DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Fantasy Magazine, v. 4, issue 4, whole no. 28, February-March 1935

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Fantasy Magazine, v. 4, issue 4, whole no. 28, February-March 1935

Amazing Stories

AMAZING STORIES

   To be perfectly honest, we must confess first of all that we are not dedicating this issue of FANTASY to Amazing Stories because it is the best science fiction magazine. It isn't, Nor has it the best stories, the most pages, or the lowest price. 

   We are dedicating this issue to Amazing Stories for what it has been and for what we hope it will be. During the first three or four years of its existence Amazing Stories was unbeatable. It had excellent stories, excellent authors, excellent artists. In 1929, however, it stopped its progressive march, halted, even slid backward, and reached its nadir in 1931 or so, and has ever since then valiantly but vainly attempted to retrieve its former pinnacle in the science fiction world.

   Why, one might ask, has Amazing Stories lagged behind? Is it because the stories are poorer? We think not. In our opinion, most of the stories printed today are equal to those printed in the 1929 issues. And here, in a nutshell, we have the solution : the current stories are equal to those of seven years ago. Equal! But not better! The plots are still the same, the characters haven't changed a bit. Two decades ago we would have been perfectly satisfied with a 1915 model Ford. But who wants a 1915 model in 1935? Amazing Stories hasn't progressed one iota since 1929. What we want are new plots, different characters, original ideas: we want for 1935 a 1935 magazine!

   Amazing Stories has boasted only too often that its old authors have stuck with them. Well and good. But they shouldn't be allowed to hoodwink the editors with their reputations and continue to grind out moth-eaten plots. All authors, old and new, must be forced to write 1935 stories. 

   We sincerely hope this dedication lssue will serve as a reminder to Amazing Stories that it has fallen behind the times. We hope, too, that it marks the beginning of a new Amazing Stories, one which can be truthfully called "The Aristocrat of Science Fiction." It is for the latter aspiration that we dedicate this issue.

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AMAZING STORIES To be perfectly honest, we must confess first of all that we are not dedicating this issue of FANTASY to Amazing Stories because it is the best science fiction magazine. It isn't, Nor has it the best stories, the most pages, or the lowest price. We are dedicating this issue to Amazing Stories for what it has been and for what we hope it will be. During the first three or four years of its existence Amazing Stories was unbeatable. It had excellent stories, excellent authors, excellent artists. In 1929, however, it stopped its progressive march, halted, even slid backward, and reached its nadir in 1931 or so, and has ever since then valiantly but vainly attempted to retrieve its former pinnacle in the science fiction world. Why, one might ask, has Amazing Stories lagged behind? Is it because the stories are poorer? We think not. In our opinion, most of the stories printed today are equal to those printed in the 1929 issues. And here, in a nutshell, we have the solution : the current stories are equal to those of seven years ago. Equal! But not better! The plots are still the same, the characters haven't changed a bit. Two decades ago we would have been perfectly satisfied with a 1915 model Ford. But who wants a 1915 model in 1935? Amazing Stories hasn't progressed one iota since 1929. What we want are new plots, different characters, original ideas: we want for 1935 a 1935 magazine! Amazing Stories has boasted only too often that its old authors have stuck with them. Well and good. But they shouldn't be allowed to hoodwink the editors with their reputations and continue to grind out moth-eaten plots. All authors, old and new, must be forced to write 1935 stories. We sincerely hope this dedication lssue will serve as a reminder to Amazing Stories that it has fallen behind the times. We hope, too, that it marks the beginning of a new Amazing Stories, one which can be truthfully called "The Aristocrat of Science Fiction." It is for the latter aspiration that we dedicate this issue.