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Fantascience Digest, v. 2, issue 2, January-February 1939

Page 24

Page 24     FANTASCIENCE DIGEST

the length they are now, or cut 'em out. And try to get some simpler method of rating. Reinsberg good as usual; in fact, better. Kuttner oke; ditto Speer. More letters next time, pliz; three pages is not enough in a 30 page mag. Conover extremely dated. Why can't he wait until the last minute to send in his stuff? ARGOSY had finished reprinting "The Ship of Ishtar" and he comes up with the bright announcement that it's being done. (It [[underline]]was[[end underline]] being done when Conover sent in his column--RAM) And the whole first page of his article is practically worthless because the stuff had been rehashed dozens of times since the Marscare. The rest of his column was okeh, though....Aside to Helen Cloukey: You hit the nail right on the head! Twenty-three skiddoo!... Don't fret yourself if you don't have even margins---they don't do that much good.

HELEN CLOUKEY: The Anniversary issue of Fantascience Digest is great! You have really reached a high point in hektographing art; it is really the correct time to change to the mimeograph. If your success with the latter is as great, i can see FD climbing to yet undreamed of heights. Incidentally, it was harder to find any single article than previously. I believe that this was due to the strange lack of those illustrations crossing the entire top of the page. Is this simply a coincidence, or an entire change in policy? MAR's illustration on mars was good; it even served to put the family in a good mood. My parents laughed and laughed over it. I read "death is a Diplodocus" to them over the Sunday breakfast table; they laughed themselves silly over it. i think I prefer Agnew to Giunta, generally, in the matter of illustrations, but that cover is a beauty. It really is good. "The Road Back" by Moskowitz is a real piece of "fan fiction". Chamagne's frothy little bit was amusing. The rest of the magazine was uniformly interesting, but for that petty piece of dullness on "atmosphere".

ROBERT W. LOWNDES: Volume 2 No. 1 of Fantascience Digest received and contents noted. En re your proposed shift to mimeographing, i can well see your point. At best, the limitations on hektographed material are such that it is not worthwhile in a magazine of your size, despite the more pleasing appearance of a well-hektographed magazine, and the opportunity for better reproduction of drawings and decorative headings. I trust you will continue double-spacing in the revised makeup, and will keep the edges even. Apropos your contents in this issue:

I found Dale Hart's statistics, your own article, Warner's bit on comics, Speer's article, and Conover's column all of interest. With a content like this, and a presentable makeup and format, you should have no difficulty in getting out a very readable fan magazine. But, allow me to suggest: no fan fiction. This field of endeavour can well be taken care of in the FAPA, and is no longer dependent upon privately-owned fan magazines, circulated for profit or (as is more often/the case) just sold. Back in the days of Fantasy Magazine, it was quite a different situation. Moreover, fiction is out of place with your title. (Why? Even Readers Digest publishes fiction--RAM) Humourous articles, semi-fictional satire (along the lines of "Alicia in Blunderland") is another matter entirely.

Incidentally, what are your advertising rates? A thorough search of this issue fails to reveal. Please elucidate. (See back page--RAM)

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Page 24 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST the length they are now, or cut 'em out. And try to get some simpler method of rating. Reinsberg good as usual; in fact, better. Kuttner oke; ditto Speer. More letters next time, pliz; three pages is not enough in a 30 page mag. Conover extremely dated. Why can't he wait until the last minute to send in his stuff? ARGOSY had finished reprinting "The Ship of Ishtar" and he comes up with the bright announcement that it's being done. (It [[underline]]was[[end underline]] being done when Conover sent in his column--RAM) And the whole first page of his article is practically worthless because the stuff had been rehashed dozens of times since the Marscare. The rest of his column was okeh, though....Aside to Helen Cloukey: You hit the nail right on the head! Twenty-three skiddoo!... Don't fret yourself if you don't have even margins---they don't do that much good. HELEN CLOUKEY: The Anniversary issue of Fantascience Digest is great! You have really reached a high point in hektographing art; it is really the correct time to change to the mimeograph. If your success with the latter is as great, i can see FD climbing to yet undreamed of heights. Incidentally, it was harder to find any single article than previously. I believe that this was due to the strange lack of those illustrations crossing the entire top of the page. Is this simply a coincidence, or an entire change in policy? MAR's illustration on mars was good; it even served to put the family in a good mood. My parents laughed and laughed over it. I read "death is a Diplodocus" to them over the Sunday breakfast table; they laughed themselves silly over it. i think I prefer Agnew to Giunta, generally, in the matter of illustrations, but that cover is a beauty. It really is good. "The Road Back" by Moskowitz is a real piece of "fan fiction". Chamagne's frothy little bit was amusing. The rest of the magazine was uniformly interesting, but for that petty piece of dullness on "atmosphere". ROBERT W. LOWNDES: Volume 2 No. 1 of Fantascience Digest received and contents noted. En re your proposed shift to mimeographing, i can well see your point. At best, the limitations on hektographed material are such that it is not worthwhile in a magazine of your size, despite the more pleasing appearance of a well-hektographed magazine, and the opportunity for better reproduction of drawings and decorative headings. I trust you will continue double-spacing in the revised makeup, and will keep the edges even. Apropos your contents in this issue: I found Dale Hart's statistics, your own article, Warner's bit on comics, Speer's article, and Conover's column all of interest. With a content like this, and a presentable makeup and format, you should have no difficulty in getting out a very readable fan magazine. But, allow me to suggest: no fan fiction. This field of endeavour can well be taken care of in the FAPA, and is no longer dependent upon privately-owned fan magazines, circulated for profit or (as is more often/the case) just sold. Back in the days of Fantasy Magazine, it was quite a different situation. Moreover, fiction is out of place with your title. (Why? Even Readers Digest publishes fiction--RAM) Humourous articles, semi-fictional satire (along the lines of "Alicia in Blunderland") is another matter entirely. Incidentally, what are your advertising rates? A thorough search of this issue fails to reveal. Please elucidate. (See back page--RAM)