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Fantascience Digest, v. 3, issue 3, whole no. 15, November-December 1941

Page 27

Page 27
Reader Comments
Editor Fantascience Digest

SAM MOSKOWITZ sends the following lengthy comments: Friday evening, October 25, 1940 I was reminiscing through my file of FANTASCIENCE DIGESTs and wishing that a new one would arrive to mark the end of your annual "siesta". The 1940 "siesta" can easily be said to be one of the longest of your fan publishing career.
   Well, Saturday, October 26th, arrived, and the morning mail produced the long-overdue FD, and I went to work happy in the thought that I'd have something to look forward to when I got back home.
   Really, reading FANTASCIENCE DIGEST is like talking with an old friend. There is hardly ever anything to disturb your enjoyment. Inevitably it supplies one of the finest evening's reading of any science fiction fan mag (or pro for that matter).
   I thought the overdue issue would be crammed with stale material, tending to make it inferior to past numbers. Such was definitely not the case. The omission of several of your timely departments was a masterstroke of editorship, not a blunder as some fans will have you believe. There was nothing to date the issue, even the readers' department sounded like the last issue had appeared two months ago.
   The standard of the 2nd Anniversary Issue was maintained. There was no let down in quality. I missed the cover, but even with a pictorial cover, I approve of print on the cover, lineing up your features, I don't know why, but I take a sort of grim satisfaction when some fan mag adopts this professionalistic aspect.
   The mimeographing was up to standard.
   "Dream's End" -- a tale of pure fantasy -- how wrong you are Bob. It is one of the most chillingly down-to-earth pieces of writing I have ever read. The message, despite the beautiful style of writing, was brought out with terrible abruptness. One sentence. "Because", replied Life, "Thou must eat". was potent! A fantasy? No -- no fantasy. Fantasy carries you away from the dross and mundaneness of reality on the wings of words. There has never been a tale more grim, more real than "Dream's End".
   Therefore, placing Tucker's hilarious "Art of Purloining a Library Book" next in line, was appreciated by this reader. It was funny, and it was well done. I even read it to the rest of the family and we all had a good laugh.
   "An Old Timer Returns" by Julius Unger is a very good article. Interesting, concise, informative.
   "Ten Years Ago in Science Fiction" by Robert W. Lowndes was much improved over Rothman's original version. The incerpting of the author's own opinions, prejudiced or not, is a necessity for interest in this particular type of article. Lowndes has made a suitable start, the idea has definite potentialities for development.

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Page 27 Reader Comments Editor Fantascience Digest SAM MOSKOWITZ sends the following lengthy comments: Friday evening, October 25, 1940 I was reminiscing through my file of FANTASCIENCE DIGESTs and wishing that a new one would arrive to mark the end of your annual "siesta". The 1940 "siesta" can easily be said to be one of the longest of your fan publishing career. Well, Saturday, October 26th, arrived, and the morning mail produced the long-overdue FD, and I went to work happy in the thought that I'd have something to look forward to when I got back home. Really, reading FANTASCIENCE DIGEST is like talking with an old friend. There is hardly ever anything to disturb your enjoyment. Inevitably it supplies one of the finest evening's reading of any science fiction fan mag (or pro for that matter). I thought the overdue issue would be crammed with stale material, tending to make it inferior to past numbers. Such was definitely not the case. The omission of several of your timely departments was a masterstroke of editorship, not a blunder as some fans will have you believe. There was nothing to date the issue, even the readers' department sounded like the last issue had appeared two months ago. The standard of the 2nd Anniversary Issue was maintained. There was no let down in quality. I missed the cover, but even with a pictorial cover, I approve of print on the cover, lineing up your features, I don't know why, but I take a sort of grim satisfaction when some fan mag adopts this professionalistic aspect. The mimeographing was up to standard. "Dream's End" -- a tale of pure fantasy -- how wrong you are Bob. It is one of the most chillingly down-to-earth pieces of writing I have ever read. The message, despite the beautiful style of writing, was brought out with terrible abruptness. One sentence. "Because", replied Life, "Thou must eat". was potent! A fantasy? No -- no fantasy. Fantasy carries you away from the dross and mundaneness of reality on the wings of words. There has never been a tale more grim, more real than "Dream's End". Therefore, placing Tucker's hilarious "Art of Purloining a Library Book" next in line, was appreciated by this reader. It was funny, and it was well done. I even read it to the rest of the family and we all had a good laugh. "An Old Timer Returns" by Julius Unger is a very good article. Interesting, concise, informative. "Ten Years Ago in Science Fiction" by Robert W. Lowndes was much improved over Rothman's original version. The incerpting of the author's own opinions, prejudiced or not, is a necessity for interest in this particular type of article. Lowndes has made a suitable start, the idea has definite potentialities for development.