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Ad Astra, v. 1, issue 2, July 1939

Page 14

Page #14                                               AD ASTRA

too obvious. Smith interesting. Things concerning SGW repetition pretty much of introduction to Dawn of Flame, but suppose most of your readers haven't that book.
   Madle among the best of the writers this time. Hamling re our sanity ditto. Think I'll sue Harry Warner or someone. I had an article in the first number of my FAPA magazine, Full Length Articles, entitled Samuel Clemens -- Scientifictionist, which devoted nearly half of its length to a condensation of and commentary upon The Mysterious Stranger. Nell mentioned the article, as did someone else, but evidently Harry missed the notice.

EMRYS EVANS of Mountain Home, Id. comments:-
   Your first number was very good, from the cover to that humorous story by Mark Reinsberg. Besides the humor I enjoyed reading the serious articles by John W. Campbell, Jr. and Lawrence Hamling. A suggestion -- number the pages of future AD ASTRAS; then we fans won't have to count them ourselves. 

LESLIE A. CROUTCH of Parry Sound, Ontario, writes:-
   This is something of a precedent with me, and AD ASTRA marks the first fan publication I have bought, and the only one that has held my likes as long as wanting the second issue. I haven't read them all by any means, but what I have - I find this one the better of them all!
   Yours is the first I've had that used a stiff cover, and I must say it enhances the book as a whole -- and as a whole, 'tis nice. I see you'd like opinions, and being a fan of a very opinionative nature, here's mine:
   Cut those scratchy drawings that you say are "editorially done". If they're yours, you oughta be ashamed of yourself! They distinctly lower the quality of AD ASTRA.
   The articles were good. And that little yarn about heavy water alright for a beginning. I realize that the first issue of any magazine is poorer than the following ones for the simple reason that contributors aren't as handy and don't actually begin coming in until the readers have sort of whetted their pens and hunched down to work.
   The cover: well done, the best I've seen yet in fact. Are contributions along this line acceptable? Can readers send in cover designs, pictures for the inside, and so on? Have you the facilities for using them? If so, why not tell your readers this in a forthcoming issue? Surely there are, among the readers, those who are tolerable designers and artists. Such things will help raise the quality of the magazine.
   DON'T change the format, whatever else you do. For this size is nice and neat, and makes it easy to bind, say a whole vol. in one, as I may do later on. So DON'T change the format. What about a monthly instead of this blasted bi-monthly business which is becoming a drug on the market.
   Certainly give us a readers' dept. What is sf or fantasy without that? Let us readers get together and pound the living blazes out of each other. But, let the interesting ones - letters be returned and made into an article. Howsaboutit?
(AD ASTRA is always willing to risk a stencil on those who are artistically inclined. If you've got talent, drop us a line --- that goes for anyone who knows how to work on a stencil -- and is interested in doing some illustrating.
   BUT, I might add, as long as Julian S. Krupa so generously donates his time and skill to AA, you don't stand much of a chance. We do not intend to change the present format -- and hope to go monthly soon.             Ed.)

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Page #14 AD ASTRA too obvious. Smith interesting. Things concerning SGW repetition pretty much of introduction to Dawn of Flame, but suppose most of your readers haven't that book. Madle among the best of the writers this time. Hamling re our sanity ditto. Think I'll sue Harry Warner or someone. I had an article in the first number of my FAPA magazine, Full Length Articles, entitled Samuel Clemens -- Scientifictionist, which devoted nearly half of its length to a condensation of and commentary upon The Mysterious Stranger. Nell mentioned the article, as did someone else, but evidently Harry missed the notice. EMRYS EVANS of Mountain Home, Id. comments:- Your first number was very good, from the cover to that humorous story by Mark Reinsberg. Besides the humor I enjoyed reading the serious articles by John W. Campbell, Jr. and Lawrence Hamling. A suggestion -- number the pages of future AD ASTRAS; then we fans won't have to count them ourselves. LESLIE A. CROUTCH of Parry Sound, Ontario, writes:- This is something of a precedent with me, and AD ASTRA marks the first fan publication I have bought, and the only one that has held my likes as long as wanting the second issue. I haven't read them all by any means, but what I have - I find this one the better of them all! Yours is the first I've had that used a stiff cover, and I must say it enhances the book as a whole -- and as a whole, 'tis nice. I see you'd like opinions, and being a fan of a very opinionative nature, here's mine: Cut those scratchy drawings that you say are "editorially done". If they're yours, you oughta be ashamed of yourself! They distinctly lower the quality of AD ASTRA. The articles were good. And that little yarn about heavy water alright for a beginning. I realize that the first issue of any magazine is poorer than the following ones for the simple reason that contributors aren't as handy and don't actually begin coming in until the readers have sort of whetted their pens and hunched down to work. The cover: well done, the best I've seen yet in fact. Are contributions along this line acceptable? Can readers send in cover designs, pictures for the inside, and so on? Have you the facilities for using them? If so, why not tell your readers this in a forthcoming issue? Surely there are, among the readers, those who are tolerable designers and artists. Such things will help raise the quality of the magazine. DON'T change the format, whatever else you do. For this size is nice and neat, and makes it easy to bind, say a whole vol. in one, as I may do later on. So DON'T change the format. What about a monthly instead of this blasted bi-monthly business which is becoming a drug on the market. Certainly give us a readers' dept. What is sf or fantasy without that? Let us readers get together and pound the living blazes out of each other. But, let the interesting ones - letters be returned and made into an article. Howsaboutit? (AD ASTRA is always willing to risk a stencil on those who are artistically inclined. If you've got talent, drop us a line --- that goes for anyone who knows how to work on a stencil -- and is interested in doing some illustrating. BUT, I might add, as long as Julian S. Krupa so generously donates his time and skill to AA, you don't stand much of a chance. We do not intend to change the present format -- and hope to go monthly soon. Ed.)