Various

“ The tirade to which exception was taken was not merely an assertion that Smith's 'Dweller in Martian Depths' is unsuited for a science fiction magazine. It was a wholly gratuitous and intemperate attack on the story itself, written with a slap-dash extravagance and obviously sadistic gusto which plainly showed either a complete lack of analytical understanding and imaginative sensitiveness, or (as it was probable) a mere boyish desire to show off and attract notice. However, Ackerman is young, as proved by his tendency to regard ordinary civilized language as alien and incomprehensible. ”

“ The cost of having the magazine printed is not small and the subscriptions do not pay for one quarter of the total cost. This fact may astound you, but it is the truth. The Fantasy Fan is young and not many of the fans know of its existence, chiefly because of the lack of a good advertising mediums for the most part, and the refusal of Weird Tales, the only really good medium for advertising such a fan magazine, to accept our ad for the second time. Perhaps you do not find our magazine worth a dollar a year, and that weird fiction would get along just as well without a fan magazine. ”

“ Lovecraft's further uncalled for remarks. If I am not qualified to judge any weird tales, he is not qualified to call names. It seems to me of late that his palsy-walsy Clark Ashton Smith has been turning out an over-abundant amount of literature—but goodness! I don't think the man egotistic and attempting to draw attention to himself! The man likes to write, and so do I. Yet Mr. Lovecraft says of me 'peculiarly ridiculous', because I make absurd comments to focus people's eyes on me ”

“ OUR READERS SAY
S. M. White, one of our New Zealand readers is not altogether satisfied with science fiction in general:
"The Fantasy Fan is of great interest to me. I hope that it keeps on going. I have two objections to scientifiction—1. There is too much 'blood and thunder.' 2. Not enough originality in plots. Thus too much spoils the flavor. But there are several themes on which few of your authors have touched. 1. A story with lots of science. 2. A story concerning that which comes after death (if anything) . 3. A really humorous story. ”

“ Now the face of Noureddin Hassan grew heavier still with sorrow; and he bowed his head in a shamefaced manner that bespoke the utterness of profound remorse. And standing thus before the Cadi, he told this story:
The reversals of fortune, O Cadi, are swift and grievous, and beyond the foreknowing or advertence of men. ”

“ Lovecraft's 'The Other Gods' and 'Supernatural Horror in Literature' are a treat for which I am sure every reader is grateful. 'True Ghost Stories' is very well presented and Barlow's 'Annals of the Jinns' very capably upholds fantastic lore. Smith's 'The Kingdom of the Worm' recalled to my mind Donald Wandrei's 'The Worm King', a poem which I read in Weird Tales years ago. ”

“ I am not a Weird Man; indeed, I have read very few weird stories that I have considered really good. Therefore, this is not so much a defense of Smith (who, I believe, is absolutely wrong in trying to link weird fiction with science fiction) , as a rebuttal to Ackerman. ”

“ Now Noureddin was a comely youth, of open and gentle mien; and great was the astonishment of the Cadi and of all others present when they heard the charges that were preferred against him. He was accused of having slain seven people, one by one, on seven successive nights, and of having left the corpses in a cemetery near Bussorah, where they were found lying with their bodies and members devoured in a fearsome manner, as if by jackals. Of the people he was said to have slain three were women, two were travelling merchants, one was a mendicant, and one a grave-digger. ”

“ Richard E. Morse's letter has impressed me as the one that really 'says something.' His thought had not occurred to me before, and it is worthwhile considering. Weird Tales allows science fiction; why not Wonder Stories weird tales? As the science fiction fan I am always eager to see stf in Weird Tales and any other magazine. ”

“ It's a hopeless task to try and muster even a tenth of all the fantasy books. The best way to go about it, however, is to "haunt" the second-hand book stores and scrutinize any book whose title sounds promising or inviting. ”

“ Much of the power of Western horror-lore was undoubtedly due to the hidden but often suspected presence of a hideous cult of nocturnal worshipers whose strange customs—descended from pre-Aryan and pre-agricultural times when a squat race of Mongoloids roved over Europe with their flocks and herds—were rooted in the most revolting fertility-rites of immemorial antiquity. ”

“ As this is an impossibility, all they can do is to please as many as they can. When a majority voice a suggestion, he must take it into serious consideration. We find that the underused plots you have mentioned have been used quite often, except that which is not for science fiction, but has been overdone in weird stories.
"I keep forgetting that each month I am going to receive a copy of The Fantasy Fan so that, when it does come, it is such a pleasant surprise. As a regular feature, I enjoy Bob Tucker's report on the English stf magazines best of all. ”

“ Were they born about the same time as Weird Tales? I notice that the Illusion of reality has much more force at night than in the daytime."—Carl J. Smith
It is only an A-1 author that can make you believe that a thing exists when it really doesn't. Perhaps the cat is out of the bag, at you say, but we don't believe that it detracts from Smith's, Lovecraft's, or Howard's stories one bit. However, weird fans will probably not be satisfied until the aforesaid "fabricators" write up the books in toto that they have created in their minds. Smith is now working on a chapter of "The Book of Eibon." ”

“ Hoy Ping Pong's article on how to write scientifiction is most amusing.
"Re the origin of the word 'weird,' which you attributed to Edgar Allan Poe. I believe that Poe was perhaps the first to employ this adjective in the modern sense of eerie or uncanny or bizarre; but you will find it used in older writers, such as Shakespeare, with a special application to witchcraft or sorcery. ”

“ These are scenes from a score of fantasy pictures ranging in size from 5" × to 11" × 14", and in subjects from prehistoric monsters of 10,000,000 years ago to exploring interplanetary parties of the future. There are many scenes from "Metropolis" of the vast, shining electricity, of the inside furnishings of the buildings, of the costumes of the people of that time; and there are pictures of the machinery to run the city, the underground world, the robotrix, the televisors. ”

“ Watch for them. To our readers: How did you like Mr. Cuthbert's story "The Sublime Vigil" in the February 1934 issue of Wonder Stories? Watch his progress! We predict that in less than one year he will be one of your favorite authors.
"Glad to see the December issue. All the stories art excellent and the departments are as interesting as usual."—H. P. Lovecraft
"I have received the November TFF and would say that it is the most satisfactory issue so far. 'The Other Gods' is indeed a masterpiece of prose poetry, filled with imaginative overtones. ”

“ The prevalence and depth of the medieval horror-spirit in Europe, intensified by the dark despair which waves of pestilence brought, may be fairly gauged by the grotesque carvings slyly introduced into much of the finest later Gothic ecclesiastical work of the time ”

“ The shade which appears and demands the burial of its bones, the demon lover who comes to bear away his still living bride, the death-fiend or psychopomp riding the night-wind, the man-wolf, the sealed chamber, the deathless sorcerer—all those may be found in that curious body of mediaeval lore which the late Mr. ”

“ While different in essence of tone, these two carry the same eery quality. Although your various departments have not yet swung into full stride, great promise is indicated.
"I have a suggestion for Mr. Tucker. If his English connection will supply him with sufficient information, a column or so on Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood might introduce two very worthy writers of weird tales to your readers."—Chester D. Cuthbert
We have on hand for early publication, several articles on the works of the great writers of the past. ”