter in the June issue of A. S., let me say that I just wonder what she would like to expect in our "The Readers' Corner" if she does not like to hear what others think of our Astounding Stories. Maybe she would like to read about checker debates or the like. Eh, what?
If Rex Wertz of Oregon, who is now located somewhere in Los Angeles, will drop me a line, perhaps we can become acquainted as he suggested.—Edward Anderson, 123 Hollister Ave., Ocean Park, Cal.
Hope He Does
Dear Editor:
I have never been interested before in a magazine enough to write to their departments, like "The Readers' Corner," and I have read plenty of magazines.
"Beyond the Vanishing Point" stands head and shoulders above any story I have ever read. I have only one thing to say about your other stories: they are almost as good as the one I just mentioned.
I have a few words to say about these people who throw brickbats at every story they read. I wouldn't be surprised if they just read the story so they could find something wrong with it. There's one in particular who wrote a few lines in the June issue about your taking the word "science" off the front page, saying there was no science in the magazine, anyway. What does the title say? Well that's what 90% of the Readers want, anyway. I hope that chap reads this.
Well, I'll sign off. Here is a little toast to the magazine: "Long may it live."—Earl Rogers, 409—16th St., Galveston, Tex.
Two, Better Than One?
Dear Editor:
The two outstanding stories in the May issue of A. S. were "The Death Cloud," by Nat Schachner and Arthur L. Zagat, and "Dark Moon," by Charles W. Diffin. Common reasoning tells me that the heads of two Science
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