Various

“ We may say, as a general thing, that a weird story whose intent is to teach or produce a social effect, or one in which the horrors are finally explained away by natural means, is not a genuine tale of cosmic fear; but it remains a fact that such narratives often possess, in isolated sections, atmospheric touches which fulfil every condition of the true supernatural horror-literature. Therefore we must judge a weird tale not by the author's intent, or by the mere mechanics of the plot ”

“ But now the quarrel between the two was out in the open, and through the following days and weeks, Lawrie seemed possessed of some imp of perversity and taunted and gibed at Williams continuously. Much of the time, the 'cowboy murderer' lay on his back on the cot and stared sullenly at the ceiling, only turning at times to throw Lawrie a venomous glance. At times, Lawrie grew ashamed for taunting a doomed man, but something inside of him, stronger than he, urged him on implacably. ”

“ Certainly, there should be something more to science fiction than rays, machines, villains, heroines, (composed of lipstick and legs, as Mr. Barlow rather bitterly expresses it) as has been stressed so greatly of late. There should be an element of fantasy, strong character, and a well-developed plot in addition. The lack of those is why so many weird story lovers (like Mr. Barlow) can find so much fault with stf. I do not blame him. I, myself, as a reader, will stop reading stf when the fantasy element is dropped completely. ”

“ Without Schwartz and Weisinger, science fiction fan material would receive a terrific blow from which it would never recover. We are glad to see that you are boosting our magazine; thanks for your enthusiasm.
"One is inclined to believe that H. P. Lovecraft's 'The Other Gods' should now have cause to look down upon 'The Kingdom of the Worm,' as created by Clark Ashton Smith. The latter's tale, at best, was an inferior Smith writing, and truly, not one of his best. One must be logical and open-minded, you know. ”

“ However, I was gladly surprised to see the story in this new magazine's pages. 'Supernatural Horror in Literature' by H. P. Lovecraft is intensely interesting."—F. Lee Baldwin
One has his full right to like or dislike a story, and while you and the previous writer believed Smith's tale to be below his standard, many have written in acclaiming it one of his best. If the tale had appeared in Weird Tales, you might have thought so also, but seeing that TFF is only a struggling little publication, you might have "hypnotised" yourself into believing that it was not up to his average. ”

“ Since TFF is a magazine devoted to the discussion of weird fiction, you should cut down on the stf stuff. You'll find plenty of readers who will enjoy it without having to add so much science fiction talk."—Emil Petaja
"Please keep on using the same kind of paper and add more pages. Was sorry to hear that TFF is leaning toward weird fiction. Why do you encourage superstition with all the pronouncements of science against it? I like the magazine fine, all except the weird part. I never have read a good weird tale. ”

“ I find the Fantasy Fan very interesting and think it has a good future. Anybody ought to be willing to pay a dollar for the privilege of reading, for a whole year, the works of Lovecraft, Smith, and Derleth. I am glad to see that you announce a poem by Smith in the next issue. He is a poet second to none. Weird poetry possesses an appeal peculiar to itself and the careful use of it raises the quality of any magazine. ”

“ Ackerman is a most interesting type of 'crank.' (Everyone who writes in to a magazine is a 'crank.' So'm I) . At least, F. J. A. shows signs of a rudimentary intelligence, which most cranks don't. I agree with him. 'The Light from Beyond' and several other Smith yarns, had no place in Wonder Stories. WS calls itself a science fiction magazine. Smith's story under discussion isn't science fiction, so, it had no place in such a magazine. F. J. A. is right there. I see no reason why Lovecraft should condemn Ackerman for not liking Smith. After all, we each have our own tastes. ”

“ All those laudatory remarks were really said to let other readers know how much you have done to advance science fiction, but for certain peculiar reasons which can never be foretold, they weren't taken in the proper light. Frankly, this should teach us both a lesson—you and I. I should consider carefully every remark I make about anyone or his work, and you should become less prejudiced and vehement on any particular subject, and consider the question: "What's one man's opinion?" Your controversy with C. A. Smith is continued in this issue's "Boiling Point." ”

“ Such writing, to be sure, has its place, as has the conventional or even whimsical or humorous ghost story where formalism or the author's knowing wink removes the true sense of the morbidly unnatural; but these things are not the literature of cosmic fear in its purest sense. The true weird tale has something more than secret murder, bloody bones, or a sheeted form clanking chains according to rule. A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces must be present ”

“ The world is full of unexplained incidents and peculiar circumstances, the logical reasons for which are often so obscure and hidden that they are lent an illusion of the supernatural."—Robert E. Howard
We wish there were more authors and fans that were enthusiastic over the future of weird fiction and The Fantasy Fan as you and our other readers are, and were willing to support it. ”

“ The opinions of such a popular weird author as yourself carry weight, and it is a supreme pleasure to have you as a subscriber and contributor. Our gratitude is unbounded.
"Delighted to see the November Issue. All the items and departments seem well calculated to interest the weird fiction devotee; and since there is no other magazine in this field, TFF ought certainly to be able to build up a solid clientele in the course of time."—H. P. Lovecraft
"Weisinger has done himself proud in both TFF and SFD. If he can only keep going! I wonder what would happen if Schwartz fell down?!! ”

“ Alexander when he calls our readers too ignorant to grasp an argument put forth by Mr. Ackerman. Their eager disapproval with logical objections contradicts this theory. And then again, the mere fact that they are science fiction and weird fans puts them above the average, for such readers must be broadminded and open minded, and not the "What's-good-enough-for-father-is-good-enough-for-me" or "There-ain't-no-such-animal" types. We believe that this letter leaves cause for rebuttal on the part of Messrs. Smith and Lovecraft. ”

“ Naturally we cannot expect all weird tales to conform absolutely to any theoretical model. Creative minds are uneven, and the best fabrics have their dull spots. Moreover, much of the choicest weird work is unconscious ”

“ R. H. Barlow is deserving of praise for his 'Annals.' The gentlemen with the musical pen-name of Hoy Ping Pong produced an enjoyable article on 'How to Write a STF Story:' very amusing satire."—Robert Nelson
"I surely am delighted with the second issue of TFF—a big step forward from the first edition! By all means keep up the good work that you have started. This is just the thing we non-scientifictionists need. Lovecraft, Smith, Wandrei, Howard, and Quinn, I hope, will be your main contributors as they just about hold up the weird and fantastic candle. ”

“ People may laugh at fantasy fiction—but we know of at least two motion picture stars that owe their world-wide success to it, and you can think of many others.... Of all the interplanetary stories ever written, "Interplanetary Bridges," by Ludwig Anton, is the only one to have the word in its title.... ”

“ Quite near it, partly submerged, they found the bodies of Hank Blum and Fred Birkett.
Blum was dead, but he had not been drowned. He had been strangled. For when the horrified searchers pulled him out of the water, they found Fred Birkett's dead fingers sunk deep in the flesh of Blum's neck.
Birkett had found his twelfth corpse.
CLUB NEWS
Mr. Glasser informs us that he will have more news about the Fantasy Fans' Fraternity for our February issue. If you are a science fiction fan, why don't you become a member? There is no charge. ”