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Spaceways, v. 3 issue 3, whole no. 19, March 1941
Page 7
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SPACEWAYS 7 BEACON LIGHT questionable, at least, but that does not greatly matter. The feeling is there. Yet can it really be considered science-fiction?- the answer is plainly no. Unknown is again tops in its field. But it is slipping, slipping badly. It is still high-- the rest are so poor. The Star-Trader's remarks sound well-placed; one might add that the magazine suffers most from a general sameness throughout. It lacks vigor and variety, particularly the latter. It is difficult to say precisely what should be done, because immediately comes the question: "could you do better?" And our answer cannot be be very definite. Is there a dearth of variety in stories submitted; is it necessary to rely upon a few authors (because the editor knows their dependability) with whom one can talk over plots and ideas at times for a bulk of work? If such is the case, then who can blame Campbell?: In any event it cannot be doubted that he is one of the (if not the) most sincerely hard-working editors in the field, the one who feels the greatest personal responsibility for his magazines. Well, what comes next? Between Campbell's magazines and the nearest competitor (in quality) there is a wide gap. Stirring Science Stories? Its editor is one who will rival Campbell in application and sincerity, that is certain. The first issue is one to mark, particularly when one considers circumstances and general deluge of competition. Cosmic Stories? The same applies. One must wait-- and hope. Astonishing Stories; Super Science Novels? They have both passed the first year mark. Astonishing started out rather well, despite poor artwork; Super Science started out badly partly because of unbelievably bad artwork. Both saw better issues, then poorer ones. Some stories have been outstanding; some have been exceptionally bad; others have been neither one nor the other. The artwork, on the whole, has been perhaps just barely adequate. And the atmosphere of the magazines, that intangible quality which counts for so much: there is but one word to describe it: shallow. One cannot help but feel that the editor is a satiated one-time fan, who occasionally is roused to enthusiasm by a particularly fine story or drawing, but who, for the most part, wearily tries to put out a paying magazine, wondering somewhat annoyedly just what the poor goops who read it want, and often wishing he were editing almost anything except stf. Thrilling Wonder Stories? Startling Stories? Captain Future? The first mentioned is getting to be rather enjoyable: it is first class entertainment. Nothing significant; nothing classic, but nice, easy reading. One looks forward to the next issue. But if it were the only magazine of its kind-! Much the same can be said for Startling. As for Captain Future, we dunno; we haven't read it. Amazing? Fantastic Adventures? Forgot them: they aren't even good pseudo-scientifics, let alone science fiction. Comet? Too young to make any definite statements upon. It has published two issues, neither of which are very good or very bad. Both were very bad in one sense: they didn't stand out amongst the pile; that may be a fatal misdemeanor. While one does not entirely disagree with Louis Russell Chauvenet's statement that not story in Comet could have been included in Astounding without lowering the quality of the particular issue, we do agree that the magazine is not, as yet, worth 20 cents per. The editor realized the fact, and is trying to make the uplift before it is too late. We hope he can do it; we're for anyone who is really trying to put out a quality stf or fantasy magazine. But it's late, so very late-. Weird Tales? It is not the magazine we knew. Some stories are rather good; a few have been outstanding as of old. Most of them are silt, just silt. The magazine, on the whole looks well, but that is about all. Yet, perhaps it is selling better than the old Weird Tales did (that is, considering the loss of foreign and Canadian markets). Still, at best, Weird Tales is a rather sorry affair for any reader of more than three years' standing- in fact, one might say two. Famous Fantastic Mysteries? Fantastic Novels? Oke, for the most part, if you haven't read the stories. For the fans, selection has not always been of the best; in appearance, magazines not particularly goo. Too few illustrations buried in (concluded on page 14)
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SPACEWAYS 7 BEACON LIGHT questionable, at least, but that does not greatly matter. The feeling is there. Yet can it really be considered science-fiction?- the answer is plainly no. Unknown is again tops in its field. But it is slipping, slipping badly. It is still high-- the rest are so poor. The Star-Trader's remarks sound well-placed; one might add that the magazine suffers most from a general sameness throughout. It lacks vigor and variety, particularly the latter. It is difficult to say precisely what should be done, because immediately comes the question: "could you do better?" And our answer cannot be be very definite. Is there a dearth of variety in stories submitted; is it necessary to rely upon a few authors (because the editor knows their dependability) with whom one can talk over plots and ideas at times for a bulk of work? If such is the case, then who can blame Campbell?: In any event it cannot be doubted that he is one of the (if not the) most sincerely hard-working editors in the field, the one who feels the greatest personal responsibility for his magazines. Well, what comes next? Between Campbell's magazines and the nearest competitor (in quality) there is a wide gap. Stirring Science Stories? Its editor is one who will rival Campbell in application and sincerity, that is certain. The first issue is one to mark, particularly when one considers circumstances and general deluge of competition. Cosmic Stories? The same applies. One must wait-- and hope. Astonishing Stories; Super Science Novels? They have both passed the first year mark. Astonishing started out rather well, despite poor artwork; Super Science started out badly partly because of unbelievably bad artwork. Both saw better issues, then poorer ones. Some stories have been outstanding; some have been exceptionally bad; others have been neither one nor the other. The artwork, on the whole, has been perhaps just barely adequate. And the atmosphere of the magazines, that intangible quality which counts for so much: there is but one word to describe it: shallow. One cannot help but feel that the editor is a satiated one-time fan, who occasionally is roused to enthusiasm by a particularly fine story or drawing, but who, for the most part, wearily tries to put out a paying magazine, wondering somewhat annoyedly just what the poor goops who read it want, and often wishing he were editing almost anything except stf. Thrilling Wonder Stories? Startling Stories? Captain Future? The first mentioned is getting to be rather enjoyable: it is first class entertainment. Nothing significant; nothing classic, but nice, easy reading. One looks forward to the next issue. But if it were the only magazine of its kind-! Much the same can be said for Startling. As for Captain Future, we dunno; we haven't read it. Amazing? Fantastic Adventures? Forgot them: they aren't even good pseudo-scientifics, let alone science fiction. Comet? Too young to make any definite statements upon. It has published two issues, neither of which are very good or very bad. Both were very bad in one sense: they didn't stand out amongst the pile; that may be a fatal misdemeanor. While one does not entirely disagree with Louis Russell Chauvenet's statement that not story in Comet could have been included in Astounding without lowering the quality of the particular issue, we do agree that the magazine is not, as yet, worth 20 cents per. The editor realized the fact, and is trying to make the uplift before it is too late. We hope he can do it; we're for anyone who is really trying to put out a quality stf or fantasy magazine. But it's late, so very late-. Weird Tales? It is not the magazine we knew. Some stories are rather good; a few have been outstanding as of old. Most of them are silt, just silt. The magazine, on the whole looks well, but that is about all. Yet, perhaps it is selling better than the old Weird Tales did (that is, considering the loss of foreign and Canadian markets). Still, at best, Weird Tales is a rather sorry affair for any reader of more than three years' standing- in fact, one might say two. Famous Fantastic Mysteries? Fantastic Novels? Oke, for the most part, if you haven't read the stories. For the fans, selection has not always been of the best; in appearance, magazines not particularly goo. Too few illustrations buried in (concluded on page 14)
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