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Fantasy Fan, v. 1, issue 4, December 1933
Page 51
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December, 1933 THE FANAASY FAN 51 "I surely am delighted with the second issue of TFF--a big step forward from the first edition! By all means keep up the good work that you have started. This is just the thing we non-scientifictionists need. Lovecraft, Smith, Wandrei, Howard, and Quinn, I hope, will be your main contributors as they just about hold up the weird and fantastic candle. I look for big things from you! 'The Kingdom of the Worm' was quite a light and weak and far below the Smith standard--he is my favorite author and I know what he can do as I have nearly all of his stories and poems. The idea of portrayal was novel but many more pages could have been written. It seemed to me that the climax came to quickly, and with a less startling denouement than is customary with Mr. Smith's work. However. I was gladly surprised to see the story in this new magazine's pages. 'Supernatural Horror in Literature' by H. P. Lovecraft is intensely interesting." --F. Lee Baldwin One has his full right to like or dislike a story, and while you and the previous writer believed Smith's tale to be below his standard, many have written in acclaiming it one of his best. If the tale had appeared in Weird Tales, you might have thought so also, but seeing that TFF is only a struggling little publication, you might have "hypnotised" yourself into believing that it was not up this average. And then again, you must be in the mood when you read weird stories. Reading them under unfavorable conditions may force a deregatory opinion of the tale upon you. "The second TFF was good! Hope you will get more staff writers who are familiar with fantastic fiction as you go along. Glad to see Lovecraft's article. C. A. Smiths' tale was fine. Keep up their publication in spite of the opposition which will be forthcoming of 'pure' stf addicts."--Lester Anderson. "The second issue was read with much interest and enjoyment. It showed considerable improvement over the first issue. The high spots were Clark Ashton Smith's story "The Kingdom of the Worm' and the beginning of H. P. Lovecraft's article on 'Supernatural Horror in Literature.' Smith's story was splendid and I hope to see much more of his work in TFF. Lovecraft's article began very promisingly, my only criticism being that the instalment was much too short."--H. Koenig "I am glad to learn that TFF will be devoted henceforth to the weird in fiction, for I feel that truly fantastic literature, as distinguished from the merely pseudo-scientific, is entitled to the fullest support; a support hitherto given to the stf type. I feel certain that a large and appreciative following may be built up among the disciples of this branch of literature. My best wishes to the success of TFF."--Richard F. Searight. Following are two letters in direct contrast. "I have read the October issue of TFF from cover to cover and enjoyed it thoroughly. I have one object, though. Since TFF is a magazine devoted to the discussion of weird fiction, you should cut down on the stf stuff. You'll find plenty of readers who will enjoy it without having to add so much science fiction talk."--Emil Petaja. "Please keep on using the same kind of paper and add more pages. Was sorry to hear that TFF is leaning toward
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December, 1933 THE FANAASY FAN 51 "I surely am delighted with the second issue of TFF--a big step forward from the first edition! By all means keep up the good work that you have started. This is just the thing we non-scientifictionists need. Lovecraft, Smith, Wandrei, Howard, and Quinn, I hope, will be your main contributors as they just about hold up the weird and fantastic candle. I look for big things from you! 'The Kingdom of the Worm' was quite a light and weak and far below the Smith standard--he is my favorite author and I know what he can do as I have nearly all of his stories and poems. The idea of portrayal was novel but many more pages could have been written. It seemed to me that the climax came to quickly, and with a less startling denouement than is customary with Mr. Smith's work. However. I was gladly surprised to see the story in this new magazine's pages. 'Supernatural Horror in Literature' by H. P. Lovecraft is intensely interesting." --F. Lee Baldwin One has his full right to like or dislike a story, and while you and the previous writer believed Smith's tale to be below his standard, many have written in acclaiming it one of his best. If the tale had appeared in Weird Tales, you might have thought so also, but seeing that TFF is only a struggling little publication, you might have "hypnotised" yourself into believing that it was not up this average. And then again, you must be in the mood when you read weird stories. Reading them under unfavorable conditions may force a deregatory opinion of the tale upon you. "The second TFF was good! Hope you will get more staff writers who are familiar with fantastic fiction as you go along. Glad to see Lovecraft's article. C. A. Smiths' tale was fine. Keep up their publication in spite of the opposition which will be forthcoming of 'pure' stf addicts."--Lester Anderson. "The second issue was read with much interest and enjoyment. It showed considerable improvement over the first issue. The high spots were Clark Ashton Smith's story "The Kingdom of the Worm' and the beginning of H. P. Lovecraft's article on 'Supernatural Horror in Literature.' Smith's story was splendid and I hope to see much more of his work in TFF. Lovecraft's article began very promisingly, my only criticism being that the instalment was much too short."--H. Koenig "I am glad to learn that TFF will be devoted henceforth to the weird in fiction, for I feel that truly fantastic literature, as distinguished from the merely pseudo-scientific, is entitled to the fullest support; a support hitherto given to the stf type. I feel certain that a large and appreciative following may be built up among the disciples of this branch of literature. My best wishes to the success of TFF."--Richard F. Searight. Following are two letters in direct contrast. "I have read the October issue of TFF from cover to cover and enjoyed it thoroughly. I have one object, though. Since TFF is a magazine devoted to the discussion of weird fiction, you should cut down on the stf stuff. You'll find plenty of readers who will enjoy it without having to add so much science fiction talk."--Emil Petaja. "Please keep on using the same kind of paper and add more pages. Was sorry to hear that TFF is leaning toward
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