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Dream Quest, v. 1, issue 1, July 1947
Page 34
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DREAM QUEST 34 continue on its downward path, eventually going to depths; this note pervades the entire latter half of the story. We think that Edward Shanks and Mary Gnaedinger are each possessed of philosophies something like Donald Wandrei's. This tale and others in FFM seem to indicate that. We spoke above of a futile note. That, in our estimation, was what the whole story was, from start to finish -- futile. We see absolutely no point in continuing the adventures of characters on thru 115 of FFM's 880-word pages and then having them all die. We see even less point in the inclusion of the story in FFM, although it is skillfully writer, and is a good deal less longwinded than the average original publication. We are beginning to wonder if FFM itself might not be on the road to futility -- for next issue's novel, MINIMUM MAN by Andrew Marvel, contains in its blurb reference to the "little men of Harwich who had promised to destroy the world." Note the underlined reference -- another world destruction theme. As we said before this HAS to stop somewhere. But where? "The People of the Ruins," while by no means a great story, still has a great many redeeming features -- not the least being the lack of longwindedness mentioned above, even though we did get somewhat impatient long before page 115 was reached. The thing was too long, but the writing was well-done and continuity was good. Characterization, too, was up to par. However, continuity and characterization do not make a story, especially after the reader has been deluged with so MANY end of the world novels! Phooey. We believe if it had been the first breakdown yarn we'd read, we'd have praised it. But... FFM has, we feel, reached the crisis. The end-of-the-world story has got to go, or FFM will itself break down. Enough is enough and the "enough" mark was reached with UNTHINKABLE, if not 25TH HOUR. Also, the prehistoric story had better go pretty soon. And FFM has better quit using such long stories -- 115 pages is too much for a pulp. The average pulp reader doesn't like such long, heavy stories as he has been subjected to in FFM's pages. Eighty pages or less is plenty. We hope that Miss Gnaedinger takes a hint from the readers of THE STAR ROVER -- every letter published praised that story. Which is proof that other types of writing than long, drawn out endofcivilization and prehistoric tales are superseded in the judgment of the readers by fantasy. ((Hm...)) Enough of this. We're bogged down too. The other inclusion, Benson's short and this issue's Tale of Spectral Terror (we wish the editors would either select a better cover blurb or alter that one), is probably well-known to fans already so we won't comment other than saying that it is effective in its shortness, and creates a nice weird effect. It is one of EFB's better yarns. ***
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DREAM QUEST 34 continue on its downward path, eventually going to depths; this note pervades the entire latter half of the story. We think that Edward Shanks and Mary Gnaedinger are each possessed of philosophies something like Donald Wandrei's. This tale and others in FFM seem to indicate that. We spoke above of a futile note. That, in our estimation, was what the whole story was, from start to finish -- futile. We see absolutely no point in continuing the adventures of characters on thru 115 of FFM's 880-word pages and then having them all die. We see even less point in the inclusion of the story in FFM, although it is skillfully writer, and is a good deal less longwinded than the average original publication. We are beginning to wonder if FFM itself might not be on the road to futility -- for next issue's novel, MINIMUM MAN by Andrew Marvel, contains in its blurb reference to the "little men of Harwich who had promised to destroy the world." Note the underlined reference -- another world destruction theme. As we said before this HAS to stop somewhere. But where? "The People of the Ruins," while by no means a great story, still has a great many redeeming features -- not the least being the lack of longwindedness mentioned above, even though we did get somewhat impatient long before page 115 was reached. The thing was too long, but the writing was well-done and continuity was good. Characterization, too, was up to par. However, continuity and characterization do not make a story, especially after the reader has been deluged with so MANY end of the world novels! Phooey. We believe if it had been the first breakdown yarn we'd read, we'd have praised it. But... FFM has, we feel, reached the crisis. The end-of-the-world story has got to go, or FFM will itself break down. Enough is enough and the "enough" mark was reached with UNTHINKABLE, if not 25TH HOUR. Also, the prehistoric story had better go pretty soon. And FFM has better quit using such long stories -- 115 pages is too much for a pulp. The average pulp reader doesn't like such long, heavy stories as he has been subjected to in FFM's pages. Eighty pages or less is plenty. We hope that Miss Gnaedinger takes a hint from the readers of THE STAR ROVER -- every letter published praised that story. Which is proof that other types of writing than long, drawn out endofcivilization and prehistoric tales are superseded in the judgment of the readers by fantasy. ((Hm...)) Enough of this. We're bogged down too. The other inclusion, Benson's short and this issue's Tale of Spectral Terror (we wish the editors would either select a better cover blurb or alter that one), is probably well-known to fans already so we won't comment other than saying that it is effective in its shortness, and creates a nice weird effect. It is one of EFB's better yarns. ***
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